aguowsotthischapter.. 3 Meaning of Islam 3 Historical Context 9 Salient Features of Islam Educational Aspects of Islam 1 Contribution of Islam. “To seek knowledge is a duty of every Muslim.” -Prophet Muhammad 21.1 Meaning of Islam Everything and every phenomenon in the workd other than man is governed by God-made laws. Submission to the goodwill of God together vith obedience and to His beneficial Law is the best safe guard for man’s peace and harmony which is the core faith of the Islamic religion. The name of the religion Islam, comes trom an Arabic root word “salema” means peace, purity, obedience and submission. Islam means path of peace, eubmiarion tod vl of Gor ant obeince wo His law. The Arabi word for submission was “Islam”, It means submission to will of God. : sone can ony fil peace in one feb submitting to the ie ae rae Allah in heart, out ant deed. The sare Arabi PaO roe alaykurn’, CPeace be with you"), the universal root word gives “a on who believes in and consciously follows Islan Muslim greet ag errr the same root wor So, the religion i called called a Muslin ie that there is only one God “Iglam’, Muslims bel jie’os Symphony of Philosophy and Education ‘The Arabic word for God is Allah. The term ‘Allah’ ig also bea contraction of AL-ilh which means “the God”. Allah ia? for Almighty God, and is often translated merely as “God," Allg tie names that are used to describe His characteristics: th as the Merciful, the Compassionate, etc. Muslims believe th 1 Creator, the Suing is the Creator, itis He alone that deserves devout love and lat since. $ ‘Worship, Aone Muslims consider the Koran tobe the literal word of God i central religious text of Islam. Muslims believe thatthe verses of th were revealed to Muhammad by God through the angel Gabriel on occasions between the years 610 and his death on July 6, 632. = Almost all Muslims belong to one of two major denominations, the Sunni and Shi’a. The schism developed in the late 7% century foll disagreements over the religious and political leadership of the Musi community: Sunni Islam is believed as well as based on imitation ofthe Prophet’ behavior as a proper goal for a meaningful life. Roughly 85 percent of Muslims are Sunni and 15 percent are Shi’a. Islam holds to a strict monotheism. It does not believe in worship and prayers directed at saints, prophets, other human beings or nature which is considered as idolatry. Islam presents a complete way of life, a sytem of values, a code of conduct, a unique ideology, a socio economic order,a manual of politics and the doctrines of faith in oneness of Allah and resurrection. 21.2 Historical Context of Islam Islamic religion is considered one of the Abrahamic, monotheistic faiths, along with Judaism and Christianity. The concept, customs and religious practices of Islam are unique to this faith which professed universally, Islam isa reli igion originating with the teachings of Muhammad. Inthe 7-century, he was Arab religious political figure. It began in Arabia and was revealed to humanity by the Prophet Muhammad, Muslims believe that God revealed the Quran to Muhammad, God's final prophet, and regard the Quran and the Sunnah (the words and deeds of Muhammad) as the fundamental sources of Islam. They do not regard Muhammad as the founder of a new religion, but as the restorer of the original monotheistic faith of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets, Islam is the youngest of the great World religions, Muslims believe that Islam was revealed over 1400 years ago in Mecca, Arabia, According Muslims, God sent a number of Prophets to mankind to teach them to live a awaIslam 457 gexcconding t0 His law. Jesus, Moses and Abraham are respected as prophets ; God. Islam also recognize the significance and contributions of these soph who preceded Muhammad. During different period of human history, Allah or God has communicated with his people either by the way of the prophets, or by written scriptures. Twenty-eight prophets are mentioned in the Koran as the predecessors of Muhammad, who is believed to have been the last and greatest of all of Allah's messengers. Muslims have given no divine statusto Muhammad, even though he was the one chosen to proclaimAllah’s message ofsalvation in its perfected form and final revelation. Muhammad took great care to see that he was not worshiped as a god. Muslims base their laws on their holy book the Koran, and the Sunnah. The Koran was dictated by Muhammad but, according to the Koran, it did hot originate with Muhammad. The Koran testifies of itself that it was given by God through the angel Gabriel to the prophet Muhammad. “This is a revelation from the Lord of the universe. The Honest Spirit (Gabriel) came down with it, to reveal it into your heart that you may be one of the warners, Na perfect Arabic tongue” (Sura 26:192-195). Muhammad dictated the Quran, the holy book of Islam, which Muslims believe to be the preexistent, perfect words of Allah.ye 13 salient Features of Islam Monotheism is the central fe: ‘scans through : feature of Islam. Iti sic a ie : e entire fabric of the Islamic tis the golden thread wand only god: He is unapproached by oth way of life, Allah is th aber in the strength of his creative ad other divinities and unlike il ceponsibility of Allah alone. The creat er. All life in all creation, is th ures within itis the aT SEAT ion of the universe and all livi ; ‘gs ensured by God. He is ; harmony and balance in bie h all powerful. Th all of creation jarmony and perfection of the natural we : id sky, the moon, the stars, the todyand the excellence of human mind, i the grace and beauty of human of the seasons, and myste ‘ ne alternation of day and night, the cetion of Allah. He is all power ee death, are the marvelous imperfection. He is the fulfillment of ‘al eee He is beyond any Merciful, and All-Compassionate. perfection. He is All-kind, All- In addition to human: is and othes : nce eon ae gven a special stat ; 4) ‘or the faithful. Men and women oe al status in the pattern of the universe, since Allah has aon em with the ability to know and react to him better than any si a, He guides humen being to self perfection and forgives. He Gand ' is Mercy upon human being when he fails and asks His forgiveness rie ly. They can choose to obey, oF £0 reject ‘Allah's will and deny him. fe 's message includes the beliefin a Day of Resurrection when people will = responsible for their actions and rewarded or punished accordingly for nity, Muhammed’s followers called Allah beside whom there js no other G Koran, It is regarded a8 © e uncreateds regarding sayings an! deeds of the prophet. | of Allah. He is the all powerful, whose W? humanity's fate. Salient features of" isle Articles of Faith Muslims fl ito» The basic Jiefs of h ims fall into 8 asthe” icles of Faith: revered him as the prophet of Jamic faith are the od, and tradition der to the will determines Muslims, ‘od. Sources of the Is! eternal Word of Ge Jslam means surte! II is supreme and mare a, follows. ix main categories, which are“ ________ Symphony of Philosophy and Education 1 Frith be the unity of God 4. Faith in tne | 2. Faith in angels, 5. Faith in an afterlife ; 3. Faith in prophets 6, Faithin destiny/divine dey * 21.3.1 The “Five Pillars” of Islam There are various ethical sources of Islamic mora teach; establish the shariah, the Pathway to Allah, Ala decres whats igh swhat is good. The Pathway lays down two main spheres of duty Teo enn Pillars of Islam (the fist sphere) contains the duties towards Allah (Gc Ai himself. There are five basic activities that comprise the Five Pillar by whey, V2 the Muslim shows surrender or submission to God. In Islam, fith and goog )™, sworks go hand-in-hand. A mere verbal declaration offithisnotenough i 4% belief in Allah makes obedience to Hlim a duty. The concept of warp ye ‘Muslim is very broad. Muslims consider everything they do in life tobe an | act of worship, ifit is done according to Allah's guidance. The Five Pillars, or oad primary duties, of Islam are: profession of faith; prayer, to be performed five 38 times a day; almsgiving to the poor and the mosque, fasting during dayght | * hours in the month of Ramadan; and pilgrimage to Mecca atleast once ina] 2% Muslims lifetime. s an There are also five formal acts of worship which help strengthen « Muslim's faith and obedience. Islam is united in the observance of the Five Pillars, or five essential duties which all Muslims are required to perform a they are able. Uniformly, these obligations are accepted by Muslims and thus serve to further unite the Islamic religion all over the world. The first obligation is a simple profession of faith, by which a believer becomes a Muslim. The simple proclamation (shahada) is repeated in daly prayers. Belief in the one God and emulation of the exemplary life led by his Prophet are combined in the profession of faith, They are often called the “Five Pillars of Islam.” i) Testimony of faith (Kalima) iv) Fasting (Sawm) ii) Prayer (Salat) v) Pilgrimage (Hajj) iii) Almsgiving (Zakat) i) The First Five Pillar of Islam Shahadah - Nearly every religion contains a creed and a pivot! individual who orients the believers’ lives. Tahwid means the unity or oneneS of God; there is no other God but Allah, and this belief is proclaimed five times daily as the believers are called to prayer with these words: God is m0 aw <6B ESSIslam 65 _-——- s—_§|——_ = - hat here is n0 God but Allah. I testify that Muhammad is the estif ‘Allah. Come to prayer, come to tevelation, God is most er ae Shahadah (confession/profession) is brief and explicit: eens but Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet. “ This affirms te aa nique being and that ‘Muhammad is God's greatest prophet. i j nese Pillar of Islam Salat - Muslims require a very physical type of prayer (Salat) as a ysl act of worship. Five times each day the Muslim is expected to face towards Mecea and, either alone or in a congregation, go through a ritual of sayet which signifies in both word and action their submission to Allah. \osims are admonished to be in constant prayer to keep their lives in respective and to see it objectively. Prayer is said five times a day. Muslims we called to worship by the muezzin (caller to prayer) who leads the setatio ofthe faithful from atop the minaret of the mosque. During prayer, Masims face Mecca, and in so doing give recognition to the birthplace of \sim and the unity of the Islamic community. Prayer can be given alone, at work, at home, or in the mosque. Prayers are said at dawn, noon, mid- demon, sunset, and nightfall, and thus determine the rhythm of the entire cay. iil) The third Pillar of Islam, Zakat One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong ‘0 God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. Islam turns to the practical issue of what should be done about disparity. They give alms to the poor, orphans, and widows, and to assist the spread of Islam. The payment of alms is not considered to be a charitable activity, but rather a social and religious obligation to provide for the welfare of the Ummah, Muslims are generally expected to contribute a percentage (usually 2. 5 Percent) of their total wealth and assets annually in alms. The poor are designated as: those in immediate need; slaves in the process of buying, their freedom; debtors unable to meet their obligations; strangers and wayfarers; and those who collect and distribute the alms, iv) The fourth of the Five Pillars of Islam ; helt in - Ramadan is a month in the Islamic Seen daring es holy month, able-bodied Muslims fast for the calendar.To corr dawn to sunset the Muslim practices Saum, refraining entire mont ving, smoking, or sexual intercourse. The purpose of fasting from eatin cf-discipline, dependence on God, and compassion for those uthe go hungry. Muslims are requested to fast during the holy month of a =. Ae & aaa= ——Srmohony of Pitosophy Resnadan, the ninth month of the Islamic cle lat. From g sci Muslims ae to avoid food, drink, and sexual cia "EI oan, ¥) The fifth ofthe Five Pillars of Ista, Hal ~The final act of submission is pi : : grim: Finally Muslims are called to maken Pilgrimage to Meces 1 es or her lifetime, inthe ewelfth month of the tee lunar calendar py ofthe pilgrimage is the Kaaba in the Ciranf Mosque of Mecca, The yn again emphasizes the unity of the Islamaic world community Jom adherence oIslamiclaw no matter where a Mucho may reside. Atlean in ther lifetime Muslims are expected to make dy, journey during thetwcge Islam following the middle road Muslims consider Islam tobe the middle road, Muslims do not live life with complete disregard for God or religious matters, but nor do they neglect i) Morals and manners v) Marriage ii) Business ethics vi) Care of children and elderly iti) Modesty in dress and behavior vii) Racism and prejudice iv) Dietary rules viii) Relations with non-Muslim 21.3.2 The Koran The Koran is the fundamental and ultimate source of knowledge about Allah and the Proper actions of his followers. This holy book contains the theology of Islam, in addition to the patterns of ethical and proper conduct to which a Muslim must subscribe, There are some basic concepts mentioned in Koran which are held in common by the Islamic community as fundamental to the faith. Muslims believe that the Koran contains the actual word of God as it was revealed to Muhammad through divine inspiration. The revelations to the Prophet took place over a Period of more than twenty years, Before Muhammad's death, many of these messages had been written down in order tobe preserved. Muhammad himself began the work of Preservation of Koran, The first caliph, Abu Bakr continued the process by compiling revelations, Upto‘slam 461 koran hl been memorized by the followers ancl passed on byword : ord peel nt 7 ej complete written text of the Koran was produced summa death, with particular care taken to eliminate disey at ‘only one standard version. This version was then transmi ww of the new Islamic empire and used to assist in the pat vers. The text of the Koran has existed virtually unchanged fi sensi. The Koran was intended to be Tecite oo ; ‘d aloud. The powey f Koran comes from the experience of reciting, listening, and feng a spesage. Itwas in this manner that Muhammad converted his followers. The toan is never to be translated from the Arabic for worship. Beene iver of Islam had to lear the Koran in Arabic the spread ats ceated a great amount of linguistic unity. Arabic replaced many local inguages as the language of daly use, andthe great majority ofthe Ving vot rom Morocco to iraq is still Arabic-speaking. In addition the Kean rains the basic document for the study of Islamic theology lagen isirations and ethics. The study of the Koran remains at the heat sa Muslim scholarship, from linguistics and grammatical ingury to edeseiic