LIFE AND EDUCATION IN THE SPIRIT OF THE TIME

Abstract

It would be wrong to say that expression “education in the spirit of the time” is new. To the contrary, from the historical perspective, the importance of awareness of the times we live in has explicitly been referred to in certain revelations to Abraham, s.a.w.s. Besides, certain sayings of the Last Prophet, s.a.w.s., could be viewed as pointing to the same as well. Four thousands years ago it was revealed to Abraham, s.a.w.s.,: “It is a duty unto a wise to know the times he lives in”. It is not by chance that this wisdom was revealed to a prophet who, for a time, lived in the north of Iraq, in Babylon, a big city with advanced civilization. It is a one’s duty to know the culture and civilization in which one functions so that his work could produce the best of results. The Prophet’s, s.a.w.s., metaphor: “when you get hold of cows’ tails and when agriculture becomes your main preoccupation” could be understood as an instruction to be informed and alert to the conditions in the society. The Prophet is in fact telling us: “Having good crops and cattle should not become your main and only preoccupation, but you should look around and monitor what is going on”. Accordingly, our Gazi Husrev-bay, following these recommendations, stipulated in his Deed of Endowment that, besides religious subjects, students in his Madrassah are to study “other subjects which time and place may require”. The Deed obviously allowed for the Madrassah’s curriculum to be adapted to the modern times and conditions. Thus, the continuity of the message - to live, educate and work in accordance with the spirit of the times - is being maintained from Abraham, to the first generations of this Ummah, to the present and even further on.