WEBVTT 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:08.740 Summary of the concepts of Ahl al-Sunnah 00:00:08.740 --> 00:00:13.339 Nurturing and development is continuous and never ends. 00:00:13.339 --> 00:00:15.339 It is in the nature of the human soul 00:00:15.339 --> 00:00:18.339 to fluctuate between obedience and disobedience, 00:00:18.339 --> 00:00:21.339 and between guidance and astrayness. 00:00:21.339 --> 00:00:25.339 Therefore, it requires constant supervision, 00:00:25.339 --> 00:00:30.339 and it is not enough to cast it into the mold of guidance and obedience just once, 00:00:30.339 --> 00:00:34.340 assuming that it will remain upright ever after. 00:00:34.340 --> 00:00:38.340 Rather, it constantly transgresses the boundaries of that disciplined mold, 00:00:38.340 --> 00:00:41.340 time and time again. 00:00:41.340 --> 00:00:46.340 Thus, each time, guidance is necessary to reset and realign it. 00:00:46.340 --> 00:00:51.380 Through this, the hardship and gravity of the nurturing process become evident, 00:00:51.380 --> 00:00:54.380 as does its enduring necessity. 00:00:54.380 --> 00:00:57.380 For the choice is either this tireless effort, 00:00:57.380 --> 00:00:59.380 or utter ruin. 00:01:01.109 --> 00:01:06.780 The learner's missteps: between overlooking and negligence 00:01:06.780 --> 00:01:09.780 Sometimes, there arise from the learner 00:01:09.780 --> 00:01:12.780 certain missteps that the mentor dislikes, 00:01:12.780 --> 00:01:15.780 yet he may deliberately overlook them, 00:01:15.780 --> 00:01:19.780 realizing that continuous reprimand for every single slip 00:01:19.780 --> 00:01:24.780 may provoke an adverse reaction of resentment and alienation. 00:01:24.780 --> 00:01:27.879 There is no harm in such overlooking, 00:01:27.879 --> 00:01:30.879 provided it is restricted to minor lapses, 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:33.879 not outright, blatant offenses, 00:01:33.879 --> 00:01:40.879 and that it is done with the intention of balancing priorities and deferring correction until the learner matures 00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:44.939 and comprehends the root of the error. 00:01:44.939 --> 00:01:50.939 Moreover, this overlooking must never lead to neglect and heedlessness, 00:01:50.939 --> 00:01:54.939 for neglecting to admonish is just as harmful as persistent badgering. 00:01:54.939 --> 00:01:56.939 And the mentor's wisdom 00:01:56.939 --> 00:02:01.939 is what guides him as to when overlooking is best and when correction is best. 00:02:01.939 --> 00:02:09.060 Employing both leniency and firmness in upbringing 00:02:09.060 --> 00:02:12.060 Leniency in its proper place is essential, 00:02:12.060 --> 00:02:17.060 and firmness in its proper place is equally essential to the very same degree. 00:02:17.060 --> 00:02:23.060 What is prohibited is harshness and hard-heartedness, which never bring any good. 00:02:23.060 --> 00:02:25.060 Allah Almighty said: 00:02:25.060 --> 00:02:29.060 “It was by the mercy of Allah that thou wast lenient with them (O Muhammad), for if thou hadst been stern and fierce of heart they would have dispersed from round about thee. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult with them upon the conduct of affairs. And when thou art resolved, then put thy trust in Allah. Lo! Allah loveth those who put their trust (in Him).” (3:159) 00:02:29.060 --> 00:02:34.060 "And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you." 00:02:34.060 --> 00:02:37.090 Firmness in no way means harshness; 00:02:37.090 --> 00:02:41.090 rather, it is the educator's steadfastness upon the right decision 00:02:41.090 --> 00:02:44.090 and an insistence on carrying it out, 00:02:44.090 --> 00:02:46.090 while observing the best manner 00:02:46.090 --> 00:02:49.090 and imbuing it with gentleness and love. 00:02:49.090 --> 00:02:51.090 What the mentor truly needs 00:02:51.090 --> 00:02:55.090 is discernment regarding the occasions for leniency and the occasions for firmness, 00:02:55.090 --> 00:03:00.500 grounded upon an enduring foundation of love. 00:03:00.500 --> 00:03:03.500 Training in the restraint of desires 00:03:03.500 --> 00:03:08.229 Restraining desires is a skill that a person can be trained in, 00:03:08.229 --> 00:03:11.229 and a habit that can be cultivated. 00:03:11.229 --> 00:03:14.229 The earlier one trains in it during childhood, 00:03:14.229 --> 00:03:18.229 the more capable and proficient one becomes at it, 00:03:18.229 --> 00:03:22.229 readily finding that self-control when it is needed. 00:03:22.229 --> 00:03:25.259 A Muslim cannot call people to Allah Almighty 00:03:25.259 --> 00:03:28.259 or strive in His cause 00:03:28.259 --> 00:03:31.259 without disciplining his passions and desires, 00:03:31.259 --> 00:03:34.259 even those within the realm of the permissible 00:03:34.259 --> 00:03:37.259 that carry no sin in and of themselves. 00:03:37.259 --> 00:03:39.300 Allah Almighty said: 00:03:39.300 --> 00:03:43.300 “Say: If your fathers, and your sons, and your brethren, and your wives, and your tribe, and the wealth ye have acquired, and merchandise for which ye fear that there will no sale, and dwellings ye desire are dearer to you than Allah and His messenger and striving in His way: then wait till Allah bringeth His command to pass. Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.” (9:24) 00:03:43.300 --> 00:03:47.300 "And your brothers, your spouses, your kindred, 00:03:47.300 --> 00:03:49.300 the wealth you have acquired, 00:03:49.300 --> 00:03:52.300 the commerce you fear may decline..." 00:03:52.300 --> 00:03:55.300 “Say: If your fathers, and your sons, and your brethren, and your wives, and your tribe, and the wealth ye have acquired, and merchandise for which ye fear that there will no sale, and dwellings ye desire are dearer to you than Allah and His messenger and striving in His way: then wait till Allah bringeth His command to pass. Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.” (9:24) 00:03:55.300 --> 00:03:59.300 “Say: If your fathers, and your sons, and your brethren, and your wives, and your tribe, and the wealth ye have acquired, and merchandise for which ye fear that there will no sale, and dwellings ye desire are dearer to you than Allah and His messenger and striving in His way: then wait till Allah bringeth His command to pass. Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.” (9:24) 00:03:59.300 --> 00:04:03.300 “Say: If your fathers, and your sons, and your brethren, and your wives, and your tribe, and the wealth ye have acquired, and merchandise for which ye fear that there will no sale, and dwellings ye desire are dearer to you than Allah and His messenger and striving in His way: then wait till Allah bringeth His command to pass. Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.” (9:24) 00:04:03.300 --> 00:04:07.300 "And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people." 00:04:07.300 --> 00:04:10.330 Everything mentioned in the verse 00:04:10.330 --> 00:04:13.330 is fundamentally permissible, 00:04:13.330 --> 00:04:16.329 yet it becomes forbidden and sinful 00:04:16.329 --> 00:04:20.329 when it turns one away from the duty of da'wah and striving in the cause of Allah. 00:04:20.329 --> 00:04:24.420 Restraining desires does not mean total deprivation of them, 00:04:24.420 --> 00:04:26.420 so long as they are permissible; 00:04:26.420 --> 00:04:30.420 rather, it means training the soul to forgo them 00:04:30.420 --> 00:04:32.420 whenever the need arises. 00:04:32.420 --> 00:04:34.420 Accordingly, 00:04:34.420 --> 00:04:37.420 the educator can nurture the learners 00:04:37.420 --> 00:04:40.420 through periodic exercises in which he withholds from them certain permissible desires 00:04:40.420 --> 00:04:43.420 of the self for a limited time, 00:04:43.420 --> 00:04:47.420 to accustom them to doing without them when necessary. 00:04:52.930 --> 00:04:57.930 Punishment is neither inherently reprehensible nor forbidden, 00:04:57.930 --> 00:05:00.930 nor is it inherently harmful to the development of the individual or the child, 00:05:00.930 --> 00:05:05.930 as claimed by certain educational doctrines of contemporary Jahiliyyah. 00:05:05.930 --> 00:05:08.959 For the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:11.959 commanded that the child be disciplined for neglecting prayer, 00:05:11.959 --> 00:05:13.959 saying: 00:05:13.959 --> 00:05:16.959 "Command your children to pray when they are seven years old, 00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:19.959 and discipline them for neglecting it when they are ten." 00:05:19.959 --> 00:05:24.959 However, what we need to establish and emphasize is the following: 00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:26.959 First: 00:05:26.959 --> 00:05:31.959 Punishment—in both its physical and psychological forms—should not 00:05:31.959 --> 00:05:34.959 be the first resort of the educator; 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:37.959 rather, he must begin with reward and encouragement, 00:05:37.959 --> 00:05:39.959 and if that proves ineffective, 00:05:39.959 --> 00:05:41.959 he may move to punishment, 00:05:41.959 --> 00:05:46.089 beginning with moral reprimand before physical discipline. 00:05:46.089 --> 00:05:48.089 Second: 00:05:48.089 --> 00:05:51.089 Individual differences between children must be respected, 00:05:51.089 --> 00:05:56.089 and the type and measure of punishment must be decided with wisdom. 00:05:56.089 --> 00:06:01.089 For there is a child who considers turning away from him to be a sufficient deterrent, 00:06:01.089 --> 00:06:03.089 one that touches him to the core; 00:06:03.089 --> 00:06:08.089 so do not escalate beyond that punishment to something else, 00:06:08.089 --> 00:06:11.089 nor unnecessarily prolong the period of shunning, 00:06:11.089 --> 00:06:14.089 if a brief period suffices. 00:06:14.089 --> 00:06:19.089 Yet another child is not deterred except by physical discipline, 00:06:19.089 --> 00:06:23.379 and with such a child, one employs what is effective for him. 00:06:23.379 --> 00:06:25.379 Third: 00:06:25.379 --> 00:06:32.379 The educator must ensure that the punishment is proportionate to the offense in its degree as well; 00:06:32.379 --> 00:06:39.379 he should not have a uniform measure of punishment applied equally to every case, 00:06:39.379 --> 00:06:44.379 for that emboldens a child to commit a major offense 00:06:44.379 --> 00:06:48.629 as long as its punishment is the same as that of a minor one. 00:06:48.629 --> 00:06:50.629 Fourth: 00:06:50.629 --> 00:06:55.629 It is generally better to threaten punishment than to actually carry it out, 00:06:55.629 --> 00:07:00.629 because that preserves its lasting deterrent dread within the child's soul, 00:07:00.629 --> 00:07:02.629 unlike frequent execution, 00:07:02.629 --> 00:07:08.629 which may breed familiarity and cause the child to lose all fear of it. 00:07:08.629 --> 00:07:13.459 Upbringing through direct guidance and instruction 00:07:13.459 --> 00:07:16.300 First: 00:07:16.300 --> 00:07:19.300 The necessity of guidance and direct instruction. 00:07:19.300 --> 00:07:23.360 Setting an example alone is not sufficient in the process of upbringing, 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:26.360 nor does it fulfill all that is required. 00:07:26.360 --> 00:07:31.360 The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, though the supreme role model for humanity, 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:34.360 did not rely solely on his conduct in educating his Companions; 00:07:34.360 --> 00:07:38.360 rather, he was constantly guiding and instructing them, 00:07:38.360 --> 00:07:42.360 to the point that an immense wealth of hadiths was established, 00:07:42.360 --> 00:07:46.360 which became one of the two primary sources of legislation. 