Moving on to the United Nations Development Programme’s SDG 4 on quality education, the following is the latest progress available on the UN website.
“Since 2000, there has been enormous progress in achieving the target of universal primary education. The total enrollment rate in developing regions reached 91% in 2015, and the worldwide number of children out of school has dropped by almost half. There has also been a dramatic increase in literacy rates, and many more girls are in school than ever before. These are all remarkable successes.
“Progress has also been tough in some developing regions due to high levels of poverty, armed conflicts and other emergencies. In Western Asia and North Africa, ongoing armed conflict has seen an increase in the number of children out of school. This is a worrying trend.
“While sub-Saharan Africa made the greatest progress in primary school enrollment among all developing regions — from 52% in 1990 up to 78% in 2012 — large disparities remain. Children from the poorest households are up to four times more likely to be out of school than those of the richest households. Disparities between rural and urban areas also remain high.
“Achieving inclusive and quality education for all reaffirms the belief that education is one of the most powerful and proven vehicles for sustainable development. This goal ensures that all girls and boys complete free primary and secondary schooling by 2030. It also aims to provide equal access to affordable vocational training, to eliminate gender and wealth disparities and achieve universal access to a quality higher education.”
Further perspective from the website entails that 57 million primary school-age children are out of school and over 50% are from sub-Saharan African countries. Sub-Sahara is the term used to define the countries located underneath the Sahara Desert. In Arabic, ‘Sahara’ itself means desert whereas ‘sub’ in English means below or under. As such, sub-Sahara would literally mean below the desert.
Out of a total of 54 countries in Africa, 49 are located below the Sahara Desert, the poorest of them all being Burundi, Somalia, Central African Republic, Mozambique and DR Congo. Globally, one in four girls is not attending school and the major cause of it is that about 50% of girls live in conflict zones. As of now, 103 million youths lack basic literary skills or are unlettered, more than half of them women, and lastly, six out of 10 children and adolescents are unable to achieve the minimum level of proficiency in reading any language and doing math.
After having refreshed ourselves with the reality on the status of global education, it seems the efforts made to secure SDG 4 objectives are bearing some fruit halfway down the line. Nevertheless, there is a long way to go for the OIC member countries since a majority of illiterate people or lowly educated persons come from these states. This is ironic considering that Islam gives the highest importance on getting education. In fact, the first-ever verse revealed by Allah The Most Exalted to Prophet Muhammad through the angel Jibril (Gabriel) was to read and write. This is Sura Alaq (the chapter on ‘Clot’) Verses 1 to 5. I have made bold the words relating to reading and writing.
“Read (O Prophet), in the name of your Lord, Who created: created man from a clot of congealed blood. Read: and your Lord is Most Generous, Who taught knowledge by the pen, taught man what he did not know.”
Prophet Muhammad told Jibril that he does not know how to read upon which the angel gave a tight hug to him three times after which Prophet Muhammad read the verses with the angel. Scholars say that this incident proves beyond any doubt that the Quran is Allah’s word contrary to the claim the pagans of Mecca had that Prophet Muhammad was a poet and authored the verses himself. His whole life was in front of the people, and they knew very well that he never attended any place where written and reading Arabic were taught.
In addition to the aforementioned, the 9th verse appears in Sura Al Zumar (the chapter on ‘Groups’) where a comparison is made between the people of knowledge and the ones who are not knowledgeable. The comparison heavily tilts in favor of the people of knowledge and should be the most convincing one for Muslims to excel in seeking knowledge:
“Can those who have knowledge and those who do not know be deemed equal?”
Allow me to quote another verse from Sura Thawba (the chapter on ‘Repentance’) where Allah provides vital guidance that it is not necessary that all Muslims go to war and that it is also important that some should take up the mantle to gain and spread knowledge:
“With all this, it is not desirable that all of the believers take the field (in time of war). From within every group in their midst, some shall refrain from going to war and shall devote themselves (instead) to acquiring a deeper knowledge of the Faith, and (thus be able to) teach their homecoming brethren, so that these (too) might guard themselves against evil.”
Based on clear Quranic guidance, Prophet Muhammad used to emphasize seeking knowledge as the top priority for believers. In the battel of Badr — 113 km from Madinah — Muslims won the fight and captured 70 non-believers as prisoners of war. When they were brought to Prophet Muhammad, he gave the historical verdict that whoever teaches 10 Muslims will be freed without any ransom or condition.
The purpose of this educative series and the article is not to hurt any religious or commercial sentiments either consciously or even unwittingly.
Sohail Zubairi is an Islamic finance specialist, AAOIFI-certified Shariah advisor and auditor as well as CIAE-certified Islamic arbitrator and expert. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Next week: Discussion on SDG 4 shall gain momentum.