A Summary of the Concepts of Ahl as-Sunnah
Leadership is an innate talent.
It is not enough for an educator to merely possess the capacity to monitor and care for the student.
Rather, alongside that, he must possess a natural leadership ability that reassures the learner without being authoritarian.
Accordingly,
the presence of educational leadership is a communal obligation (fard kifayah) upon the Ummah.
It may even become an individual obligation—like all communal obligations—for anyone who possesses the foundational talent for leadership.
In that case, he is required to nurture himself and refine his skills through management and leadership training,
and subsequently employ those skills in educating the Ummah, both individually and collectively.
Education by Example
Setting a good example is one of the most paramount and essential characteristics of an educational leader.
It is the most effective of all means in the educational process and exerts the greatest influence on its success.
While the character of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, serves as the ultimate role model,
it remains an example that a Muslim can realize in practice to the extent that he draws inspiration from it,
and to the extent that he patiently strives toward noble heights.
Thus, his example, peace be upon him, is not a mere fantasy for souls to adore without practical emulation.
Essential Traits of an Educator
Since it has become clear from the foregoing that leadership and setting a good example are essential traits of an educator,
we can add to them the following:
First, the educator's standing in knowledge, wisdom, and soundness of judgment must exceed that of the learner.
It is not a prerequisite that he be older in age,
even though advanced age usually exerts an influence on the learner's acceptance—
but only as a supporting factor that aids acceptance,
not as a strict condition for it.
Second, the educator must possess substance to impart to the student.
Third, the educator must excel in the method of imparting what he possesses.
Fourth, he must possess the ability to care for those he educates, continually following up with them and guiding them.
These are the traits that an educator needs to realize with whomever he educates,
whether that student is a young child or an entire nation.
Yet, how vast is the difference between the two in their need for these traits in their educator!
For as the domain of education expands and the number of students increases,
the required degree of these traits becomes greater and deeper.
The Muslim Teacher
The Muslim teacher is, in truth, an educator of his students,
in addition to being their instructor in the academic subject he teaches them.
Therefore, he must embody the characteristics of an educator that we have mentioned,
practice Islam in actual reality,
and embody the character of the Qur'an in his behavior, interactions,
appearance, demeanor, and overall conduct.
To achieve this, it is required of him
to be knowledgeable in the principles, values, and concepts of Islam.
The Islamic School
The Islamic school, by encompassing Muslim teachers,
ought to serve as a nurturing environment
that raises Muslim generations who know their religion, love it, and practice it—
understanding its breadth, comprehensiveness, and integration, and living and practicing it in the real world.
However, the reality of today's schools is quite the opposite,
as they tie students and generations merely to the desire for obtaining certificates and jobs
for purely worldly benefit.
The Female Educator
Among the primary roles of a woman in Islam
is the upbringing of children.
Hence, she is tasked with safeguarding Islamic values and principles
and disseminating them within society.
She also fulfills the child's innate need for love, affection,
and the care required
so that the child grows up in a sound manner,
achieving psychological balance.
No one other than the mother can provide this to the child.
All of this necessitates that she possess knowledge of the religion,
experience regarding societal conditions,
and training in dealing with them.
Thus, she should study what assists her in this
and grants her this knowledge and experience.
For a woman is a specialized mother,
except in cases of compelling necessity
which rarely occur in a Muslim society.
According to Ahl as-Sunnah.