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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Importance of Education in Islam
To understand the significance that Islam attaches to teaching and learning, it suffices to know that in the Qur'an, God describes Himself as a teacher. “The All-Beneficent has taught the Qur'an. He created man [and] taught him articulate speech” (Ar-Rahman:1-4).
Indeed, God is the highest teacher and the Prophet (s) is the best student and seeker of knowledge. Addressing the Prophet (s), God says in the Qur'an, “He has taught you what you did not know and great is God's grace upon you” (An-Nisaa:113). Having received divine knowledge directly from God, the Prophet (s) is the best teacher for mankind because he is a prophet on a mission to educate for he (s) has said. “I have been sent to teach. ” In four different sections of the Qur'an, the leaching of the Book and wisdom are considered as one of the most important missions of the Prophet (s) along with recitation of the divine verses and the purification of the people. In addition, there are verses which state specifically that one of the foundations of the Prophet's (s) mission is to teach. among which is the following verse: “We have send down the Reminder to you so that you may clarify for the people, that which has been sent down to them and haply they may reflect” (An-Nahl:44).
According to the traditions (hadiths), scholars ('ulama) are “the inheritors of the Prophets” and “the trustees of the Messengers.” Therefore, it is essential for them to direct all their efforts towards teaching. A candle burns itself to give light and so does a scholar, who suffers both from the ignorance of some people and also exhausts himself/herself to teach those who are interested.
The ink of the scholars, who write books with their souls in order to remove ignorance from the souls of those, who lack knowledge is worth more than the blood of a martyr.
Imam al-Sadiq (as) is quoted to have said:
On the Day of Judgment, God gathers people on a platform upon which scales are placed.Then the blood of martyrs is weighed in comparison to the ink of scholars and the ink of the scholars is favoured over the blood of martyrs.
Learning is of such great importance in Islam that people are instructed to seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.
They are also advised to seek knowledge even if it requires travelling to the most distant lands to acquire it. One should never consider his/her intellectual achievements to be sufficient and should always seek more enlightenment. Even Prophet Muhammad (s), who was taught by God, was instructed by Him to ask for more wisdom, “My Lord! Increase me in knowledge” (Ta-Ha:114).