00:07:46.360 --> 00:07:51.360 Likewise, the Noble Qur'an is entirely composed of guidance and direct instruction; 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:56.360 thus, upbringing must combine both exemplary conduct and verbal instruction. 00:07:56.360 --> 00:07:58.680 Second: 00:07:58.680 --> 00:08:00.680 The source of guidance and instruction. 00:08:01.810 --> 00:08:03.810 It is evident from the preceding point 00:08:03.810 --> 00:08:06.810 that the source of guidance and instruction 00:08:06.810 --> 00:08:09.810 must be the Book and the Sunnah. 00:08:09.810 --> 00:08:13.810 Accordingly, we do not derive our guidance for our children— 00:08:13.810 --> 00:08:18.810 in values, worldviews, morals, or patterns of behavior— 00:08:18.810 --> 00:08:22.810 from the ignorance (Jahiliyyah) surrounding us across the globe. 00:08:22.810 --> 00:08:26.000 This does not mean that we should close our minds 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:29.000 to beneficial human experiences, 00:08:29.000 --> 00:08:32.000 for wisdom is the lost property of the believer: 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:35.000 wherever he finds it, he has the greatest right to it. 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:40.000 Rather, the intent is that we beware lest Jahiliyyah entice us away 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:43.000 from what has been revealed to us, or from part of it. 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:45.000 Allah Almighty said: 00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:49.000 "And judge between them by what Allah has revealed 00:08:49.000 --> 00:08:52.000 and do not follow their desires..." 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:57.000 “So judge between them by that which Allah hath revealed, and follow not their desires, but beware of them lest they seduce thee from some part of that which Allah hath revealed unto thee. And if they turn away, then know that Allah's Will is to smite them for some sin of theirs. Lo! many of mankind are evil-livers.” (5:49) 00:08:57.000 --> 00:08:59.029 The implication of this is 00:08:59.029 --> 00:09:02.029 that we must never derive fundamental principles except from the Book of Allah 00:09:02.029 --> 00:09:06.029 and the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace be upon him. 00:09:06.029 --> 00:09:08.029 As for applications— 00:09:08.029 --> 00:09:11.029 that is, the practical methods of execution and delivery— 00:09:11.029 --> 00:09:15.029 there is no harm in adopting any beneficial method or technique, 00:09:15.029 --> 00:09:19.029 so long as it does not conflict with the foundational principles derived 00:09:19.029 --> 00:09:21.029 from the Book and the Sunnah, 00:09:21.029 --> 00:09:23.029 while holding the firm conviction 00:09:23.029 --> 00:09:28.029 that Jahiliyyah, in terms of foundational principles, possesses only one of two things: 00:09:28.029 --> 00:09:32.029 either values and principles similar to those in Islam, 00:09:32.029 --> 00:09:37.029 in which case let us take them from their original, divine source; 00:09:37.029 --> 00:09:40.029 or values that contradict Islam, 00:09:40.029 --> 00:09:44.029 from which no good can ever emerge, 00:09:44.029 --> 00:09:49.029 even if at first glance they appear glittering and attractive. 00:09:49.029 --> 00:09:53.090 Channeling energies and emotions 00:09:53.090 --> 00:09:58.340 Islam directs human energies, drives, 00:09:58.340 --> 00:10:02.340 and diverse emotions toward their proper destination, 00:10:02.340 --> 00:10:07.340 channeling them into their designated fields so they bear fruit. 00:10:07.340 --> 00:10:11.429 If, for instance, the capacity for hatred builds up within a person— 00:10:11.429 --> 00:10:14.429 which is an innate capacity— 00:10:14.429 --> 00:10:18.429 Islam directs it toward hating Satan and his allies, 00:10:18.429 --> 00:10:21.429 and toward every evil they instigate. 00:10:22.429 --> 00:10:27.429 Similarly, Islam channels the capacity for love toward the love of Allah, 00:10:27.429 --> 00:10:31.429 the love of the believers, the good, and the lawful. 