Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | Speaking Tree Blog | Nov 01, 2021
In my view nation building or social change is an issue not of street activism, but of intellectual activism. The only way, therefore, to effect social change is through education, both formal and informal. This method would appear to be a very long-term one, but according to the law of nature, any result, if it is to be substantial, can be achieved through planning, and that also after giving the matter a great deal of forethought. Short-term planning can seldom produce any satisfactory result. And if we follow any other such self-styled method, we shall inevitably fall far short of achieving the desired outcome.
The importance of education is quite clear. I often state that God has created man with tremendous potential. Education is the knowledge of putting our potentials to maximum use. That is why Islam attaches such great importance to knowledge and education. When the Quran began to be revealed, the very first word of the first verse was ‘Iqra,’ that is, read: “Read! In the name of your Lord, who created: created man from a clot [of blood].” (The Quran, 96:1-2) This shows that education is the starting point of every human activity. The Quran repeatedly asks us to observe the earth and the heavens. This instills in man a desire to learn natural sciences. According to a hadith, a scholar (alim) is accorded great respect. All the books of hadith have a chapter on learning (ilm). In Sahih Bukhari there is a chapter entitled “The virtue of one who acquires ilm and imparts that to others.”
Today, education is important in every sphere of life. Therefore, no one can afford to remain uneducated, as that stops one from living life to the fullest. In my view, education is important for two reasons. The first is that education makes a man a right thinker. In fact the training of the human mind is not complete without education. Education trains one to think clearly and make correct decisions. The second reason is that it is only through the attainment of education that man is enabled to receive information from the external world; to acquaint himself with history and receive all necessary information regarding the present. Without education, man is as though in a closed room and with education he finds himself in a room with all its windows open towards the outside world.
If our nation is to be a progressive nation, we must educate its citizens, both women and men. Without education, both are incomplete. Educating our nation is a need, which we cannot afford to ignore. Ignoring it would mean depriving its citizens of the means to attain higher goals in life. I would advise each and every citizen of India to seek good education, not only for procuring a job, but also for developing oneself intellectually.