Importance of Education in Islam

“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X

Education is not just an indispensable part of employment, it has now become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Our respect in the society, our arguments, our opinions, all are shaped by our education and knowledge. In fact, our education directly affects our judgements.

Let’s have a look at what the Holy Qur’an has to say on education:

1. Ask God for knowledge

As stated in the previous article, God, in the Holy Qur’an, commands us to ask God to increase us in knowledge. When God Himself asks us to seek His help regarding knowledge, that means He encourages us to educate ourselves. Education, thus, becomes a very likeable act from the perspective of Islam, and hence we must waste no time in seeking education.

2. Seeking Knowledge is a Duty

The role of The Prophet ﷺ has mostly been compared to that of a teacher. He taught the people of Arabia the ways to live a good life, be it in terms of mannerisms, business ethics, social norms, love between spouses, so on and so forth. As a matter of fact, all the Prophets, peace be upon them, who came to spread the message of God as mentioned in The Holy Qur’an, have been acting as a teacher for the society. Thus, it is a duty of every Muslim to not only seek education but also to impart the knowledge we gain.

3. Pursuit of Knowledge

Muslims believe in the concept of an afterlife, commonly known as Aakhirah, which has two destinations: Heaven and Hell. People who believe in the hereafter strive to obtain Heaven,

But the question arises, how does seeking knowledge makes striving for Heaven easier? Firstly, knowledge eliminates ignorance. When we’re more educated, we know what’s best for us and for the society as a whole, and we can collectively work to wipe out the unhealthy and evil practices like racism, intolerance, bigotry, slandering, backbiting, etc. from the society.

Secondly, we all have 24 hours in a day for us (unless you’re living on Mars, then you get one extra; good luck with assignments though), and we can only occupy ourselves with a limited number of things. If we utilize it in seeking education and beneficial knowledge, we will hardly find any time to do something that could lead us to Hell.

4. A Continuous Deed

All of our actions and deeds come to an end when we die. However, The Prophet ﷺ educated us about this concept known as Sadaqah al-Jariyah, or the concept of uninterrupted deeds.

Education and beneficial knowledge can not only change an individual’s behavior, but can change an entire society as a whole. It is education which has helped us create a world where no one is farther than the click of a button, where we could work from our homes amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic, where we can find anything and everything on the internet, and at the same time, it has helped us create a world where we can share our thoughts and ideas, stand against the evil practices and oppression, help the ones in need, and share a smile with a stranger.

Education, without a doubt, is our passport to the future, for the future belongs to the people who prepare for it today.