and technical investigation, 21.3.3 Islamic Law Islam places great emphasis on the necessity of obedience to God’s law in addition to faith. The law in the Muslim community is religious by its nature. Islam is a way of life as well asa religion, and at its heart is the Sharia, or path, the law provided by Allah as a guide for a proper life. The Sharia gives the believers a perfect pattern of human conduct and regulates every aspect of 4 person's activities. Islamic law is considered to be established by God, and therefore unquestionably correct, God's decrees must be obeyed even if humans are incapable of understanding, since the Sharia is greater than human reason. Islamic law permeates all aspects of human conduct and all levels of activity - from private and personal concerns to those involving the welfare of the whole state, Family law is set forth in the Koran and is based on much lier Arabic tribal patterns of development. Islamic law emphasizes the sane erature ofthe family and society. For Islamic society as awhole, the ee sdered to be universal nd equally applied. Ilamic law is considered oa ‘God's law for all humankind, not only for the followers of Islam, In 0 shortly after Tepancies and ited to various Conversion of 38 Symphony of Philosophy and Education addition tite theology; Islam offers toitsbelevee system, f legal foundation, and a patter of social organization, Bovernmeny ‘The Islamic Ummah was and is an excellent example of , state, one in which all power resides in God, in whee teh religious, and other forms of authority are exercised. There 10 pri Polite no intermediaries between people and God. There are leaders of the mosques as well asthe ulema. They ae a class of lesrncy as interpretation of the Koran, but they are all members of community. Seculay 21.3.4 Muslims Have Six Main Beliefs i) _ Beliefin Allah as the one and only God ii) Beliefin angels iii) Beliefin the Holy books iv) Beliefin the Prophets..c.g. Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus ¥) Muhammadis the final prophet. vi) Beliefin the Day of Judgement. The day when the life of every human being will be assessed to decide whether they go to heaven or hel Beliefin Predestination, That Allah has the knowledge ofall tha wil happen. Muslims believe that this doesn’t stop human beings making free choices, 21.3.5 Allah Allah is the supreme and unique God, who created and rules everything. The heart of faith for all Muslims is obedience to Allah’ wil Allah is eternal, omniscient, and omnipotent. Allah has always existed and will always exist, Allah knows everything that can be known, Allah can do anything that can be done. Allah has no shape or form, Allah can't be seen. Allah can't be heard. Allah is neither male nor female. Allah is j All Muslims believe that God is ‘one alone; i) There is only one God, if) God has no children, no parents, and no partners, iii) God was not created by a being. iv) There are no equal, superior, or lesser Gods,a. Boen cational Aspects of Islam “oy 7B exalt those of you who believe and those who have at om edge 10 high degrees” he = The Ani heed has three terms for education, representing the * sdimensions of the educational process as perceived by Islam. » gus” vy PLT : .Tarbiyah 3. Talib The most widely used word for education in a formal sense is talim, sem the root ‘alima means to know, to be aware, to perceive, to learn is used to {ate knowledge being sought or imparted through instruction and reaching. Tarbiyah, from the root raba means to increase, to grow, to rear, implies a state of spiritual and ethical nurturing in accordance with the will of God. Tedib, from the root aduba means to be cultured, refined, well- sunnered), suggests a person's development of sound social behavior. Education in the context of Islam is regarded as a process that involves decomplete person, including the rational, spiritual, and social dimensions. Ikamic education is uniquely different from other types of educational theory and practice largely because of the all-encompassing influence of the Koran. The Koran serves as a blueprint for both the individual and society. It is also the primary source of knowledge. The advent of the Koran in the seventh century was quite revolutionary for the predominantly illiterate Arabian society. Arab society had enjoyed a rich oral tradition, but the Koran was considered the word of God and needed to be organically interacted with bymeans of reading and reciting itswords Hen aon ae i I blessings of the Koran san aspiration for fat of cing egal die rg Hom symbiotic relationship with reli . slims ee Pious and learned i ic community. They taught the fathfalin Koran more accessible t0 NF aby The kuttab could be located in a variety What came to be know? #85 shops, tents, or even out in the open. It has ofvenues: mosque PT Fynction as the only vehicle for formal public served as a vital 808 children and continued. Ithas continued to be an instruction for PM Ps instruction in many Islamic counties important mea? or Muslim culture and religion, ; r " i) Deve individual for Islamic life. ee bli ii) Ena! 5 va ere gious instruction. dedicated to making the teachings of the= 4__Symohonyot Phiosophy and ucaton iii) Preparing the students for the next world, iv) Equipping the students for a vocation. \) Preparing individuals for running administration, 21.4.1 Islamic Educational System Primary education was imparted to students in “Maktabe secondary and high education in Madrasahs’ Aktabs ang 1. Chief features of Primary and Elementary Muslim Education Primary education was imparted through the ‘Maki which yp atached with mosque or were independent of he mosque‘Khanguhy of, saints also atsome places served as centres of education. Several lemedan also taught students a their residences. Most ofthe Maktabs were ef patronized by rulers or had endowment. They dependent on the charity of the philanthropists. The ‘Maktabs were run under the guidance ofthe lea ‘“Maulavis’ They were supposed to be very pious. i) Maktab’ ceremony or ‘Bismillah’ At the age of four years, four months and four days, Maktab’ ceremony or Bismillah’ was performed. It indicates the beginning of a newlife for the child. This was considered as an auspicious moment for initiation or beginningof education. Good wishes were offered to the child. Surah-i-qa a chapter from the holy Quran was recited on this occasion. The Muslims nobles as well a rulers engaged tutors to teach their children at home. Almost every village had at least, one ‘Maktab’. There were several ‘Maktabs'in town and cities. In general, the students sat on the ground in the rows under the shade of a tree and the teacher used mat or dear-skin to sit at. He also attended to the students while standing, Curriculum varied from place to place but the teaching of Alphabets and the recitation of Quran was almost compulsory. The students learnt some portions of Quran by heart as this was considered essential to perform religious functions. Arabic and Persian languages were mostly compulsory For getting high government posts, one had to learn these languages. There were several village schools where the students were required to pay their instructions, not in cash but in kind, The state set up some orphanases wher the children received education free of charge, P cans ii) The Madrasahs or Madrasas The "Madrasahs’ are open for imparting secondary and highet education. Often these Madrasahs were attached to mosgees, The tetA ‘ela ie derived from Arabic wor 7 ks) pst cl “dary a mice ‘There was difference in Principles be ie 8 mosques. When a particular room was tape sing purposes. it was called a Madr: te mam Ea spose. It functioned as colle za 18 it was quite cl wars taught different subjects by lucation where S"gwcussions. Management was © ‘ecture meth, sjesdowments. Private support ‘asah. Someti Ge of higher using the le usually lose toa eminent od supplemented ed by state grants grerature, logic, history, geography speue and medicine. The ae sibjece oe So ostel faciliti i es re stel ities attached to them which provided fr ing ii) Vocational education Provision was also made for Vocational, technical and Professional k considerable interest eident from the passage of the‘Ain-; reading and provides valuable infor suriculum, methods of teaching et 21.4.2 Aim of Education subjects are . in education as is in-Akbar’-The passage makes interesting Mation on the system of instruction, ie, rc. Islamic education ideally aims to provide a milieu for the total and balanced development of every student in every sphere of learning. The ‘Piritual, moral, imaginative, intellectual, cultural, aesthetic, emotional and Physical development are emphasized. Islamic education directs all these aspects towards the attainment of a conscious relationship with God, the ultimate purpose of man's life on earth, In Islamic educational theory, knowledge is gained inorder to wctuslioe and perfect all dimensions of the human being, From an Islamic perspective ‘ ind most useful model of perfection is the prophet Muharamad, the highes wr {slamic education is that people be able to live as he lived. go Boe gion is considered the first step in building a society as wel s Educati in harmony. For this very reason, states, philosophical anc civilization Ogu heavenly laws have placed great emphasis. Tet social schoo” ran according to their respective elu ational cas, #8 Mt bring thd be prepare in allanpect tive inharmony vse Be peoplePhilosophy and Education an __ eye yy of Priosophy and Education soci hades of a pefect social code, Islamic message isan edbctiony| yy i ildi i has well defined t building a society at every step and h Ened « ce It develops all good human potentials and reforms ‘ conduct and personalities. i Pie ‘ertain truth by reason alone is restrictive, according to Islam, : ae spiritual and temporal reality are two sides of the same