Surah Alaq-1 

Translation:- Allah SWT commands us to ask for increase and progress in knowledge: 

 

Surah Taha-114 

Translation:- Allah SWT commands us to know and to seek knowledge: 

 

Surah Muhammad-19 

Allah SWT also says: 

 

Surah Taubah-122 

Translation:- In the Tafseer of this aayat, Imam Alusi (May Allah SWT shower His Mercy on him) says: 

 

Translation: The basic aim of a teacher should be to guide the student to the way of Hidayah (guidance).and to warn the student about misdeeds and the basic aim of the student should be have the fear of Allah SWT in his/her heart at all times and not pride or vanity. 

 

There are many aims of education. All of them can be clubbed under two broad headings: 

Building an individual and building a society. 

Through education, the seeker progresses and the gateway of progress of the society is also opened. Through education, a person keeps progressing to the extent that he/she reaches the moon and beyond. It is only through education that a person can ride forth in all fields. Physical flight i.e. of airplanes and rockets is not possible without education and real and spiritual ascent is also not possible without education. Education is the legacy of the Prophets and their message. Education is such a revolution that brings astounding changes in human beings and societies. Through education a human being can become a manifestation of the attributes of Allah SWT. Education is the progress of intellectual capabilities and mental ability. Education brings to light the dormant capabilities of an individual. It is only through education that a person develops a better nature and is able to satisfy desires. It is only through education that the satanic forces become weak and infirm. 

 

Building an individual: 

One of the main aims of education is to enhance the abilities of an individual and to raise their capabilities in order to construct their character so that each student has becomes respectable, cultured and able; the student maintains order and discipline; the student prefers values like patience and perseverance; the student should be free from pride, vanity and should not hanker after fame and fanfare. 

 

Some aims in regard to building an individual are being mentioned here. Some might overlap, but because of their importance, they are being mentioned separately. 

 

Improvement in manners and etiquette: 

Through manners and etiquette, a person can make even his enemies love him. The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: 

 

Translation: I have been sent as a teacher. (Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol 1, Pg No: 21, Hadith no: 225) 

It is also mentioned in Hadith: 

 

Translation: Verily! I have been sent to perfect etiquette. (Sunan Kubra lil Baihaqi, kitab ush shahadat, Hadith no: 31301) 

 

There is deep connection between these 2 Hadith. The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) considered education as the perfection of etiquette and described the aim that lofty etiquette should be acquired. 

 

The aim of education is to adorn the students with the pearls of etiquette. To groom them with truth, pleasing speech, clemency, forgiveness, justice, humility, and all such virtuous attributes; also to free them of falsehood, deception, jealousy, enmity, harshness, prejudice, immodesty, persecution of others and all such bad attributes. 

 

To quote Allama Iqbal: 

 

Translation: 

Education is the only medicine for the Millat in this age, It is the doctor’s knife for blood clots. 

 

The students should be embodiments of all virtuous attributes and should avoid all bad attributes and habits. Students are not adorned with education so that they earn degrees and people call them “educated,” but the aim of education is that people look at them, listen to them and learn the lessons of etiquette. They become guiding lights for the creation of Allah SWT. Their character becomes the touchstone for all and everybody can gauge themselves looking at their character.

 

Intellectual and mental improvement: 

A basic aim of education is that the ability to think, discern (fiqh) keeps improving in a student. The ability of the student should be such that the student should be able to solve any problem with his/her inherent ability. This is possible only when the teacher does not restrict the thinking of the individual to the confines of the school/college but encourages the student to think about the whole world. The teacher should explain the same thing with different illustrations and in different ways. 

 

The awakening of the understanding: 

The ultimate result of all good acts is good and of all bad acts is bad. One of the aims of education is that the understanding of the student is awakened, he/she recognizes the good and the bad, differentiate between truth and falsehood, decided between the suitable and the unsuitable, should be able to point out the pure and filthy and most of all recognize good as good and acquire/accept it and recognize what is bad as bad and avoid it. 

 

Aiming high: 

An aim of education is that the student should be ready to work hard and face all difficulties encountered while reaching the goal. The way a student struggles to solve a difficult academic problem, no difficulty at that time is able to stop the student; this in fact prepares the student to cross the ups and downs of life. Even the biggest obstacle seems small to the student in front of his/her courage and perseverance. Thorns and stony paths do not stop the student, eventually with the store of courage and high aim, the student crosses the most difficult paths and reaches the desired goal. The student does not stop on reaching one milestone, but immediately starts for another. The student does not rest after achieving one rung of ascent, but because of the store of courage and determination, still desires to travel for another; full with determination, the student keeps achieving one goal after another. 

 

Translation: 

Your abode is not the dome of the Sultan, 

You are a Shaheen, nest on the peaks of the heights.