- Islamic Education / Children education in Islam
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- Chidren education 2008
Dear brother, this is lesson NoIgnorance is ultimately the worst enemy of Ummah 13 of the series, Children Upbringing in Islam, and we are still discussing the subject of intellectual education.
Islam has given great importance to knowledge:
First of all, there are about 1000 Noble Ayaat which emphasize the importance of meditation, reasoning, and seeking knowledge. Furthermore, Allah the Almighty has honored human beings with the cognitive power. So, when one looks for the truth, he fulfils this lofty need and confirms his humanity. Although this lecture comes under the main subject Children Upbringing in Islam, parents are also addressed, so that they properly appreciate the value of knowledge.
Unfortunately, a large number of Muslims claim that seeking knowledge is fruitless since it does not help one make money. The reality, however, is that when the father does not care about his son's education, his son, who holds no college degree, will become a low-paid employee. On the other hand, holding a high degree of a rare major will enable him to earn a high income. Thus, Muslim should have a great ambition and should never be pleased to have a low-paid job such as a garbage collector, a typewriter, or an employee who complains about poverty, etc. because money is the backbone of life. When you help your child reach a high level of education, you will be contributing to the progress and advancement of your Muslim society.
Acquiring knowledge is an Islamic criteria of preference :
I think we should, from time to time, demonstrate the importance of Islamic knowledge since it is one of the Islamic criteria of preference between people, whereas the other worldly criteria such as wealth, intelligence, and good looking, etc. are rendered worthless. Besides, according to the Noble Qur'an, there are only two criteria or preference between people: first, acquiring Islamic knowledge, about which Allah the Almighty says:
(Say: "Are those who know equal to those who know not?)
Also, Allah the Almighty says:
(Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge)
Based on the abovementioned Ayaat, the highest rank in the Sight of Allah the Almighty is that of Islamic knowledge. What is noticeable is that Allah the Almighty says:
(…And taught you that which you knew not. And Ever Great is the Grace of Allah unto you (O Muhammad PBUH).)
This means Allah the Most Great considers Islamic knowledge one of His Greatest Graces.
(…And taught you that which you knew not. And Ever Great is the Grace of Allah unto you (O Muhammad PBUH).)
Dear brother, in one of the most ancient schools in Damascus there is a plaque hung on the wall on which these words were engraved:
The Highest of Ranks is that of Knowledge. Concerning this point, I would like to make it clear that there are many kinds of knowledge; first there is the knowledge used to make a living, which is the basis of setting right the affairs of this worldly, second, the knowledge of Haram and Halal (unlawful and lawful things) which is the basis of performing acts of worship, and third, there is knowledge of Allah the Almighty which is the true knowledge meant through the Noble Qur'an and Sunnah.
Also, knowledge can be categorized into three kinds; first, the knowledge which is interesting yet not beneficial, i.e. some people may enjoy reading ancient epics such as the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer which are about pagan gods, idolatry, and the problems of ancient people. Second, the knowledge which is interesting and beneficial such as getting specialized in a certain field that helps one make a lot of money. Third, the knowledge which is interesting, beneficial and which helps one achieve success in the Hereafter; it is to get to know Allah the Almighty and His Orders and Prohibitions, and to try to get closer to Him through performing acts of worship.
Ignorance is ultimately the worst enemy of Ummah:
It was narrated that Imama Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "O Kumayl, knowledge is better than wealth. Knowledge guards you, while you have to guard the wealth. Wealth decreases by spending, while knowledge multiplies by spending, and the results of wealth die as wealth decays. O Kumayl, knowledge is belief which is acted upon. With it man acquires obedience during his life and a good name after his death. Knowledge is the ruler while wealth is ruled upon. A wealthy man went to Italy and had sex with a prostitute in a hotel. When he woke up the next morning, he found this note written on the mirror: Welcome to the HIV club! When he read those words, he committed suicide. Out of ignorance, he thought that committing adultery with that young woman was a great gain, but he realized that it was a big loss.
After profound reflection, you will find that every problem in the earth, since the creation of Adam till the Last Day, is caused by violating one of Allah's Commands. In other words, the only reason for any problem is opposing one of Allah's Orders out of man's worst enemy, which is ignorance.
Dear brother, according to our contemporary culture, we are accustomed to say that colonialism and Zionism are our greatest enemies, and we lose sight of the fact that the worst enemy of Ummah (Islamic nation ) is ignorance, since the enemies of an ignorant person cannot harm him as much as he harms himself out of his ignorance. In fact, all marital problems, for example, are caused by ignorance, either it is the husband who is characterized by ignorance, or the wife, or both of them. It was narrated that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
((The root cause of a breakup of a strong and healthy relationship between two people is a sin committed by one of them.))
If you analyze your own life's problems, you will find that the only reason behind them is ignoring one of Allah's Orders. For example, according to Allah's Orders, debt contracts should be written down. Allah the Almighty says:
(…write it down.)
Nevertheless, someone may not do that because he fully trusts his debtor. However, the latter may suddenly die and his inheritors will never repay that debt; they will not believe the creditor since he cannot prove it with documents. As a result, he will feel deep regret about not writing that debt contract down. Allah the Almighty says:
(O you who believe! When you contract a debt for a fixed period, write it down. Let a scribe write it down in justice between you.)
Deviation from the Straight Path is the reason of every problem:
If you have time and patience to analyze any problem in the world, you will find that the main reason of any problem is violating one of Allah's Commands, which is caused by one's biggest enemy, i.e. ignorance. Furthermore, the ignorant man harm himself in way that even his enemies never thinks of, since his heedlessness of Allah the Almighty will lead him to Hell-Fire, wherein he will dwell forever. Verily, this is the worst punishment at all. Allah the Almighty says:
(And they will say: "Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we would not have been among the dwellers of the blazing Fire!)
Dear brother, if you care deeply for yourself, your safety, and happiness, and the safety, perfection and continuation of your existence, you should seek the Islamic knowledge, and you should teach it to people around you, especially those who are close to you such as your own children.
Learning is an investment of time, not a waste of it:
Many parents mistakenly think that encouraging their children to work at an early age will be beneficial for them. However, instead of doing that, parents should seek Islamic knowledge and should encourage their children to seek it as well. Consider the following Ayah in which Allah the Almighty says:
(Say: "Are those who know equal to those who know not?)
It was said, "The knowledgeable person is called a scholar even if he is still a young man, whereas the uneducated person remains immature even if he is an old man."
In some institutions or companies, you may find a young man in his twenties who holds a high education degree and who has overall administrative responsibility for the company, while the other employees are older than him; some of them may be in their 70th, 60th, or mid-40th, but no one of them holds that administrative position, because they have a low level of education.
I strongly believe that Islam is the religion of knowledge, since the first Ayah of the Qur'an to be revealed enjoined reading which is the key to knowledge. Allah the Almighty says:
(Read!)
You should read in order to acquire knowledge. Please pay attention to the following point: spending time on learning should never be considered a time-consuming activity, but rather it is an act of investing time, because high level of education is necessary to achieve great success in life.
The fame of he who is heedless of Allah may be followed by a dramatic decline:
Some parents may only care about their children educational achievement and neglect to teach them the Islamic principles and moral values; they do not care whether their children get to know Allah the Almighty or not, whether they perform the acts of worship or not, their only concern is that their children get high mark in exams then join the Faculty of Medicine. Actually, this is a big mistake because even if they achieve that goal, their children may become dishonest doctors who cheat their patients, because they do not get to know Allah the Almighty (they do not feel that Allah is watching their deeds all the time and will call them to account for them), so they may commit dreadful mistakes then they will be doomed to destruction in both this worldly life and the Hereafter. Hence, and as I have mentioned earlier, the only reason of any problem that afflicts man is ignorance, which is manifested in being heedless of Allah the Almighty and failing to obey His Commands.
Dear brother, Allah the Almighty says:
(Let not the free disposal (and affluence) of the disbelievers throughout the land deceive you.)
Actually, he who does not adhere strictly to Allah's Order and does not get to know Him attains transient success; even if he achieves considerable fame and great reputation, it will be eventually followed by a sharp decline. On the other hand, the true believer achieves lasting success; his situation could be presented by a line graph which always shows an upward trend, while death is only a dot on that line, i.e. even after death this line will continue to show an upward trend. Thus, the one who is heedless of Allah the Almighty may achieve great worldly success, either by amassing enormous wealth or reaching a high social position. However, this success is transient; it will be followed by a drastic decline. Actually, the true success is to achieve lasting accomplishments.
The Divine Bestowal is everlasting:
In fact, the Divine Bestowal is everlasting; it starts in this worldly life and continues forever and ever, because Allah the Almighty is the Most Generous; His Bestowal never ends at one's death.
Dear brother, Allah the Almighty says:
(Short is the enjoyment of this world.)
Regrettably, most people only care about this worldly life and neglect the Hereafter; it does not matter to them whether they adhere strictly to Allah's Orders or not, get to know Allah the Almighty or not, collect wealth from lawful or unlawful resources, build their glory, wealth and power at the expense of sh3er, or deny sh3er' rights. The only thing that matters to them is to accumulate enormous wealth which will enable them to live their life to the fullest. This reminds me what Al-Hutai'ah said to a man (when Umar was the Khalifah of the Islamic Ummah in a satirical poem:
Do not bother yourself by seeking good manners
Just relax as long as you are offered food and clothing
***
Seeking knowledge is the key to happiness:
Dear brother, A scholar (Ibn Al-Qayyim) said, "If you want to achieve success in this worldly life, you should acquire Islamic knowledge." Actually, scientists and experts have a significant level of control over the world since decision-makers always consult them. Thus, "If you want to achieve success in this worldly life, you should acquire Islamic knowledge, if you want to be successful in the Hereafter you should also acquire Islamic knowledge, and if you want to be successful in both of them, you should acquire Islamic knowledge as well." One of the famous scholar (it is thought to be Al-Ghazali) said, "If you devote all your time to seek knowledge, you will learn a part of it, while if you only give it a part of your time, you will learn nothing."
Once, a man came to me weeping, and he told me about his terrible problem. He said that he caught his wife cheating on him with his neighbor. I asked him how their relationship started, He said, "Once my neighbor visited me, so I asked my wife to sit with us, and that was the beginning of betrayal." I said to him, "Had you known that unlimited mixing between men and women is prohibited in Islam, you would not have been confronted with such a serious problem.
Pay attention to the following fact: every problem in the society is caused by opposing one of Allah's Orders which is resulted from ignorance. On the other hand, when you attend some Islamic lectures, you will have the basic knowledge of what to do and what to avoid, and what is lawful and what is prohibited in Islam. Also, you will learn the difference between right and wrong, legal and illegal, good and evil, and so on. After acquiring this Islamic knowledge, you will reap its fruits, the first of which is being pleased (in this worldly life and in the Hereafter as well).
I keep saying seeking knowledge is essential in the Muslim's life. The motto of Damascus University is the following Ayah:
(…and say: "My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.)
Knowing Allah is the best and the noblest knowledge:
Actually, whenever I ponder over the following Noble Ayah, I feel deeply touched by its meaning; Allah the Almighty says:
(…and taught you that which you knew not. And Ever Great is the Grace of Allah unto you (O Muhammad PBUH).)
Also, Allah the Almighty says:
(Wealth and children are the adornment of the life of this world. But the good righteous deeds (five compulsory prayers, deeds of Allah's obedience, good and nice talk, remembrance of Allah with glorification, praises and thanks, etc.), that last, are better with your Lord for rewards and better in respect of hope.)