00:10:31.429 --> 00:10:34.429 Say the same regarding all other faculties, 00:10:34.429 --> 00:10:38.429 such as striving, cultivation, production, and development, 00:10:38.429 --> 00:10:44.429 where Islam channels all of that into doing good and dismantling falsehood, 00:10:44.429 --> 00:10:51.429 thereby safeguarding the soul from being derailed by its energies into turmoil and vice. 00:10:56.389 --> 00:11:01.029 Knowledge stripped of spiritual upbringing and self-purification 00:11:01.029 --> 00:11:06.029 becomes an argument against its possessor rather than a benefit; 00:11:06.029 --> 00:11:10.029 indeed, it may drive its possessor to spread corruption in the land 00:11:10.029 --> 00:11:13.100 instead of reforming it. 00:11:13.100 --> 00:11:20.100 Therefore, students throughout the stages of education must be linked to noble, exalted goals, 00:11:20.100 --> 00:11:25.129 and steered clear of base aims and trivialities. 00:11:25.129 --> 00:11:29.129 Educational curricula should be formulated in light of this vision, 00:11:29.129 --> 00:11:34.129 especially in the field of the so-called humanities and theoretical sciences, 00:11:34.129 --> 00:11:38.129 such as history, language, literature, and pedagogy. 00:11:38.129 --> 00:11:43.129 In history, for example, students study the biographies of the heroes of the Ummah of Islam, 00:11:43.129 --> 00:11:47.129 highlighting the role models within their lives, 00:11:47.129 --> 00:11:53.129 while the wicked are mentioned with an exposure of the roots of their evil and deviations 00:11:53.129 --> 00:12:01.149 and their adverse impacts upon the Ummah, so as to discern the path of the wicked. 00:12:01.149 --> 00:12:04.789 Collective upbringing 00:12:04.789 --> 00:12:11.789 Although individual upbringing has its importance and role in cultivating exceptional individuals, 00:12:11.789 --> 00:12:15.789 it is never sufficient on its own; 00:12:15.789 --> 00:12:21.789 rather, collective upbringing—or nurturing the individual within a group—is indispensable. 00:12:21.789 --> 00:12:26.789 For the human soul, as we have explained regarding the nature of the learner, 00:12:26.789 --> 00:12:29.789 has two innate inclinations: 00:12:29.789 --> 00:12:33.789 an individual inclination and a collective one; 00:12:33.789 --> 00:12:35.789 he is an individual within a group. 00:12:35.789 --> 00:12:40.789 Accordingly, an individual will not develop in a wholesome manner 00:12:40.789 --> 00:12:45.789 unless we nurture those facets within him that do not mature or function 00:12:45.789 --> 00:12:49.789 except within a group alongside other individuals. 00:12:49.789 --> 00:12:56.860 The school and its student activities represent a form of collective upbringing; 00:12:56.860 --> 00:13:00.860 likewise, Qur'an memorization circles in mosques 00:13:00.860 --> 00:13:07.860 and their accompanying excursions and educational camps are a form of collective upbringing, 00:13:07.860 --> 00:13:12.860 in which the learner is trained in wholesome coexistence with others, 00:13:12.860 --> 00:13:16.860 constructive interaction with them, 00:13:16.860 --> 00:13:19.860 setting shared goals, 00:13:19.860 --> 00:13:21.860 and achieving teamwork— 00:13:21.860 --> 00:13:28.860 which yields great results in areas that cannot be achieved through individual effort. 00:13:28.860 --> 00:13:32.620 The environment that influences upbringing: 00:13:32.620 --> 00:13:38.649 A child, or anyone being nurtured in general, is influenced by the surrounding environment; 00:13:38.649 --> 00:13:44.649 they are shaped by the home, the street, the school, and society. 00:13:44.649 --> 00:13:49.710 Therefore, if we want the educational and upbringing process to be successful and fruitful, 00:13:49.710 --> 00:13:53.710 we must have a Muslim home, 00:13:53.710 --> 00:13:55.710 a Muslim street, 00:13:55.710 --> 00:13:57.710 a Muslim school, 00:13:57.710 --> 00:13:59.710 a Muslim society, 00:13:59.710 --> 00:14:01.710 and Islamic media.