User blogs

Islamic religion has from beginning kept a high importance on Education and thus has been able to maintain its strong foundation. The concept of (‘ilm) has large position in the Islamic world because of its extreme usage in the Quran. Islamic education is emphasized in the Quran by phrases like”O my God! Power me with Knowledge” (20; 114).Such phrases in the Quran provide incentives to Muslim believers to search for education and Knowledge.

However, Islamic education is very different from western education or other type of education system since it rely its principles from the Quran. The coming up with Quran in the 17th century was quite a change for the Arab Community of those times. Which lead to reading, writing and reciting so as to get the utmost blessing of the Holy Quran.

HISTORY

The educated Muslims also referred to as Mudarris put all the effort to ensure that scriptures of Quran are all accessible to all the Islamic believers. They taught the believers in what is referred as Kuttab and the kuttab would be found in places like: mosques, homes and even in an open place. Although the historians are not sure exactly where the first Kuttab was established but it was believed Kuttab would be literally found in every part of the Islamic empire.

Thus Kuttab formed a foundation for the primary age kids and continued until others forms of education were introduced like western Education. However it is practiced in the Islamic nations. The process of Kuttab was mainly dedicated to small male kids, starting as early as the kid is age four, and was thoroughly taught on Koran teachings and religious requirements such as fasting and prayer.

The faithful believed that raising a child with the Islamic principles was Islamic obligation to parents and the society. They had strict rules in teaching children, where even corporal punishment could be given to children who were lazy and misbehave. It was essential to memorize or even recite the Koran as it was requirement for Kuttab.

Surah Luqman, Ayat 12: And we bestowed Hikmah upon Luqman: “Show they gratitude to Allah and who is grateful does so to the profit of his own soul.”

Editor's intro: Below is another brief, but extremely beneficial, transcription of a segment of a discourse by His Eminence, El-Sheikh Syed Mubarik Ali Shah Gilani. The dear reader will also notice this is a Bayan on the Hikmah Allah Ta’ala reveals for mankind in Surah Luqman (Tafseer).

COMMENTARY: Here, the word is Hikmah. After Wahi and Messengerhood (Risalah) is the Hikmah. Hikmah is The Wisdom. In English we say: “[So and so], he is a very wise man.” What do we mean by this? It is a very crude meaning, because the whole terminology [of English] is very ambiguous and ever changing. The wise people twenty years ago are fools now, and those people whom they call wise today: they will become fools after ten years. So, Hikmah is that gift from Allah Subhanhu wa Ta’ala that comes directly from Allah by which you can make differentiation between the falsehood and the truth. Hikmah is a gift. After Messengers come Hakeems whom Allah has given Hikmah. They are Awliya. Hadrat Luqman [Alayhis-Salaam] was a Hakeem.

Now [as I said], Hikmah is a gift that comes from Allah. It is not Wahi, but Allah inspires the hearts of those people by giving them Hikmah. It is a light, Allah’s Noor, by which they can differentiate between the falsehood and the truth. They know the reality of the things (Haqiqah) and the secrets of the deeds and actions upon it. For an ordinary person, [he sees] all that is in heaven and earth and thinks only that he can just cultivate land, raise flowers and cattle, do business [and just thinks that] Allah has [accordingly and solely] done this for him. But, for a Hakeem, all of that which is between heaven and earth in the physical world are signs and similitudes to guide him, and they are all physical manifestations; physical or materialized forms of each and every word of Holy Qur’an. All that he sees are the physical manifestations or materialization of Allah’s Words.

The words of Allah are meant to guide you, so that you are not misguided. When you start doing research of the signs, or conception material, or its growth, or its form, then one is short of a fool! An indicative sign is meant to lead you towards a direction! They are the signs on a way meant to lead towards a direction, and you follow that direction. But, when you stop there and you have your microscope, your instruments, etc., and you start writing on your boards that it (the signs given by Allah) is made of so and so, it is so many years old, etc., then they’ll say: “He’s a madman! Put him in the lunatic asylum!”

