Worldly Education

Later-day Muslim reformers, who have recognized the need to propagate modern sciences and western learning amongst Muslims, have, by and large, based their arguments on verses from the Qur’an and sayings of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) which lay stress on the importance of learning (al-ilm). Such arguments, far from proving definitive, have stirred up controversies between religious and secular scholars, the former holding that those verses and sayings of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) which emphasize the acquisition of learning refer to religious learning, and not to worldly sciences with their connotations of materialism.

Muslim reformers insist that injunctions on learning refer to both religious and the secular knowledge. This controversy, which began a century ago, shows a few signs of being resolved.

So far as the verses which deal with learning are concerned, there is surely room for both interpretations. But no matter whether one group takes them to apply to religious learning while another group relates them to secular learning, the importance of modern science simple cannot be denied.

It may be an object of heated controversy, but its final acceptance is just as important to Muslims as it is to other nations and communities. Here is a verse from the Qur’an which not only approves of the acquisition of modern sciences, but which holds it to be the duty of Muslims to pursue them.

“Muster against them all the force and cavalry at your disposal, so that you may strike terror into the enemies of God.” (Surah Al-Anfal, 8:60)

We are therein commanded by God to make ourselves strong so that our adversaries may be overawed. The notion of strength (al-quwwah) in this verse applies, surely, to all things which, at any given time, confer power upon their possessors: this may be the power of ideas, or the power of material things- either or both, depending upon the exigencies of the times.

It is an indisputable fact that modern scientific learning is a force in this day and age. Today it is those nations which are advanced in science and technology which have real strength as compared with their more backward neighbours. We must be realistic and accept the fact that the awe inspired in one nation by another is to a very great extent the result of the acquisition of scientific learning.

Even if the importance of the modern scientific education is not underscored by the verses which deal with learning, it is certainly testified to by the verses which deal with the necessity of power.

Whether Muslims bow to the wisdom of the verses on strength or learning, it is clearly their bounded duty to create conditions which are favourable to the inception and growth of scientific education in their own community.