Civilization gradually developed with time, and many types of social and cultural factors, were responsible for its progress. As already noted education plays a fundamental role in building human conduct and personality. Many parties share responsibility besides parents and family members. Educational process is taken up by other institutions gradually but steadily, covering increased duties, as technological and organizational advancement take new leads. Schools, Society, State and Mass Media are beginning to assume ever increasing roles in this fields. The following parties actively participate in educational matters:

1. Family

2. School

3. Society

4. State

5. The Individual

1. Family:
Family is the cradle where children see the first light of life. It is acknowledged that the family leaves the deepest and most profound marks on children's personalities, thoughts, behaviour and conduct. Childhood is a crucial period in forming people's personalities because family role is all- embracing during this time. Parents are charged with the proper bringing up of children and Islam has assigned fathers to play a leading role in this process. Allah, the Highest, addresses fathers in the following verse:

â€œ0' you who believe guard yourselves and your families against a fire whose fuel is men and stones...â€ Holy Qurâ€™an (66:6)

Therefore, fathers have to play an essential role in their children's upbringing, safety and proper supervision. Islamic education is an insurance against deviation and degradation, hence, fathers' negligence for their children's Islamic education is considered a crime in Islam. When children cannot discriminate good from evil, and are not armed to defend themselves against a corrupt environment it surely reflects fathers' faults in spoiling the youth. Therefore, Islamic penal code holds fathers responsible for their underaged1 children's mischief, and they have to the bear the cost of material damage inflicted by children in their custody. On the Day of Resurrection, fathers would be again questioned for such abuse.

2. School:
The second educational establishment in the life of a Muslim is school. The school has a great responsibility and plays a vital role in the growing teenage personalities. Schools are like factories, producing human generations, training the whole nation and drawing a complete picture of life for them.
Thus it is very important to attend schools with due care, especially with regard to their main elements which besides teachers are the educational syllabus, extra-curricular activities and disciplinary supervision. These elements ought to be molded within an Islamic framework, making out of schools an effective instrument for refining impurities and wrong motives that may be acquired from the family or environment. Moreover, schools are a suitable ground to discover talents and nurture good motives. They develop people in the right fields and strengthen good intents in them, so that they would eventually play constructive roles in society, after being properly equipped with scientific and cultural knowledge and given appropriate training.

In short schools should be charged for achieving a sound Islamic educational program. These goals have already been reviewed in the previous chapter, Islamic Education Goals'.

3. Society:
The third factor which shares education responsibility is society.

People's personalities are greatly influenced by social trends and norms, culture, concepts, way of life, language and religion of the society. Therefore, it is necessary to build the society according to Islamic cultural norms. The social factors and the way of life should be monitored carefully so as to achieve the upholding Islamic principle of, "commanding people to act upon good deeds and refrain from evil doings.

Friends and companions exercise profound influence on each other during childhood and teenage stages, unconsciously creating lasting effects or characters. Hence, it is important to keep children away from spoiled friends, centers of corruption, especially when Muslims live in a non-Islamic society or environment.

When we are lucky, having the opportunity of living in an Islamic society, then dangers for children being misled would be minimized. Muslim society would play a positive role in the bringing-up process, imparting required influence on people's conduct and way of life.

4. State:
The state or more properly the type of government has always played an interesting role in society and its educational process. In recent times this role has become increasingly stronger and larger because of the facilities provided by technological and organizational advancements. Political and Ideological schools of thought have influenced various governments to organize and supervise education process closely in order to secure people's allegiance to their rule. Socialist, Communist, Capitalist and Muslim governments are all concerned to see their education institutions such as schools, colleges, universities, newspapers, radio and television etc.... bring up people within their planned codes and directives.

It may not be out of context to mention at this stage, that education in Muslim countries is on the whole sadly influenced by non-Islamic codes. Such secular codes bring up Muslim children in a way that will lead to internal struggle within people and society which ultimately leads to anarchy and social ills, as is the case of non-Muslim societies. Therefore, it is a duty of men of letters, fathers, Muslim scholars, and Islamic callers to be aware of this grave danger. Suitable cultural measures should be taken in order to face this challenge and protect the coming Muslim generations from falling into the abyss of corruption and deviation.

