Culture in Islam

Culture in Islam

islam laid a great deal of stress on educational aspect from beginning,  because of its importance in the life of human beings. the first verses of holy qur'an which were revealed ordered the prophet to read. they say:

“read, in the name of thy lord, who created

created man from a cloth of congealed blood

read ! and thy lord is most bountiful.

he who taught the use of the pen.

taught man which he knew not.”

this leads us to understand that muslims should gain as much knowledge as they can, because the holy qur'an also considers knowledge as light and ignorance as darkness and considers the knowledgeable man as a live man and the ignorant man as adead man and that those who have knowladge fear God most, For Allah says:

"those truly fear God

Among His servants, who have knowledge."

the blind and the seeing

are not a like. Nor are the depths

Of darkness and the light.”

there are many sayings of the prophet which encourage to seek knowledge from the begining of their lives until the end, and which also consider knowledge as the way leads to Paradise. first he said: " Seek knowledge from the womb to the grave," and he also said: "whoever sets foot on their way to knowledge, Allah directs him to the way to paradise."

 Once the prophet entered the mosque, and found two groups of muslims sitting there. One of them was occupied in contemplation of God, and the others were studying. He joined the group of those who were studying and this was a sign that he appreciated their way and encouraged muslims to seek knowledge by any means. In another Hadith he said:

“The angels spread down their wings in appreciation for the seeker of knowledge."

the prophet not only gave verbal encouragement to people to seek knowledge but took every chance to provide opportunities for a large number of people learn to read and write, as this is way to knowledge. this is clearly illustrated after the Battle of Badr, when the Muslims took a number of prisoners from the Quraysh in the battle. some of them were literate. The ransom of those who could read and write was that they should teach muslim children to read and write.

when you read the Holy Qur'an you will find many verses urging Muslim to study what they see around them on earth and in the sky, and to use these things for the benefit of Muslim society. They cannot use them correctly unless they have some knowledge, and knowledgeable people are of high rank in the sight of God - for the Holy Qur'an says:

"Those who know and those who do not know cannot be regarded as equal."

The Muslim people understood clearly the approach of Islam towards education. Therefore they started to gain knowledge, taking the guidance of the Holy Qur'an as a light to show the right way. And therefore they established Islamic civilisation which prevailed through out most of the world, and gave human beings the benefit which they got from the teaching of the Holy Qur'an, and the history of Islam is full of famous Muslim thinkers in every branch of knowledge: Philosophy, law, science, astronomy and art.