Ultimate Goal of Education

Ultimate goal of education is to achieve the capacity manage all kinds of resources of life, to distribute them and benefit the human being. Allah endowed human with powers, and faculties. Man possesses intellect and wisdom, will, faculties of speech, sight, taste, touch and hearing, passions of love, fear, and anger and so on. These faculties have been bestowed on him because they are crucial to him. His very life and success depend on the proper use of these powers for the fulfilment of his needs and requirements. These Allah-given powers are aimed for his service, and unless they are used fully, life cannot become worth living. Allah has also provided human with all those means and resources to make his natural faculties function and to achieve the fulfilment of his needs in the world in which human lives. And there are other people living in his surrounding, so that they can co-operate with each other in the construction of a better and prosperous life. Allah gave human these powers and resources so that they may be used for the good of others. The proper use of these powers is that which makes them beneficial to them. That alone is the proper utilization of these powers. Every other use, which results in waste or destruction, is wrong, unreasonable and unjustified. For instance, if someone does something that causes him harm or injury; it would be a mistake. If his actions harm others and make him a nuisance to them that would be the misuse of God-given powers. If you waste resources, spoil them for nothing or destroy them that too is a mistake. Keeping this basic consideration in view, we see that Allah has given the code of behavior - the Shari’ah, which Allah has revealed to man. The Shari’ah is the law of Allah and provides guidance for the regulation of life in the best interests of man. Its objective is to show the best way to the man and provide him with the ways and means to fulfil his needs in the most beneficial way. It does not say to leave the world, give up all ease and comfort of life. Therefore, Allah will ask on the Day of Judgment about the proper utilization of what he gave us.

In order to be successful on that Day, the fundamental principle of the Law is that the man has the right, as well as he has duties to others – to himself, to Allah, to other creatures. Shariah is the combination of rights and obligations. The shariah perspectives mentioned above urge to human to seek knowledge to manage the life.

Islam regards knowledge and science as the common heritage of mankind. Muslims have liberty to learn them and to learn how to practically use of that knowledge. But as far as the question of the way of life is concerned, Islam forbids imitating the modes of living of other peoples blindly (taqlid). The psychological impact of imitation is that it creates a sense of inferiority, and it destroys its inner vitality, its vision[1]

Acquiring knowledge is equally important for success of self through worshiping the Lord Allah, and for the service of other fellow human being. From this obligation and responsibility perspectives we argue that the human must learn knowledge to benefit and serve human. Regarding benefiting the human, people and other civilization Allah says:

“Ye are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing In Allah. if only the people of the Book had Faith, it were best for them: among them are some who have Faith, but Most of them are perverted transgressors.” (Surah Ale-Imran: 110).

Therefore, Islamic knowledge works for the sake of emancipation of the entire human. It is not only to worship Allah but also to serve human. The following examples and points inform us the Islamic knowledge is founded upon emancipatory view:

1. Allah and Prophet mention about pondering the ‘why’ factors. Although, the Qur’an is the ultimate source of knowledge, it does not give us the answer of every question. The Qur’an consists of principles that are necessary for human. Man has to think, search, and find the answers of questions he needs. In the past Muslims like Ibnu Sina, al-Khawarizmi, Al-biruni, Abu Qasim al-zahrawi and others managed to integrate the knowledge of shariah into the knowledge to manage the system. They integrated both types of knowledge. Knowledge is of two types: Ulum aqliah and Ulum naqliah. Ulum aqliah  must be supported by Ulum naqliah. Both are essential for the development of human and the system. While in the past Muslims managed to develop the civilization by their own expertise. Unfortunately, Muslims now a days concentrate more on Ulum naqliah not in a wider scope, and they think that it will help them to achieve success in this world and the life of hereafter. If we look at the curriculum of madrasah today, we see that they do not include habit of pondering, inquiring, developing database. While in the Qur’an Allah says, yatafaqqarun, ya’qilun, yatadabbarun etc. Al-Qur’an does not explain only ‘what’ factors but also ‘why’ factors. In order to understand the essence of Ulum naqliah and apply those in this worldly life Muslims must have to concentrate Ulum aqliah.

2. Human is the Khalifah of Allah. As a Khalifa, he has to take the responsibility of others. Allah says, ‘Inni Jailun Fil Ardi Khalifa’ (Surah Al-Baqara: 30). Meaning of Khalifa implies to be a manager, leaders and so on. So Khalifa must have the ability to manage self and system. How can that be applied to the system, for example, to that of the university, school, and colleges? Besides other systems include social system, political systems, system for managing human resources, mineral resources, transportation, communication, finance, economy, and business. As a Khalifa of Allah, human will take education, which means they will combine Tarbiyyah, Ta’lim and Ta’dib. Islam asks to people to educate themselves in different fields as the means of building the kingdom of God (Allah) on earth [2]. In addition explained function of education in order to play the role of khalifa as follows:

Literally, Tarbiyyah means ‘educate’, Ta’lim means ‘knowledgeable’ and Ta’dib derived from the word ‘adaba’ means ‘moral’. These terms comprehensively are concerning the multilateral relationship of human and their society; human and environment; society and environment; and in relation to Allah. These cross-sectional relations are all together represent the scope of education in Islam of both ‘formal’ and ‘non-formal’, comprising the Fardhu Ain  and Fardhu Kifayah.[3]