FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Dr. Farida Khanam has been a professor at the Department of Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. A Study of World's Major Religions, A Simple Guide to Sufism are two of the books amongst others, of which she is the author. She has also translated many books on Islam authored by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Currently, the chairperson of Centre for Peace and Spirituality (CPS International), an organization founded by her father Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, she is a regular contributor of articles to journals, newspapers and magazines. Dr. Khanam has edited Maulana’s English translation of the Quran and has also translated his Urdu commentary of the Quran into English. Under Maulana Wahiduddin Khan Peace Foundation, along with the CPS team, she has designed a series of courses on peace-building, countering extremism and conflict resolution. THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION IN ISLAM “My Lord! Increase my Knowledge.” (THE QURAN 20: 114) T HE MISSION of the Prophet of Islam has been introduced in the Quran at more than one place as an instructor of the Book and a teacher of wisdom. Here is a verse from the Quran: “It is He who has raised among the unlettered people a messenger from among themselves who recites His revelations to them, and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and wisdom.” (62: 2) Similarly, on another occasion the Prophet of Islam presented himself before the people saying, “I have been sent only as a teacher.” The first word revealed in the form of the Quran was ‘Iqra’ or ‘Read’ (96: 1). The fourth verse of the first revelation forming part of the chapter Al-Qalam says: “God has taught man by the pen.” (96: 4) We find more than 1500 derivatives and synonyms of the word Ilm, that is, knowledge in the Quran. In this light, it becomes easy to understand how the revelation of the Quran, in this almost illiterate nation of