The Importance of
Education in Islam
The Prophet declared that a Makkan prisoner of war could ransom himself by instructing ten children of Madinah to read and write. This was not a simple matter, rather it was a momentous step.
The present condition of Muslims has not got to do with religion. I would like to narrate an incident that demonstrates the importance of education in Islam. A remarkably unprecedented event occurred in the history of early Islam which elucidates the significance of gaining knowledge.
After the Prophet migrated from Makkah to Madinah, the Makkan opponents of the Prophet launched aggressive wars on Muslims. Initially, the Makkan leaders’ activities were limited to inflicting atrocities on the believers. But after the Muslims shifted to Madinah, the Makkan opponents forced them to combat in the battlefield. One of these wars is famous as the Battle of Badr because it occurred at a place called Badr in 624 AD. Muslims emerged victorious in this battle, while seventy of the chieftains from the rival Makkan camp were taken hostage and brought to Madinah. At the time, the inhabitants of Makkah were largely literate, while that of Madinah were comparatively illiterate. The seventy hostages belonged to the educated elite of Makkah.
According to the precedent in Arabia, prisoners of war were awarded no concessions and were promptly beheaded with the sword. This severe treatment was meted out because the enmity of prisoners of war was proven beyond any doubt. It had become well-known that these were a group of people who would go to any extent, even war, in opposition to their rivals. Releasing the hostages left one exposed to the threat of their re-organizing themselves to carry out further hostilities. This is why, exterminating them was the only safe option available.
This sort of treatment of prisoners of war was an established custom in the ancient world. But contrary to it, the Prophet declared that a Makkan prisoner of war could ransom himself by instructing ten children of Madinah to read and write. This was not a simple matter, rather it was a momentous step.
These seventy hostages were among the leaders of the thirteen-year movement of persecution directed at the Prophet and his followers in Makkah. They had forced the Prophet to leave his native Makkah, continued their belligerence after the migration of the believers to Madinah and sought in every way to completely wipe out their existence. The formidable threat they posed was cause for deep apprehension, as there was every possibility that once set free, they would regroup to attack, lay siege on and conspire against the Muslims. Later events confirmed these misgivings. After being released, these very people were responsible for inciting their tribesmen to war. They mustered a strong force to launch hostilities at Madinah to avenge the loss at Badr. This incident is recorded in history as the Battle of Uhud, fought in 625 AD. This points to the grave risk that the Prophet invited in releasing the prisoners of Badr, as they were the ones who planned and organized the assault at Uhud, in which the Muslim side suffered massive defeat, many Companions lost their lives and the Prophet himself was pushed into a ditch, wounded and bleeding.
The Prophet exposed himself to the threat of war for the sake of educating ten children of Madinah. This episode implies the paramount importance that the Prophet attached to education. The Prophet allowed the prisoners to walk free if each one of them agreed to teach ten Muslims residents of Madinah, even though there was strong suspicion that these very people would strike back on being liberated. The Prophet’s reasoning behind this extraordinary step was the conviction that even if Muslims were left exposed to defeat in the battlefield, the education that they acquired would in future enable them to win far greater battles in intellectual, scientific and academic fields. Later events verify that Muslims worked to bring about a revolution, one that had far-reaching influence on the course of history. This is why, the Prophet risked the perils of war and released his opponents by allowing each one of them to ransom himself by teaching ten Muslims how to read and write.
It is indeed astonishing that a religion that placed such enormous emphasis on gaining knowledge and pioneered the tradition of learning has believers in the present age who have fallen behind in the sphere of education.
