1. Islam and concept of
Education By Sajjad
Ahmad Awan PhD Scholar
Sajjad Ahmad Awan PhD Research Scholar
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2. Sajjad Awan PhD Scholar 2

3. Basic practices (the five “pillars”)
n Salat (prayers)
Five daily prayers, obligatory for all men, women & youth
n Shahada (affirmation) “I testify that
there is only ONE God and Mohammed is the
final Messenger of God”
n Zakat (alms)
Yearly distribution of 2.5% of the wealth of every well-to-do Muslim
to the poor
n Sawm (fasting)
Daily fasting (from dawn to dusk) by all men, women & youth
for the month of Ramadan
n Hajj (pilgrimage)
A trip to Mecca (at least once in a lifetime) by all men & women who
are healthy and have resources

4. In the name of Allah (God),
Most Gracious, Most Merciful

5. Importance of Education
 Allah says:
 Here the faculties mean the use of hearing
(collecting info), seeing (observation), and
thinking (deriving new results).
 Whichever group excels in using it becomes the
leader, especially when Muslims do not follow
Islam.
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6. Importance of Education
Difference between a Muslim and a non-Muslim
and/or Kafir is in two areas:
 Knowledge; and
 Action
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7. Knowledge – attribute of Allah.
(‘Aleem)


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8. The only source – Allah
(ayatal-Kursi)
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9. Importance in Islam
5 words (on learning) in the first 5 verses
Revealed in an age which was not information age
In a society of Ummiy-yoon where extremely few knew
how to read and write
The Prophet himself was Ummi
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10. Reading Mentioned Twice in the
First 5 Verses!!!
 It emphasizes that we should be real and prolific
readers. The tragedy is that when it comes to
Qur’an:
 They (the others) read to learn; and
 We learn to read (and stop there). We don’t try to
understand the Qur’an!!!
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11. Importance of knowledge in
Islam

Allah has taught the Prophet pbuh, the supplication:
O my Lord! Increase me in knowledge.
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12. Prophet’s role
The Prophet pbuh said: (I am sent as
a teacher.)
Allah says:
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13. Prophet’s roles – The
Comprehensive Education
The verse mentions 4 roles:
• Recite the verses
• DoTazkiah: Purify their lives (from negatives) and
enhance good qualities
• Teach them the Book
• Teach them the Hikmak
The above 4 are the real areas of education in Islam. It is
not just delivering information.
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14. Information or knowledge or
much more…
 Our condition: “We are drowning in information
and starving for knowledge.”
 Hikmah is an abundant and huge gift of Allah. It
shows us how to use the knowledge.

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15. Types of (knowledge)
There are only 2 types of knowledge in Islam:
1. Beneficial; and 2. Not beneficial
Note the supplications of the Prophet pbuh:
 (O Allah! I ask you for
the beneficial knowledge).
 (O Allah! I take
refuge inYou from useless knowledge).
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16. Classification of (knowledge) in
Islam according to Importance
1. Obligatory ( )
2. (Obligatory on society)
3. (Desirable)
4. (permissible)
5. (detested)
6. (prohibited)
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17. 1. Obligatory Knowledge
On every Muslim; so that he can live Islamically. He should
know the basics of:
 Beliefs
 Worships
 Dealings
 Prohibitions which lead to punishments
 Etiquettes of life
 Purification of heart
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18. 2. Fard Kifayah
In every locality, there has to be a group which knows these
areas otherwise the whole society will be a sinner.
These are ofTwo types. Those which are:
 Means to know obligatory knowledge (Qur’an, Hadith,
Fiqh, Arabic, ..). If we know Qur’an, we can know our
creed…
 Essential for a human society to excel others (Science,
Technology, Economics, Business,Administration,
Media…). Our focus is here, missing the first one!!!
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19. Goal of Education in Islam
 Not just to learn for the sake of learning
 The goal should not to be left on children.They
are too young to come up with one. You have to
help them.
 If you don’t specify the goal, they will make some
mean or cheap goals
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20. Allama Iqbal says:
 Knowledge gives power. This power should be
under Deen. Otherwise it is pure Satanic. A
Muslim must Islamize his knowledge.
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21. The Islamic Objectives
1. To produce individuals who believe firmly in the
individual and collective system of Islam. To
protect, practice, and promote it.
2. To help in knowing Allah and the ways to please
Him using latest means at his disposal (as a
Khalifah).
3. To develop morals by following the Prophet
pbuh (Ta’leem +Tazkiah + Himkmah)
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22. The Islamic Objectives
(Contd.)
4. Live a balanced life (spiritual vs material; self vs
society; spending vs saving; avoiding extremes)
5. To be expert in one’s own field
6. To have a vision and a mission along with
discipline … within the limits given by Allah.
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23. Develop the Educational
System Yourself
 No nation can survive by copying the Educational
system of others
 Russians had developed their own after
communist revolution.
 Even in science, there are facts and
interpretations
 Interpretation depends upon culture (Ex:Water;
Species)
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24. Current Situation
We have two streams of education
 Deeni / Madrassa Education
 Secular / School Education
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25. Deeni / Madrassa Education.
 Mostly out-of-date with current situation
 Originally designed for producing civil servants (in
Muslim rule); that is why living in India, you don’t find
any syllabus for Dawah; or how to live and interact with
others in a multi-cultural society;
 Generates 1000’s of Huffaz but not even 1% know what
they have memorized!
 Yes, their contribution is immense. Especially in the
absence of any alternative
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26. Secular / School Education
 Has no link with Islamic education.
 A subject (on Islamic Studies) is there but it is
confined mostly to beliefs, worship, and morals.
 Nothing to do with the concept of knowledge.
Nothing to relate oneself with other subjects.
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27. Secular Education
 Students are taught Science, maths, social
studiens, politics, history, law, management,
economics, etc. etc. but no where do you see any
Islamic perspective.
 The one who has money and positions is the
successful one (Media, culture)
 Result: The whole life is built along non-Islamic
lines.
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28. Current Status
 For masses (of students), this is what we have
 So, we need to work more to save our generation
 Especially in the light ofTV/Internet and media
onslaught against Islam and Muslims
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29. Akbar Ilahabadi said (Urdu)
Yon qatl se bachchon ke wo badnaam na hota
Afsoos ke fir’oun ko college ki na soojhi
 Pisr mein bu aaye kyonkar …
 Doodh hai dabbey ka aur taleem hai sarkar ki
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30. 95% of our Students Study in
Schools
 Do they have a goal of life? It is not a philosophical
question.
 After spending 15, 20 years in education, if a
Muslim does not know his goal, it is a disaster!!!
 Not just eat, live, and produce children (just as
animals do)
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31. Without Goal!!!
 If our educated, leader, cream class does not have
a goal, forget about others. It is a sign of a dying
millat.
 Especially so because this millat is not based on
caste, color, race, or state. If it looses goal, …
forget the future!
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32. Secular Education Prepares
Atheists & Materialistic
Persons!
Examples:
 Science:Anomalous expansion of water. Not taught:
The OneWho created sea creatures created water. This
is not automatic.
 History: Egyptology, the most imp. subject. Not
taught:Why Moosa (A) is mentioned most in the
Qur’an.
 Economics: Not taught:You don’t have to rely on
interest.
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33. When I graduated and went to
the University library…
I could hardly find books written by Muslims (in almost
all sciences).
I could not understand the role of Islam in history until I
read:
 “Islam and theWorld” by Ml. Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi
 “Islam and Science” by Ml.Waheeduddin Khan
 “Hijab” and “Al-Jihad fil Islam” by Ml. Maudoodi
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34. My Goal then was…
 Just to survive or have a good life.
 As far as my role as a Muslim is concerned: It was
limited to praying Namaz / Salah.
 With time it improved to serve Muslims.
 Now I know that it should be to serve humanity, not
just Muslims. This is the way to serve Islam.
 But this teaching simply does not exist in our
educational system!
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35. A Muslim’s Goal is Ibadah
(in the full sense of the
term)
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36. The Goal is repeated more
than 25 times everyday
 Goal:To do Ibadah and be among the first group
( ) and not among the last 2.
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37. The Goal…
Who are those ( ) :
 Prophets, Truthful, Martyrs, and Righteous
Let us just take the first group (Prophets) and the
top among them. Muhammad pbuh.
He followedAllah’s will and became the Most
Successful (a/c to non-Muslims)
He achieved peace and happiness (the ultimate
goal) too.
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38. To achieve that goal…
 Do our students ever bother to explore his Seerah in
detail (his faith, his worshipping style, his time
management, his attitude, his confidence, his
relationship with others,)
 Nobody tells them, nor prepares them, nor reminds
them, nor gives them a plan, nor follows up their
progress on this path.
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39. The Problem
 We shoot directly into Aakhirah only
 i.e., Pray Salah and you will be rewarded in Aakhirah
 But Salah has to do withTODAY’S work too.
 The 5 prayers (+Qur’an study etc) do not consume
even 2 to 3 hours.
 What about the rest of the day? Is it confined to only
behaving well with others?
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40. Imagine …
 A Muslim country of an-‘amta ‘alayhim:
 All Da’ees but beggars in every other area. No
doctors, no engineers, no technicians, no nurses,
no businessmen, no economists, …. All these are
eitherChrisitians, Hindus, or Buddhists…
 And when some outside power is unhappy, you
can expect a boycott or an attack which may kill
millions (as has happened to Iraq or Afghanistan).
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41. Imagine another case:
 A country/ society with a team of good Muslims and
Da’ees
 They have doctors, researchers, inventors, scientists,
engineers, technocrats, economists, businessmen,
managers, and all other experts.
 Each group having very clear about its vision and
mission as a Muslim;
 Excellent interaction between them.
Don’t you think Allah wants such a society for true
Khilafah!
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42. What after Salah?
 Whatever you do… counts towards becoming
excellent in your field.
 Towards forming that excellent team.
 So, for a student, he has to perform best in studies
(with the right intention)
 He reaches there step by step; day by day’s work.
 He behaves best with parents, teachers, friends,
etc.
 Uses his time to optimum use.
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43. Areas of Islamic Education
1. God’s word – Based on revelation –
2. God’s world – Using the 3 faculties Allah gave to
each one of us (listening, watching, and using
mind) -
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44. Comprehensive Education
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Allah’s Word (Direct studies)
Allah’s World (Supporting studies)
To live in Allah’s WORLD
and handle it according to Allah’s WORD…
to become true Khalifah…
to get HIS PLEASURE

