By Waseem Ahmed*
NEW DELHI—Muslim educationists from across the nation have opined that Islam’s educational vision is to develop the whole world.
These views were expressed at a two-day national convention of Muslim educational institutions held here last week.
The convention was held under the auspices of the Federation of Muslim Educational Institutions (FMEI), an apex body of Muslim educational institutions from across India.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) president Syed Sadatullah Husaini, delivering the keynote address, asked the community-run institutions to produce world class scholars and leaders who could lead the world.
He asserted that “education is not just a matter of excellence. It occupies a very central position in Islam.”
Mr. Husaini pointed out that the first verse revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) emphasized the prime importance of education and knowledge.
Citing the explanation of renowned Islamist Maulana Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi, the JIH chief said that the most important thing about this verse is that Allah Taala, through this verse, addressed the mankind for the first time 600 years after Jesus (Isa Alaihissalam).
Before, all the commandments, Allah in the Quran “directed mankind “to read”, which is called “Iqra” in Arabic language. Mr Husaini said that it was in fact a declaration from Allah that a new era was beginning under the leadership of Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the foundation of the new era was to be based on the acquisition of knowledge (that came through education), among the important ingredients of the religion of Islam.
Stating that “this knowledge begins in the name of Allah” as mentioned in Surah Alaq (also known as Surah Iqra), JIH president said that it was this aspect that gave knowledge an extraordinary importance in Islam.
“Hence, the vision of our educational institutions should be high and corresponding with the requirements of the time,” he exhorted.
Stating that the educational vision of Islam is “very high and great, not just acquiring academic degrees”, Mr HUsaini said that “its vision is building the entire world and nurturing a generation that is capable of global leadership.” Therefore, he asked the community run institutions to set “a very high vision and goals.”
Stressing the need to expand education in India, Mr Husaini pointed out that there were many villages in the country where people did not have access to education. “Let our educational system be smart and reach as many as it can,” he suggested.
Speaking for “education for all”, he lamented that education in India was still confined to the elite and affluent households. This, he said, happened because of high cost involved in education.
“The common man cannot afford high expenses on education. The education should be made public,” he suggested.
Pointing out that the quality of education provided in our institutions was very poor, the Jamaat leader said that the dream of building a better world could not be fulfilled by such an education.
“While expanding and setting up more educational institutions, we must also ensure that our institutions are quality centric,” he explained.
“Our institutions should, therefore, be imparting high quality education and visionary knowledge. If the purpose of our institutions is only knowledge transaction or transfer of knowledge, that is, only to teach history, geography and other subjects as mentioned in textbooks, it is not enough. Students can acquire such knowledge themselves. The real purpose of educational institutions is to develop among students a sense of ambition and a passion for new research. The purpose of educational institutions is to develop five attributes: critical thinking, creativity, spirit of collaboration, communication and building of character among students,” the Jamaat chief asserted.
“These experiments are not new. These experiments are already practiced at several educational institutions of the world,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Secretary General of FMEI and the Chairman of the JIH Education Board (Markazi Taleemi Board), Mr. Mujtaba Farooq, shed light on the history, background, formation and objectives of the federation.
He said, the aims and objectives of FMEI are to find solutions to the problems of educational institutions in the country and provide them legal and other necessary assistance. Highlighting the importance of education in Islam, Mr. Farooq said the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) laid the foundation of educational and learning system, despite lack of resources.
Speaking about the problems being faced by Muslims educational institutions, Mr Farooq said that the government at central and state levels were imposing restrictions on ‘madrasas’(Islamic seminaries) and doing away with laws that provided protection to educational needs of Muslims. “All this is happening because the government is being biased,” he alleged.
Officials of various educational institutions from different states shared their problems and challenges. Suggesting them practical solutions, director of the JIH education Board, Mr. Syed Tanveer Ahmed, noted that some of the challenges are individual, some others are school level and rest ones are collective. He told them that many of their issues could be solved with the help of the latest technology while the federation would try to resolve some of them. “The challenges presented here are related to management, academic, resources, legal issues and the attitude of the community that can be resolved through mutual efforts and the federation will fully cooperate,” Mr. Tanveer added.
Over 300 delegates from all over the country participated in the convention.
Others who spoke at the conference included Prof. Muhammad Akhtar Siddiqui, Justice K D Naqvi, retired IPS officer, FIME chairman and former vice-chancellor of Agra university Manzoor Ahmed. FIME treasurer Salimullah Khan presented a vote of thanks.
(The news article was originally written in Urdu by Waseem Ahmed. It was rendered into English by MNS Quadri.)
