TALK 3

Speech from the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir

The Vision for Education in the Khilafah "Caliphate":

Reviving a Golden Generation and Civilization

   Introduction:

• Allah (swt) says,

﴿الَر كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ لِتُخْرِجَ النَّاسَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَى صِرَاطِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ﴾

“Alif Lam Ra. (This is) a Book which We have sent down to you so that, by their Lord’s permission, you lead out the people from the darkness (of ignorance) into the light (of faith), to the way of the Mighty, the Owner of Praise.” [Ibrahim: 1]

• My Dear Sisters and Distinguished Guests, there is no doubt that each one of us here wishes to see an end to the failing education systems in our Muslim lands and the birth of a truly shining education model which will fulfill the educational aspirations of our youth and generate a golden generation of scholarship and innovation, and a golden civilization excelling in every field of study and distinguished for its progress and development; a model of education which will be a true source of pride for this Ummah and a beacon for the world to emulate.
• But dear sisters, to build such a 1^st Class Education System requires a 1^st Class political system – one that embraces a distinct, elevated and independent political vision for its state and for the world. A political vision based upon the verse that I recited – to take mankind from the darkness and ignorance of Kufr (disbelief) and all the destruction, despair, injustice and broken dreams it sows upon this earth to the light of Islam and the justice and elevation it brings to humanity in every area of life – spiritually, intellectually, morally, politically, economically, and in science and technology. This 1^st class political system is the Khilafah "Caliphate" based upon the method of the Prophethood which implements the Islamic beliefs, laws and systems comprehensively upon a state, and which for centuries led the world in the excellence of its academic institutions and its cutting-edge innovations and discoveries, as well as its huge contribution to human development.
• There is no doubt sisters, that this noble Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate" system, that embraces Islam’s distinguished view on education where seeking knowledge is intimately entwined with the worship of Allah (swt) and great rewards in the Hereafter, coupled hand in hand with this great Islamic political vision I described, will establish an exemplary 1^st class education system that will raise a generation of youth and build an Ummah and state that embodies the qualities to lead mankind from the darkness to the light as commanded by Allah (swt).
• This is because a state, that seeks to lead the world with the Deen of truth and justice will not accept for its education curriculum to be moulded according to foreign secular agendas which spread corruption and ignorance. It will not accept to cut and paste educational models from other nations or trail behind them in their academic successes. It will not accept any second-rate education system funded with scraps from the state; and it will not accept to be dependent on any foreign land for the development of its economy, agriculture, industry, healthcare, education, military, science and technology sectors or any other part of the state which lays it open to manipulation by colonial governments.
• No sisters! Because as a state that seeks to lead this world with the light of Islam, the Khilafah "Caliphate" is obliged by Allah (swt) to have an independent political vision domestically and internationally based purely upon Islam; and hence to also be independent in the formation of its education curricula, as well as the provision of its public services and infrastructure, and the fulfillment of the needs of the state and its people, for Allah (swt) says,

﴿وَلَن يَجْعَلَ اللّهُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلاً﴾

“Allah will never allow the non-believers to have a way (sabilan) over the believers” [Surat al-Nisaa’:141]

• The Khilafah "Caliphate" will therefore build an outstanding education system that will enable the state to fulfil these noble aims, such that there will be a strong marriage between education and the fulfilment of the vital issues and interests of the state and its citizens, ensuring self-sufficiency and independent sustainability – hence putting an end to this disconnect between the education systems in our lands and the industrial, agricultural, technical and other needs of our societies, which leads to dependency on other nations. This, alongside the Khilafah "Caliphate"’s heavy investment in industrialization to meet the needs of its society independently and to make it a world superpower, will harness and utilize the outstanding skills and minds of the graduates of this Ummah for the development of the state, so that their precious abilities are not squandered or hijacked by foreign governments.

The Foundation of Education in the Khilafah "Caliphate":

• So dear sisters, how will the Khilafah "Caliphate" practically achieve this outstanding vision for a first class education system? Well Hizb ut Tahrir in its Draft Constitution for the Khilafah "Caliphate" and its publication, The Foundations of the Education Curriculum of the Khilafah "Caliphate" State, has detailed the founding principles, goals, teaching methods, subject curriculum and structure of the education policy of this state to answer this question – all established upon clear Islamic evidences.
• The first and most important point, sisters, to understand is that the basis that defines all aspects of the education system in the Khilafah "Caliphate" – from its goals, the subjects taught, the content of lessons, the organization of schools and everything else is the Islamic Aqeedah alone, for this is the sole basis of the Muslim’s life and the Khilafah "Caliphate" state. It is the only measure used to decide what should be contained in the curriculum and what should be rejected, for Allah (swt) says,

