Lecture of The Eminent and Distinguished Scholar Sheikh Muhammad al-Ghazzali : International Conference on Education
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. "Glory to You: of knowledge we have none, save what You have taught us, in truth, it is You Who are perfect in knowledge and wisdom".
I allude here to a Quranic fact which caught my attention. I have noticed that the term education or sanctification comprises one third of the Islamic message. The first third being the study of the Quran or the exposition of the method or recitation of the book. The second third is education in most verses, while the last third is the know ledge of the scripture and wisdom "A similar (favor you have already received) is that we have sent among you a messenger from amoung you to instruct you in Scripture and Wisdom and in new knowledge; (2:151). As I understand it, reciting or rehearsing i. e. rehearsing the Quran or studying the method is the presentation process of the work and program, as an introduction to two endeavors linked to each other: education and then instruction, although in Ibrahim's call it was instruction and then education. Anyhow, according to grammarians the Arabic conjunction waw(and) does not denote order or sequence, but mere conjunction. Thus, the arrangement in "He instructs them mere participation or partnership. He instructs in scripture and wisdom and sanctifies them" or he sanctifies them and instructs them in the scripture and wisdom "and sanctifies them" or "He sanctifies them and instructs them in the scripture and wisdom" makes no difference. What matters is that I have noticed two points in the above versa: the word "sanctification" (Ar. tazkiyah) is the best word for the concept of education in our time. In an invitation by Dr. Muhammad Zafir to lecture on education at Medina, I have traced the word "tazkiyah" or sanctification in the Holy Quran and discovered that it means to purify human nature from dross and make man clean and purified and superior. Instruction, then comes to refine man's mind. However, both processes must accur together. Elsewhere in my writings, I have noticed some gaps in Islamic history.