Modern civilisation has made astonishing progress in technology, science and the economy. People have set foot on the moon and used artificial intelligence to make machines think. Yet at the same time moral decay, a crisis of values and spiritual emptiness have grown alarmingly in society. People today know how to build high-speed internet, but not how to find peace of heart. At the root of this moral crisis lies a lack of religious education, which teaches spiritual awakening, humanity and ethics.
Religious education: shaping who we truly are
Religious education is not only lessons in prayer, fasting or worship. It is a full education in how to see life, in justice, character and humanity. Islam teaches people how to live a responsible life seeking the pleasure of the Creator. Allah says in the Holy Quran: “Read in the name of your Lord who created you.” (Surah Al-Alaq: 1)
This first revelation to the Prophet shows that in Islam knowledge begins with remembering the Creator’s name. In other words, it instructs that knowledge be built on a foundation of morality and faith. Abu Hurairah (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Whoever follows a path in pursuit of knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise.” (Tirmidhi: 2646)
In this hadith, “knowledge” means not only worldly learning but the knowledge that leads people towards Allah, towards justice and towards the welfare of humanity.
Society as it is
We see technological progress in society today, but moral decline is rising just as fast. Families are breaking up, children disobey their parents, and corruption and fraud have become common. From children to young people, many are addicted to social media and cut off from real life. If religious values are not at the centre of the education system, people may become as clever as machines while their hearts stay empty.
Bangladesh is not free of this crisis either. Recent research shows that because religious values and moral education are not properly practised in schools, children are showing less morality, empathy and sense of responsibility. Many students are skilled in science or business but have a limited understanding of society and humanity.
Without religious education, a moral crisis
In a society without religious education, people come to see their own interest as the only truth. The result is corruption, greed, injustice, violence and broken families. Islam teaches: “Indeed, Allah commands justice, good conduct and giving to relatives, and forbids indecency, wrongdoing and oppression. He admonishes you so that you may take heed.” (Surah An-Nahl: 90)
This verse is not only to be heard in the mosque but to be put into practice in every family, school and office. If every student grows up holding this principle in their heart from childhood, there will be no place for injustice in society.
Faith and modernity together
Many wrongly believe that religious education stands in the way of modern education. In reality Islam is a way of life that encourages research in science, technology and every field of knowledge. Anas ibn Malik (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Seeking knowledge is an obligation on every Muslim.” (Ibn Majah: 224)
Here “knowledge” means both religious knowledge and the worldly knowledge people need. Islam seeks a balanced education in which people learn science but use it in the way that pleases Allah.
If a child today purifies the heart in the light of the Quran and, at the same time, seeks ways to develop society with the knowledge of modern science, a civilised, moral and progressive nation will be built.
The duty of families and schools
The family is a child’s first school. If parents practise Islamic ideals at home, including prayer, kindness, honesty and compassion, their children inherit those values. If teachers at school also give character-building religious education alongside the curriculum, students will succeed honestly not only in exams but in the contest of life.
The world today keeps creating new technology, but people are still searching for peace. That peace is not found in money, power or machines; it lies in the moral life Allah has prescribed. Religious education teaches people how to be human. That is why, in modern society, religious education is the only path for humanity to survive. Allah says in the Holy Quran: “He has succeeded who purifies his soul.” (Surah Ash-Shams: 9)
Religious education is the means of that purification of the soul, shaping people not only into successful citizens but into successful human beings.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report