﴿وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ﴾

“And whoever desires a Deen other than Islam, it shall not be accepted from him, and he will be a loser in the Hereafter.” [Al-Imran: 85]

• Therefore, the Khilafah "Caliphate"’s education curriculum will not teach subject matters which contradict the Islamic belief. The state will also close down any foreign schools or educational institutes which are notorious propaganda tools for western liberal culture in the Muslim lands. Private schools can be established by the Khilafah "Caliphate"’s citizens but on the condition that they adopt the state’s curriculum alone and accomplish its goals. There will be no mixing between males and females in its education institutes as specified by Islam – whether between students or teachers – putting an end Insha Allah to the immoral relationships and sexual harassment of girls that exists in many of our schools, colleges and universities today.
• Even the stages of schooling are shaped upon the Islamic Aqeedah for they are defined based upon the Shariah evidences related to the different Islamic rules, duties, and punishments applied upon the child at various ages. The Prophet (saw) for example said:

«رُفِعَ الْقَلَمُ عَنْ ثَلاَثٍ عَنِ النَّائِمِ حَتَّى يَسْتَيْقِظَ وَعَنِ الصَّغِيرِ حَتَّى يَكْبُرَ وَعَنِ الْمَجْنُونِ حَتَّى يَعْقِلَ أَوْ يَفِيقَ»

“The pen (i.e. accountability) is lifted from three persons: The child until he matures, the sleeper until he awakes and the one who is insane until he recovers.” (Narrated by Abu Dawud in his Sunan).

And he (saw) also said,

«مُرُوا أَوْلاَدَكُمْ بِالصَّلاَةِ وَهُمْ أَبْنَاءُ سَبْعِ سِنِينَ وَاضْرِبُوهُمْ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ أَبْنَاءُ عَشْرِ سِنِينَ»

“Command your children to pray when they attain seven years, and beat them over it (for not praying) when they attain ten years.” (Narrated by Imam Ahmed in his Musnad).

• According to these and other Islamic evidences, the school stages are divided into 3 – the 1^st (or Primary stage) – from age 6 to 10 years; the 2^nd stage (or Middle School) from completing 10 years to age 14; and the 3^rd stage (or Secondary School) from completing 14 years till the end of the school stages.
  
• Secondly, sisters, it is an Islamic obligation upon the Khilafah "Caliphate" to provide quality education to each and every one of its citizens as a basic right - regardless of their religion, race, or gender. Article 178 of the Draft Constitution of Hizb ut Tahrir for the Khilafah "Caliphate" states: “It is an obligation upon the State to teach every individual, male or female, those things that are necessary for the mainstream of life. This should be obligatory and provided freely in the primary and secondary levels of education. The State should, to the best of its ability, provide the opportunity for everyone to continue higher education free of charge.”
• This is because Islam views teaching individuals what they require for mainstream life as one of the essential needs of the people that must be fulfilled. Therefore, the Khilafah "Caliphate" is obliged to provide sufficient primary and secondary schools and teachers for ALL the citizens of the state and equip them with all they require to achieve the objectives of the education policy free of charge. Furthermore, the Khilafah "Caliphate" will also fund free of charge the study of higher education subjects which are a necessity for the state such as the Islamic sciences, medicine, engineering and the training of teachers while also endeavoring as much as possible to finance those studying non-essential subjects.
• It should be understood, sisters, that investment in education will be a priority for the Khilafah "Caliphate". As a state that seeks to lead the world and genuinely serve its people and humanity, it will not accept any third world or second-best education system due to lack of funding. Rather, it will seek to build an abundance of well-trained and well-paid teachers and lecturers, as well as fully-equipped, state of the art schools, colleges, universities, research centres, libraries, laboratories, observatories and much more, using the wealth of its Bayt-al-Mal (its Central Treasury), whose wealth Insha Allah will be plentiful due to the sound nature of the Khilafah "Caliphate"’s Islamic economic system which has a historical legacy of creating prosperity in our Muslim lands. Furthermore, it will establish a ‘comprehensive school’ complex between small villages and organize free transportation of students from their home to school, ensuring that there is no differentiation between cities and rural areas in the quality of education provided, for the Khilafah "Caliphate" has an Islamic obligation to be a guardian and guarantor of the rights of all its citizens, as the Prophet (saw) said,

«وَالإِمَامُ رَاعٍ وَمَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ»

“The Imam (ruler) is a guardian and he is responsible for his subjects.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari from Abdullah bin Umar)

• All this, sisters, will put an end to education being a revenue-generating commodity for governments or the rich and powerful, and an end to the two-tier education systems in our lands, where quality education is only a privilege of the rich while the poor are left with the scraps. Rather the state will support every student to achieve his or her full potential regardless of their wealth and aid them to master the highest level of scholarship and innovation to produce an abundance of outstanding mujtahideen, scientists, and inventors Insha Allah. Article 179 of Hizb ut Tahrir’s Draft Constitution for the Khilafah "Caliphate" states: “The State provides libraries and laboratories and all means of knowledge outside schools and universities, to enable those who want to continue their research in the various fields of knowledge, like fiqh, Hadith and tafseer of Qur’an, thought (fikr), medicine, engineering and chemistry, inventions, discoveries, etc. This is done to create in the Ummah an abundance of mujtahideen, outstanding scientists and inventors.”

The Goals of the Khilafah "Caliphate"’s Education System:

• So sisters, what are the goals of the Education System of the Khilafah "Caliphate" and how will it achieve these aims? Well firstly, there are three main goals of school education:

1. (i)Building the Islamic Personality:

• The first goal is to build the Islamic Shakhsiyyah, the Islamic personality of the Ummah’s children by implanting the Islamic Aqeedah, thoughts and behavior in the students so that they become Muslims who take Islam as the sole basis for all their thoughts, judgements, inclinations and actions and shape their whole lives in accordance to their Deen. This goal mirrors the intentions of the Prophet (saw) in his teaching of the Muslims in Makkah and Madinah for he also sought to make them Islamic personalities in their thinking and behavior.
  
• The Islamic Shakhsiyyah of the children is built by firstly establishing the Islamic Aqeedah with conviction within them by providing them with the concrete rational proofs for the existence of Allah (swt) and the Qur’an being His Word. Then they are taught the thoughts and rules of Islam, but in a practical manner so that they always understand how to apply them upon their relevant reality, and in a way that it affects their thinking and emotions, so that the student adopts the obligated Shara’ stance towards the matter – by acting upon it or abstaining from it - so that it doesn’t remain theoretical. Therefore, Islamic subjects such as the Arabic language, Tafseer of Qur’an, the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw), the Seerah and Islamic History are taught in a way that always seeks to develop their Islamic personality – so the Qur’an is taught not only with the aim of students memorizing most of it before puberty but also understanding the miracle in its language and the rules and lessons applicable to their age. The Seerah is studied to understand the rules of carrying the dawah, establishing the Islamic State, and organizing its domestic and foreign affairs. And Islamic history lessons will focus on the outstanding qualities of Islamic personalities such as the Sahaba, the Tabi’in, the rulers and scholars emphasizing their bravery, patience, piety, standing against injustice, and protecting the Ummah and Islam such that the students are inspired to emulate these characteristics. Furthermore, Islam is taught comprehensively such that its rules are understood in every area of life – in ibadaat, morality, family life, economics, judicial issues, politics and beyond.
• The aim is to complete this process of building the Islamic personality by the end of the 3^rd school stage Insha Allah, and its achievement will be supported by the Islamic environment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" where its media, mosques and all other institutions will promote nothing but the pure Islamic concepts.

1. (ii)Teaching Practical Skills and Knowledge for Life:

• The second goal of school education is to teach the students what they require of skills and knowledge to interact with their environment to prepare them to engage in the realm of practical life, such as mathematics, general sciences and the knowledge and skills to use various tools and inventions, for instance electrical and electronic apparatus, computers, domestic appliances, farming and industrial tools, and so on. They will also be taught beneficial sports such as swimming and archery, and after puberty they will be coached in military skills under the supervision of the army.

1. (iii)Preparing Students for University Entrance:

• And the third goal of school education is to prepare students for university entrance by teaching them the prerequisite primary sciences – whether cultural such as Fiqh, Arabic, or Tafseer of Qur’an, or empirical sciences – such as mathematics, chemistry, biology or physics. The aim is to create distinguished personalities, scholars, scientists, and experts in every field of life to establish the Khilafah "Caliphate" as a leading, influential world-power. To achieve this, teaching methods and styles will be employed which inspire and provoke deep thinking. Empirical sciences for instances will be taught in a manner that builds analytical skills, and where topics are applied to solving real-life problems and studied to derive benefit from them to serve the interests of the Ummah and her vital issues. Furthermore, experimentation, digital technology, E-learning tools – perhaps even involving virtual reality simulations and many other techniques will be used to aid students to visualize and understand with greater clarity the scientific concepts being taught.
• Dear sisters, these 3 goals of school education will therefore run through every stage of schooling with each stage expanding upon the levels achieved in the previous one, ensuring continuity of education from primary right through to secondary education. And there will be close tracking of the progress of each and every student throughout all 3 stages of education by schools, which will be overseen by the Khilafah "Caliphate"’s Department of Education who will monitor the quality of teaching, to ensure that these objectives are met.
• In the last 6 terms of the 3^rd school stage, alongside their basic Islamic and science subjects, students will join the optional branches of the fields which they hope to specialize in, in higher education, for example the Islamic Cultural Option, or the Scientific, Industrial, Agricultural, Commercial and Domestic Options, the latter being for female students and comprising home and childcare subjects.
• This holistic integrated teaching curriculum will create holistic Islamic personalities who are distinguished in both their understanding of their Deen and the nature of this world, as well as prepared with the foundation required to enter higher studies.

