Q188 :It is an undeniable fact that education is the
most important thing in life. Perhaps the main reason for the failure
of the Muslim world in recent history is the lack of knowledge and
education. Why is it that this very important factor is not included
among the pillars of Islam? Is there a mechanism to include it at this
stage, by means of Ijtihad, since God does not prohibit good additions
which can help the Muslim netmunity to flourish.
A188 : The term “pillars of Islam” is derived from
the Hadith which states that the structure of the Islamic religion is
built on five (pillars): The declaration that one believes in the
Oneness of Allah and the message of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) the regular attendance to prayer, the payment of zakah, pilgrimage
to the Sacred House in Makkah and fasting in Ramadan. What we
understand from this Hadith is that the five are the essentials of the
Islamic religion and that the deliberate neglect of anyone of them may
take a person out of the fold of Islam altogether. If you consider
these, you will find that each one of them is a very definite duty. We
know, for example, that prayer involves five netpulsory prayers
everyday and night. Each one of these has its time range, number of
rak’ahs, definite form, etc. Fasting in Ramadan is also very tangible:
We fast the whole month, from dawn to dusk, everyday, abstaining from
eating, drinking, and sex. There are other Islamic duties which are
very important, but not so definite. They have not been included among
the pillars of Islam. Education is very important to any netmunity.
There is no doubt about that. But can we consider it as one of the
mainstays of the Islamic faith? Islam is a religion which appeals to
all netmunities, no matter what degree of advancement they have
reached. It can be practiced in a primitive netmunity and in a most
sophisticated and advanced one. The relationship between education and
Islam is mutually supportive. The higher the standard of education in a
Muslim netmunity, the better that netmunity knows and defends its
faith. At the same time, the more strongly a netmunity holds to its
Islamic faith the greater its interest is in education. Nevertheless,
we cannot consider education as a pillar of Islam, because it is so
loosely defined. If we do, what standard of education do we impose on
every individual? Would it be sufficient to say that every Muslim child
must netplete preparatory school, or secondary school or should go on
to university? What if the netmunity does not have the resources to
provide that type of universal education for its children? Yet Islam
has not neglected education. Indeed, there are numerous Hadiths which
encourage education. The Prophet is authentically quoted to have said:
“To seek knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim.” This applies to men
and women alike. Moreover, it is the right of each child that his or
her parents should provide for his or her education. If they do not,
then they are answerable to Allah for neglecting this important duty.
Their son or daughter may question them on the Day of Judgment for that
failure. You ask whether we can include education as a pillar of Islam
by means of Ijtihad. Let me explain that Ijtihad means the use of
scholarly discretion in determining the Islamic attitude to any
particular problem. This applies mainly to matters that develop in
every netmunity. Ijtihad is done on the basis of evidence from the
Qur’an and the Sunnah. It is applied only in matters that develop in
different netmunities with the progress of human life. Moreover, if a
Qur’anic statement or a Hadith defines a particular number of things to
which a certain rule applies, then that number cannot be increased. For
example, the Prophet says that “Three things are of netmon ownership:
Water, pasture and fire.” This means that no one can claim netplete
ownership of a spring of water or a river, etc. People may use that
water source and have equal right to it. In recent history some
Socialist governments in different parts of the Muslim world sought to
have Islamic backing for their Socialist approach, citing this Hadith
as a basis and trying to widen its application to other areas. The
Prophet, as you notice, speaks of the netmon ownership of three
matters. We cannot make them four. Similarly, when the Prophet states
that the structure of Islam is built on five pillars, we cannot make
them six. Ijtihad is a very important duty, according to Islam.
Scholars throughout Islamic history have not included it among the
pillars of Islam, not even in periods when the very existence of the
Muslim netmunity was threatened. It is not a matter of a good
education. Our religion has been revealed by Allah. We cannot add to it
something which is not there.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )