Without education, neither an individual nor a nation can progress. It would be exceptional if one even without education becomes prominent and achieves higher stage in the society. But it is a fact that education is a must to get success, respect and prestige. These views were expressed by Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Omari, Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Hind while inaugurating the two-day all-India conference on Quality Education: Why and How? held at JIH headquarters in the Capital on 25-26 May. The conference was organised by the Education Department of JIH in collaboration with Human Welfare Trust, New Delhi.
Maulana Omari said Islam’s viewpoint is that the basis of education should be knowledge of Allah and the spirit to obey his orders. If a person, howsoever wise and expert of education, does not have knowledge of Allah, he carries no weightage in the eye of Islam. Maulana said these days much emphasis is being given on basic education. This concept was first given by Islam which makes it obligatory for every Muslim male and female to get basic education.
The JIH chief stressed that Islam emphasises on getting all worldly education which has benefit for humanity. It is the duty of the society and Ummah to make efforts for producing experts of such sciences. If we fail on this front, the whole Ummah will be held accountable for it. It is this view of education that in the heydays of Islam, several experts of different sciences were born in the Muslim community and the whole world acknowledged their expertise.
The JIH leader also said that today emphasis is given on education, but no one cares about correcting the morals and habits of children. Parents, school administration or society – none is caring about it while in Islam’s view there is no concept of education without morality.
He also said that we have been running schools and madrasas for the last 60-70 years, it is time we analysed to find out how many of these educational institutions are providing quality and standard education.
Various other prominent personalities addressed the distinguished gathering in different sessions. They included Dr. Sk. Azeemuddin, Prof. and Head Dept. of Education, Integral University, Lucknow; Mr. Meheruddeen, Principal Coordinator, In-service Teachers Education Institute, Delhi; and Dr. Mahmood Sididqui, Prof. MANUU, Hyderabad, whose recorded video speech was played at the programme.
The welcome address was delivered by Mohammad Ashfaque Ahmed, Secretary, Education Affairs, JIH.
The session on performance of State Departments of Education, JIH was presided over by Nusrat Ali, Secretary General of Jamaat. The concluding address was delivered by Mohammad Jafar, vice president of Jamaat. The all India conference was attended by delegates from across the country.