Some scholars said that "But the good righteous deeds that last" are the following phrases: Subhana Allah (Glory be to Allah), Al-hamdulillah (All Praise be to Allah), La Ilaha ila Allah (There is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone) and Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest). In other words, when one says these words (with an attentive heart), he will get to know Allah the Almighty which is the best knowledge, while the one who fails to gain this knowledge is entirely ignorant. Moreover, Allah the Almighty should be more beloved to you than anything else. Allah the Almighty says:
(Are those who know equal to those who know not?)
This indicates that according to the Noble Qur'an, the first preference criterion between people is knowledge. Allah the Almighty says in another Noble Ayah:
(…Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge.)
This Noble Ayah highlights the importance of knowledge and emphasizes that it is the first preference criterion between people. The second preference criterion is performing righteous deeds. Allah the Almighty says:(For all there will be degrees (or ranks) according to what they did.)
Unless one puts (Islamic) knowledge into practice, it becomes a proof against him:
First of all, seeking Islamic knowledge should not be seen as a purpose in itself but a means to act upon the teachings of Islam in one's daily life. In other words, if one does not put Islamic knowledge into practice, then it would be many times better for him to remain ignorant, because his knowledge will turn into a proof against him, not for him. This fact reminds me of what a poet said:
A scholar who does not act upon the Islamic knowledge he has acquired
will be tortured (in the Hell-Fire) more severely than idolaters
Let us ponder over the meaning of the following Noble Ayah in which Allah the Almighty says:
(…not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger (such as the Jews), nor of those who went astray (such as the Christians).)
"…Those who earned Allah's Anger" are those who acquire knowledge, then they go astray (they do not put knowledge into practice) while "…those who went astray" are those who are completely ignorant of their religion, consequently, they went astray. In other words, although some people are knowledgeable, they go astray when they do not act upon their knowledge. On the other hand, other people go astray because they are entirely ignorant of their religion.
Dear brother, let us ponder over the following Noble Hadith which is about the virtue of seeking knowledge; one may want to go to a Masjid in order to attend an Islamic lecture, but his house is far away from that Masjid, so it may take one or two hours to reach it due to the traffic jam. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
((Whoever takes a path upon which to obtain knowledge, Allah makes the path to Paradise easy for him.))
Imagine that you are at your home feeling relaxed, sitting on your comfy chair, spending enjoyable time with your wife and kids, and enjoying a high level of comfort, then you leave that resting place, get dressed, leave your home, drive in the traffic, and go to a Masjid in order to attend an Islamic lecture. When you enter it, you sit on the ground, of course there is no food service there, and you listen to that lecture then you go back home after two or three hours. You should never think that it is a waste of time to spend some hours in order to seek Islamic knowledge, but rather it is an investment of time. Actually, abstaining from prohibited actions guarantees safety from Hell-Fire, whereas performing righteous deeds guarantees success and prosperity. It was narrated that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
((Whoever takes a path upon which to obtain knowledge, Allah makes the path to Paradise easy for him.))
If knowledge is not put into practice, it is worthless:
I would like to make the point I have just mentioned clear. Consider the example of a student at the Faculty of Medicine who has to spend seven years of hard work; studying for difficult oral and written exams, working on academic thesis, and so on in order to graduate and to obtain a medical certificate after graduation. Then, he opens up his own clinic, and over time it helps him make a large amount of money, afford a luxurious house and car, and achieve high social status. Whenever that students passes by his faculty, his heart will be filled with gratitude since it enables him to turn from an ordinary person to a high-status one.
