Below is Translation of excerpts from book
Page no 6,7,10,11 and 12 (Musalmanon
ki Umumi Taleem o Tarbeeat ka Nizam) The Urdu book is available on this
website of Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi centre. The link for urdu book is http://abulhasanalinadwi.org/urdu06.html
Shaykh Writes ………………………………………
“Condition of Arab Nation in terms of literacy, knowledge and Ignorance”
Everyone knows that Prophet was
descended in Arab nation who was ignorant and unmannered to the deepest level. Almost
all were illiterate. The Holy Quran has mentioned the arab nation as Ummieen.
(The illiterate)
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولاً مِنْهُم يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمْ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ ( الجمعة: 2
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولاً مِنْهُم يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمْ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ ( الجمعة: 2
He is the One
who raised amidst the unlettered people a messenger from among themselves who
recites to them His verses, and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and
the wisdom,
Not only they were illiterate but
were deep filled in the worst kind of social economic disarray. Having no
etiquettes and protocol. No other words can describe it better than the Holy Quran
وَإِنْ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلاَلٍ
مُبِينٍ ( الجمعة: 2
وَكُنْتُمْ عَلَى شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِنْ
النَّارِ ( آل عمران103:
While
they were earlier in open error. You were at the brink of a pit of Fire
Prophet Approach for education and
Nurturing of Arabs
“On the scale of quantitative and Qualitative
Result and long term impact the approach adopted by The beloved prophet With
the Guidance of Almighty Allah is itself a Miracle.
The first thing infused by prophet
was to make them eager, keen and passionate for Deen and the knowledge of deen.
The prophet taught them to believe on the Promises of Allah.
One Sahabi states
“TAALLAMANAL EMAAN SUMMA TAALLAMANAL QURAN”
“We learned first Emaan (Firm believe on the words and
commands of Allah and Prophet) and then learned Quran.”
With this Emaan and passion they bore all the sacrifices to the extent of
even of leaving home. Everyone was keen to learn the required Ilm for guidance.
And those who has learned something considered it obligatory to teach others
the same.
Mutaharrak and Amli Darsgah (Prophet established Practical and Kinetic
seats of learning)
Right from Beginning Prophet made a
system with the foundation principles as
Knowledge with Practice (Ilm ke saath Amal)
Practice based on Knowledge (Amaal ke saath Ilm)
Learning with teaching (Taleem with TAALLUM)
The whole Islamic society was a
practical and kinetic (Mobile) seat of learning (Madarsa) in which everyone was
seeker for himself (Taalib) and teacher for others. The lessons of this School
were not used to be reinforced alone rather by interdependence i.e. trying to
memorize others and in conveying deen to others and to bear the difficulties in
this process with enjoyment. This teaching used to get imprinted on heart
rather than only tongue.Knowledge, rectification (Islah) and Tazkiya of Nafs
was best refined and cemented in meeting different type of people dealing with
them in practical life.
To be precise lets understand that
their lessons of swimming not to take on dry classes rather in in the river of
life. This system of
learning was the same way as a child learn his mother language with company of
their parents and society.
As soon as someone accepted Kalima
and Islam and believed on the rightness of Allah and rasool he used to be
involved in the path of Allah. He used to make himself worthless for the sake
of deen and Allah. He used to be in the furnace of sacrifice and a short period
of time he will become a pure gold.
Teaching and Learning of deen and its effort is integral part of muslim
life.
It is very clear from Quran and Hadith
that following is a parts and parcel of a Muslim life.
1.
To
learn deen for oneself and to practice it in life.
2.
To Teach deen (Islamic Knowledge and Practice)
to others
3.
Encouraging for good and advising to stop from
bad
4.
Striving
for the Spread and Propagation of deen. These all should be parts of a Muslim
life.
In the era of prophet and early
generation of Muslim people of all walk of life i.e Farmers businessman rich or
poor used to spare some time for learning and teaching deen.
He was a businessman or farmer but
whenever demanded he was ready to postpone these engagement for the sake of
deen. Those who could not do this. Surah Tauba is full with the stern warning
for them. (It is actually warning for all of Muslims till the day of judgment)
Hazrat Kaab bin Malik Raziallahu
Anhau who could not participate in TABOOK that the same engagements and the
city of Madeenah became a thorn for him. He was so much boycotted that no one
in the city was to even talk with him and to reply him.
A Downward and Harmful change Happened among today’s Muslim
A back revolution has happened today
(Both Ideological and Practical). Now learning and teaching of deen and
striving in the service of deen are not continuing to be a part of life of a
general Muslim.
Rather Service of Deen and striving
has become a public work as part of Ummat and not of individual Muslims. Some
special people has been engaged for the service of deen. General Muslims got an
excuse and became free from service and striving for deen.
This change was a practical turning
point in the life of current Muslims compared to the life of Sahaba and first
few generations of Muslims.
Among Sahaba there was no exception
and there was no segregation for the services of deen. (ISTASHNA AUR TAKHSEES)
Rather everyone was involved according to his capability and competence.
Remaining away from service of Deen and the message of Allah was a self harming
suicidal action .
Service and Teaching of deen along with our daily Engagements.
Another dreaded thought got hold that
we can’t do Service and learning of deen along with our daily business and
jobs. but We started thinking that (Monetary Service of deen is possible but)
we are not eligible for Service of deen by (collective effort with life and
time ) unless we leave our worldly engagement of business and job.
Obviously only few Muslims could do
the sacrificial of worldly engagement and consequently the learning and
services of deen by general Muslims became rare. By the passage of time under
influence of Materialism this trend even further increased. The people who were
free for service of deen became rarest of the rare.
Those who could not spare themselves
finally became hopeless. Slowly this class became fulfilled with their worldly
engagement.
Although Sahaba were having business
farming etc but they also learned deen and did service of deen collectively
without any exception.
Among Shaba even those who were
called as Qurra (Aalim/seeker of Knowledge) they were also doing either manual
labor or small business in the day and used to study at night.
The importance of seeking of
knowledge was of critical value . Those who were not able to come daily made an
association with another sahabi Started coming in the Prophet gathering on
alternate days and used to listen and understand the lesson of absent days from
his partner/ associate Sahaba and it was vice versa. (BUKHARI HADITH about
Hazrat Umar and his Neighbour tells the picture).They were restlessness about
knowledge and practice of deen.
The Approach to Implement the Model of Prophetic Era
1.
Effort
should be made that the teaching-learning and service of deen be made integral
part of a Muslim life.
2.
A
call should be given that Muslims should accomplish their worldly engagement
under this primary work of Service of deen. This is the real life underneath
the WAMA KHALAQTUL JINNA WAL INSA ILLA LIYABUDOON and with the enlightenment
Muslim has been created for this work.
The remaining
time and resources should be efficiently utilized for lawful earning instead of
wasting time in unnecessary and unwanted activities.
3.
Today
it is the prime need of Muslim ummah to revive the the teaching and learning
pattern of prophetic era. There is a need to mix and complement the formal
system of Books and syllabus with the system of kinetic mobile learning and
teaching.
4.
It is for the education of general
muslim mass.All Those Muslims who cannot join Formal
Madarsa/Islamic Institutes or cannot spare themselves completely for a formal
Islamic learning. It is not only for well known
illiterates (Labourers,
Rickshaw Pullers etc) but also for those
Muslims who otherwise are from elite class (Doctors engineers collectors ministers etc) but with respect to knowledge and practice of deen are not a good
position. (A viable model for 95 % Muslims).
5.
It
is easy methodology for Muslim Ummah than can be without any need of Financial
or other infrastructure help. It will be based on WA TAWANU ALAL BIRRE
WATTAQWA.
6.
Under
the supervision of formal Madarsas and educational Institution there should be
some mobile institution,living guide and reformers, and speaking manuscript.
(Chalti phirti darsgahein,jeeti jagti khanqahein, bolte chalet saheefe,).They
will fill their bucket of knowledge and will deliver to masses.
Temporary Migration Motivation and Striving for deen
The migration
and motivation, movement and striving for deen has to be revived. It is the
fundamental structure of Islamic knowledge and service of prphet era, that
structure has to be replicated and revived.
7.
Muslims
should be encouraged to migrate temporarily (leave engagements for a short
period). In this short period they should be provided with a practical
religious environment following Sunnah and Shariat. This environment will make
them familiar with a religious life to adopt.
8.
This
basic skeleton of this environment will be built by accompanying fellows and
further cemented by their effort to motivate other people of the area where
they have gone and stationed.
Migration and Motivation will be three way Process
a.
Between each member of the group through a
bidirectional process. (In group some will be more knowlagable and some less
they will learn knowledge and qualities from each other Wa Tawanu Alal birre
wattaqwa.
b.
It will also motivate the people of the area
where they have gone to learn deen and for service of deen.
c.
By
this way it will become a chain and will bring revolution in Whole ummat.
On the above mentioned strong points Maulana Ilyas has called each section
of the Muslim Ummah to temporary leave their busy engagements for a short
period of time and to utilize time for teaching and learning in a religious
environment.”
The quotes from sheikh Nadvi his book ends here. May Allah give sheikh
best reward?
