Friday, May 28, 2010
Monday, March 9, 2009
Adaab of Learning
Adaab of Learning
Yawar Baig to standard-beare.
Adaab of Learning Before we can hope to learn anything at all about Islam, it is essential to remind ourselves of the adaab (manners) ofapproaching the knowledge of Islam. The knowledge of Islam is not amechanical collection of random information. It is the thoughtfulacquisition of knowledge with the intention to practice it because theMuslim realizes that this is essential for his life in this world and thenext.Allah called it a sign of His guidance.Allah said:فَمَن يُرِدِ اللّهُ أَن يَهْدِيَهُ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ لِلإِسْلاَمِAl-Anam: 6:125 Whoever Allah wishes to guide, He opens his heart to IslamWhen Islamic knowledge is approached without Abab (respect) it does notguide the student to the truth. Students get embroiled in pointless argumentand worthless debate that leads them astray. Adaab (manners) of learning areessential to understanding and benefiting from the knowledge that theteacher is trying to share. These adaab are as follows:1. Consider yourself to be in critical and dire need of this knowledge.Remember that we are not learning about Islam as a matter of idle curiosityor even of genuine interest. We are learning about it because it isessential and critical to our own existence and our future in the Hereafter.It's more than just interest.2. Ask Allah to open our hearts to His Word and to the knowledge ofIslam because Hidaya is only in His control. Pray Salat-ul-Haajah beforecoming to the class and make dua that Allah should enable us to understandwhat is being taught.3. Come with the intention of practicing what we learn. Acquiringknowledge of Islam is obligatory on us. To practice it is the only way tobenefit from it. Remind ourselves that if we learn and don't practice wewill become liable for punishment. Remember that ignorance is not defense inlaw so remaining ignorant is not an option to learning but not practicing.4. Focus on 'What'. Not on 'Who' or 'How'. Focus on what is beingtaught. Not on who is teaching or his/her style or accent or looks or way ofspeaking.5. Remind ourselves that 'not liking' what you hear with respect toIslam and the orders of Allah or the Sunnah of His Nabi is a disease of theheart and a sign of the sickness of our Imaan. It must be corrected throughtawba. Not pampered and allowed to lead us back into the darkness ofignorance.6. Behave with the utmost respect and consideration for the teacher andfellow students. Don't interrupt, or disturb the session by talking toothers, or make or answer phone calls, or fidget or otherwise behave in waysthat can be distracting for others.7. Be fanatical about punctuality. NEVER be late. Punctuality is a signof respect and being late is a sign of disrespect. If you have to leave forsome personal reason, tell the teacher in advance and leave quietly withoutdisturbing others.8. Don't argue. Remember that this knowledge is not mere words. To sinkin it takes time and practice. It takes lots of dua and effort to getcontrol of our Nafs (heart full of desires) which has become used to havingits own way all our lives. Now suddenly when you want it to become obedientto Allah , it will resist. It is not the teacher's responsibility toconvince you. It is his responsibility to convey the knowledge to youclearly and with proof. You are free to accept or reject what you learn.Both options produce their own results.9. So listen carefully, record the learning and then stand in the night(in Tahajjud) and ask Allah to allow it to sink into our hearts. Arguingwith the teacher who is speaking with proof from the Qur'an and Sunnah isfruitless and indicates our own ignorance and lack of manners. The teacherdid not make the rules and he can't change them whether we like the rules ornot.10. LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN. Once again remind yourself that 'listening'and 'hearing' are two different things. Don't get so engrossed in writingdown every single word that the teacher says that you miss the wholeatmosphere and essence of what has been said. It is far better to listen andthen note down what you remembered. That way you may miss some points butyou can fill them in later. Meanwhile Allah will enable you to retain whatyou really need to know.11. Listen with the intention to accept and to practice. Not with theintention to find fault. Remember that the teacher never claimed to befaultless and that all humans are full of faults. That, believe it or not,includes you as well. So even if you pick a million faults that still doesnot make the truth of the words false nor does it prove that you don't needthe learning.12. Remember that there is only one teacher in the class and that's notyou. Remember that you did not come to assess or test the teacher or toteach him or to tell him what to teach or how to do that. You came to learn.So do it.13. If you genuinely have a personal problem with a particular teacherand feel you can't learn from them, then do yourself and everyone else afavor: LEAVE. Find another teacher.14. Thank Allah for giving us the opportunity to learn. Thank theteacher for taking the time and trouble to teach. Remember that Rasoolullahsaid: The one who does not thank the person has not thanked Allah
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Responsibilities
As Sunday school is improving, I found it necessarily to clarify some Points, to avoid misunderstanding and encourage everyone to accomplish his/her mission in the best possible way, and also to encourage Brothers and Sisters To share and work together for the well being of our community and to do their Job for the sake of Allah alone and He is the best payer for the sincere work
· Imam’s responsibility as a principal of Sunday school:
The creation and implementation of a shared school vision
The nurturing and sustaining of a culture and instructional program conducive to learning and staff development
The ensuring of the management of school operations to produce a safe and effective learning environment
The collaboration with families and the diverse communities schools serve
The promotion of integrity, fairness, and ethical behavior
The interaction with larger political, social, legal, and cultural contexts of schooling
· Sister Um Adam as Imam’s assistant, she is responsible for:
· Responsible for student discipline, classroom observations, teacher evaluation and supervision, facilitating parent meetings, maintaining schedules, and handling logistical matters. Additionally, assistant principals frequently serve as testing coordinators, training staff on procedures related to standardized assessment, as well as accounting for testing materials. In addition to these duties, assistant principals are instructional leaders.
· Sister Um Ibrahim as a Supervisor is responsible for:
1. Mentoring or providing for mentoring of beginning teachers to facilitate a supportive induction into the profession.
2. Bringing individual teachers up to minimum standards of effective teaching (quality assurance and maintenance functions of supervision).
3. Improving individual teachers' competencies, no matter how proficient they are deemed to be.
4. Working with groups of teachers in a collaborative effort to improve student learning.
5. Working with groups of teachers to adapt the local curriculum to the needs and abilities of diverse groups of students, while at the same time bringing the local curriculum in line with state and national standards.
6. Relating teachers' efforts to improve their teaching to the larger goals of school wide improvement in the service of quality learning for all children.
· Teacher’s responsibilities:
· Conventionally viewed as dispensers of knowledge, teachers are increasingly perceived as facilitators or managers of knowledge. They are often thought to be co- learners with their students. Few modern teachers would try to claim intellectual hegemony ([1])in the classroom; such a claim would not stand the challenge of increasingly sophisticated students. There is too much to know and too many sources of knowledge outside the classroom that can easily be brought to bear within school walls by students themselves. Teachers teach, of course, but they do not simply dispense information to their students. Teachers are also intellectual leaders who create opportunities for students to demonstrate what they know and what they know how to do.
May Allah accept the humble effort for his sake and have mercy on us, our families and community.
Note: Brother (Majid- trainer) is going to have a work shop with Sunday school teachers at the end of March- 2009.We request the presence of Sunday school teachers and administrative stuff. (Time after Dhuhur prayer- we look to have a teacher lunch after workshop)
ISWW SUNDAY SCHOOL
[1] The predominant influence, as of a state, region, or group, over another or others
Saturday, February 7, 2009
General management:
open discussion
Forwarded to all teachers
Salaam Imam,
ISWM-SUNDAY SCHOOL 2009-02-08
Forwarded to all teachers
General management:
We need a better handle on the teachers' schedules, absences, availability
Hallways need to be better controlled so students transition calmly from one class to another
There needs to be weekly staff meeting to assess where things are
Students need to be better informed of class start times and duration
Layout of the classrooms should be conducive to a good learning experience; rows are too rigid and offer little opportunity for teachers to really observe the students
Need larger whiteboards or several small ones arranged around the room
If possible group the students by age not by level, even if some don't initially have the proper level. They could be given some extra work to catch up to their peers
Teachers:
Better preparation is needed to provide a consistent teaching experience
Structure course
Memorize some the materials to be taught to avoid relying too much on your notes
Avoid lecture style lessons where only the teacher is active
Interact with the students throughout the lesson with a variety of activities in which students are participating and not merely watching the teacher, as if it were a movie
Take attendance and call the students by their first names
Ensure students come prepared to school
Have their books with them
Have their notebooks with them
Have done their homework
Give out a small homework every week to ensure class materials is reviewed
Homework should be age-appropriate
Homework should be easy to accomplish without the parents' help
Homework should take between 15' and 60'
Arabic words and alphabet should always be part of any homework
Give out a very small quiz at the beginning of the lesson (no more than 5') on the materials covered either in the previous week or in the homework. Grades should be given and possibly prizes could be given for the first three best students every semester
Students
Need to arrive on time and ensure they make it clear to the parents that Sunday school is not a joke
Bring all the required tools to school and inform the parents about the requirements
Do their homework on a weekly basis to offer continuity in the learning process
Avoid chit chatting during class time to avoid warnings and meeting with parents
Again thank you for allowing me to help.
May Allah bless you.
Madjid,
ISWM Teacher Aide
Forwarded to all teachers
Salaam Imam,
ISWM-SUNDAY SCHOOL 2009-02-08
Forwarded to all teachers
General management:
We need a better handle on the teachers' schedules, absences, availability
Hallways need to be better controlled so students transition calmly from one class to another
There needs to be weekly staff meeting to assess where things are
Students need to be better informed of class start times and duration
Layout of the classrooms should be conducive to a good learning experience; rows are too rigid and offer little opportunity for teachers to really observe the students
Need larger whiteboards or several small ones arranged around the room
If possible group the students by age not by level, even if some don't initially have the proper level. They could be given some extra work to catch up to their peers
Teachers:
Better preparation is needed to provide a consistent teaching experience
Structure course
Memorize some the materials to be taught to avoid relying too much on your notes
Avoid lecture style lessons where only the teacher is active
Interact with the students throughout the lesson with a variety of activities in which students are participating and not merely watching the teacher, as if it were a movie
Take attendance and call the students by their first names
Ensure students come prepared to school
Have their books with them
Have their notebooks with them
Have done their homework
Give out a small homework every week to ensure class materials is reviewed
Homework should be age-appropriate
Homework should be easy to accomplish without the parents' help
Homework should take between 15' and 60'
Arabic words and alphabet should always be part of any homework
Give out a very small quiz at the beginning of the lesson (no more than 5') on the materials covered either in the previous week or in the homework. Grades should be given and possibly prizes could be given for the first three best students every semester
Students
Need to arrive on time and ensure they make it clear to the parents that Sunday school is not a joke
Bring all the required tools to school and inform the parents about the requirements
Do their homework on a weekly basis to offer continuity in the learning process
Avoid chit chatting during class time to avoid warnings and meeting with parents
Again thank you for allowing me to help.
May Allah bless you.
Madjid,
ISWM Teacher Aide
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Top 10 Worst Things a Teacher Can Do
Top 10 Worst Things a Teacher Can Do
Here is a list of items that you should avoid as a new or veteran teacher. I have only included serious items in my list and have left off such obvious offenses as having affairs with students. However, any of these can create problems for you as a teacher and if you combine two or more than just expect to really have a hard time gaining student respect and finding your profession enjoyable.
1. Avoid smiling and being friendly with your students.
While you should start each year with a tough stance and the idea that it is easier to let up than to get harder, this does not mean that you shouldn’t have students believe that you aren’t happy to be there.
2. Becoming friends with students while they are in class.
You should be friendly but not become friends. Friendship implies give and take. This can put you in a tough situation with all the students in the class. Teaching is not a popularity contest and you are not just one of the guys or girls. Always remember that.
3. Stop your lessons and confront students for minor infractions in class
When you confront students over minor infractions in class, there is no possible way to create a win-win situation. The offending student will have no way out and this can lead to even greater problems. It is much better to pull them aside and talk to them one-on-one.
4. Humiliate students to try and get them to behave.
Humiliation is a terrible technique to use as a teacher. Students will either be so cowed that they will never feel confident in your classroom, so hurt that they will not trust you ever again, or so upset that they can turn to disruptive methods of retaliation.
5. Yell.
Once you've yelled you've lost the battle. This doesn't mean you won't have to raise your voice every once in awhile but teachers who yell all the time are often those with the worst classes.
6. Give your control over to the students.
Any decisions that are made in class should be made by you for good reasons. Just because students are trying to get out of a quiz or test does not mean that you should allow that to happen unless there is a good and viable reason. You can easily become a doormat if you give in to all demands.
7. Treat students differently based on personal likes and dislikes.
Face it. You are human and there will be kids you will like more than others. However, you must try your hardest never to let this show in class. Call on all students equally. Do not lessen punishments for students you really like.
8. Create rules that are essentially unfair.
Sometimes the rules themselves can put you in bad situations. For example, if a teacher has a rule that allows for no work to be turned in after the bell rings then this could set up a difficult situation. What if a student has a valid excuse? What makes a valid excuse? These are situations it would be best to just avoid.
9. Gossip and complain about other teachers.
There will be days when you hear things from students about other teachers that you just think are terrible. However, you should be noncommittal to the students and take your concerns to the teacher themselves or to administration. What you say to your students is not private and will be shared.
10. Be inconsistent with grading and/or accepting late work.
Make sure that you have consistent rules on this. Do not allow students to turn in late work for full points at any time because this takes away the incentive to turn in work on time. Further, use rubrics when you are grading assignments that require subjectivity. This helps protect you and explain the reason for the students' grades.
Courtesy of: about.com
Here is a list of items that you should avoid as a new or veteran teacher. I have only included serious items in my list and have left off such obvious offenses as having affairs with students. However, any of these can create problems for you as a teacher and if you combine two or more than just expect to really have a hard time gaining student respect and finding your profession enjoyable.
1. Avoid smiling and being friendly with your students.
While you should start each year with a tough stance and the idea that it is easier to let up than to get harder, this does not mean that you shouldn’t have students believe that you aren’t happy to be there.
2. Becoming friends with students while they are in class.
You should be friendly but not become friends. Friendship implies give and take. This can put you in a tough situation with all the students in the class. Teaching is not a popularity contest and you are not just one of the guys or girls. Always remember that.
3. Stop your lessons and confront students for minor infractions in class
When you confront students over minor infractions in class, there is no possible way to create a win-win situation. The offending student will have no way out and this can lead to even greater problems. It is much better to pull them aside and talk to them one-on-one.
4. Humiliate students to try and get them to behave.
Humiliation is a terrible technique to use as a teacher. Students will either be so cowed that they will never feel confident in your classroom, so hurt that they will not trust you ever again, or so upset that they can turn to disruptive methods of retaliation.
5. Yell.
Once you've yelled you've lost the battle. This doesn't mean you won't have to raise your voice every once in awhile but teachers who yell all the time are often those with the worst classes.
6. Give your control over to the students.
Any decisions that are made in class should be made by you for good reasons. Just because students are trying to get out of a quiz or test does not mean that you should allow that to happen unless there is a good and viable reason. You can easily become a doormat if you give in to all demands.
7. Treat students differently based on personal likes and dislikes.
Face it. You are human and there will be kids you will like more than others. However, you must try your hardest never to let this show in class. Call on all students equally. Do not lessen punishments for students you really like.
8. Create rules that are essentially unfair.
Sometimes the rules themselves can put you in bad situations. For example, if a teacher has a rule that allows for no work to be turned in after the bell rings then this could set up a difficult situation. What if a student has a valid excuse? What makes a valid excuse? These are situations it would be best to just avoid.
9. Gossip and complain about other teachers.
There will be days when you hear things from students about other teachers that you just think are terrible. However, you should be noncommittal to the students and take your concerns to the teacher themselves or to administration. What you say to your students is not private and will be shared.
10. Be inconsistent with grading and/or accepting late work.
Make sure that you have consistent rules on this. Do not allow students to turn in late work for full points at any time because this takes away the incentive to turn in work on time. Further, use rubrics when you are grading assignments that require subjectivity. This helps protect you and explain the reason for the students' grades.
Courtesy of: about.com
Monday, December 22, 2008
Children Party EiduL-Odhaa 2008
ISWM
The Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts
Children Party EiduL-Odhaa 2008
Many thanks to all Sisters and Brothers who made this Party a unique party
(Manager, assistants and sponsors)
(Manager, assistants and sponsors)
The Prophet of Allah, Mohammad , said:
من أفضل العمل إدخال السرور على المؤمن ، تقضي عنه دينا ، تقضي له حاجة ، تنفس له كربة
الراوي: محمد بن المنكدر المحدث: الألباني - المصدر: صحيح الجامع - خلاصة الدرجة: صحيح
(which means): “ among the best deeds are to bring happiness to the Mu’men, paying their debt, fulfilling their need or eliminating what it makes them worry ‘
Monday, November 10, 2008
Our Attitude towards Ilm-ud-Deen
Our Attitude towards Ilm-ud-Deen by Yawar Baig
EducationThis is the most important step in the Deen after Aqeeda and a keyrequirement for A'mal. Knowledge is the basis of all progress. A nation thatis without knowledge can never progress. A nation that is led by people ofignorance is a nation doomed to slavery. People who don't learn from theirhistory are condemned to repeat it. Let us see what the history of Islam andthe Muslims teaches us about the importance of knowledge.First let us see what Allah says about knowledge and people who areintelligent (Ulul Albaab: People of understanding):3:190,191
Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and thealternation of night and day there are indeed Signs for men ofunderstanding. Men who celebrate the praises of Allah standing sitting andlying down on their sides and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in theheavens and the earth (with the thought): "Our Lord! Not for nothing haveYou created (all) this! Glory to You! Give us salvation from the penalty ofthe fire.Allah describes in the above ayah the signs of the people of knowledge,intelligence and understanding. These are three:1.
Remembrance of Allah , at all times (standing, sitting and lying ontheir sides);2.
Reflection and research in the creation in all its aspects (whichdue to the fact that it is done from the basic platform of faith and Imaanin Allah results in the further strengthening of that faith); and the3.
Remembrance of the Day of Judgment.All knowledge that we acquire or think of acquiring and as being necessarymust stand this test based on the criteria that Allah has set for it andfor people of knowledge.So-called knowledge that takes us away from Allah and that leads to aweakening of faith or of the denial of Allah , His Message and Messengerand the Day of Judgment, is in reality ignorance, misguidance and jihalatand not knowledge at all.Even though it may sometimes masquerade in the form of knowledge, it willsurely lead to the Fire from which in the above ayah, people of realknowledge and understanding ask Allah for deliverance. This ayah alsopoints out that this kind of misguidance is an actual possibility of manykinds of scientific knowledge while scientific knowledge that is acquiredfrom the platform of a strong knowledge of the Deen and of the reality ofAllah can only lead to a further strengthening of faith. Islam thereforehas always been in favor of scientific knowledge and in this Deen there hasnever been the kind of division between science and theology that we see inChristianity, Judaism and other religions. On the contrary, the Qur'anitself quotes many things of a scientific origin that led to many scientificdiscoveries in later centuries and serve to underline the divine source ofthe Qur'an.
I will not go into those details here as that is beyond the scope of thisdiscussion. The point here is to understand that Islam teaches us thecorrect order for the acquisition of knowledge: first the knowledge of Deen,then knowledge of the world.If we do this then we will recognize the signs of Allah in the things welearn from scientific education and this will benefit our Imaan. If not wewill turn away from Allah and prepare the path for our own destruction.It is about these scientists with Imaan that Allah says:3: 190-191
Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth and thealternation of night and day there are indeed Signs for men ofunderstanding. Men who celebrate the praises of Allah standing sitting andlying down on their sides and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in theheavens and the earth (with the thought): "Our Lord! Not for nothing haveYou created (all) this! Glory to You! Give us salvation from the penalty ofthe fire.We need to become aware that one of the most virulent and successful attacksagainst Islam and the Muslims mounted by the enemies of Islam is thedevaluation of the importance of the knowledge of Islam (Ilm-e-Deen) and theimportance of the Ulema in the eyes of the Muslims. So successful have theenemies of Islam been in this strategy that today it is the Muslimsthemselves who speak in a derogatory tone about the knowledge of Islam andits scholars. And speaking generally, the more steeped in Western educationthe Muslim, the less he/she respects Islam and its scholars.Most so-called educated Muslims today are very free with expressing theirpersonal opinions in matters of the Deen, without reference to the Qur'an orthe Sunnah and even to deny the importance of both in terms of modern lifeand its demands.Many talk about the 'need to break the hold of the Ulema on the Ummah'. Manybelieve that religious knowledge of the Qur'an, Sunnah and Shari'ah makesthe student backward.
Many therefore speak of the Ulema as being backwardand anti-progress. Let us examine these claims and see if they are in facttrue and what are the standards of judgment we apply to the Ulema of Islam.Allah Himself emphasizes the importance of the Ilm-e-Deen (Knowledge ofIslam) and the level of the people who have that knowledge, the Ulema.35: 27-28
Don't you see that Allah sends down rain from the sky? Withit We then bring out produce of various colors. And in the mountains aretracts white and red of various shades of color and black intense in hue.And so amongst men and crawling creatures and cattle are they of variouscolors. Those (who) truly fear Allah among His Servants are the Ulema: forAllah is Exalted in Might Oft-Forgiving39:9
Is one who worships devoutly during the hours of the nightprostrating himself or standing (in adoration) who takes heed of theHereafter and who places his hope in the Mercy of his Lord (like one whodoes not)? Say: "Are those equal those who know and those who do not know?It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition.39:22
Is one whose heart Allah has opened to Islam so that he hasreceived enlightenment from Allah (no better than one hard-hearted)? Woe tothose whose hearts are hardened against celebrating the praises of Allah!They are manifestly wandering (in error)!It is well to remember that the power of Islam that the Prophet broughtwith him was the power of the knowledge of Allah and His Book. It was thisknowledge that set his companions, the Sahaba, apart from the rest of theirpeople. It was this knowledge that gave them peace in times of fear andvictory over their enemies. It was this knowledge that gave them theconfidence to challenge the world and to take the message of Islam into thecourts of Rome and Persia, the superpowers of that time.It is knowledge on the basis of which Allah gave precedence to SayyidinaAdam Alaihi salaam over the angels and ordered them to prostrate before him. 2: 30-33
Behold thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create avicegerent on earth." They said "Will You place therein one who will makemischief therein and shed blood? Whilst we do celebrate Your praises andglorify Your holy (name)?" He said: "I know what you know not." And Hetaught Adam the nature of all things; then He placed them before the angels and said: "Tell Me the nature of these if you are right." They said: "Glory to You of knowledge we have none save what You have taught us: in truth itis You who are perfect in knowledge and wisdom." He said: "O Adam! Tell themtheir natures."
When he had told them Allah said: "Did I not tell you thatI know the secrets of heaven and earth and I know what you reveal and whatyou conceal?" And behold We said to the angels: "Bow down to Adam"; and they bowed down not so Iblis he refused and was haughty he was of those whoreject Faith.It is knowledge that Allah revealed to the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wasallam) in the first revelation:96: 1-5
Proclaim! (or Read!) in the name of thy Lord and CherisherWho created. Created man out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood: Proclaim!And thy Lord is Most Bountiful. He Who taught (the use of) the Pen. Taughtman that which he knew not.And as we can see from the ayah above, Allah says, (We) taught the humansthat which they did not know.I want to draw your attention to three criteria that we use when dealingwith any knowledge and those that have it:
1. That it is the knowledge that adds value to the individual and notvice versa: We respect Dr. X for being an expert in cardiology. We don'trespect cardiology as a branch of medicine because Dr. X is an expert in it.So it is cardiology that adds value to Dr. X and his image.
2. That the more advanced the knowledge, the more advanced the expertin it: So we respect Prof. Vikram Sarabhai as he was an expert in atomicphysics, and consider him a very advanced man as the science in which he wasan expert is a very advanced science.
3. We call someone an expert when that person has in-depth knowledge ofa particular subject and therefore by inference, does not have knowledge ofother subjects. To take the example of Prof. Vikram Sarabhai, he was anexpert in atomic physics and we respect his expertise. However he was not anexpert in architecture, medicine, management, sewing or basket making and wedon't hold that against him. In fact if he had some knowledge of all thesethings then he would be called a 'jack-of-all-trades-and-master-of-none'. Sothe criterion we apply is that as long as someone has in-depth knowledge ofa particular subject and is an expert in it, his lack of knowledge in other subjects is not a bad thing and does not detract from his stature in theslightest and even adds to it.
Now let us see what standards we apply to the knowledge of the Qur'an andthose that have it, the Ulema, the Scholars of Islam.
1. All Muslims, consider the Qur'an to be the most valuable knowledgein the world as it is the Word of Allah that is the only thing that willlast beyond this life and which will be useful to its knower in theHereafter. Yet when children are sent to memorize it, we consider it a'waste' of their time. Though we say that we value the Qur'an and we applythe first principle to all knowledge, i.e. knowledge adds value to the onewho knows it; we don't respect the Ulema. What does this say about our realvalue for the Qur'an and the Sunnah?
2. All Muslims consider the Qur'an to be the most advanced knowledgeever. And indeed it is. From the first day of its revelation, the Qur'an hastaught us what we did not know.
Al Alaq: And We taught mankind that which it did not know.
And this will continue until the Day of Judgment, the Qur'anwill continue to demonstrate its own advanced state of knowledge. For indeedthe knowledge of the Creator is always superior to the knowledge of thecreatures, no matter how advanced the creatures may consider themselves tobe in their combination of ignorance and arrogance. However, though all Muslims are ready to accept the 'advanced' level of the Qur'an, we considerthe experts in it to be backward. Does that make sense? If Vikram Sarabhaiis (see Vikram Sarabhai ) advanced because he has knowledge of atomic physics, since that knowledgeis an advanced knowledge, then the Alim who has knowledge of the Qur'an ismore advanced than Vikram Sarabhai by far, since he has knowledge of theCreator of the atom. That would be the correct logic. However do we applyit? And if not, then what does it say about our real opinion of the Word ofAllah ?
