Childrens education - by Shaykh Said Afandi al-Chirkawi
Speech by Honorable Shaykh Said Afandi al-Chirkawi at Majlis dedicated to the construction of the new madrasah in the Noviy Chirkey village, Kizilyurt district, Dagestan, 2006.
Dear brothers in faith, Jamaat of Noviy Chirkey, I also used to live here. Those young probably do not know about this, but in 1970 after the earthquake, my family and I moved here. In autumn I had bought a house here. After the earthquake my old house was ruined, while the local one here remained perfectly safe. Therefore, I moved with my family here. Then I held two jobs at a hydroelectric power station, as a security guard and a firefighter. That time is said to be the period of most fierce struggle between the government and Islam. But how could I know about it? At that time children went to school at six. School buildings were next to my house. As required, I sent my kid to school at six, but also the same very day after school I began teaching him Alif [Arabic alphabet]. Thus I taught all my three children the Quran, at 6. And I was right, because it is said that parents make their children Christians, Jews, pagans or Muslims.
For example, what can we do with a big old tree? It is difficult to bend it. It is too firm. Kids are like new plants, you can teach them anything. A tree grows healthy, if you take care of it. So it is with children. If their parents do not educate them, no one will be responsible for that. We did not always have such great possibilities as now. Whoever saw what we had to go through is aware of this. There was a time when parents were afraid to teach children Quran even at home.
But now, when there is so much freedom of religion, what do we need? There are teachers in madrasah, nobody prevents you from learning. And for the elderly people, like us, for the people, who have been ignorant for so long, the best medicine is to educate their children. There is no greater joy and happiness for a jahil (a non-alim), than to have heirs with iman. Allah will forgive him for the sake of his children. The sins of the deceased father, who rests in the grave, will be forgiven because he had left behind an heir with iman. Much has been said about it, and we do not need to repeat it here.
Kuramuhammad advised children to learn independently, even if their parents do not educate them. On this occasion I would like to tell you a story from Patal-Haji. When he studied in the Kharakhi village, there lived an alim, who had two sons. He sent the elder one to study and left the younger one for the household chores. Their father was a good `alim. Over time, after they grew up, the younger son started asking questions,
- “Father! You sent my elder brother to study `ilm, while I stayed to do the chores. Why did you refuse to send me too?”
The man believed that the elder son was a worthier student, because he had a better memory and talent, but the question still confused him. He said,
- “My son, after all, a person can take only what is given to him, and you are better for the household work.”
After his father’s words the son replied,
- “Allah gives, if we take.”
Then he went to his father’s bookshelves, chose the book ‘Tasrif’ and left the house without saying anything to anyone. Two years the family did not even know where he was. When two years later he needed new books for further studies, he returned home, took the necessary books and was gone again. So he learned on his own and became a good `alim.
So, kids, you too can become ulama, even if you learn independently. But parents should also do their best, it is said, “A child is a child, even if he is a prophet.” I repeat, if parents fail to educate their children in Islam, they will not be forgiven. Today there is no excuse for not teaching your children religion.
As I see Mufti and teachers from different madrasahs present here, I would like to reiterate that we need to pay special attention to education. I watch the process and I noticed that teachers sometimes slack in their work. He who puts aside a book after reading it only once with students is a bad teacher.
Do not be offended by my words, brothers in faith. I also taught children for a while. I know how I was taught, and I also had to teach. If you teach children, they need to understand the essence. That is why it does not suffice to read a book once. Read ‘Minhaj’ one year, even for two years, studying ‘Minhaj’ helps you to benefit from other books too. What is the use of other books, if you do not know this one? If you follow the little knowledge you have gained, Allah will open the unknown to you. I would say, the main thing is not the number of books you have read. Or do you think the person should read all the books that exist on earth? It is important to understand the essence of the book, because you can always use it.
Last night, at home we were talking about studies with my son, Abdullah. He told me, that at the Islamic Institute they [teachers] never review what they have studied. What is that? Why do they not review it? By Allah, this is wrong! I do not want to hurt you. It is only about education. For example, if we study ‘Ihya’, reading it once is enough for students’ barakah. As for the lessons of fiqh, you need to review them. Look how they grade pupils knowledge in schools. Only two or three students answer the lesson, [but] nobody knows beforehand whom the teacher will ask. We all went to school, did our homework, feared that the teacher might ask us the lesson. And what happens if you do not ask them in class!?
