NURTURING SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR - IT IS SIMPLE, ACTIONABLE AND ACHIEVABLE
How do we evolve a society that is tolerant, progressive, caring, wise and creative in an environment that:
a. Rewards immoral behavior
b. Supports the corrupt
c. Is intolerant to debate
d. Promotes Intellectually dishonesty
e. Fuels hatred for opposing religious views
f. Fails to give exemplary punishments to the rich and the powerful
g. Usurps the right of the weak and poor
h. Has an extremely corrupt and outdated education system
i. Promotes religious ignorance
j. Can easily be considered as dysfunctional
It is actually simple. The reason why I say this is that societal pressures in reality only influence behavior (our will in action) when the belief is weak or uncertain. When the belief is strong, societal pressures fail to make a lasting impact. Another reason why the solution is simple, actionable, achievable is because Allah has ingrained in all of us the capacity to do good. Allah reveals through the Quran:
So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah of Allah upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah . That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know. (30:30)
All of us have been created by Allah with the inherent ability to do good (i.e to live as per the teachings of Islam). So what is required is developing this inherent capacity that all individuals have. Developing this capacity is not rocket science. To help us develop this inherent capacity of doing good, Allah has told us about the conditions that need to be met. Allah says in the Quran:
Whoever Allah guides - he is the [rightly] guided; and whoever He sends astray - it is those who are the losers. (7:178)
It is about getting guidance from Allah and avoiding being sent astray. When Allah guides, a person is able to cope with all sorts of societal pressures and norms in a socially responsible way. So what are we supposed to do to get guidance from Allah? Allah reveals through the Quran that He guides those who believe in Him and the Last Day,
So those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him - He will admit them to mercy from Himself and bounty and guide them to Himself on a straight path.(4:175)
You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred. Those - He has decreed within their hearts faith and supported them with spirit from Him. And We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him - those are the party of Allah . Unquestionably, the party of Allah - they are the successful. (58:22)
No disaster strikes except by permission of Allah . And whoever believes in Allah - He will guide his heart. And Allah is Knowing of all things. (64:11)
He guides those who turn towards Him,
He has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus - to establish the religion and not be divided therein. Difficult for those who associate others with Allah is that to which you invite them. Allah chooses for Himself whom He wills and guides to Himself whoever turns back [to Him]. (42:13)
He guides those who fear Him,
And from wherever you go out [for prayer], turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] may be, turn your faces toward it in order that the people will not have any argument against you, except for those of them who commit wrong; so fear them not but fear Me. And [it is] so I may complete My favor upon you and that you may be guided. (2:150)
He guides those who obey Him while believing in Him,
And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.(2:186)
He guides those who remember Him,
Indeed, those who fear Allah - when an impulse touches them from Satan, they remember [Him] and at once they have insight. (7:201)
It is belief in Allah and the last day that motivates the person to turn towards Him, depend on Him, fear Him, obey Him, and remember Him thus enabling the person to get guidance that helps in conquering all sorts of societal norms, pressures and conditions in a socially responsible way with the right intention. Point is that tawheed is the key that unlocks the fitrah (natural predispositions) each individual is born with.
The issue is how do you impart knowledge about tawheed? How do you work to nurture belief in Allah and the last day at a mass level in a society where religious ignorance is rampant and education system overflows with incompetence? By imparting knowledge about Allah, the last day and tenets of emaan in wise manner by completely changing the objectives and learning outcomes of the Islamic studies curriculum. (School is the only environment that is controllable and manageable at present). It is time we realized that knowledge of Islam only becomes relevant when emaan exists in the heart. At what stage should it be done? From grade 1 onwards because the child's heart is pure and is like a sponge that readily absorbs everything from the environment it is placed in. Only when this is done, the education system would be creating an opportunity for the child to fulfill the conditions that enable guidance from Allah. But how do you impart knowledge that is abstract at this early stage of child development? By designing learning experiences that aid in construction of belief schema by the learner. Not only will this approach aid and assist the child to behave in a socially responsible way, it will also develop abstract thinking ability which is the trait of creative, intellectual, critical thinking individuals.
So does it come down to the teachers? Yes but their role is limited and manageable because its about getting guidance from Allah. (Islamic studies is not like maths and physics) The role of teachers is often exaggerated by the educators to a level that it contradicts what Allah reveals through the Quran:
Indeed, [O Muhammad], you do not guide whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided.(28:56)
The only condition that needs to be met when calling anyone towards Allah is:
Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided. (16:125)
This is achievable and manageable to quite an extent. Why? Because by designing learning experiences based on learning theories and by training teachers in Islamic pedagogy, the children can be given da'wah towards Allah in a wise manner.
Point is that an environment of a dysfunctional society can be reversed over a period of time if we focus on what our children learn and how they learn (Knowledge of Islam vs knowledge of emaan and Islam and authoritarian style of teaching belief and morality vs reason and motivational knowledge. By the way, Quran is full of reason and motivational knowledge but ironically our Islamic studies books are completely ignorant of such knowledge).
It is time that we stop blaming the environment as a cause of failure and instead, accept our failure in imparting knowledge that enhances intellect, nurtures critical thinking ability and eases performance of socially responsible behavior with the right intention. It is time that we change the curriculum of Islamic studies and use it to nurture creative, critically thinking individuals who act in a socially responsible way with the right intention.
Our education policy makers need to decide what they want from education and how they are going to achieve it. They need to decide the end objective of education without ignoring what this life is all about and then come up with a curriculum that aids in achieving that objective.
a. Rewards immoral behavior
b. Supports the corrupt
c. Is intolerant to debate
d. Promotes Intellectually dishonesty
e. Fuels hatred for opposing religious views
f. Fails to give exemplary punishments to the rich and the powerful
g. Usurps the right of the weak and poor
h. Has an extremely corrupt and outdated education system
i. Promotes religious ignorance
j. Can easily be considered as dysfunctional
It is actually simple. The reason why I say this is that societal pressures in reality only influence behavior (our will in action) when the belief is weak or uncertain. When the belief is strong, societal pressures fail to make a lasting impact. Another reason why the solution is simple, actionable, achievable is because Allah has ingrained in all of us the capacity to do good. Allah reveals through the Quran:
So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah of Allah upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah . That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know. (30:30)
All of us have been created by Allah with the inherent ability to do good (i.e to live as per the teachings of Islam). So what is required is developing this inherent capacity that all individuals have. Developing this capacity is not rocket science. To help us develop this inherent capacity of doing good, Allah has told us about the conditions that need to be met. Allah says in the Quran:
Whoever Allah guides - he is the [rightly] guided; and whoever He sends astray - it is those who are the losers. (7:178)
It is about getting guidance from Allah and avoiding being sent astray. When Allah guides, a person is able to cope with all sorts of societal pressures and norms in a socially responsible way. So what are we supposed to do to get guidance from Allah? Allah reveals through the Quran that He guides those who believe in Him and the Last Day,
So those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him - He will admit them to mercy from Himself and bounty and guide them to Himself on a straight path.(4:175)
You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred. Those - He has decreed within their hearts faith and supported them with spirit from Him. And We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him - those are the party of Allah . Unquestionably, the party of Allah - they are the successful. (58:22)
No disaster strikes except by permission of Allah . And whoever believes in Allah - He will guide his heart. And Allah is Knowing of all things. (64:11)
He guides those who turn towards Him,
He has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus - to establish the religion and not be divided therein. Difficult for those who associate others with Allah is that to which you invite them. Allah chooses for Himself whom He wills and guides to Himself whoever turns back [to Him]. (42:13)
He guides those who fear Him,
And from wherever you go out [for prayer], turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] may be, turn your faces toward it in order that the people will not have any argument against you, except for those of them who commit wrong; so fear them not but fear Me. And [it is] so I may complete My favor upon you and that you may be guided. (2:150)
He guides those who obey Him while believing in Him,
And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.(2:186)
He guides those who remember Him,
Indeed, those who fear Allah - when an impulse touches them from Satan, they remember [Him] and at once they have insight. (7:201)
It is belief in Allah and the last day that motivates the person to turn towards Him, depend on Him, fear Him, obey Him, and remember Him thus enabling the person to get guidance that helps in conquering all sorts of societal norms, pressures and conditions in a socially responsible way with the right intention. Point is that tawheed is the key that unlocks the fitrah (natural predispositions) each individual is born with.
The issue is how do you impart knowledge about tawheed? How do you work to nurture belief in Allah and the last day at a mass level in a society where religious ignorance is rampant and education system overflows with incompetence? By imparting knowledge about Allah, the last day and tenets of emaan in wise manner by completely changing the objectives and learning outcomes of the Islamic studies curriculum. (School is the only environment that is controllable and manageable at present). It is time we realized that knowledge of Islam only becomes relevant when emaan exists in the heart. At what stage should it be done? From grade 1 onwards because the child's heart is pure and is like a sponge that readily absorbs everything from the environment it is placed in. Only when this is done, the education system would be creating an opportunity for the child to fulfill the conditions that enable guidance from Allah. But how do you impart knowledge that is abstract at this early stage of child development? By designing learning experiences that aid in construction of belief schema by the learner. Not only will this approach aid and assist the child to behave in a socially responsible way, it will also develop abstract thinking ability which is the trait of creative, intellectual, critical thinking individuals.
So does it come down to the teachers? Yes but their role is limited and manageable because its about getting guidance from Allah. (Islamic studies is not like maths and physics) The role of teachers is often exaggerated by the educators to a level that it contradicts what Allah reveals through the Quran:
Indeed, [O Muhammad], you do not guide whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided.(28:56)
The only condition that needs to be met when calling anyone towards Allah is:
Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided. (16:125)
This is achievable and manageable to quite an extent. Why? Because by designing learning experiences based on learning theories and by training teachers in Islamic pedagogy, the children can be given da'wah towards Allah in a wise manner.
Point is that an environment of a dysfunctional society can be reversed over a period of time if we focus on what our children learn and how they learn (Knowledge of Islam vs knowledge of emaan and Islam and authoritarian style of teaching belief and morality vs reason and motivational knowledge. By the way, Quran is full of reason and motivational knowledge but ironically our Islamic studies books are completely ignorant of such knowledge).
It is time that we stop blaming the environment as a cause of failure and instead, accept our failure in imparting knowledge that enhances intellect, nurtures critical thinking ability and eases performance of socially responsible behavior with the right intention. It is time that we change the curriculum of Islamic studies and use it to nurture creative, critically thinking individuals who act in a socially responsible way with the right intention.
Our education policy makers need to decide what they want from education and how they are going to achieve it. They need to decide the end objective of education without ignoring what this life is all about and then come up with a curriculum that aids in achieving that objective.
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