Q. & A. 711 to 1707 with solved Papers css 1971 to date

EDUCATION
At the advent of Islam, there were very few among the PreIslamic Arabs who were able to read or write. These who could generally owed their skill to Jewish and Christian teachers or to the influence of foreign culture radiating from Hira and Ghassan. Arab education was restricted to poetry, oratory and a primitive form of
Cultural Activities under Hie Umayyads 479
astronomy, kahana or augury. Different fairs, festivals were the main sources of oratory. In the early period of Islam undoubtedly the social life of Muslims was dominated by the religion. Everything which Muslims did was for Islam.
Naturally the aim of education could, therefore, be other hand to mould the life of Muslims into an attitude of obedience to the belief and teachings of Islam. One of the basic teachings of Islam is to allow an individual to develop his potentialities to the fullest possible so as to enable him to attain the material prosperity and the world of spiritual reality as well.
So from Islamic point of view education is inseparable from religion. The foundation of Muslim education stands on two main pillars,
1. The Qur’an
2. The Sunnah.
The Qur’an attaches a paramount importance to the values of acquiring knowledge and wisdom. In numerous verses, the Holy Book enjoins its believers to make search of knowledge as their sacred duty. As a matter of fact the first revelation that came to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was about the reading and writing:
1. Proclaimed (Read), In the name of Lord who created
2. Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood.
3. Proclaim and the Lord is most Beautiful.
4. He who taught (The use of) the pen.
5. Taught man that which he knew not.
The Holy Prophet (PBUH), illiterate though he was, had a profound love for learning. There are a number of Holy Prophet’s sayings indicating how much education was dear to his heart.
He realized that the ignorant people could not know God and were unable to understand His greatness. He made the pursuit of knowledge incumbent upon all his followers, irrespective of sex and rank. The Holy Prophet also says in this respect ”Seeking of knowledge is obligatory for all Muslims, males and females”. The Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) emphasis was not only on the acquisition of learning but also on its transmission to the others. His eagerness to see his followers attain some skill in reading or writing, could be gauged from the conditions he stipulated for release of some of the prisoners of the battle of Badr who could teach this skill to the boys of Medina. However, it would be too much to say that early Islam

480 Political and Cultural History of Islam

had developed education systematically. Since the whole life of the Muslims centered round the teachings of Qur’an, it was natural that anyone who could read and memorize it was considered as an educated person. This was the reason that the earliest teachers of Islam were the Qur’an readers.
^:The following”sayings of the Holy Prophet be quoted in support of his encouragement of learning.
1. ”’ ”Pursue knowledge though it be in China”
2. ”He who leaves his home in search of knowledge, walks in the path of God”
3. ”He dieth not who takes to learning”
The Holy Prophet not only encouraged education but also made elaborative arrangements for religious teaching. He trained the instructors and sent them to various parts of Arabia. He also inspired people to learn the languages. Zaid bin Thabit and many other companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) learned the different languages of the Arabia and neighbouring countries. Companions of the Holy Prophet were trained in this field.
Umar, Ali, Ibn Masud Abdullah bin Umar, Ibn Abbas, Zaid bin Thabit and Ayesha were considered the first rate of knowledge of that system of education. Thus the early companions of the Holy Prophet made a great contribution to the cultural development of Islam in its early days. These men enhanced the administrative measures under the Holy Prophet in the City State of Medina. Role of Mosque in Education
The all-embracing institution of mosque occupies a central position in the religious and culture of Islam. At all stages of Muslim history, the culture and civilization of Islam have always been intimated interwoven round the mosque. The mosques have always been a great educational and cultural centre of the Muslims community. Holy Prophet describes the mosque as a place to which one should go either to learn or to teach. During the lifetime of the Holy Prophet there was a adequate arrangement and concrete guidance in all fields of life through this institution.’
An open side, roofed place in the northern corner of the courtyard of that spacious mosque known as ’Suffah’ served as hostel for the under training missionaries who received instruction in the art
Muhammad Ahmad, The Role of Mosque in Islam, P.35.