Likewise, whenever the true believer considers the time he spends on seeking Islamic knowledge in order to distinguish between lawful and unlawful matters in Islam, to raise his children properly according to the teachings of Islam and to teach them to love Allah and to obey Him, so that they become his major source of satisfaction, he will be grateful for the hours he spends on getting to know Allah the Almighty. Thus, seeking knowledge is not a purpose in itself, but rather one should seek knowledge in order to put it into practice, otherwise, ignorance would be given preference over this worthless knowledge. It was narrated that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
((The world, with all that it contains, is accursed except for the remembrance of Allah that which pleases Allah; and the religious scholars and seekers of knowledge.))
The most beloved places to Allah are Mosques:
Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: the Prophet of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
((The most beloved places to Allah are Masajid, and the most hated places to Allah are markets.))
Actually, entering the Masjid brings you closer to Allah the Almighty; it will invite you to think about the Hereafter, to seek the Islamic knowledge, to turn to Allah with repentance, to perform acts of worship, and to achieve true happiness. On the other hand, when you go to malls, you will get frustrated because you may feel tempted to buy some beautiful products, but they are too expensive, and you just cannot afford it. For example, when one goes to the Masjid with his wife to attend an Islamic lecture about the rights of the husband and the wife upon each other, it will inspire him to be more kind to his wife, and she will be more dutiful to him which will enhance the feeling of love between them and will improve their marital relationship. On the other hand, when they go to malls and shopping centers, she may ask him to buy her something which is too expensive to buy, and so he may argue with her. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
((The most beloved places to Allah are Masajid and the most hated places to Allah are markets.))
Also, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
((The world, with all that it contains, is accursed except for the remembrance of Allah that which pleases Allah; and the religious scholars and seekers of knowledge.))
This means it is cursed, because it turns you away from Allah the Almighty and from the Path to Paradise.
Two meaningful stories from the life of the Prophet:
Let us ponder over the following two stories from the life of the Prophet, peace be upon him:
The first story is that once, the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw a young man worshipping in the Masjid during work time, so the Prophet, peace be upon him, asked him, "Who makes living for you?" That young man replied, "My brother does." Then, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Your brother is a better worshipper to Allah than you!" Thus, he who works is better than he who dedicates all his time to offer acts of worship, because the upper hand (which gives) is better than the lower hand (which takes). Moreover, he who works never depends on sh3er or finds himself obliged to beg them. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
((Three things that I swear to be true are that a man's property does not become less on account of (giving) charity; that when a man is wronged and bears it patiently, Allah will give him greater honor on that account; and that when a man begs without dire need, Allah opens for him a door towards poverty.))
The second story is that once a man came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, complaining against his business partner who worked less than him, because he dedicated some of his time to seek Islamic knowledge, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, said to him, "You may be given sustenance due to letting him seek Islamic knowledge". You can notice how the judgment which the Prophet, peace be upon him, made in the second story is completely different from the first one because the first story is about performing acts of worship which only brings benefit to the worshipper, whereas the second case is about seeking Islamic knowledge which brings lasting benefit to the society, that is why the Prophet, peace be upon him, reassured that man that if he let his business partner dedicate a part of his time to seek Islamic knowledge, it might make their company more successful, and they may be granted sustenance for letting him seeking Islamic knowledge.
Difference between being relieved or sad upon someone's death:
Consider the following Ayah in which Allah the Almighty describes what happens after the death of disbelievers. He says:
(And the heavens and the earth wept not for them)
Some scholars said that the implied opposite meaning of this Ayah is that when the believer dies, the heaven and the earth will weep for him (which means everyone will grieve his death). Thus, there is a big difference between the one upon whose death people are relieved (because they are spared from the harm cause by him) and the one upon whose death people are extremely sad. Abu Qatadah reported: the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
((One is relieved and another sh3er are relieved from." They said, "Who is the one relieved and the one from whom sh3er are relieved?" He said, "The believer slave is the one who is relieved from the exhaustion and suffering of this world to the mercy of Allah, and a wrong-acting slave is the one from whom people, towns, trees and animals are relieved.))
