Education between science and principles

It has become one of the things, which people repeat day and night, that we live in a new era.

It is completely different from previous times by its innovations that fascinate the eyes because of the role played by natural and chemical sciences, especially after WWII and because of the role played by these sciences in shaking the earth on which humans used to live quietly and peacefully, and because of these heavy shakes caused by the results of modern researches in the fields of moods, nerves, and their interrelationships of human beings, and because of their attachment to one another despite the apparent independence which is no more than transparent garments for the false freedom which people use to deceive themselves and others either with or without intention.

Truly, it is a new era declaring persistently about its right to renew thinking and perception, and to improve education and cultivation. It tries to dominate, but it exposes the traditional knowledge to danger because of the flood of scientific discoveries which most of them are harmful, destructive, and possessed by evil people.

There is no doubt that these shakes needs that the elites take care of high principles more than ever before to merge these discoveries into the educational materials in a profound and artistic image.

The problem of education and political maneuver:
The problem of education recently is raging everywhere and throws kinds of violence in normal circumstances; how about in political maneuvers that are woven by biased hands! Those problems erupt under the disgise of special school incidents, the reformation of local programs or securing the youth's future which are all false and not true.

However, this does not mean that youth do not have special problems that need to be solved, this is out of discussion, and the state has to pay more attention to it.

Balance between old and modern principles:
Truly, there is a problem in balancing between the fundamental principles on which the essence of life depend (from one side) and the renewal power represented in new sciences, discoveries, and modern social theories from the other side.

There is no doubt that these forces collide harshly and cruelly, and if they failed to share harmony and to be harmonized with one another, they will exchange demolition and destruction.

The efforts of young and old are essential:
It is essential to unite all efforts; i.e., the rapid efforts of youth which rushing toward immediate actions and synergy with the efforts of those who have previous life experience in order to end successfully.

This is the important mission which busy and worry the mind of those who are loyal to cultural advancement and progressive leadership.

Indeed, we are in one of the eras of advancement and in such eras reasonable people need the experiences of wise people and good examples so as not to be lost in the middle of chaos, disturbance, and confusion. Are we able to restore the memories of the first Islamic eras in that state? If we restore the memories of these golden eras, we will realize that the Islamic Nation has mixed between the useful and good legacies of the east and the West and added to it the light of revelation which enabled it to be one of the fountains of science, knowledge, and culture as it was the source of sound creed, established faith, manners, and high and noble principles.

Muslims and evolution:
Muslims today cannot remain in isolation from any form of mental renovations or social developments, so it is really important that a Muslim should be alert and wakeful and to make a balance between the inherited legacies and new sciences because the imported solutions are not compatible with us because the nature of our society is different from theirs. They are either imperial or capital which are based on selfishness and greediness. So, the nature of things from one side and the current necessity from the other are the factors which determine our basic fundamentals on which cultural directions and political systems depend.

The solution should be from inside:
The meaning is: From inside only solutions should erupt for the problems we are looking for to solve.

There is no doubt that we should derive our solutions from the Glorious Qur'an so as to find the key concepts for all spiritual, cultural, political, and economic issues; this will be a focal point between the stability of heavenly eternal justice and flexible human developments.

Philosophy retreats before Islam:
Aristotle determined that mediation in numbers and figures to the extent that he had appointed a number for virtue, which if exceeded up or down, it will become a vice or closer to vice.

Many people were fascinated by that Aristotelian theory, but the Qur'an and the Sunnah have determined the most precise rules and the most accessible to humanity and made it one of the practical possibilities and easiest in application and cause the Aristotelian theory retreats before these eternal divine teachings.

We can say that moderation is a human quality, which leans to perfection but mixed with joy and hope as was reported in the Hadith: "Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded..." [Reported by Al Bukhari].

In fact, if we ponder over the theory of Aristotle, in the principles of Islam, and make a balance between them, we will find out that the first is characterized by the defective nature of human beings, whereas the second is full of bright perfection because if we measured matters according to the theory of Aristotle, how would we determine those who deserve giving? How much they should take? When they should take? And for what purpose?

