Education in the Early Years of Islam

8/14/2019 Education in the Early Years of Islam

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DURING THE PROPHETIC ERADURING THE PROPHETIC ERAAND THE ERA OF RIGHTLY GUIDED CALIPHSAND THE ERA OF RIGHTLY GUIDED CALIPHS

Education in the earlyEducation in the earlyyears of Islamyears of Islam


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TABLE OF CONTENTSIntroductionImportance of the pursuit of knowledge

Prophets teaching methodologyThe freedom of researchThe Sahaba /Companions of the Prophet

Early intellectual achievementsBirth of sectarian groups


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Continued..Cultural influencesRise of leading centers for learning

Beginning of distinct academic disciplinesWide travel by scholars in pursuit of

knowledge

ConclusionReferences


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Introduction The early Muslims were devoted to the cause ofeducation.

Although theirs was an oral tradition, they began

to wholeheartedly seek knowledge with great zealand enthusiasm. The Quran and Sunnah are replete with

exhortations to gain knowledge. Its for thisreason that most of the Sahaba strove to learn

reading and writing at a time when very fewpeople were literate.


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Importance of the

pursuit of knowledge"Read! In the Name of your Lord Who

has created (all that exists). He has

created man from a clot (a piece ofthick coagulated blood). Read! Andyour Lord is the Most Generous. Whohas taught (the writing) by the pen.

He has taught man that which heknew not" [Quran, 96: 1-5]


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Importance of the pursuit

of knowledgeSurah Al-Zumar, ayah 9 reveals:Arethose equal, those who know and

those who do not know?

Surah Al-Baqarah, ayah269 reveals:"Allah grants wisdom to whom He pleases

and to whom wisdom is granted indeedhe receives an overflowing benefit."


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Continued "And Allaah has brought you out fromthe wombs of your mothers while you

know nothing. And He gave youhearing, sight, and hearts that youmight give thanks (to Allaah)"

[Quran, 16:78]


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Importance of pursuit of

knowledgeo Seeking knowledge is obligatory uponevery Muslim. [Bukhari]

o Whoever follows a path in the pursuitof knowledge, Allah will make a pathto Paradise easy for him. [Muslim]

o On the day of judgement the ink of the

scholar will be weighed against the bloodof the martyr. [Bukhari]


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Continued.."When a man dies, all his deeds come

to an end except for three anongoing charity, beneficial knowledgeor a righteous child who will pray forhim." (Muslim)


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Continued.At the battle of Badr in which the Prophetgained victory over his opponents,

seventy people of the enemy rank were

taken prisoner.These prisoners of war were literatepeople. In order to benefit from theireducation the Prophet declared that ifone prisoner teaches ten Muslims how to

read and write, this will serve as hisransom and he will be set free.


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The Prophets teaching

methodologyConducta studycircle

Solveproblems

Be a rolemodel

UseMetaphors&

similes

Make rulesRepeat 3

times

Drawdaigrams

Tell stories

Observe &correct

Beinnovative

Ask questions

The ProphetUsed to


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The freedom of research One day the Prophet saw that some people were atop thedate trees busy in doing something.

On being asked what they were engaged in, they repliedthat they were pollinating.

The Prophet suggested them not to do so. The following year date yield was considerably very low. The Prophet enquired them of the reason. They told him that the date crop depended on pollination.

Since he suggested them to do otherwise, they hadrefrained from that.

The Prophet then told them to go on doing as they used to,and that, "You know the worldly matters better than me."(summarised from Al-Bukhari)


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The Sahaba / CompanionsThe Sahaba (Companions) are praised in many Quranic verses: "And the first to embrace Islam of the

Muhajiroon (the Emigrants from Makkah) and the

Ansar (the citizens of Al-Madeenah who helpedthe Muhajiroon) and also those who followed themexactly (in Faith). Allah is well-pleased with themas they are well pleased with Him. He hasprepared for them Gardens under which riversflow, to dwell therein forever. That is thesupreme success. [Quran,9:100]


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Continued ."Among the believers are men who havebeen true to their covenant with Allah andshowed not their backs to the

disbeliever's, of them some have fulfilledtheir obligations and some of them are stillwaiting, but they never changed (i.e. theynever proved treacherous to their

covenant which they concluded with Allah)in the least." [Quran,33:23]


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ContinuedIndeed, Allah was pleased with the

believers when they gave their pledge toyou (O Muhammad) under the tree. Heknew what was in their hearts and He sentdown calmness and tranquility upon them..."