5. The Individual:
When children grow up, get matured physically and mentally, they are able to perform self-education. Thus, people are capable of modifying their stands, thoughts and conduct.

Allah's words testify this fact:

"Guard yourselves and families against a Fire....â€

Holy Qurâ€™an (66:6)

There is stress on the individual's responsibility for self- education, rescue from suffering and anguish, by the following verse:

"But as for him who fears to stand before his Lord and restrains the soul from lust. Then surely Paradise is the abode.â€

Holy Qurâ€™an (79: 40-41)

Islam views self-education as having great effect in improving and transforming people. The inner transformation of people would naturally result in the keen observance of laws, on the part of the individual.

The Prophet has praised believers who undergo self-education, and has proclaimed Paradise to be their reward.

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) has narrated from his father's chain of authority to the Prophet:

"When the Day of Resurrection arrives, a caller from Allah will proclaim, Where are the patient? A group of people would rise up, and a team of angels would be ready to welcome them; (other) people would ask: What type of patience you endured?' They would reply: We have endured difficulties in the way of Allah, and refrained from His disobedience.' Then he (the Prophet) said: A caller on behalf of Allah

would cry: My servants are truthful, make way for them to Paradise without any questions.â€™ â€

A narration from Imam Jaâ€™far as-Sadiq (a.s.) says that during the time of the Prophet (s.a.w.) a detachment was sent out for a battle. When they returned to Medina, he (Prophet) said:

"Welcome to a people who accomplished the lesser struggle while the big struggle is awaiting them. It was inquired: "O Messenger of Allah, what is the big struggle? He (s.a.w.) replied: "Struggle with yourself (desires).â€

Thus self-education is based on the above-mentioned directives and guidelines. It strives for arriving at fruitful results in the field of personal conduct and observance of Islamic laws, when conforming to Islamic teachings.

Source: al-shia.org

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Who is Responsible for Education?

The Goals of Islamic Education

By: Abdul Adheem al-Muhtadi al-Bahrani
Question: Western and eastern scholars have written many books and detailed studies on education, and Islamic scholars have also written much on this subject. Would you please give us a summary of the Islamic opinion in this concern?

The answer: In spite of what has been said about education by scholars, whether concurring or conflicting, I think that what the Prophet (S) and his progeny (a.s.) have said is the most correct because they are connected, in their sayings, with the Aware Creator, the Lord of the Worlds, Who has sent to us His prophets to purify and teach us. It is the Islamic education that is derived from the Holy Qur'an and the sayings and actions of the Prophet (S) and his progeny.

Allah says, (Even as We have sent among you a Messenger from among you who recites to you Our communications and purifies you and teaches you the Book and the wisdom and teaches you that which you did not know)[1].

Imam Ali (a.s.), the master of the eloquent, the leader of the intellect, and the pioneer of the pious, showed the goal of the prophets’ missions by saying, ‘And sent to them His prophets, one after the other, to take from them the covenant of His nature, remind them of His forgotten blessings, argue against them with delivering the missions, and move the hidden secrets of minds…[2]’.

Allah has created man for an exalted goal and He knows what He has created. He knows what benefits His creatures and makes them happy and what harms them and makes them wretched. Allah has created man from a spirit, then clothed him with the body, placed in him the will, and granted him the blessing of freedom to choose on his own one of two things: either good or evil. Allah the Almighty says, (Have We not given him two eyes, and a tongue and two lips, and pointed out to him the two conspicuous ways?)[3] Allah also says, (Surely We have shown him the way: he may be thankful or unthankful)[4].

The task of the prophets, imams, sincere clergymen, and all the followers of this straight path comes to form the conduct of man and guide him to the path of goodness. However, if man, after that, wants evil for himself, he himself is to be blamed. Allah says, (Say: Every one acts according to his manner; but your Lord best knows who is best guided in the path)[5].

This care clearly shows that Allah loves man, has dignified him, and prefers him to most of His creatures. But, has man been sincere to this honor and preference?

