FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

homes of the early Muslims—Abu Bakr Siddiq, Al-Arqam bin Al-Arqam, Fatima bint Khattab—turned into centres of learning. From the very outset, the Prophet appointed scribes who were assigned to write down the Quranic portions as soon as they were revealed. This motivated others as well to learn writing so that they might make their own copies of the holy textbook. It is to be noted that even under lifethreatening circumstances, the Prophet had appointed twelve people who were most learned amongst them as teachers of the Quran. These teachers were so sincere and enthusiastic that within a short period of three years they spread the knowledge of the Quran to almost each and every home of the tribes of Al-Aws and Al-Khazraj. Hence when the Prophet arrived at Madinah in the 13th year of his prophethood, he found all the young and old people of these tribes well versed in the teachings of the Quran. At the Battle of Badr between the Muslims and the Makkans, 70 people were taken prisoner. After consultation with the senior Companions, the decision was taken that on a ransom payment of 4000 dirhams each, they would be set free. Most of the Makkans being businessmen, knew how to read and write. But the Muslims in Madinah were mostly farmers, who did not know how to read or write. Owing to the importance of education in Islam, it was decided that those prisoners of war who were not able to pay ransom, should be asked to teach 10 Muslim children in order to secure their freedom. This was the first proper school in Islam established by the Prophet himself. (Tabaqat, Ibn Sad) The learning explosion produced by the first divine word Iqra— Read!—continued non-stop. It initially began at Makkah and gradually spread throughout the world. After the demise of the Prophet, the Companions spread out in the neighbouring countries with the same spirit of seeking knowledge and imparting it to others. From Makkah to Madinah to Abyssinia to Iraq to Egypt to Baghdad, this revolutionary educational movement gradually passed on to Central Asia and the East, then to Spain and the West. As a result, there spawned international centres of learning, education and medicine that served towards multidimensional development in all spheres of life. Wisdom is the believer’s property, he should try to take it wherever he finds it. —Prophet Muhammad