Women in Islam

Muslim women face many challenges in Western society, especially in wearing the veil. This short video shows some challenges that Muslim women face, their view of the veil, and their view of Islamic issues in general. It shows how the veil is regarded as a symbol of purity and liberation in religion, and celebrates happiness rather than oppression. A great video, showing perspectives from Muslim women students. Circulate video at will.

One Laptop per Child

The MIT Media Lab has launched a new research initiative to develop a $100 laptop—a technology that could revolutionize how we educate the world's children. To achieve this goal, a new, non-profit association, One Laptop per Child (OLPC), has been created, which is independent of MIT.

The Aim of Islamic Education

1. The Aim of Islamic Education

The aim of Islamic Education is to fulfil our first object in life, which is to faithfully serve the One who created us. It should aim at the balanced growth of the total personality of the human being. Muslim schools should cater for all aspects: spiritual, intellectual, imaginative, physical, psychological, linguistic, both individually and collectively, and should motivate all these aspects towards an emotional as well as rational attachment and sense of belonging to Islam.(*1)

1.1 Worship

“And I did not create Jinn and Man except to worship Me.”(*2)
The aim of life has been set by Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). Any one who has studied the Qur’an and the Sunnah knows that the loftiest goal which a Muslim tries to implement in himself and among people is the sincere worship of Allah the Most High. A Muslim cannot be but a person with a strong sense of mission aimed at establishing the Deen (Rule) of Allah alone in all aspects of life.(*3)
Worship (‘ibadah) in Islam is everything that Allah loves and approves of. It can be both seen - such as the practice of the Five Pillars, kindness to parents, struggling in His Way - and unseen, such as the practising of patience, thankfulness and acceptance of His Decree. Every action of a Muslim should be a means to a higher purpose.(*4) This is the goal which all the Prophets and the Messengers worked towards in their Call. Every Messenger began his call by saying:
“Oh my people! Worship Allah, you have no other God but Him.”(*5)
All aspects of human endeavour in the Muslim school are to be guided by the eternal principles of the Qur’an and Sunnah. The ’Aqeedatu at-Tawheed – Oneness of Allah – is the base of these principles. As the pupil grows, s/he should understand the unity which runs through the whole of Allah’s creation and the interrelation between everything. Islamic Education provides a unique perspective to the various disciplines.
The schools should enable the pupils to cultivate in themselves the highest expression of human values, morals, etiquette, creativity and drive for excellence (ihsan), as befits his status and role as custodian (khalifah) on this earth.
In history, Faith has always been a major force in motivating mankind towards the search for knowledge: first, the teachings were from God, while the first teachers were the prophets of God.

1.2 Al-Shahaadah: Its Conditions (*6)

Every Muslim knows that the key to Paradise is the declaration: “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur-Rasoolullah” - There is no God (worthy of worship) except Allah, Muhammad (sollallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) is His Messenger. This is termed the ‘Shahaadah’ and constitutes the basis of Islam and monotheistic religion (Tawheed). The following are a list of its necessary conditions.

1. The First condition is knowledge (‘Ilm).The Prophet (sollallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said “Whoever dies knowing that there is no God (worthy of worship) except Allah, shall enter Paradise.” (*7) One must know what the Shahaadah means. Obviously, testifying something about which we have no knowledge is absolutely unacceptable, especially if we wish to teach it to others.

2. The Second condition of the Shahaadah is certainty (yaqin).This is the opposite of doubt. Our hearts must not be wavering in any way when we testify to the truth and when we teach. Allah Almighty describes the believers in the Qur’an as those who have belief in Allah and their hearts waiver not:
“The believers are those who believe only in Allah and His messenger and afterwards doubt not, but strive with their wealth and their lives for the cause of Allah. Such are the sincere” (*8)

3. The Third condition of the Shahaadah is acceptance (al qabool).Knowledge and certainty must be followed by acceptance of what the Shahadah implies. Whoever refuses to accept its implications, does so because of pride, envy or ignorance.