3. Finally, the final criterion, that an expert is one who has in-depthknowledge of a particular subject and so does not know much about otherthings, as he has invested so much time and energy in learning that onesubject. And this is a sign of his expertise and we don't hold it againsthim. However when it comes to the Ulema of Deen, very often those who callthemselves 'educated' (meaning western education) look down on Ulema becausethey don't have knowledge of things other than the Qur'an and Deen. We don'tapply the same criterion of expertise in their case.This is yet another one of the effects of western education and the enemiesof Islam and their insidious attacks, that they have succeeded in removingthe true value and respect (not lip service) of the Qur'an and the Knowledgeof Islam and the honor and respect of those who have it, from the hearts ofthe Muslim.How many individuals do we not know who have gone to western universitiesand given up their Imaan in exchange for the worldly knowledge they gotthere. Knowledge that will be of no use to them at all in the Aakhira. Knowledge that in many cases will actually be the cause of their humiliationand disgrace and the anger of Allah . May Allah protect us from His angerand give us the sense to rethink our attitudes to His Word, His Deen and HisProphet before it is too late. For on the Day of Judgment, it is not thetongue, which will be able to glibly give answers as it does today but thatwhich is in the hearts will come out and the hands will speak and the legswill bear witness about what the person did.As Allah says in His Book:36: 65 . That Day shall We set a seal on their mouths. But theirhands will speak to Us and their feet bear witness to all that they did.When the army of Muslims faced the Persian army in Iraq, the General commanding the Persian army, Rustam asked the Muslims to send someone toexplain to him what they wanted. The Amir of the Muslims sent Rabi Ibn Aamir(Radhiallahu anhu). The Persians prepared the court with great care todemonstrate their wealth and power, with a display of weapons and theirarmy.Rabe'a Ibn Aamir (Radhiallahu anhu) rode up on his horse, dismounted andtied it to a pillar of the hall and strode up to the throne with his spearin his hand. When he reached there, he found that there was no seat exceptfor the Rustam. So he said, "I am an ambassador of the Muslims and have comehere on your invitation. Either give me a seat or you also stand up." ThePersians were horrified at this 'insolence' to their leader and some of themasked him permission to kill the Sahabi.Rustam however replied, "Leave him.
I want to know what is in his heart that enables him to be totally unimpressed by our wealth and power." Then heasked Rabi Ibn Aamir (Radhiallahu anhu), "Why have you come and what do youwant from us?" Rabi Ibn Aamir (Radhiallahu anhu) replied, "Allah sent us.We have come to remove men from the worship of men and take them into theworship of the Creator of men. We have come to remove them from theinjustice of other (man-made) religions (and systems) and into the justiceof Islam. We have come to free men from the constriction of the life of thisworld and take them into the freedom (us'ath) of this life and thehereafter."When we read these and other stories of the Sahaba, sometimes it seemsstrange to us that such people existed. We question why it is that thislevel of confidence does not seem to exist any more.
The cardinal difference, which is not mentioned, is about the authors of each and othersuch works. Of all of them except the Qur'an, the authors (or in the case ofthe Bible and Torah: the alterers) are humans. Whereas the author of the Qur'an is Allah himself.Unfortunately for the Muslims, this strategy successfully alienated us fromthe greatest of our assets, the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet . Not only did we allow ourselves to get alienated but we also lost the awe, loveand respect that the Sahaba felt for the Word of Allah and His Prophet .We lost respect for the knowledge of the Revelation as being distinct fromand infinitely superior to anything that is invented by mankind, just asAllah is infinitely superior to His creation. Where Sahaba like Sayyidina Abu Bakar Al Siddiq (Radhiallahu anhu) used to go white with fear when askedto give an interpretation of the Qur'an, ordinary so-called educated Muslimswith no formal education of Islam freely give fatawa and pontificate aboutthe meaning of the ayahs of the Qur'an. They have no hesitation in making explanations (tafsir) without themselves having had any formal training inthe Usool-al-tafsir (Rules of Tafsir). This is because we have lost thesense of the majesty of the Revelation (Wahi). We don't remember that the one who makes tafsir of the Qur'an or gives a fatwa, is standing in theplace of the Prophet . And as Abu Bakar (Radhiallahu anhu) said; "Which sky will protect me and which earth will hide me if I say something about theWord of Allah that He has not said?"Consequently for the most part we don't respect Ulema, the people who arethe custodians of the knowledge of the Deen.
We have a lot of respect for a doctor who spends 7-8 years studying medicine, an engineer who spends 4-5 years studying Information Technology but no respect for an Alim who spendsa lifetime studying the Qur'an and related sciences.That is because unless we understand and appreciate in our hearts themajesty of the Word of Allah we can't have respect for those who protect,study and understand it.
Unless we see our lives in this world and the nextlinked inextricably with the Qur'an and Sunnah and our success being infollowing the orders of Allah we can never have respect for those who spendtime and sacrifice their lives in understanding and teaching that knowledge.We will not consider it important to ask them (the Ulema) what is the rightthing to do when we are faced with any situation. We will not consider theIlm-e-Deen (Knowledge of Islam) worthy of studying and teaching. We will notsupport those who do study it and gradually that knowledge will disappearfrom the world. This is one of the signs of the last days as described bythe Prophet .As Western education and learning gradually replaced the originalcontributions of Islamic scholars; the writings and thoughts of Westerns cientists and scholars took the place of the Word of Allah and His Prophetin the minds of Muslims. Many 'educated' Muslims started believing thesewritings with the same unquestioning faith that the Sahaba accorded to theWord of Allah .
People who questioned Western theories (Darwin's theory ofevolution for example) were laughed at and considered 'backward', especiallyif they sought to present as evidence, the words of the Qur'an. It isperhaps with a premonition of this that Aisha (Radhiallahu anha) said thatthe first bida'a of this Ummah was that the name of Allah started to betaken without the awe and majesty of Allah in the heart.To give the Western scientists their due, the original clash betweentheology and science started as a rebellion against the errors in the Bibleand the concept of creation according to the Church. Since the original bookof Isa (Alaihis salaam) was altered and its message lost, naturally the reare many errors in the versions that are existent today.
However, principally due to the apathy of the Muslims and the lack ofinterest in the message of the Qur'an, no effective defense was mounted whenIslam and the knowledge of the Qur'an were also sought to be lumped with the Bible in the name of separating religion and science.Many Muslims don't realize, even today, that in Islam and the Qur'an thereis no conflict between knowledge of the Revelation and science. And indeed why should there be, when the creator Himself talks about what He created?
However when we ourselves don't know what the Message of Islam is, then howcan we be confident about it in the face of false allegations and claims? The principle technique of the West and of the so-called scientific methodwas to selectively refuse to accept anything that could not be touched, poked or pinched and therefore to deny its existence. I will not go into thedetails of this obviously flawed thinking but to anyone who can thinkrationally it is self-evident. And all this gave rise eventually to atheism and a denial of the existenceof Allah (Himself) and a belief in the totally illogical concept ofcreation by accident. No body thought to ask, which accident createsanything?Accidents break and destroy things, not create them.
However when we chooseto subordinate our minds to other than the Word of Allah and His Prophet ,we loose our rationality and reason.Another very potent deception was to answer every 'Why' with a 'How'.
Forexample when someone asked, 'why' earthquakes happen, they were given adescription of 'how' they happen (movements of tectonic plates and so on).When someone asked 'why' rain falls, they were given a description of thee vaporation - precipitation cycle, which describes 'how' rain falls, not'why' it falls.
When someone asked 'why' a person was sick or became well,he was told 'how' the sickness happened and 'how' it got cured, not 'why';which was the original question. And we Muslims got so lost in these answersthat we even forgot the original question, which was 'why' did somethinghappen. We forgot to ask why, if we know how a sickness happens and how tocure it, we can't cure everyone with that sickness. Some people get curedand others don't. We forgot that no matter how eloquently you explain 'how'something works; it does not explain 'why' it works. And because we forgotthat, we lost the benefit of the strengthening of our faith when we lookedaround us.
We lost the benefit of seeing the work of Allah in all Hiscreation both within ourselves and outside.And we lost the power and barakah of the ayah of the Qur'an:3:190,191
Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and thealternation of night and day there are indeed Signs for men ofunderstanding. Men who celebrate the praises of Allah standing sitting andlying down on their sides and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in theheavens and the earth (with the thought): "Our Lord! Not for nothing haveYou created (all) this! Glory to You! Give us salvation from the penalty ofthe fire.The Qur'an challenges these theories and false knowledge when Allah says:Fussilat: 5351: 20-21
On the earth are Signs for those of assured Faith. As alsoin your own selves: will you not then see?May Allah give us the tawfeeq (guidance) to recognize the value of theQur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet and practice it so that we arerewarded with the barakah of both in our lives.
EducationThis is the most important step in the Deen after Aqeeda and a keyrequirement for A'mal. Knowledge is the basis of all progress. A nation thatis without knowledge can never progress. A nation that is led by people ofignorance is a nation doomed to slavery. People who don't learn from theirhistory are condemned to repeat it. Let us see what the history of Islam andthe Muslims teaches us about the importance of knowledge.First let us see what Allah says about knowledge and people who areintelligent (Ulul Albaab: People of understanding):3:190,191
Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and thealternation of night and day there are indeed Signs for men ofunderstanding. Men who celebrate the praises of Allah standing sitting andlying down on their sides and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in theheavens and the earth (with the thought): "Our Lord! Not for nothing haveYou created (all) this! Glory to You! Give us salvation from the penalty ofthe fire.Allah describes in the above ayah the signs of the people of knowledge,intelligence and understanding. These are three:1.
Remembrance of Allah , at all times (standing, sitting and lying ontheir sides);2.
Reflection and research in the creation in all its aspects (whichdue to the fact that it is done from the basic platform of faith and Imaanin Allah results in the further strengthening of that faith); and the3.
Remembrance of the Day of Judgment.All knowledge that we acquire or think of acquiring and as being necessarymust stand this test based on the criteria that Allah has set for it andfor people of knowledge.So-called knowledge that takes us away from Allah and that leads to aweakening of faith or of the denial of Allah , His Message and Messengerand the Day of Judgment, is in reality ignorance, misguidance and jihalatand not knowledge at all.Even though it may sometimes masquerade in the form of knowledge, it willsurely lead to the Fire from which in the above ayah, people of realknowledge and understanding ask Allah for deliverance. This ayah alsopoints out that this kind of misguidance is an actual possibility of manykinds of scientific knowledge while scientific knowledge that is acquiredfrom the platform of a strong knowledge of the Deen and of the reality ofAllah can only lead to a further strengthening of faith. Islam thereforehas always been in favor of scientific knowledge and in this Deen there hasnever been the kind of division between science and theology that we see inChristianity, Judaism and other religions. On the contrary, the Qur'anitself quotes many things of a scientific origin that led to many scientificdiscoveries in later centuries and serve to underline the divine source ofthe Qur'an.
I will not go into those details here as that is beyond the scope of thisdiscussion. The point here is to understand that Islam teaches us thecorrect order for the acquisition of knowledge: first the knowledge of Deen,then knowledge of the world.If we do this then we will recognize the signs of Allah in the things welearn from scientific education and this will benefit our Imaan. If not wewill turn away from Allah and prepare the path for our own destruction.It is about these scientists with Imaan that Allah says:3: 190-191
Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth and thealternation of night and day there are indeed Signs for men ofunderstanding. Men who celebrate the praises of Allah standing sitting andlying down on their sides and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in theheavens and the earth (with the thought): "Our Lord! Not for nothing haveYou created (all) this! Glory to You! Give us salvation from the penalty ofthe fire.We need to become aware that one of the most virulent and successful attacksagainst Islam and the Muslims mounted by the enemies of Islam is thedevaluation of the importance of the knowledge of Islam (Ilm-e-Deen) and theimportance of the Ulema in the eyes of the Muslims. So successful have theenemies of Islam been in this strategy that today it is the Muslimsthemselves who speak in a derogatory tone about the knowledge of Islam andits scholars. And speaking generally, the more steeped in Western educationthe Muslim, the less he/she respects Islam and its scholars.Most so-called educated Muslims today are very free with expressing theirpersonal opinions in matters of the Deen, without reference to the Qur'an orthe Sunnah and even to deny the importance of both in terms of modern lifeand its demands.Many talk about the 'need to break the hold of the Ulema on the Ummah'. Manybelieve that religious knowledge of the Qur'an, Sunnah and Shari'ah makesthe student backward.
Many therefore speak of the Ulema as being backwardand anti-progress. Let us examine these claims and see if they are in facttrue and what are the standards of judgment we apply to the Ulema of Islam.Allah Himself emphasizes the importance of the Ilm-e-Deen (Knowledge ofIslam) and the level of the people who have that knowledge, the Ulema.35: 27-28
Don't you see that Allah sends down rain from the sky? Withit We then bring out produce of various colors. And in the mountains aretracts white and red of various shades of color and black intense in hue.And so amongst men and crawling creatures and cattle are they of variouscolors. Those (who) truly fear Allah among His Servants are the Ulema: forAllah is Exalted in Might Oft-Forgiving39:9
Is one who worships devoutly during the hours of the nightprostrating himself or standing (in adoration) who takes heed of theHereafter and who places his hope in the Mercy of his Lord (like one whodoes not)? Say: "Are those equal those who know and those who do not know?It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition.39:22
Is one whose heart Allah has opened to Islam so that he hasreceived enlightenment from Allah (no better than one hard-hearted)? Woe tothose whose hearts are hardened against celebrating the praises of Allah!They are manifestly wandering (in error)!It is well to remember that the power of Islam that the Prophet broughtwith him was the power of the knowledge of Allah and His Book. It was thisknowledge that set his companions, the Sahaba, apart from the rest of theirpeople. It was this knowledge that gave them peace in times of fear andvictory over their enemies. It was this knowledge that gave them theconfidence to challenge the world and to take the message of Islam into thecourts of Rome and Persia, the superpowers of that time.It is knowledge on the basis of which Allah gave precedence to SayyidinaAdam Alaihi salaam over the angels and ordered them to prostrate before him. 2: 30-33
Behold thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create avicegerent on earth." They said "Will You place therein one who will makemischief therein and shed blood? Whilst we do celebrate Your praises andglorify Your holy (name)?" He said: "I know what you know not." And Hetaught Adam the nature of all things; then He placed them before the angels and said: "Tell Me the nature of these if you are right." They said: "Glory to You of knowledge we have none save what You have taught us: in truth itis You who are perfect in knowledge and wisdom." He said: "O Adam! Tell themtheir natures."
