By Wole Mosadomi, Minna

An Islamic scholar in Minna, Niger State, Malam Abdulrahhan B. Liman, says Islam was founded on knowledge and that is why God, at first approach, told the Prophet of Islam, Mohammed, to read because he was not taught reading or knew what education was all about as he was a trader.

Prophet Mohammed, according to him, started reading after God had commanded him three times.

Niger Govt. maps out alternative route for heavy duty vehicles(Opens in a new browser tab)

“In other words, Islam encourages learning and discipline, togetherness and to be one’s brother’s keeper”, Liman told Sunday Vanguard.

“Everyone that is born a Muslim is qualified to attend quranic education classes because Allah has made it compulsory for every Muslim to seek for knowledge on how to worship, how to live together and how to seek for what to eat”.

The scholar said God commanded Prophet Muhammed to seek for Islamic education first in order to know him as the Creator.

Liman said there is the need for Islamic schools despite the existence of western education because the combination of the two leads to brighter future for those who acquire the knowledge.

“It is just like a child who attends Bible School, if he goes for western education, he will be very intelligent; so also is a child who attends quranic education and goes for western education. If the child and parents are serious, the child will always excel in the society”, the scholar said.

Lima condemned parents pushing their “stubborn” wards out of the house especially at tender age to Islamic scholars to mould their lives, saying, “Prophet Muhammad said you as parents should start training your child from tender age and that, if such child refuses to adjust to Islamic principles, beat that child because it is there in the Quran; so you should be able to curtail the excesses of your child instead of sending him out to the Malam to tutor him.”

He, however, said there is no punishment stipulated in the Quran to deal with Malams caught torturing youngsters in the name of Islam because, one way or the other, they are trying to help the society but in a wrong way.

“To eradicate ‘torture’ houses, I will say the steps already taken by government in which domain these “torture” houses are located are in order. Government can do better after identifying these centres by integrating the children and even adults found there through further education and engaging graduates of guidance and counselling to remould their lives”.

FG soon to close down sub-standard secondary schools – minister(Opens in a new browser tab)

Another Islamic scholar and retired lecturer at Niger State College of Education, Minna, Dr. Sallahudeen Suleiman, said it is in order for a Muslim to establish Islamic and western education centres because it is a legitimate thing to do for all categories of Muslims, including young and old.

Suleiman said the essence of Islamic schools is primarily to teach Islam, but added that they must be well equipped to meet with modern trend.

His words, “The extent of knowledge to be impacted on those attending has no limit as it should teach how to pray, fast, give alms, hajj operations, charity and also acquire western education all in an effort to move the society forward”.

On whether there is need for Islamic education in addition to western education, Suleiman, who is presently the Chief Imam of the Central Mosque of the Minna Central Market, said, “We need Islamic education because western education is Christian oriented. Missionaries introduced education and this scared many Muslims in the early years and this is why Christians are ahead in western education”.

He called on government at all levels to monitor the schools, scrutinise their syllabuses, know those attending and when they are graduating among other things.

“All these steps are necessary because some of these Islamic schools are established as business enterprises and not to impact knowledge.

“Rather than be seen to be upright and God fearing, some of the pupils eventually become wayward because they are not actually teaching them with the Quran and they end up being recruited by bandits since their Malams are not knowledgeable and not deep-rooted in Islam”.

Vanguard