People and all other creatures will be relieved after the death of a tyrant since they will be safe from the harm and injustice caused by him.The true believer teaches his children to obey Allah:
I would like to refer to a Hadith to draw the attention of the father who educates his children properly to an important fact: The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
((Indeed Allah, His Angels, the inhabitants of the heavens and the earths - even the ant in his hole, even the fish - say Salat upon the one who teaches the people to do good.))
This Hadith means that when one teaches his children to obey Allah the Almighty, all creatures such as the Angels, the ant in its hole, the whale in the sea etc., will ask Allah the Almighty to bless and forgive him.
I keep saying you should be grateful to your father who is the reason of your existence, to your father in law and to the scholar who guides you to Allah's Path. However, as a father, your success lies in being the one who guides his children to Allah's Path. In other words, whoever guides his children to Allah and teaches them to obey Him is really a great father.
Your value in the Sight of Allah depends on your righteous deeds:
Dear brother, according to our religious and social traditions, the father is respected, but, and I am sorry to say that, not every father is loved by his children. In fact, when the father teaches his children to obey Allah the Almighty, he will be respected according to the traditions, and he will be beloved by his children, because he directs them to the Straight Path.
As I always say, the successful father is he whose family feel quite delighted at his arrival. When he comes back home after work, the household seems to be celebrating a very happy moment, unlike the situation of the unsuccessful father whose family feel fairly pleased when he goes out! Thus, you should ask yourself: when do your family have an overwhelming feeling of happiness? Is it when you come back home or when you go out of it?
Dear brother, let me tell you one more thing: performing righteous deeds comes next in importance to getting to know Allah the Almighty since it is the purpose of your existence. Furthermore, the greatest righteous deeds ever performed is bringing up your children properly and according to the Islamic teachings, because the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
((It was narrated that 'Aishah said: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'The best (most pure) food that a man eats is that which he has earned himself, and his child (and his child's wealth) is part of his earning."))
As you know, the word "best" is used to refer to the thing which is the most preferred.
((…and his child (and his child's wealth) is part of his earning.))
Also, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:((When someone dies, his deeds come to an end, except for …))
The second most important purpose of your life after getting to know Allah the Almighty is performing righteous deeds, since it is the price for being admitted to Paradise, and as you know you basically were created to enter Paradise.
As I have just said, the second purpose of your life is performing righteous deeds, and your values in the Sight of Allah the Almighty is estimated according to the righteous deeds you perform, the best of which is bringing up your children according to the teachings of Islam, because they are the closest people to you, and you are the only person responsible for them. Abu Hurairah reported: The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
((When someone dies, his deeds come to an end, except for three: A continuous charity, knowledge by which people derive benefit, and a pious son who prays for him.)).
By Allah, the One and Only Deity worthy of worship, whenever I see a righteous son whose father passed away, and he brought him properly, I feel deep in my heart as if that father is still alive. Instinctively, everyone is deeply concerned about his existence, and the safety, perfection and continuation of it. Obeying Allah the Almighty and adhering to His Orders and Prohibitions ensures the safety of your existence, performing righteous deeds ensures the perfection of your existence, and raising righteous children ensures the continuation of your existence.
Let me address parents in general, is there any other feeling in the world greater than having a righteous son/daughter who maintains the five daily prayers, who has a good reputation, who achieves success at work, who has a happy marriage, and who brings his/her children according to the teachings of Islam? Of course not. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
((…and a pious son who prays for him.))
Getting to know Allah through reflecting on the creation of the universe:
Dear brother, let me repeat this point: knowing Allah the Almighty is a basic principle in Islam because when one gets to know Allah the Almighty, he will make every effort to adhere strictly to His Orders and Prohibitions. On the other hand, when one is completely heedless of Allah the Almighty, he will follow almost every way to disobey Allah and to violate His Orders. Thus, getting to know Allah the Almighty is one of the most basic concepts in Islam, and it is achieved through pondering over the creation of the heavens and the earth.
