Imparting Islamic Training to Young People
Al-Risala (English), June 1986, p. 27
By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan is named as the default author of the periodical; a piece that carries another writer’s byline is credited to that writer.
Imparting Islamic Training to Young People
1986 6 June 27-28 Imparting Islamic Training to Young People (842) By: Dr. Abdul Haleem Owais
The youth of a nation constitute an integral part of it, because ‘youth’ is a stage through which every community passes. Problems connected with the training of young people cannot, therefore, be discussed, in isolation from the other factors affecting humanity as a whole.
The correct approach towards the solution of any problem requires that it should be seen in a broader perspective, and that all relevant factors should be given due consideration. If most of our attempts to solve problems fail, it is because one approach has been partial rather than global.
During the last two centuries the Islamic World has witnessed a steady decline, and now needs to experience a reawakening. At a time, when western imperialism was invading the Islamic World, and confronting it with secularism and materialism, ideas for the realization of the Islamic identity were indeed, burgeoning in the minds of so many Muslim leaders. The Algerian revolution was a case in point where this Islamic identity was clearly manifested.
The Sunnah and the Model
History tells us that the companions of the Prophet understood the Quran and Sunnah not through the traditional science of logic, or kalam, but by faith and belief built up on the simplicity of an ideal which emanated from the personality of the Prophet.
We are living in an age of contradiction, be it a contradiction between our writings and behaviour, or between our speeches and conduct. Our politicians, thinkers and leaders are all suffering from the same disease. We do not have anyone who could serve as a Model or Ideal to inspire the youth of our country thus changing the course of history and bringing success in the battle field as well as in the field of science and technology. We must turn, therefore, for guidance and inspiration to the Sunnah, not only as a source of knowledge, but as an ideal, which leads a human-being to be completely in consonance with the Prophet (may peace be upon him) in all of his thoughts and behaviour. The Sunnah here is referred to in its broad sense as a clear plan for human life as required by Islam, and not as a School of Fiqh or Sufiism.
Differences in the Education of the Mosques and the Universities
The task of the mosque in the early ages was to produce a generation of committed Muslim scholars while, our Universities of today produce only graduates, and not committed Muslims in the real sense of the word, the reason being that our Universities are deeply influenced by the society and the surroundings in which they are situated. Their graduates, therefore, see life as a purely materialistic affair. On the other hand, the mosques have always produced people who realized their responsibilities to Allah and society, and who therefore carried out all the responsibilities imposed on them by society.
If the Universities wish to regain their true status, they shall have to benefit from the experience of the mosques.
The Technology of Today’s Human Being
Our Universities constantly vie with European and American Universities in the field of technology but the former can surpass the latter only if the technology aimed at by the Universities of the Islamic World is directed towards the service of humanity. If this philosophy governs the processes of technology adopted by the Islamic World, Western Civilization will never be able to compete with it. It goes without saying that the growth of technology without moral supervision inevitably produces destructive forces. This has already had an adverse effect on early civilizations. Therefore, our Universities should direct their technology towards the service of humanity. A good example of this would be the acquisition of such technology as would provide the people with grain so that they could free themselves from the American hegemony in this field. The same purpose would be served by the acquisition of technology for digging deep wells, and fighting diseases.
Training – The Essence of Civilization
It is wrong to conclude that training means only to add one’s knowledge; the real meaning and purpose of training is to foster the correct mode of thinking. It is because of the realization of the importance of training in human life, that western nations pay so much attention to the method used. Many of the Muslims even prefer to send their children to Christian Schools instead of Arab Schools because the former have proper training facilities.
In addition to the non-availability of training facilities in the Islamic World, there are some other problems, which can be summarized as follows:
1. The efforts to distort social and Islamic Studies in order to give them a secular character.
2. The active role played by Christian missionaries in the Islamic World.
3. The lack of proper objectives in education.
University education has two aspects: its cultural message, and its preparation of students for different specializations. It is necessary that both of these aspects should be given a thorough reappraisal and restructuring so that the Universities may be able once again to match their glorious past.
