Did you know? (Inspirational Islamic Stories)

The Saviour of Humanity

Before the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) began to spread over the globe. He had administered education to many people who were illiterate, applying laws for social reformation, and even implemented better equality amongst his people as a whole as well.

Hence, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)  can be referred to as ‘The Savior of Humanity’ what with his abilities to have not only successfully deliver a religion, but a religion that also teaches morality and humanity as well to its people.

➡The very great importance attached to learning in Islam is illustrated by an event in the life of the Prophet.

At the battle of Badr, in which the Prophet was victorious, seventy of his enemies were taken prisoner. Now these captives were all literate people. So, in order to benefit from their erudition, the Prophet declared that if each prisoner taught ten Madinan children how to read and write, that would serve as his ransom and he would be set free.

 Islam’s stand on the treatment of prisoners of war has been made clear in a verse of the Holy Qur’an, which describes the qualities of a virtuous man.

“And they feed for the love of God, poor, the orphan and the prisoner (Surah Insan, verse 8.)

Islam gives great emphasis on manners during a battle.

“Ibn ‘Abbaas said:

In those days their prisoners were mushrikeen; on the day of Badr the Messenger of Allaah commanded them to be kind to their prisoners, so they used to put them before themselves when it came to food…

they would give food to these prisoners even though they themselves desired it and loved it...

➡The ransom of prisoners for teaching children of madinah proved  useful, as many children who had previously been unschooled finally were able to learn how to read and write.
Once the child had been proficient enough, the instructor would be set free.’ 

This was the first school in the history of Islam, established by the Prophet himself. It was of no matter to him that all its teachers were non-Muslims, all were prisoners of war, and all were likely to create problems again for Islam and Muslims once they were released.

This Sunnah of the Prophet showed that whatever the risk involved, education was paramount.

This was the greatest example by Prophet Muhammad (saws) on promoting knowledge.

The first verses of the Quran began with the word:

➡"Read. Read in the name of thy Lord who created; [He] created the human being from blood clot. Read in the name of thy Lord who taught by the pen: [He] taught the human being what he did not know."(96: 1-5).

The Qur'an says.

➡"Are those who have knowledge equal to those who do not have knowledge?!”(39:9).

The Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his progeny) has also empha­sized the importance of seeking knowl­edge in different ways:

(a) Time: "Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave."

(b) Place: "Seek knowledge even if it is far as China."

(c) Gender: "Seeking of knowledge is a duty of every Muslim"

(d) Source: "Wisdom is the lost prop­erty of the believer, he should take it even if finds it in the mouth of a mushrik."

Knowledge in Islam is normally divided into two broad categories:

there is a famous saying "al-'ilm "ilman: 'ilmu- adyan wa ilmu abdan - knowledge is of two kinds:

The knowledge concerning religions and the knowledge concerning [human and physical] bodies.

What has been mentioned above on the importance of knowledge refers to both, the religious as well as the secular knowledge.

The Quran has specifically talked about science also:

➡"In the creation of the heavens and the earth the alternation of the night and the day, in the ships that sail in the sea with their load…. in the rain which Allah sends down from the sky and thus revives the earth after its death; and then He spread in all kinds of animals; in the changing of the winds: in the clouds which have been left suspending between the heaven and the earth -in all these are clear signs for the people who understand” (2:164)

➡"We shall show them Our signs in the horizons and in themselves." (41:53)