On the Beliefs and Plots of Al-Qaeda (6) - How does Al-Qaeda think : Education
Disclaimer: the views expressed in the article below are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The Monthly.
Education Methods
Education by preaching
The greatest sermons delivered by Prophet Muhammad, peace and prayers of God be upon him, to his companions were from the Holy book. Some adopt this approach as an independent method of education and call it ‘education through Quran’.
Part of the education delivered by preaching also, is the education through stories. The Young Boy and The Monk and the Three Men Trapped in a Cave are among the many stories told by Prophet Muhammad to his companions, in addition to the stories of the Holy Quran.
Teaching by example falls under the preaching method of education as well. ‘The faithful, in their love for one another and in their having mercy for one another, are like one body,’ said Prophet Muhammad to his companions as reported in Al-Hadith Al-Shareef. Many such examples are given to the faithful in the Quran.
Education by accustomization
‘Education via accustomization’ means accustoming members to the behavior intended from their education, even if they fail to fully absorb it in the beginning, just like the Sharia’a accustomed boys to prayers and religious worship. This method does not apply to children only and the leader or the educator can use it with adults as well; some ancestors even used to self-educate themselves in this way.
Education by obedience
Although the acts of obedience such as praying, fasting and alms giving are considered to be a result of the previous methods, they still serve as an excellent way to elevate the human spirit.
Education through role-models
Seeing human examples comply with the commands of God at any cost and sacrifice so dearly for the sake of the religion of God is one of the most important ways to scale up the members.
Prophet Muhammad, peace and prayers of God be upon him, then his companions back in his day and later in the future, were the best of role models to the nation of their times, rather to all nations of all times. Whenever troop commanders requested considerable numerical support from the Khalifa, he would send them a number that could be counted on the fingers of one hand of the Prophet companions, with a letter listing their deeds and virtues and suggesting that each of them is worth a thousand members. As soon as their biography made the rounds, a zealous spirit of engagement in obedience in general, and more precisely in the obedience of Jihad, would permeate the ranks of the army. Had it not been for the presence of role models among their ranks, this fervor would not have been possible. Therefore, when among our ranks emerge men who make sacrifices in obedience to God’s commands, all commands, those are sure to be the best way to lift up the movement of the faithful and particularly those junior members who are still new to Islamic work.
Speaking of that, I was often taken aback by the statement made by Muslim Brotherhood leaderships, which used to circulate among some Islamic Movement factions and which has spread today in different directions, reading “we are currently working and we do not need problems and Jihad. Rather, we are laying the foundation for a generation of Jihad, which will consist of our children and grand-children…”
“The role models and living examples that stood their ground in the face of these horrors are credited with bringing about this unique jihadist generation.“
To the one who contrived this statement thus fleeing the execution of religious commands, and to all those who followed suit, we address the following question: “Who are the living human models that your children will look after in the future?” You are their ideals, and if you sit back they will sit back. They will practice Jihad in the development struggle form, quitting the fighting just like their ancestors did.
Education through trials and tribulations
The trial and tribulations that befall the members are a chief factor in shaping their being. When one’s days and life are a series of glorious stands taken against the sedition caused by the child, money, the wife and the enemy; when all these stands, however particularistic, are connected to grandiose events that blow one’s mind away and put them in constant conflict with themselves for fear of falling or in punishment for a faux pas or a stumble they had committed; when one senses that all the parts are interconnected, they realize that any misstep in the face of the soul and wealth temptations, or the like, will definitely lead to missteps and setbacks before the enemy.
The events, calamities and tribulations that faced our companions since they first delved into Islam and the role models and living examples that stood their ground in the face of these horrors are credited with bringing about this unique jihadist generation. The impact of preaching, even that of the Quran, on the elevation of members increases tenfold when coupled with these two approaches. Therefore, we ought to teach people and exploit each and every event to reinforce their obedience and submission to the Great and Almighty God.
“O you who have believed, respond to God and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that God intervenes between a man and his heart and that to Him you will be gathered.”
Had this verse descended on companions sitting in a living room or inside a mosque, would it have had the same effect and generated the same responses as when it descended during the Battle of Badr? How could they possibly not respond with the verses of Allah manifesting before their eyes while fighting! Lifting calamity can only happen by following the commands of Allah.
Although the verse is specific for Jihad as mentioned by the Tafsir, it is generic when it comes to the importance of responding to the commands of Allah, for it is in them that life resides. Had the verses concerning the prohibition of alcohol or the commandment of Hijab descended under an atmosphere far from the woes and ordeals that surrounded the faithful, how well would they have responded?
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