The Educational objectives of Teaching Dr. Salah Soltan Director of educational and fatwa in ISGC. President of Islamic center for Islamc research.

In the name Of Allah the most Gracious the most merciful  “Allah sets forth (another) Parable of two men: one of them dumb, with no power of any sort; a wearisome burden is he to his master; whichever way be directs him, he brings no good: is such a man equal with one who commands Justice, and is on a Straight Way?” An-Nahl Aya, 76

Educational Objective 1. Knowledge  Strong Idea Mind 2. Wijdaniyah  Pure state of being natural (Fitrah) Heart 3. Behavioral  Activism Soul

Knowledge Knowledge of the creator:  “Say: “For me, I (work) on a clear sign from my lord”” 6:57 AL-Ana’am  Rabbani Knowledge of the created:  “Soon, We will show them our signs in the (furthest) regions (of earth) and in their own souls” 41:53 Fussilat  Self  Universal

Knowledge of The Creator Revelation:  Qur’an  Sunnah ( Practices of the Prophet SAW) Intellect

Knowledge of The Creation Self :  Physiological  Psychological  Social Universal

Knowledge of the created (Universal) Profound contemplation of the Universe:  Skies  Sun  Moon  Stars  Mountains  Trees  Food  Rivers  Oceans

Nourishment of the Soul AL Ruboubiyyah BeforeAl Olouhiyyah (Mentioned 865 times) (Mentioned 125 times) BlessingsbeforeRestrictions MercybeforePunishment “My Mercy has proceeded my resentment”

Wijdaniyyah  Love: “ Soon will Allah produce a people whom He will love as they will love Him” Al-Ma’idah Aya 54

 Beauty: “He Who has made everything which He has created most good: He began the creation of man with (nothing more than) clay” As-Sajdah Aya 7.  “Or, Who has created the heavens and the earth, and Who sends you down rain from the sky? Yea, with it We cause to grow well-planted orchards full of beauty of delight” An-Naml Aya 60

 Blessing: “If the people of the towns had but believed and feared Allah, We should indeed have opened out to them (All kinds of) blessings from heaven and earth” Al A’raf, Aya 96

 Mercy: “My mercy encompasses all things” Al- A’raf, Aya 156

 Forgiveness: Who forgiveth sin, accepteth repentance, is strict in punishment, and hath a long reach (in all things). There is no god but He: to Him is the final goal” Ghafir, Aya 3

Behavioral Self:  Through self discipline. Others:  Through Da’wah:  To Muslims  To Non Muslims

Self  Through self discipline  There are two items with no substitution for a Muslim in order to improve and purify one’s soul and broaden his/her mind.

1. Education which uplifts doubts and emphasizes the truth. Education clarifies what is mandatory, what is allowed, what is disliked, and what is forbidden by Allah. 2. The struggle within one’s soul to control its desires, fulfill the obligations towards the creator, and to cleanse itself.

 “Al-Mojahada” (Struggle within ones own self) is defined as getting ones own self to perform the mandatory, the requirements, and what pleases Allah and leaving the forbidden and what displeases Allah.

 Ibn Al-Qayim states in Zad Al-Miaad (3/10), a servant of Allah will not be pious until he struggles to achieve the following four (4) items:  The struggle to learn guidance and the religion of the truth  The struggle to work with this guidance  The struggle to work on inviting to the truth  The struggle to be patient with people in the difficult task of inviting to the way of Allah.

Examples from string within oneself. 1. In the story of Talut (Saul) 2. Arabs before Islam

In the story of Talut (Saul)  Some people passed two tests and failed in the test of self control, even though this test was for an item that was halal. Tens of thousands of people claimed that they intend to fight in the cause of Allah. However when the order of Allah came to fight, they pulled back except a few. The few that went on with Talut had some knowledge of the characteristics of the leaders and agreed to go with him, some did not. When the people who passed both tests went out with Talut, some of them could not control their desires as the Quran tells us their story: “Then when Talut set out with the army, he said: “Verily! Allah will try you by a river. So whoever drinks thereof, he is not of me, and whoever tastes it not, he is of me, except him who takes (thereof) in the hollow of his hand.” (2:249).

In the story of Talut (Saul) Cont’d Even the few who passed the third test, some of them failed in the test of being patient in facing the enemy in the battlefield. Allah the exalted said “So when he had crossed it (the river), he and those who believed with him, they said: “We have no power this day against Jalut (Goliath) and his hosts”. The only people left to fight are the ones who have strong deep faith, precise patience, those who strive within themselves to beat their desire.