The Goals and Organisation of Higher Education:

• And finally sisters, when we look at the Khilafah "Caliphate"’s vision for Higher Education, its goals and organization, we can again see the close marriage between the state’s education system and the fulfilment of the needs of the society as well as how the Khilafah "Caliphate" will practically create a golden generation and civilization.
• For example, one of the goals is to strengthen and deepen the Islamic personality of the higher education students to make them leaders who guard and serve the Ummah’s vital issues, such as ensuring the correct implementation of Islam, accounting the leadership, carrying the dawah, and confronting threats to the Ummah’s unity, the Deen or the Khilafah "Caliphate". This means that the Islamic culture is continuously taught to higher education students, regardless of their chosen specialty. The result is the creation of a higher-educated class of this Ummah who will be the vanguards of protecting and spreading Islam rather than those who seek only to further their own personal educational and economic aspirations. Furthermore, the Khilafah "Caliphate" will encourage and provide the means for students to specialize in all fields of Islamic culture to produce the future scholars, leaders, judges and fuqaha (jurisprudents) of the state so that the Ummah flourishes in its implementation, preservation, and spreading of their Deen.
• Higher education also seeks to produce task forces able to take care of the Ummah’s vital interests such as securing sufficient and quality food, water, housing, security and healthcare for the people, as well as to produce sufficient doctors, engineers, teachers, nurses, translators and other professions to take care of the affairs of the Ummah. This will include generating experts who will draw up short-term and long-term plans and innovate advanced means and styles for the development of agriculture, industry and security to enable the state to be self-sufficient in managing its affairs. There will also be close coordination between particular higher education institutes and the state, such as between the agriculture faculties of universities and the Department of Agriculture of the Khilafah "Caliphate", to ensure that higher education meets the needs of the society, such as improving irrigation of land or rearing of livestock.
• The Khilafah "Caliphate" therefore views heavy investment in specialization, and research and development as integral to the vitality and health of the state and will provide a multitude of vocational, industrial and technical institutes as well as universities and research centres across its provinces to achieve this aim. So Insha Allah sisters, with all this, you will witness the future Khilafah "Caliphate" leading the world in developments in stem cell research, gene therapy, telecommunications technology and space exploration; making breakthroughs in cancer treatment, clean energy production, irrigation techniques, and flood-control methods; and discovering new theories in quantum physics, artificial intelligence, and eradication of malaria and antibiotic-resistant infections.

Conclusion:

• Dear sisters, this is the education vision for the Khilafah "Caliphate", and as you can see it is a vision which is unique, outstanding and unrivalled in its nature. Indeed, this Islamic system which gave birth to extraordinary leaders such as Umar bin Al-Khattab (ra), Umar bin Abdul Aziz, and Harun al Rashid; and exceptional scholars such as Ash-Shafi, Ibn Taymiyyah, and Nafissa bint Hassan (rm); and distinguished scientists such as Ibn Sina, Al-Khwarizmi, and Mariam ‘Al-Astrolabiya’ Al-Ijliya – will once again give birth to outstanding leaders, mujtahideen, and scientific innovators for this Ummah Insha Allah – generating a golden generation and civilisation. The Khilafah "Caliphate" will therefore once again take its rightful position as the centre for learning in the world – a state where other nations will send their children to gain the best education in life due to its exemplary education system which will stand as a model that other lands will seek to emulate.
• We call you sisters to be part of the noble dawah to establish this glorious state, to have the victory of it upon your hands, and to be part of a truly historic revolution for this world.

﴿مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعِزَّةَ فَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ جَمِيعًا﴾

“Whoever desires honour, power and glory then to Allah belongs all honour, power and glory.”[Al-Fatir: 10]

Dr. Nazreen Nawaz

Director of the Women’s Section in the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir