The Best Education System for Humanity Arises from the Perfect Ideology

Education is an important part of humanity's history. It has an influence on the concepts of generations. The goal behind education is determined by the ideology that the state represents. Therefore the ideology gives the guidelines for education. Thus the different ideologies existing today such as capitalism, communism and Islam also have different goals that they pursue with education.

Islam is proved historically and rationally as the only true ideology that is not created by man. It is the first Ideology in the history of mankind, that means the first doctrine which gives a comprehensive order for life. Islam is based on Divine Revelation and the Islamic Aqeedah and regulates all human affairs according to their nature. The Islamic ideology ordains that each person put the purpose of their being into the attainment of the Pleasure of Allah (swt) since Allah (swt) mentioned in the noble Quran:

(وَمَا خَلَقۡتُ ٱلۡجِنَّ وَٱلۡإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعۡبُدُونِ)

“I have not created man and jinn except as a worship unto me.” [Adh-Dhariyat: 56]

Accordingly, the state which is based on the Islamic ideology, sets the goal of education to create generations with a strong Islamic understanding. Thus the youth and the adult will be trained to develop an Islamic way of thinking and behavior. So the goal of education in Islam is not to create work forces for the economic system of the country like in the capitalist ideology. Rather Islam focuses on creating strong powerful Islamic personalities which benefit the society and spread the glorious Islamic ideology throughout the world.

The Islamic Education system is divided into the areas of personality development and general knowledge. Both areas help the learners to produce an enlightened thinking and behavior. The youth learn to make sense of life and connect all what they learnt with reality and thus do not get into the negative behavioral problems that exist nowadays.

Furthermore, the state does not pursue a business with education. Therefore, the Islamic education system from elementary school to high school is available to all the people of the state without fees. The University is also free of charge or very favorable. There is also a uniform education system throughout the state, without having a different curriculum for private schools or special Islamic schools (Madrassas). There is no mixing between males and females, whether students or teachers, and the buildings and learning materials are also prepared in the best way possible. The Arabic language is the first language of the state, so every person can learn the language of the noble Quran effectively and perhaps even become a Mujtahid.

Education is provided for both men and women in the same way within the Islamic framework. It is very important that the women become a strong Islamic personality because they have an enormous influence on the society. For this reason there will never be any disregard for women’s Education. '

One example of great Muslim women in Islamic history who were involved in education is Ayesha (ra), the wife of the Prophet (saw) who used to teach the Hadith of the Prophet (saw) to the Sahabas (ra). Another example is Fatima al-Fihri who established the world’s first University. She pioneered a model of higher learning coupled with the issuance of degrees of various levels.

The Islamic education system is also concerned with new research in science, medicine, astronomy, technology and other fields. So the state will train individuals whose minds and skills will benefit its citizens and help the Khilafah "Caliphate" rise to a high stature internationally. With this system of learning, the Khilafah "Caliphate" will lead the world in industrial innovation, healthcare, architecture and other practical demands of human existence. The Islamic generation will have the potential to help all the world to step out of the ignorance and darkness created by secular regimes into the enlightened world of Islam and the understanding of the true meaning of life.

History proves that Islam makes a complete change in those who come in contact with it. Already the view of the Arabian Peninsula shows how far-reaching and lasting these changes are. In addition, Islam has welded entire peoples, Arabs and non-Arabs into a unified body (the Ummah). In no period in the history of mankind has a civilized nation ever done such a thing. The influence of the Islamic society on humanity began with the founding of the first Islamic state in Medina. Previously, it was only individuals who could be influenced by Islam. It was only through the full implementation of Islam in the form of the state of the Caliphate that the Islamic society could have an impressive effect on mankind. In the Middle Ages, the Islamic society stood out amongst all the other societies which were submerged in complete darkness. The Islamic culture and education of the Muslims put all the societies of the Middle Ages and the time before them in its shadow. So it is essential that the Khilafah "Caliphate" is rebuilt again so that the Muslims and the whole of humanity achieve a glorious rise.

Unfortunately, the Muslim youth are now threatened with a lost future like the youth in the secular countries. The school system which exists today is based on secular and democratic values. The Islamic schools teach Islam only like a ritual. All this destroys the Muslim youth and prevents them from becoming acquainted with the true Islamic education system. Parents can try to teach their children the Islamic curriculum and show them the real meaning of Islamic Education but this does not achieve a generation of strong Islamic personalities, nor an advance of Islam and the society.

The world therefore needs a strong education system that prepares the youth mentally for life from the outset, enables them to understand the true purpose of life and does not let them live desperate lives. The world needs a form of education that creates strong Islamic personalities that will be able to carry the Islamic flag across the globe. Such an education system can only emerge when there is a state that embodies the Islamic Ideology and thus establishes the foundation, goals, and structure of the education system based upon the Islamic Aqeedah alone: the correct doctrine for life.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Amanah Abed