[Quran,48:18]


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The sahaba / companions"The best of the people are my generation,then those after them, then those afterthem..." [Muslim]

Their main purpose in acquiring knowledge was toget closer to Allah, our Creator. Some of them, often took years to learn a Surah,

because they tried to internalize what theylearnt.

Knowledge accordingly was linked with values andreflected in actions.


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Continued.Two major factors led to the gradual spreadof literacy among early Muslims.

The strong emphasis on knowledge,

learning and teaching with the pen was ahint at the desirability of studying andlearning the art of writing.

The second factor which furtherenhanced the first, was entrusting theQuranic text itself to writing.


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Continued.Some of the achievements of the Sahabaare:

Mental purity -Islam eradicated idolworship and superstitions, it made peoplethink rationally, reasonably andanalytically. It completely transformed theminds of the Sahaba and made them

averse to idolatrous and superstitiouspractices.


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Continued Compilation of the Quran:-The whole text of theQuran had been entrusted to writing, althoughthese written pieces called the SUHUF were notcollected and put together as a full copy prior to

the prophets death. This task of collecting these scattered pieces was

done by Abu Bakr, who ordered them to becollected, examined, and carefully put together inthe right order as was taught by the Prophet

[saw] under the supervision of an able and wellchosen committee headed by Zaid bin Thabit.


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Continued Literacy both basic and advanced spread widelyamong the formerly ignorant Arabs as a result ofthe Quranic and Prophetic urge to pursueknowledge.

The compilation of the Quran and its distributionacross the muslim world during the reign ofUthman [r.a] further contributed to the literacymovement.

Oral method of teaching and learning hadith.


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Birth of sectarian groupsBirth of sectarian

groups

KHAWARIJ

outgoers

MURJIAH

deferers

SHIA

SupportersOf Ali


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Continued. Four groups of theological thoughts anddoctrines began to develop and grow.Their rise can be traced to the political

dispute among Muslims, directly like thecase of the Khawarij and the Murjiah. Controversies among these schools, if

they may be so called, led to the

development of further division anddispute in subsequent years.


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Cultural InfluencesWhen foreign cultures like the Persians and

Byzantines came in to the fold of Islam, therewas great cultural integration.

This happened through different ways, bondage,

marriage and conversion. All non-arab muslimscame to be known as Mawali. Some of these became prominent scholars and

contributed significantly to the intellectual,literary, scientific and ethical progress of the

world of Islam. For example, Imam Hasan AlBasri, who is described as the master of secondgeneration of Islam.


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Rise of leading centers for

learningMadina and Makkah in the Hijaz

Basrah in IraqKufah in IraqDimashq in Syria

Sanaa in YemenFustat in Egypt


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Beginning of distinct academicdisciplines

ILM AL KALAMStudy ofReligiouspolemic

ILM AL FIQHLegal studies

ILM AL HADITHStudy ofHadith

ILM AT TARIKHStudy ofHistory

TAFSIR &QIRAAHStudy ofThe Quran


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Wide travel by scholars

in pursuit of knowledgeMost of the Muslim notable scholars didnot remain in their centers, they movedfrom one centre to another in pursuit ofknowledge, making long journeys,sometimes at great risks.

A good part of the biographies of the

eminent scholars consists of stories abouttheir roaming these centres.


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ConclusionThe prophetic era and the period of the righteouscaliphs can truly be considered as the GOLDENAGE of Islam as the Prophet [saw] educated andempowered the Sahaba by touching and

transforming their lives.He did not merely transmit knowledge, rather heeffected a complete transformation among theSahaba by showing them how to live by theQuran.

EDUCATION WAS A DYNAMIC PROCESS WHICHTRANSFORMED AND EMPOWERED THE SAHABA


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ReferencesThe Muslim Mind foundation andearly manifestation by MuhammadAbdul Raufwww.islamweb.com/knowledgeRetrieved on 7th Aug 2008www.islammuslim.html

Retrieved on 7th Aug 2008
http://www.islammuslim.html/http://www.islammuslim.html/


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THANK YOUMAY ALLAH GRANT US ANUNDERSTANDING OF THE DEEN

AND ENABLE US TO LIVE BY THEKNOWLEDGE WE GAIN SO THAT ITTRANSFORMS AND EMPOWERS US

MUCH THE SAME WAY, AS IT DID THE

SAHABA [R.A]

Documents

Education in the Early Years of Islam