sphere. Many Muslim educationists argue that favoring reason at the expense of spirituality interferes with balanced growth. Exclusive training of the intellectis inadequate in developing and refining elements of love, kindness, compassion, ‘and selflessness. Islamic education has created an altogether spiritual ambiance and can be engaged only by processes of spiritual training. ‘Aim of education in Islam is twofold: acquiring intellectual knowledge (ehrough the application of reason and logic) and developing spiral Knowledge (derived from divine revelation and spiritual experienc) According to the worldview of Islam education, provision must be made equally for both. Acquiring knowledge in Islam is not intended as an end but as a means. It stimulates more elevated moral and spiritual consciousness, leading to faith and righteous action. The best Islamic education must encompass the two traditional categories of knowledge, and the hierarchical relationship between them: revealed knowledge; attained through the religious sciences; and acquired knowledge, attained through the rational, intellectual and philosophical sciences. In the world view of tawhid means Divine Unity, knowledge is holistic and there is no compartmentalization of knowledge into religious and secular spheres. Both types of knowledge contribute to the strengthening of faith. The former helps through & careful study of the revealed Word of God and the latter helps through a meticulous, systematic study of the world of man and nature. © Education helps to bring perfection in the Islamic revelation which embraces all the diverse aspects of the life of man, It is root of all knowledge 2 know the unity and comprehensiveness of God. As cag ingen ra explains that Islamic education is concerned not oe ee Somes and training of the mind and the Ige but also with the education,ay a f education is to inculcate the belief in th Leanna so that the unconditional | ' ado Allah could be achieved, the ¢ practice of Islam loyalty and devotion to 143 Curriculum ation is a process of grooming and reforming People through tes jon and guidance throughout their lives and fields. This task is " ted to different people at different stages, Therefore, ly entrust Peop| Be , ely in this context means a process of building and guiding human edoct in order to attain maturity and an ideal stage. The curriculum js : rily directed to train to young children. It starts at as early as age four, It sscentered on Koranic studies and on teligious obligations such as ritual siutions, fasting, and prayer, The focus on the education of youth is reflected onthe belief that raising children with Correct principles have holy obligation ‘orparents and society. Islamic education Provides a Guiding light and Paves the road for a pactical and unique way of life fe for mankind, Concepts and knowledge amparted to people are Practical guidelines and a ce ‘ode for life in order to iumisha design ofa comprehensive human society, The main subjects in Islam education are interrelated with the Islamic view of man, universe and life. -It covers human conducts, standards and goals. This is the Starting point of exploring the fundamental sources of Islamic © and concepts. The main Pillars and milestones of the Islamic ion code and its Policy for human upbringing are defined, Islam has, from its incepy The E um for Muslim education is as follows: curriculw cit of the Koran is compulsory. Some ing of alphabets and recitation of the Koran is co Mpa $, Loney iss Koran is essential to perform religious functions. The portion @ aam4 Symphony of Philosophy and Education main curiclum of Muslim education is Quran, In whic ‘s importance to memorization without understanding the me "Y ave aning Calligraphy isused for beautiful and fine handwriting. St calligraphy with beautiful and fine handwriting is an impor element of instruction. int «Teaching of grammar is considered as one of the most important pn in curriculum. @ Students has to learned paharas which is known aS multiples of numbers ina collectively loud voce. During those days there wen printed books for the beginners. Wooden books (tats) were acy Students memorized these while uttering collective in aloud Voice. # Religious Instruction: Instruction imparted in the ‘Maktabs’ yas religious. ¢ Books other than Quran: After the Quran, the ‘Gulistan’ and the ‘Bostan’ poems of poet Firdausi were taken up. 4 _Empror Akbar in his Ain-i-akbari said that “every boy ought to rad books or novels, arithmetic, agriculture, mensuration, the physical sciences and history.” 21.4.4 Method of Teaching . medicine, logic, Memorization of the Koran is central to the curriculum of the kuttab. * Once students had memorized the greater part of the Koran, thes could advance to higher stages of education, with increased complexity of instruction, . ‘The contemporary kuttab system still emphasizes memorization and ecitation as important means of learning. # The value placed on memorization during students’ early religious training directh ly influences their approaches to learning when they enter formal education offered by the modern state. 21.4.5 Role of Teacher “The teacher who is inde ed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but , rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.” ~ Kahlil Gibran % A learned teacher or theoretician moulds people and society in accordance with design of his education code, The purpose of an Islamic school is essentially to create an environment that reflects anern ideology. It is warm, embracing, “ncouraging and its decor Wan its inhabitants towards God Femembrance and ood jirects i (eeecher | ai actions, ® erole of an Islamic teacher is to pro ce a wholesome child. So thar The ¥ pildcan carry out his obligations as set out by the Precepts of Islam, i _ ; rhe teacher’ directive isto educate a child by giving him or mannerisms and the etiquette that will serve the Child and the her the community. The ultimate aim j imately make the child 1s to ulti ‘© provide that child with knowledge that will equip him/her to Pursue both worldly gains and most importantly after-life gains, Teacher must have moral value: S and professional knowledge and to be able to actualize these in daily life routines. Th sincere, and cultivate the faith in lop their self-esteem. They are also effective in home-school liaison and have a reciprocal relationship ‘with the administrative body. This essentially requires the teacher employed, to be prof, fective and skilled in primarily the teaching i ies = iy i the specific field that he is being asked to teach, ie ee e sufficient experience and training in is es an eare = development in that field. Along with * oe eee deliver the subject taking into account , ae of delivering the the class and understanding the varie: Material. i vid . it’s learning style is also = A Pep An understanding of a pup that is positive for his or her pe must be given an environmen! osphere of approval the teacher sets creating an atmosp Weis ° s an affinity for children development. By cr {ult who possesse a for success. An adul 1 challenges of teaching, Such a pee toate rigor ith in the One’ God, leading tothe oe wn em gd cote fain the Kgetpen teacher nurtures the ¢! a of inquiry’ in order ‘a 8 operations. understanding !* A teacher should not be severe and Tesort to punishin, use strategies involving positive reinforcement and ie the child by, value of play as a means of learning and Providing the nitte the motivating learning environment. tudent with a * The teacher is therefore not only a muallim OF a ‘trans; knowledge’ but also a murabbi, trainer ofouls and personae f Islamic educational system never divorced the training of oe r from that of the soul. It gives importance to both mene ae spiritual development. * + A learned teacher’s job resembles an engineer’s in the wa supervising and applying his thoughts, kill and vision, fe 21.4.6 Discipline > Islam has a well-defined code which aims at achieving humanitarian values and goals by two methods, namely the internal and the extend, » These methods instill in the individual, family, society and state the qualities of love, equality, reciprocity, justice, freedom and security through proper discipline. » Islam endeavours to achieve such sublime values by internal motives through self-discipline. » — Force is not considered to start with in achieving Islamic goals and internal motives are implanted by concepts and emotions which would be reflected in human behaviour and aesthetic tastes, » — Corporal punishment was often used to correct laziness or imprecision, » _ Islam's concern for people’s internal motives and external behaviour was not left to the preachers’ words only, » — The right bases, required resources and practical measures are provided in order to mould people according to the Islamic set of values and discipline. 21.5 Contribution of Islam During the golden age of the Islamic empire, Islamic scholars flourished with an impressive openness to the rational sciences, art, and even literature. It was during this period that the Islamic world made most of its contributions to the scientific and artistic world. The prophet Mohmmed said that the best form of worship is the pursuit of knowledge. It encouragedIslam a7 alims t0 Ove a head for pursuit of knowledge. The positive i edge help Muslims to rise to the zenith of civiltzation Though M Muslim became founder of major accomplishment in the world jnowl education, cuilisation. Other outstanding contributions were made in areas of chemistry, botany, physics, mineralogy, mathematics, and astronomy, as many Muslim thinkers regarded scientific truths as tools for accessing religious truth. The Islamic education has influenced the best form of art and poetry, civilization and modernization, the urbanization and education, scientific observation and methodology to shape world civilization.