Part of Concepts of Ahl as-Sunnah — Collected Episodes (series completed)
· Lesson 24 of 77
Summary of Sunni concepts | 49- Concepts about the educator and his characteristics | Concepts (805-810)
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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A Summary of the Concepts of Ahl as-Sunnah
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Leadership is an innate talent.
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It is not enough for an educator to merely possess the capacity to monitor and care for the student.
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Rather, alongside that, he must possess a natural leadership ability that reassures the learner without being authoritarian.
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Accordingly,
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the presence of educational leadership is a communal obligation (fard kifayah) upon the Ummah.
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It may even become an individual obligation—like all communal obligations—for anyone who possesses the foundational talent for leadership.
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In that case, he is required to nurture himself and refine his skills through management and leadership training,
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and subsequently employ those skills in educating the Ummah, both individually and collectively.
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Education by Example
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Setting a good example is one of the most paramount and essential characteristics of an educational leader.
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It is the most effective of all means in the educational process and exerts the greatest influence on its success.
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While the character of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, serves as the ultimate role model,
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it remains an example that a Muslim can realize in practice to the extent that he draws inspiration from it,
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and to the extent that he patiently strives toward noble heights.
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Thus, his example, peace be upon him, is not a mere fantasy for souls to adore without practical emulation.
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Essential Traits of an Educator
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Since it has become clear from the foregoing that leadership and setting a good example are essential traits of an educator,
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we can add to them the following:
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First, the educator's standing in knowledge, wisdom, and soundness of judgment must exceed that of the learner.
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It is not a prerequisite that he be older in age,
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even though advanced age usually exerts an influence on the learner's acceptance—
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but only as a supporting factor that aids acceptance,
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not as a strict condition for it.
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Second, the educator must possess substance to impart to the student.
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Third, the educator must excel in the method of imparting what he possesses.
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Fourth, he must possess the ability to care for those he educates, continually following up with them and guiding them.
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These are the traits that an educator needs to realize with whomever he educates,
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whether that student is a young child or an entire nation.
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Yet, how vast is the difference between the two in their need for these traits in their educator!
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For as the domain of education expands and the number of students increases,
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the required degree of these traits becomes greater and deeper.
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The Muslim Teacher
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The Muslim teacher is, in truth, an educator of his students,
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in addition to being their instructor in the academic subject he teaches them.
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Therefore, he must embody the characteristics of an educator that we have mentioned,
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practice Islam in actual reality,
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and embody the character of the Qur'an in his behavior, interactions,
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appearance, demeanor, and overall conduct.
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To achieve this, it is required of him
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to be knowledgeable in the principles, values, and concepts of Islam.
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The Islamic School
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The Islamic school, by encompassing Muslim teachers,
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ought to serve as a nurturing environment
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that raises Muslim generations who know their religion, love it, and practice it—
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understanding its breadth, comprehensiveness, and integration, and living and practicing it in the real world.
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However, the reality of today's schools is quite the opposite,
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as they tie students and generations merely to the desire for obtaining certificates and jobs
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for purely worldly benefit.
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The Female Educator
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Among the primary roles of a woman in Islam
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is the upbringing of children.
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Hence, she is tasked with safeguarding Islamic values and principles
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and disseminating them within society.
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She also fulfills the child's innate need for love, affection,
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and the care required
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so that the child grows up in a sound manner,
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achieving psychological balance.
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No one other than the mother can provide this to the child.
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All of this necessitates that she possess knowledge of the religion,
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experience regarding societal conditions,
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and training in dealing with them.
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Thus, she should study what assists her in this
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and grants her this knowledge and experience.
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For a woman is a specialized mother,
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except in cases of compelling necessity
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which rarely occur in a Muslim society.
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According to Ahl as-Sunnah.