The Importance of Education in Islam

to teach ten Muslims residents of Madinah, even though there was strong suspicion that these very people would strike back on being liberated. The Prophet’s reasoning behind this extraordinary step was the conviction that even if Muslims were left exposed to defeat in the battlefield, the education that they acquired would in future enable them to win far greater battles in intellectual, scientific and academic fields. Later events verify that Muslims worked to bring about a revolution, one that had far-reaching influence on the course of history. This is why, the Prophet risked the perils of war and released his opponents by allowing each one of them to ransom himself by teaching ten Muslims how to read and write. It is indeed astonishing that a religion that placed such enormous emphasis on gaining knowledge and pioneered the tradition of learning has believers in the present age who have fallen behind in the sphere of education.