When he had told them Allah said: "Did I not tell you thatI know the secrets of heaven and earth and I know what you reveal and whatyou conceal?" And behold We said to the angels: "Bow down to Adam"; and they bowed down not so Iblis he refused and was haughty he was of those whoreject Faith.It is knowledge that Allah revealed to the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wasallam) in the first revelation:96: 1-5
Proclaim! (or Read!) in the name of thy Lord and CherisherWho created. Created man out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood: Proclaim!And thy Lord is Most Bountiful. He Who taught (the use of) the Pen. Taughtman that which he knew not.And as we can see from the ayah above, Allah says, (We) taught the humansthat which they did not know.I want to draw your attention to three criteria that we use when dealingwith any knowledge and those that have it:
1. That it is the knowledge that adds value to the individual and notvice versa: We respect Dr. X for being an expert in cardiology. We don'trespect cardiology as a branch of medicine because Dr. X is an expert in it.So it is cardiology that adds value to Dr. X and his image.
2. That the more advanced the knowledge, the more advanced the expertin it: So we respect Prof. Vikram Sarabhai as he was an expert in atomicphysics, and consider him a very advanced man as the science in which he wasan expert is a very advanced science.
3. We call someone an expert when that person has in-depth knowledge ofa particular subject and therefore by inference, does not have knowledge ofother subjects. To take the example of Prof. Vikram Sarabhai, he was anexpert in atomic physics and we respect his expertise. However he was not anexpert in architecture, medicine, management, sewing or basket making and wedon't hold that against him. In fact if he had some knowledge of all thesethings then he would be called a 'jack-of-all-trades-and-master-of-none'. Sothe criterion we apply is that as long as someone has in-depth knowledge ofa particular subject and is an expert in it, his lack of knowledge in other subjects is not a bad thing and does not detract from his stature in theslightest and even adds to it.
Now let us see what standards we apply to the knowledge of the Qur'an andthose that have it, the Ulema, the Scholars of Islam.
1. All Muslims, consider the Qur'an to be the most valuable knowledgein the world as it is the Word of Allah that is the only thing that willlast beyond this life and which will be useful to its knower in theHereafter. Yet when children are sent to memorize it, we consider it a'waste' of their time. Though we say that we value the Qur'an and we applythe first principle to all knowledge, i.e. knowledge adds value to the onewho knows it; we don't respect the Ulema. What does this say about our realvalue for the Qur'an and the Sunnah?
2. All Muslims consider the Qur'an to be the most advanced knowledgeever. And indeed it is. From the first day of its revelation, the Qur'an hastaught us what we did not know.
Al Alaq: And We taught mankind that which it did not know.
And this will continue until the Day of Judgment, the Qur'anwill continue to demonstrate its own advanced state of knowledge. For indeedthe knowledge of the Creator is always superior to the knowledge of thecreatures, no matter how advanced the creatures may consider themselves tobe in their combination of ignorance and arrogance. However, though all Muslims are ready to accept the 'advanced' level of the Qur'an, we considerthe experts in it to be backward. Does that make sense? If Vikram Sarabhaiis (see Vikram Sarabhai ) advanced because he has knowledge of atomic physics, since that knowledgeis an advanced knowledge, then the Alim who has knowledge of the Qur'an ismore advanced than Vikram Sarabhai by far, since he has knowledge of theCreator of the atom. That would be the correct logic. However do we applyit? And if not, then what does it say about our real opinion of the Word ofAllah ?
3. Finally, the final criterion, that an expert is one who has in-depthknowledge of a particular subject and so does not know much about otherthings, as he has invested so much time and energy in learning that onesubject. And this is a sign of his expertise and we don't hold it againsthim. However when it comes to the Ulema of Deen, very often those who callthemselves 'educated' (meaning western education) look down on Ulema becausethey don't have knowledge of things other than the Qur'an and Deen. We don'tapply the same criterion of expertise in their case.This is yet another one of the effects of western education and the enemiesof Islam and their insidious attacks, that they have succeeded in removingthe true value and respect (not lip service) of the Qur'an and the Knowledgeof Islam and the honor and respect of those who have it, from the hearts ofthe Muslim.How many individuals do we not know who have gone to western universitiesand given up their Imaan in exchange for the worldly knowledge they gotthere. Knowledge that will be of no use to them at all in the Aakhira. Knowledge that in many cases will actually be the cause of their humiliationand disgrace and the anger of Allah . May Allah protect us from His angerand give us the sense to rethink our attitudes to His Word, His Deen and HisProphet before it is too late. For on the Day of Judgment, it is not thetongue, which will be able to glibly give answers as it does today but thatwhich is in the hearts will come out and the hands will speak and the legswill bear witness about what the person did.As Allah says in His Book:36: 65 . That Day shall We set a seal on their mouths. But theirhands will speak to Us and their feet bear witness to all that they did.When the army of Muslims faced the Persian army in Iraq, the General commanding the Persian army, Rustam asked the Muslims to send someone toexplain to him what they wanted. The Amir of the Muslims sent Rabi Ibn Aamir(Radhiallahu anhu). The Persians prepared the court with great care todemonstrate their wealth and power, with a display of weapons and theirarmy.Rabe'a Ibn Aamir (Radhiallahu anhu) rode up on his horse, dismounted andtied it to a pillar of the hall and strode up to the throne with his spearin his hand. When he reached there, he found that there was no seat exceptfor the Rustam. So he said, "I am an ambassador of the Muslims and have comehere on your invitation. Either give me a seat or you also stand up." ThePersians were horrified at this 'insolence' to their leader and some of themasked him permission to kill the Sahabi.Rustam however replied, "Leave him.
I want to know what is in his heart that enables him to be totally unimpressed by our wealth and power." Then heasked Rabi Ibn Aamir (Radhiallahu anhu), "Why have you come and what do youwant from us?" Rabi Ibn Aamir (Radhiallahu anhu) replied, "Allah sent us.We have come to remove men from the worship of men and take them into theworship of the Creator of men. We have come to remove them from theinjustice of other (man-made) religions (and systems) and into the justiceof Islam. We have come to free men from the constriction of the life of thisworld and take them into the freedom (us'ath) of this life and thehereafter."When we read these and other stories of the Sahaba, sometimes it seemsstrange to us that such people existed. We question why it is that thislevel of confidence does not seem to exist any more.
Why is it that today weare impressed by everyone except Islam and our own history?