It is well known that among the etiquettes of reciting the Noble Quran is to reauthor it with an attentive heart; whenever you reauthor a Noble Ayah where Paradise, is mentioned, you should seek it, whenever you reauthor a Noble Ayah where Hell-Fire is mentioned, you should make every effort to refrain from whatever causes you to be admitted to it, whenever you reauthor a Noble Ayah about one of Allah's Commandments, you should act upon it, whenever you reauthor a Noble Ayah about one of Allah's Prohibition, you should abstain from it, whenever you reauthor a Noble Ayah about the previous nations whom Allah destroyed because of their sins, you should learn a lesson, and whenever you reauthor one of the Noble Ayaat about the creation of the universe, which are about 1000 Ayaat, you should ponder over it because reflecting over the creation of the heavens and the earth is the way to get to know Allah the Almighty. Actually, the more you reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth, the deeper your knowledge of Allah the Almighty becomes.
Although getting to know Allah the Almighty is one of the most basic principles of Islam, this kind of knowledge is not sufficient by itself, i.e. after getting to know Allah the Almighty, you should know His Orders and Prohibitions in order to get closer to Him, and this highlights the importance of the second kind of knowledge, which is learning Shari'ah (Islamic laws).
To sum up this point, you should ponder over the creation of the heavens and the earth, over Allah's Signs and Acts in the universe, and over Allah's Words (i.e. the Noble Qur'an) in order to get to know Him.
Steadfastness and righteous deeds draw one closer to Allah:
The two main things which bring one closer to Allah the Almighty are adhering strictly to His Orders and Prohibitions and performing righteous deeds. These two things are out of knowing Allah's Order. In fact, there is a third kind of knowledge which is related to the affairs of this worldly life. For example, if you want to be a productive citizen and to have a well-paid job, you should continue your academic education in order to become a doctor, an engineer, or a teacher, etc. or you should earn a degree in physics, chemistry, or mathematics, etc.
Accordingly, there are three kinds of knowledge you should have, and you should also teach them to your children; you should get to know Allah the Almighty, you should learn about His Orders and Prohibitions, and you should have knowledge about the affairs of this worldly life. When you do that you will achieve overall success in your life. In contrast, you may find someone who gets a very high scientific degree, but he knows nothing about his religion; he lacks the basic Islamic knowledge of Halal (lawful) and Haram (unlawful) matters.
Once, a man, who had a very shallow knowledge of Islam, went to Makkah to perform Hajj (pilgrimage), and when he saw the severe overcrowding there, he asked, "Why is Hajj not performed 5 times a year so that we can avoid crowds?" He asked such a question, because he had a very superficial knowledge of Shari'ah. Also, some crowd management experts came to Makkah, and put some plans to facilitate pilgrims' movement during religious congregation; they proposed that Hajj had to be performed every two months to avoid congestion! This is how some people may have advanced degrees, but they are entirely ignorant of their religion, the ritual acts of worship, and the transactions.
The rational person cares about his interests in this world and the Hereafter:
In conclusion, you should get to know Allah the Almighty through reflecting over His Creation, His Words and His Acts, you should know His Orders and Prohibition in order to get closer to Him, and you should be highly educated in order to serve the interest of your society as well as yourself., parents should make their children well acquainted with Allah Almighty and with His Orders and Prohibitions, and they should make them reach a high level of education in order to serve their own interests as well as the interests of their society, so that they gain benefits in this worldly life and in the Hereafter. The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to invoke Allah the Almighty saying:
((O Allah, make my religion easy for me by virtue of which my affairs are protected, set right for me my world where my life exists, make good for me my Hereafter which is my resort to which I have to return, and make my life prone to perform all types of good, and make death a comfort for me from every evil).))
Dear brother, next lecture, we will continue discussing the subject of Child Upbringing in Islam- Intellectual Education, which is a very important topic, because human beings consist of mind that perceives and heart that loves, and I said previously, man's mind is nourished by knowledge, while his heart is nourished by love (of Allah).