Signs are meant to direct you! These are attributes of Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala materialized in this world. So to give you assurance and show His Love for you, His Attributes (and Names) are manifested in this world in physical form. All of them! His name which gives life, Al-Hayy, travels into the world of similitude, where this name gets its own form, and then it enters into this world, it turns into water. Al-Hayy is Allah’s Name, because from water, He created everything. His name, An-Naafi’ (He who gives benefit), when it enters this world, it takes the form of the herbs, the medical plants, and all the things from which we derive benefit. And His Name, Al-Qayyum, when it enters here, it is the force that holds the heavens and the skies without pillars. So, these are Allah Attributes, His beautiful Names. All of these are physical manifestations here…

The first essential part of Hikmah is that you must always thank your Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala, and here, “any who is so grateful, does so to the profit of his own soul.” When you thank, you must thank for each and every favor Allah Ta’ala gives you, and if you thank, even that is for your own benefit.

Surah Luqman, Ayat 12 continued: “But if any is ungrateful, verily Allah is free of all wants and worthy of all praises.”

COMMENTARY: Allah becomes actually indifferent. If nobody thanks Him; He doesn’t want his or her thanks, but if you thank Him, He will appease you in His Bounty.

I woke up to the realities of new dawn after long night of distressed sleep. It seemed soul of a poet was haunting my mind. I tell myself “Aah...look at the way I express”. Just the way I am right now.

Have you ever seen the beauty of expression? All that hidden exquisiteness in words and expression – Can you feel power of some words can bring change in your life alter your future and the principles of life.

When I read the sayings by Allah’s Apostle SAAS, it filled me with strange pleasure. How beautifully did He SAAS use the power of expression? He SAAS would take a pause while in the discussion.

He SAAS emphasized on certain point by repeating three times. How beautiful and amazing His SAAS manners of speech sound to be that He SAAS would make it sure the listener is understanding Him SAAS and comprehending fully – without any doubts of any kind. How thoughtful!

One can just look at the flow and see how carefully He SAAS selected the words - each one of them waiting to fit like pearls in the necklace. Like the jeweler who would start from the smallest ones in the beginning and then increases the size gradually when going towards the center.

And there it comes to the point of concentration - right in the middle of the necklace where he selects three huge pearls for an impression. He goes again with reducing the size of the pearls gradually until it ends with a loop on the string. How beautiful it is when Rasool Allah SAAS said by selecting every pearl with care.

All and every one of the words uttered by Him SAW is just like the pearls in a string. First, the small elegant ones then the big ones and when he reaches the climax during his speech, He SAAS stressed upon central idea by repeating three times the same word – like the three big pearls - of same size and the person is enslaved of their beauty and lost in their meanings.

Rasool Allah SAAS had this amazing way of mesmerizing the audience by His SAAS charming, stylish way, that is lighter on nerves. He SAAS would gradually go on building the attention, the atmosphere and rejuvenated the environment.

His SAAS speech would end in the same beautiful manner. “ahh…that;s the sign of His SAAS noble soul, high esteemed being, one cannot help but adore”. Sallalaho alay hi wasalam.

These are the points one should ponder... and adopt to be successful, to be popular and to be alive.

Allah in Quran says:”your wives are a garment for you, and you are a garment for
them”.[Quran] Marriage is of high importance in Islam. The male and female complete each
other. Allah has created male and female pairs so that they can live with each other after
marriage and support each other in every walk of life. Islamic Marriages are quite simple and
doesn’t require a lot of money to marry in Islam.

Allah says in Quran:” It is He who created you from a single soul, And made its mate of like
nature in order that you might dwell with her in love….”.[Quran] The male and female are made
for each other and marriage is the way in which they should spend their lives and help each
other. Nikkah is that auspicious ceremony which binds the two souls in the ways prescribed in
Islam for marriage. Marriage in Islam is considered the reflection of nature. Islamic Marriages
consists of NIKKAH, BARAT and WALIMA. Nikkah is the binding of two souls for life. Barat
is the ceremony in which the bride departs from her parent’s house to go to her husband’s house.
Walima is the celebration of marriage and the groom holds this ceremony.

Although there have entered much new traditions and they are gaining popularity as like
other religions Muslims also take the event of marriage as a milestone in the life of both bride
and groom as well as their respective families. One of these traditions is calling upon all the
distant relatives and friends to attend the ceremony that may go on from a week to three days
time. Despite the fact that Islam, the religion advocates upon the simplicity and prohibits the
extravagant behaviors and excessiveness but not many are following the Islamic pattern. You can
see a lavish display of expensive outfits, women adorned with gold jewelry and of course, the
prodigality is eminent.

Islamic marriages are celebrated in their own unique manner that varies from one Islamic
country to another. Even the difference is great between the regional marriage ceremonies.
However, the core Islamic traditions remain the same only that every culture incorporates some
of its own traditions that leads towards the divergence.