45. Comprehensive Education
ALLAH’S WORD ALLAH’S WORLD
DIRECT STUDIES SUPPORTING STUDIES
QURAN (and Hadith)
STUDY
Ayyamillah Allah’s world GOD’S
KINGDOM
HISTORY,
CULTURE
SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY
LAWS,
ECONOMICS
LANGUAGES ARTS
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Start everyday with Allah’s word and then let the students
go to study Allah’s world!!!

46. Important Features Islamic
Education - 1
 No division between religious and secular.
 Up to high school, same syllabus for everyone
 All essential subjects will be taught.
 Supporting subjects (Maths, Sciences, etc.) will be
taught in the spirit of Islam.
 A student will look at this world with Islamic
vision.
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47. Important Features Islamic
Education - 2
After high school, education for Specialists in
 Qur’an, Hadith, Fiqh, History
 Tarbiyah, Dawah,
 Islamic Social sciences
 Islamic Philosophies
 Comparative religion
 Islamic Economists
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48. Current Reality
 No such system exists (in secular and most Muslim
countries)
 Islamic Studies is just one subject in our schools
 It is the Most neglected, abused, and last in priority
 No supervision or follow up for it
 Most importantly – Qur’an is missing! (except for rote
memorization of few Surahs and their translation
passages)
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49. If we keep Islam as …
 If we keep it as the lowest priority
 Our children will treat Islam as the lowest priority
when they grow up
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50. Islamic Education
A responsibility on every one
• School
• Masjid
• Home
• Neighbors/elders/society
• …
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51. Taleem + Tarbiyah at home
too
 Do it at home too. You can’t rely on school alone
 The parents have to get involved
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52. An Appeal
 Try to get understanding of the Qur’an teaching into
curriculum of your school too. It is the most important
subject.
 Almost no school, even Muslim schools teach it to the full.
 A high school graduate should be able to understand the
full Qur’an and listen to at least a big book on Hadith (like
Riyadhus-saliheen or Bulooghul Maraam).
 It needs only 200 hours of teaching for adults and around
300 or little more for students. Visit
www.understandquran.com for details.
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