There is no doubt that figures set by the wise "Istaguirra" will stand still before the previous questions which Islam answered by trying to reach perfection as much as a person can do according to his capacity.

The role of Islam in this era:
In this age which is full of anxiety and suffering, the role of Islam must be highlighted to include both sides: the spiritual and the material, or religion and worldly matters, and to do its essential mission which is preserving the two faces of civility that are threatened by the crisis of modern conscience; those two faces are spirituality and morals from one side and science from the other hand.

What we want from science?
The meaning of knowledge is technology that is moved by automatically but the meaning is its method —that predicts and make assumptions— properties, creed, and its contents.

We must stop pretenders:
In fact, it is not uncommon in our time to hear the voices of a number of great and true researchers call for removing the veil of pretenders who claim to be scholars, taking clowning, hasting, the lack of seriousness, and the urgent need for persuasion before doubt, research, and experiments as a habit in all their actions and behaviors. In turn, we join those callers because, now, we have many people who claim to be educated but do harm to knowledge as their counterpart in the West; instead of drawing near perfection as much as possible, we find them moving away from it, and not caring about the outcome of their abhorrent actions.

When it was difficult to encompass this vital and important issue, we satisfied to recall to the minds of our youth the necessity of paying more attention to their duties. When characters are infected by vice or weakness, their entire actions are stained with these sinful actions or with weakness that lies deep in their selves.

Courage and the honesty:
As we have referred to necessary duties, we should summarize these duties in two important virtues which are courage and honesty or loyalty to the principle. In the field of collective sport which prepare the body to be a good bowl valid for all moral productions; thereupon these two qualities are synchronous.

The meaning of the availability of courage and honesty is to make them flexible to be able to understand the world and its forces, realizing thoughts, the past and future events, and all the experiments of live sciences.

It also deals with non-retreatment before intellectual obstacles and the trouble of thoughts when the matter is attached with searching for the truth.

Hence, the Quran describes those who bring the truth and believe in it as one of the pious. "And he (Muhammad peace be upon him) who has brought the truth (this Qur’ân and Islâmic Monotheism) and (those who) believed therein (i.e. the true believers of Islâmic Monotheism), those are Al- Muttaqûn (the pious)." [Surat Az-Zumar: 33].

From the things which are included in these two qualities is keeping away from anything that may jeopardize a person to half-solutions or doubtful matters that lie between the lawful and the prohibited. "Whoever goes around the boundaries is about to fall into them."

To sum up: A person should be clean and innocent in all that he does or says: " O you who believe! Be afraid of Allâh, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds)." [Surat At-Tawbah: 119]; i.e., actions should be in harmony with words without any deception.

Finally: Courage and honesty deal with the courage of the youth for knowledge and to understand fully, i.e., to be men and not children, heads and not tails, and do not do actions against their words. " O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? * Most hateful it is with Allâh that you say that which you do not do." [Surat As-Saf: 2-3].

Merits of students:
Here, we should mention that students have a merit which is learning by which they arm their minds throughout life by the virtue of the means they have and calmness which enables them to perform their scientific mission, unlike other people who do not own this merit.

The failure of taking advantage of this task, or using it in pure expedient goals: both are bad omen to the public good, and contradictory with the spirit of Islam that mandates moderation, and urges to take both sides, spiritual and material. "But seek, with that (wealth) which Allâh has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of lawful enjoyment in this world; and do good as Allâh has been good to you, and seek not mischief in the land. Verily, Allâh likes not the Mufsidûn (those who commit great crimes and sins, oppressors, tyrants, mischief-makers, corrupters)." [Surat Al Qasas: 77].

Young people and the fate of the nation:
Hence, we know that part of the formation of the country is based on the intellectual, moral, and physical formation of youth, therefore old people have to exert tremendous efforts to pay attention to this side.