The answer isvery simple. This is because we have forgotten our own Deen and do notchoose to acquire its knowledge. So we become the victims of the enemies ofIslam who indoctrinate us into thinking that what we have is really notworthy of having and is a sign of backwardness and that it is something thatwe need to hide and be apologetic about. If we studied the Qur'an and Sunnahand brought Islam fully into our lives, then we would be able to invoke thepower of Allah into our lives.That is the only thing that would give us the confidence to say to the worldthat in Islam lies the solution to all that ails the world today. Howeverwhen we are ourselves totally ignorant of this knowledge and don't practiceit in our lives, we are unable to offer it to anyone else.This is perhaps the most successful and most virulent of the attacks onIslam, spearheaded by the writings of the Orientalists, which sought toundermine the knowledge of the Revelation and equated it with other kinds ofknowledge and philosophy.For example the saying: "The Qur'an is the holy book of the Muslims, just asthe Gita is of the Hindus and the Bible is of the Christians".The cardinal difference, which is not mentioned, is about the authors of each and othersuch works. Of all of them except the Qur'an, the authors (or in the case ofthe Bible and Torah: the alterers) are humans. Whereas the author of the Qur'an is Allah himself.Unfortunately for the Muslims, this strategy successfully alienated us fromthe greatest of our assets, the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet . Not only did we allow ourselves to get alienated but we also lost the awe, loveand respect that the Sahaba felt for the Word of Allah and His Prophet .We lost respect for the knowledge of the Revelation as being distinct fromand infinitely superior to anything that is invented by mankind, just asAllah is infinitely superior to His creation. Where Sahaba like Sayyidina Abu Bakar Al Siddiq (Radhiallahu anhu) used to go white with fear when askedto give an interpretation of the Qur'an, ordinary so-called educated Muslimswith no formal education of Islam freely give fatawa and pontificate aboutthe meaning of the ayahs of the Qur'an. They have no hesitation in making explanations (tafsir) without themselves having had any formal training inthe Usool-al-tafsir (Rules of Tafsir). This is because we have lost thesense of the majesty of the Revelation (Wahi). We don't remember that the one who makes tafsir of the Qur'an or gives a fatwa, is standing in theplace of the Prophet . And as Abu Bakar (Radhiallahu anhu) said; "Which sky will protect me and which earth will hide me if I say something about theWord of Allah that He has not said?"Consequently for the most part we don't respect Ulema, the people who arethe custodians of the knowledge of the Deen.
We have a lot of respect for a doctor who spends 7-8 years studying medicine, an engineer who spends 4-5 years studying Information Technology but no respect for an Alim who spendsa lifetime studying the Qur'an and related sciences.That is because unless we understand and appreciate in our hearts themajesty of the Word of Allah we can't have respect for those who protect,study and understand it.
Unless we see our lives in this world and the nextlinked inextricably with the Qur'an and Sunnah and our success being infollowing the orders of Allah we can never have respect for those who spendtime and sacrifice their lives in understanding and teaching that knowledge.We will not consider it important to ask them (the Ulema) what is the rightthing to do when we are faced with any situation. We will not consider theIlm-e-Deen (Knowledge of Islam) worthy of studying and teaching. We will notsupport those who do study it and gradually that knowledge will disappearfrom the world. This is one of the signs of the last days as described bythe Prophet .As Western education and learning gradually replaced the originalcontributions of Islamic scholars; the writings and thoughts of Westerns cientists and scholars took the place of the Word of Allah and His Prophetin the minds of Muslims. Many 'educated' Muslims started believing thesewritings with the same unquestioning faith that the Sahaba accorded to theWord of Allah .
People who questioned Western theories (Darwin's theory ofevolution for example) were laughed at and considered 'backward', especiallyif they sought to present as evidence, the words of the Qur'an. It isperhaps with a premonition of this that Aisha (Radhiallahu anha) said thatthe first bida'a of this Ummah was that the name of Allah started to betaken without the awe and majesty of Allah in the heart.To give the Western scientists their due, the original clash betweentheology and science started as a rebellion against the errors in the Bibleand the concept of creation according to the Church. Since the original bookof Isa (Alaihis salaam) was altered and its message lost, naturally the reare many errors in the versions that are existent today.
However, principally due to the apathy of the Muslims and the lack ofinterest in the message of the Qur'an, no effective defense was mounted whenIslam and the knowledge of the Qur'an were also sought to be lumped with the Bible in the name of separating religion and science.Many Muslims don't realize, even today, that in Islam and the Qur'an thereis no conflict between knowledge of the Revelation and science. And indeed why should there be, when the creator Himself talks about what He created?
However when we ourselves don't know what the Message of Islam is, then howcan we be confident about it in the face of false allegations and claims? The principle technique of the West and of the so-called scientific methodwas to selectively refuse to accept anything that could not be touched, poked or pinched and therefore to deny its existence. I will not go into thedetails of this obviously flawed thinking but to anyone who can thinkrationally it is self-evident. And all this gave rise eventually to atheism and a denial of the existenceof Allah (Himself) and a belief in the totally illogical concept ofcreation by accident. No body thought to ask, which accident createsanything?Accidents break and destroy things, not create them.
However when we chooseto subordinate our minds to other than the Word of Allah and His Prophet ,we loose our rationality and reason.Another very potent deception was to answer every 'Why' with a 'How'.
Forexample when someone asked, 'why' earthquakes happen, they were given adescription of 'how' they happen (movements of tectonic plates and so on).When someone asked 'why' rain falls, they were given a description of thee vaporation - precipitation cycle, which describes 'how' rain falls, not'why' it falls.
When someone asked 'why' a person was sick or became well,he was told 'how' the sickness happened and 'how' it got cured, not 'why';which was the original question. And we Muslims got so lost in these answersthat we even forgot the original question, which was 'why' did somethinghappen. We forgot to ask why, if we know how a sickness happens and how tocure it, we can't cure everyone with that sickness. Some people get curedand others don't. We forgot that no matter how eloquently you explain 'how'something works; it does not explain 'why' it works. And because we forgotthat, we lost the benefit of the strengthening of our faith when we lookedaround us.
We lost the benefit of seeing the work of Allah in all Hiscreation both within ourselves and outside.And we lost the power and barakah of the ayah of the Qur'an:3:190,191
Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and thealternation of night and day there are indeed Signs for men ofunderstanding. Men who celebrate the praises of Allah standing sitting andlying down on their sides and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in theheavens and the earth (with the thought): "Our Lord! Not for nothing haveYou created (all) this! Glory to You! Give us salvation from the penalty ofthe fire.The Qur'an challenges these theories and false knowledge when Allah says:Fussilat: 5351: 20-21
On the earth are Signs for those of assured Faith. As alsoin your own selves: will you not then see?May Allah give us the tawfeeq (guidance) to recognize the value of theQur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet and practice it so that we arerewarded with the barakah of both in our lives.