Proofs and evidences show that man, as Allah has described him, is unjust and ignorant, except those who believe in Allah and have been granted knowledge. Allah has elevated such people to confirm that He rewards man for what he chooses for himself; if he follows the path of guidance, he will live happily in this world and be rewarded with the bliss of Paradise in the afterlife, but if he goes astray, he will live wretchedly in this life and be rewarded with the Fire of Hell. There will be degrees and differences among the people of Paradise and the people of Hell according to their level of guidance or deviation.

Allah says, (And the soul and Him Who made it perfect. Then He inspired it to understand what is right and wrong for it. He will indeed be successful who purifies it, and he will indeed fail who corrupts it)[6]. And this is from the theophanies of the wisdom, justice, and power of Allah in man’s life before he is created, in the womb, and after birth. If parents and educationists care greatly for children, the children will grow positively and their hidden powers will take their courses in the right paths.

Imam Zaynol Aabidin (a.s.) says in his supplication, ‘O Allah, support me in bringing them up, educating them, being dutiful to them….’ Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) said, ‘Everyone is born on the Divine Nature, but his parents make him either a Jew, Christian, or a magus.[7]’ Parents should know that their child, when born, is pure and innocent in nature, such is (the nature made by Allah in which He has made men)[8]. Let the parents be careful in how they deal with this pure nature!

In other words, a child is like gold and silver. A skillful goldsmith is able to mold any of these metals in the best way. Please ponder on the questions and answers in this chapter about educating the children who will be, after a few years, masters of their own families and of society, and then see what kind of masters you want!

The most important bases of education

Islam has divided the education of children into three stages. The first stage begins from birth and lasts until the seventh year. In this stage, the child should taste the full meaning of freedom. He should be free to do whatever he likes except if he wants to do something that may harm him, and then he should be prevented in a way that his dignity is not harmed and his freedom is not restrained.

The second stage is from the seventh until the fourteenth year. In this stage, the child should be taught useful knowledge especially the beliefs, juristic principles, morals, and contemporary sciences. The third stage begins after the fourteenth year where the parents by now should have prepared him to be as their friend and as an independent person. However, in this age, the parents should help him in the field of life and teach him good lessons from their experiences. This is in general, but as for the conduct required from you as a mother towards her daughter, I would like to draw your attention to the following points:

1. You should teach your daughter good habits and morals.
2. You should strengthen in her the motives of goodness, knowledge, and longing for Paradise.
3. Let her see in you the exact practical example of what you tell her!
4. Let yourself be so close to her to the extent that she can speak frankly to you about anything that is in her mind!
5. You should plant in her self-confidence and teach her to not be satisfied with a certain level of success! Always tell her: “High determination is from faith”.
6. You should continue reading books concerning your goal!

Notes:

[1] Holy Qur’an, 2:151.
[2] Nahjol Balagha, sermon 1.
[3] Holy Qur’an, 90:8-10.
[4] Holy Qur’an, 76:3.
[5] Holy Qur’an, 17:84.
[6] Holy Qur’an, 91:7-10.
[7] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 2 p.87.
[8] Holy Qur’an, 30:30.

Source: alhassanain.com

The Islamic Opinion about Education

The Islamic National Education

In a society where religion and knowledge in general and science in particular do not go hand in hand, it seems necessary to briefly describe the position of Islam vis-à-vis knowledge, Islam, in theory as well as in practice, has always promoted knowledge. Distinctive mark of human beings over the angels is knowledge:

"And Allah taught Adam all the names...” (2:31)

The first verses of the Quran began with the word:

"Read. Read in the name of thy Lord who created; [He] created the human being from blood clot. Read in the name of thy Lord who taught by the pen: [He] taught the human being what he did not know."(96: 1-5).

The Qur'an says.

"Are those who have knowledge equal to those who do not have knowledge?!”(39:9).

The Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his progeny) has also emphasized the importance of seeking knowledge in different ways:

(a) Time: "Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave."

(b) Place: "Seek knowledge even if it is far as China."

(c) Gender: "Seeking of knowledge is a duty of every Muslim"

(d) Source: "Wisdom is the lost property of the believer, he should take it even if finds it in the mouth of a mushrik."

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Education in Islam

With growing Muslim population in Europe and recent influx of migrants, it is vital to analyze schooling options available to Muslim parents in terms of Islamic studies in public and private sector. This research will accordingly help Muslim community and governments to plan their way forward in a number of ways such as teacher training, curriculum design, operating private schools and other aspects.

Islamic Education in Europe – A Critical Analysis

This research-based book is an attempt to provide the readers with foundations, principles, and methods of education by relying on the views of the Quran on human nature and by clarifying the Islamic concept of education.

Islamic Education

In this book, the author first discusses what ethics essentially is, and the views of various philosophers and schools of thought on it. After explaining the defects of these philosophies, he presents the view of Imam Ali [a] on ethics as derived from a lengthy treatise that he composed.

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Imam Ali’s First Treatise on the Islamic Ethics and Education

Literally, Hajj refers to the intention of visiting a place. The Holy Qur'an transfers the meaning of Hajj from its lexical general meaning to a traditionally specific meaning which denotes the annual pilgrimage to the Holy Ka'ba in Mecca, one of the religious duties of Islam.
The great annual gathering called Hajj, is a collection of rites and ceremonies, offered by Muslims, who are bound to carry out religious duties, in a specific place and during a specific time set by Islam, similar to the way the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) did.
Hajj is so called because the Muslim who performs it goes to Mecca, the Sacred House, at the start of Dhul-Hijjah (the eleventh month of the Muslim calendar) and visits other sacred places like Arafat, Mina and Muzdalifah to offer his devotions.

The Hajj as Worship and Education

Islamic Culture and Religious Education
(For the Pupils)

Islamic Culture and Religious Education

All Praise is due to Allah, Who created human beings in the most perfect image and gave correct estimate and guidance. Blessings and peace be upon Muhammad (s.a.w.)1 the leader of the heavenly guided and master of callers to the Lord of mankind. Peace be upon the heirs of the Prophet's knowledge, the torch bearers of guidance and reform his infallible descendants, and also peace be upon his rightly guided companions.
Social tendency among people is a natural phenomenon. It attracts mankind towards each other, and instills in them a feeling of cooperation for achieving a better standard of life. There is also a deep intrinsic need within people for social life.
Islam has a well-defined code which aims at achieving humanitarian values and goals by two methods, namely the internal and the external. These methods instill in the individual, family, society and state the qualities of love, equality, reciprocity, justice, freedom and security. Islam endeavors to achieve such sublime values by internal motives. Force is not considered to start with in achieving Islamic goals and internal motives are implanted by concepts and emotions which would be reflected in human behaviour and aesthetic tastes.
Islam's concern for people's internal motives and external behaviour was not left to the preachers' words only. The right bases, required resources and practical measures are provided in order to mould people according to the Islamic set of values. Hence human senses are ably supervised by spiritual motives. There are several shining examples, throughout our history, which provide striking evidence to these facts.
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1. (.s.a.w) : is the abbreviation at the Arabic phrase Sal-Lallahu' aliehi we aalihi (May the blessing of God be with him and his holy family).
[ 2 ]
But plots of neo-Jahiliyya in the shape of Western Arrogance armed with material supremacy managed to gain control of the Muslim World's destiny for a while. During this disastrous period of colonial hegemony they tried to destroy the Muslims' educational code and the results were appalling evil thoughts, ethical setback, anarchy and corruption of the whole system of government.
A glance at the Muslim World reveals the catastrophic damage done by Western Ignorance to families, schools, streets, factories, offices, colleges and institutions. The most salient damage is evident when we look at the mass media, educational and cultural institutions and publishing houses.
Al-Balagh Foundation donates this small gift Features of Islamic Education' to its dear subscribers, and prays to Allah, the most Glorious to awaken our conscience and enable us to liberate Muslim minds, develop our lands, cleanse the earth of evil and spread prayers, virtue, justice and heavenly guidance throughout the world.
wasa'il al-Shi'ah, Vol. 6, Chapt. 4, p. 127.

Features of Islamic Education

Islamic education

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