The primary sources of knowledge are Divine Revelation (Wahy) and the Sunnah of the beloved Prophet (peace be upon him). During the Age of Ignorance (Ayyam al-Jahiliyyah), there were only seventeen educated people. Humanity had sunk into the depths of darkness. In that very society, the beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) introduced himself by saying, “I have been sent as a teacher.” (Ibn Majah)
“Read in the name of your Lord who created you… He taught people what they did not know.” (Surah Al-`Alaq, Ayahs 1–5)
In the light of the Holy Qur’an, there are several kinds of knowledge — for example, “Ilm al-Yaqin” (knowledge by belief), “Ayn al-Yaqin” (knowledge by sight), and “Haqq al-Yaqin” (knowledge of the truth).
Acquiring knowledge is obligatory.
The Beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Acquiring religious knowledge is incumbent upon every Muslim.” In the Islamic world, the Prophet (pbuh) took the primary initiatives to spread learning — establishing Dar al-Arqam, dispatching educated Companions among the tribes, regularly teaching and training the As-hab as-Suffah, and requiring war captives to provide teaching services as a way to achieve freedom, among other measures.
In the generation of the Prophet there were purified people of knowledge, the Ahl al-Bayt, the noble Companions, the Tabi‘un and Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in, and the later imams of tafsir, hadith, fiqh and tasawwuf — each an exemplar teacher of high morals and excellence.
The Qur’an contains analysis of knowledge and sciences in some 756 verses, prompting the devout Muslim scholars to exclaim in astonishment: “Our Lord, You did not create this in vain.” (Surah Al-Imran, Ayah 191)
The Beloved Prophet (pbuh) said, “The words of knowledge are the lost, priceless treasures of the learned; wherever they find these they have the right to take it.” (Ibn Majah)
Muslim thinkers and sages have made undeniable contribution for the world:
- Jabir ibn Hayyan — pioneer of chemistry.
- Al-Biruni — world-class geographer.
- Ibn Sina — father of medicine.
- Al-Farabi — discoverer of many principles in physics.
- Omar Khayyam — pioneer of analytic geometry.
- Al-Kindi — restorer of coded message reading.
- Al-Khwarizmi — father of algebra.
- Al-Razi — discoverer of the smallpox vaccine.
Measuring teaching by monetary value is foolishness. Some idea can be gleaned from certain Qur’anic verses and hadith. Allah says, “Indeed, those who possess knowledge fear Allah the most.” (Surah Fatir, Ayah 28)
Thus it is clear: true knowledge is that which makes a person God-fearing (muttaqi).
He (Allah) says, “Are those who know equal to those who do not know?” (Surah Jumu‘ah, Ayah 9). This verse indicates that Allah grants special honor to people through knowledge. Teachers, as distributors of that knowledge, thereby deserve special honor.
He also says, “He who is granted wisdom is indeed given abundant good.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 269)
Therefore, one may say that those whom Allah has granted the ability and the guidance to properly disseminate knowledge are recipients of a special bounty from Him.
The Beloved Prophet (pbuh) said, “Those who are best in terms of morality are the perfect believers.” (Tirmidhi). The Prophet (pbuh) also said, “Everyone (in the living world) seeks forgiveness from Allah for those who give beneficial knowledge.” (Tirmidhi)
SubhanAllah — this hadith reminds us how blessed those are who teach beneficial knowledge. The Prophet (pbuh) further said, “The best charity is when a Muslim learns something beneficial and then teaches it to others.” (Ibn Majah). He (pbuh) also said, “Both the teacher and the student earn divine reward.” (Ibn Majah). Thus, teachers of beneficial religious knowledge are honored not only in this world but also rewarded in the Hereafter. However, knowledge becomes truly beneficial only when the scholar acts according to what he knows. The Prophet (pbuh) said, “A true scholar is one who acts according to his knowledge…”
These days false self-styled learning, bad education, and half-education have spread confusion and controversy! True teachers are being undervalued. The Prophet’s (pbuh) warning is timely: “…when there is not even one truth-seeking scholar left, people will make the ignorant their leaders. When asked about religious matters, these ignorant people will issue rulings despite their ignorance. Thus they will mislead themselves and others.” (Bukhari)
Since 1994, World Teachers’ Day has been observed globally on 5 October. This year UNESCO’s theme is: “Recasting teaching as a collaborative profession.” In verse form —
A bond of collaboration in the craft of teaching,
A new need in the renewed system of learning.
Those who build the nation’s moral backbone are the true “architects of people.” In the anti-discrimination movement, Professor Golam Rabban’s impassioned recitation “This valley of death is not my country” and Professor Dr Chowdhury Saima Ferdous’s remarks were sharper than bullets — “You’ll kill one, ten will come; kill ten, tens of thousands will come… I feel if I die on the road as a martyr, perhaps that shame will be somewhat eased…!”
May World Teachers’ Day 2025 be a success. May the dignity and rights of teachers be established.
The writer is an associate professor and head of Islamic Studies Department at Kapasia Degree College, Kapasia, Gazipur