Children used to come to me to study `ilm. But I was busy and it was not a madrasah. So I told them, “Children, I will read you a lesson, but I will not ask you afterwards, because I am very busy.” However, in the madrasah it should be different. You must ask at least few students, to test them and to see how they have learned what is in the book. Otherwise, you can be sure, that the kids will not read and learn the lesson. Perhaps, only a few will do that on their own wish.
Teachers go to work in the madrasah voluntarily. No one forces them there. They are paid whenever possible. And would it be halal to be negligible at work? If you have an opportunity to teach a child Islam, you should teach him, pour knowledge into his heart with all your heart and soul. So it should be.
Besides, we discussed with my son last night, that most our madrasah teachers go to the hajj, even though it is not fard for them. They went to the hajj already long ago. Preparations and the hajj itself takes about two months. What does it mean? If you go every year to the hajj and stop working at the madrasah for two to three months, can you call it proper studying? We see how secular educational institutions work. Can we be so careless about the madrasah studies? They need order. This year, let everything be as usual. But if I stay alive, inshaAllah, next year we will put order here. You should not neglect education! May Allah help all of us!
About the pursuit of knowledge, the prophet Musa (PBUH) said to Khidr (PBUH): “I have come to you for a small part of the great knowledge Allah gave you.” Musa is the prophet who was given Tawrat [Torah]. He talked to Allah and became one of five greatest prophets. Khidr did not reach this level, but Musa (PBUH) said to him, “I have come to you for knowledge.” Khidr replied: “O Musa! Torah is enough knowledge for you, and the people of Israel are enough cares for you.” Musa said, “I have come to you at the command of Allah, do not reject me.”
My deceased teacher Patal Haji said, “In the past common people from the jamaat used to have the knowledge I have today. They could correct the ulama with the arguments from ‘Mahalli’. They knew all Islamic sciences, except probably Arabic language.” This is because earlier there were no madrasahs. People studied in mosques at the old lamps, wrapped in coats; they stayed awake at night. The whole jamaat studied in the mosques. So people’s knowledge was almost on the par with ulama. Who prevents you from studying now? It is better than sitting on a godekan? Nothing can be compared to studying at least one letter of `ilm. Knowledge is more precious than sunnat prayers, as it is essential for correctly performing salah. What is the use of sunnat salah, if you do not know how to perform it?
Ali Haji also said at another majlis, that without reading ‘Alham’ [Surah al-Fatiha], salah is incomplete. In the past we checked, if the children were reading ‘Alham’ correctly. But now they do not pay as much importance to that. Everyone ought to (fardul `ain) read correctly ‘Alham’, perform prayer properly and learn to do that. Everyone is obligated to search for the essential religious knowledge. Who pays due attention to this now? But we go to the hajj as much as we can. Every year I also go to the hajj. Why? Because our nafs pushes us. It is true.
We neglect fard and persist on doing the sunnah. It is very discouraged. Therefore, both old and young should pay particular attention to Islam, because worship of Allah is not something you do after you are done with worldly matters. If you chose the path of worship or spiritual studies, you can think of the mundane only after fulfilling your Islamic duty, i.e. required by Allah. Every Muslim should do so.
Brothers in faith, I love you very much. Try to teach children, and if you learn at least one letter of the ilm, it is great. May Allah help you all and endow you with good health!
Now about Bahaudin who built this madrasah. When Dawood (PBUH) began the construction of the mosque in Bait-ul-Muqaddas, he could not build the wall over two meters. Every morning, he always found the building destroyed. He cried, “O Allah! Why?” Allah said, “You shall not build more than that. Your son Sulayman will finish it.”
We all knew Bahaudin’s deceased father. He visited me too. We wanted very much to build a madrasah. But he did not have the opportunities we enjoy now. A lot was in the way probably. But his intention was very strong, and the son fulfilled his father’s wish as his last will. May Allah grant him strength, health and talent, bestow barakah on his life, family and property! May He endow everyone with a chance for good works!