Arabs before Islam It was not easy for the Arabs to change from their condition before Islam which included drinking through the night, and being abusive and transgressors during the day. They changed from this status to being worshipers during the night and pious fasting people during the day. It must have taken a serious effort to change their condition. Allah even revealed at the end of Surat Al- Muzzamel (73) verses for the Muslims who were all Arabs to ease up on themselves and reduce the night prayers.

How does new strive with oneself? 1. General ways to strive within oneself: a. Bringing alive the love of Allah in our hearts. Loving Allah must be bigger than loving ourselves, our family, our kids, or our money. This is achievable by looking and contemplating the creation, the Holy Quran, and mentioning and remembering Allah. We have to also start enjoying the acts of worship such as night prayers and fasting.

b. Reviving the fear of Allah (SWT) by remembering the destination of the transgressors. The human needs to compare his/her condition with their condition. We have to compare all the blessings that Allah has given us with our actions. Do we do enough charity work? How many sins do we fall into daily? We have to remember death and its difficulties, we have to remember the grave that we will lie in, and we have to remember the hellfire and the heat of it. Ibn Abi Al-Donia narrates in his book “Mohasabat Al- Nafs” (Judging Oneself) that Ibrahim Al-Timi once said: “I imagined myself in paradise eating from its fruits, drinking from its rivers, hugging its women, then I imagined myself in the hellfire eating from its rotten food, drinking from its disgusting drinks. So I asked myself, which life do you want? I replied; I wish to go back to live again so I could do good. Then I said to myself, you are already alive, so you have your wish.

c. The strong will and desire to face ones desire with fearing Allah and hoping for the mercy of Allah. We must believe that no matter how weak one could be, if we ask for Allah’s help, he will help us. Prophet Yusuf (AS) when he was tempted by the wife of the Treasurer of Egypt he said: “O my Lord1 Prison is dearer to me than that to which they invite me. Unless You turn away their plot from me, I will feel inclined towards them and be one of the ignorant.” (14:33). Allah (SWT) helped Yusuf with a strong will to reject lustful desires and accept a prison sentence for a crime he did not commit. He kept himself busy in jail inviting others to the way of Allah. Until Allah (SWT) gave him freedom because of his patience. We have to ask Allah with complete belief that he will give us. As narrated in the hadith listed in Bukhari: “If you ask Allah (SWT), ask him for the upper Ferdous of paradise”, meaning the highest most desirable place in paradise.

2. Special ways to strive within oneself. The special ways for striving within oneself depends on how honest is the servant with Allah (SWT). He/she must know what are his/her weaknesses so they don’t put themselves in a situation where they are subjected to temptations they could not resist, therefore one of the righteous people once said: “I could be trusted with this earth’s gold and silver, however I can not trust myself being alone even with a slave woman even for one hour.”

Therefore, I would like to offer the following examples as special ways to strive within our own self: 1. If one is used to a habit such as drinking tea or coffee, therefore they should struggle and strive within themselves as mentioned by Imam Shahid Hassan Al-Banna to give it up so they are not dependent on it.

2. One should leave once in a while a type of food that is available on the dinner table, this way you are training yourself on self control. 3.If one brother or sister is used to spending unwisely even in charity, he/she should strive within themselves to control their spending little by little. On the other hand, if one is cheap, then they should strive to spend in the cause of Allah on his family, relatives and charitable organizations.

4.If one gets angry and easily loses control, then one should observe himself and his tempers. One must remember that it is the strong that can control himself when angry.Therefore if one gets angry on something that is not for the sake of Allah, then one must condition himself by fasting or praying through the night. We must remember that if two people fight with each other, it is the better one who forgives first and goes to makes peace.

5. There are brothers and sisters who don’t like reading, they think it is boring. These people must strive within themselves to establish organized readings. They could start with small books then move on to bigger books. 6.If desiring women is always on ones mind, or looking at advertisement or TV shows that have almost naked women, then fasting is the cure, or keeping busy with his family or hurrying to get married if he was not married. He must keep busy at all times as to keep with pure thoughts and actions at all times.

Conclusion  Our Objective:  Is to produce educators who enjoy:  sophisticated intellect.  Pure heart to maintain a strong Faith.  Fine character necessary for proper activism.

Jazkumu Allah Khairan Let us act on what we have learned as sincerely as possible.