4. The Fourth condition is ‘submission’ and compliance (al inqiyad).This implies actual physical enactment through deeds in upholding our Shahaadah. In fact, this is one of the main meanings of the word Islam itself. Allah has praised those who submit to His Command by their actions:
“Who is better in religion than he who surrenders his purpose to Allah while doing good”.(*9)

5. The Fifth condition is truthfulness (al sidq )This is opposed to hypocrisy and dishonesty. This means that when we say the Shahaadah, we actually mean it. This is confirmed by the saying of the Prophet (sollallahu 'alayhi wa sallam), “No one bares testimony to there being no God (worthy of worship) except Allah, sincerely from his heart, save that Allah will make the Hell-fire forbidden for him.” (*10)

6. The Sixth condition is sincerity (ikhlas).When we declare the Shahaadah, we must do so only for the sake of Allah. This is extremely important, as the meaning of sincerity is the opposite of Shirk. Allah says in the Qur’an :
“And they are ordered not else than to serve Allah, keeping Religion pure for him, as men by nature upright and to establish worship (salaah) and to pay the poor-due (zakaah). That is true religion.” (*11)

7. The Seventh condition is love (al muhabbah).The believer should love Allah and His Messenger in accordance with the Shahaadah:
“Yet of mankind are some who take unto themselves rivals to Allah loving them with love like (that due to) Allah only. However, those who believe are stauncher in their love of Allah.” (*12)
Love is one of the most important aspects of Islam yet, for some reason, it appears to be missing from the lives of many Muslims. They act as if Islam were a heavy duty, instead of doing things out of love for Allah, the Merciful, as He has created us specifically to do something.

8. The Eighth the condition of Shahaadah is to deny every other object of worship or servitude.Although this may be obvious in the words of the Shahaadah, it does not seem clear to everyone who testifies to it. Therefore rejection of false deities is an active affirmation, Allah states in the Qur’an:
“And he who rejects false deities and believes in Allah, has grasped a firm handhold which will never break.” (*13)

9. The Ninth condition of the Shahaadah is to adhere to it until we die.This is absolutely necessary if it is to mean anything for us in the Hereafter.
“O believers! Observe your duty to Allah with right observance, and die not save as Muslims.” (*14)
From the earliest times, all educated Muslims were called teachers. This was part of following the example (sunnah) of Muhammad r who was the exemplary teacher. As Islam spread, so the role of the professional teacher was established. Such men and women where leaders of society who were models of virtue on whom others could pattern their lives. They stayed away from the forbidden acts and thus were saved from punishment.

2. Sources of Knowledge

The best schools ever to appear over the ages were those schools and educational institutions which were based on the teachings and curriculum of Allah the Almighty. And the best masters of these schools were the teachers of Allah’s Words and inspiration - The Prophets (sollallahu 'alayhi wa sallam). According to Islamic understanding, Adam was the first man and he was the first to be taught the names of things by Allah Almighty, (*15) Adam ('alayhis-salam) was also the first Prophet, as the Qur’an says:
“He learnt words from his Lord” (*16)
The Qur’an relates to us the stories of so many prophets and the original books of guidance and knowledge given to mankind through them. The last Prophet (raised from the house of Abraham through Ismail) whose name is Muhammad (sollallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) was sent as the final messenger and model teacher for all mankind to learn from, until the day when the world will be annihilated and humanity judged. The first words revealed to him of the Qur’an were:
“Read! In the name of your Lord Who Creates” (*17)
Hence education marks the beginning of the life of a human being, and without it one cannot fulfil the purpose of one’s creation, which is the actual aim of education: to understand what life - and mankind in particular - have been created for.
The primary sources of Islamic Education are universally recognised as follows:

1. The Qur’an

2. The Sunnah / Hadeeth

The secondary source of Islamic Education includes Ijtihad which is the interpretation and analytical deduction of scholars based on the primary sources of Knowledge, the Qur’an and Sunnah. This category of knowledge incorporates Ijma’ (consensus of the scholars); Qiyas (analogy); Istihsan (juristic preference); Istihslah (public interest); ‘Urf (common customs); the sayings of the Sahaaba and History.

1. First World Conference on Islamic Education, Makkah 1977.

2. Surah Al Dhariyat: 56

3. The Ideal Muslim, Dr. Muhammad Ali al Hashimi, p.28

4. The Methodology of the Prophets in calling to Allah,... Rabee’ Ibn Haadee Al Madkhalee

5. Surah Al A’raf: 65

6. The Friday Prayer Part II, Jamal al Din Zarabozo

7. Sahih Muslim

8. Surah Al Hujurat: 15

9. Surah al Nisa: 125

10. Sahih Bukhari and Muslim

11. Surah al Bayyinah: 5

12. Surah al Baqarah: 165

13. Surah al Baqarah: 256

14. Surah Ali ‘Imran: 102

15. Surah al Baqarah: 31

16. Surah al Baqarah: 37

17. Surah al ‘Alaq: 1.