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The Prophet’s Mosque was a haven of knowledge for students
A group of Ahlus-Suffa sit in a corner of the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. Their clothes are dirty, their stomachs are gnawing with hunger, yet their eyes are filled with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself is teaching them the Quran, providing them with food and shelter. Among this group are Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), Salman al-Farsi (may Allah be pleased with him), Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him)—who would later become the spiritual bearers of Islamic knowledge.
The Prophet’s Mosque was a haven of knowledge for students
Such was the first scene of scholarship in Muslim civilization. This tradition of financial and social support for the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge became the backbone of education and civilization in the Muslim world in the following centuries.
In this article, we will look at the religious basis of scholarship in Muslim civilization, its early forms, and its social impact. Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Acquiring knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim” (Ibn Majah, Hadith: 224). This education encouraged Muslims to seek knowledge, and helping students is considered a virtuous act.
In addition to teaching the Ahlus-Suffa, he provided them with food and shelter from zakat, other donations, and hadiya (gifts). He would allocate a mudd of dates (about half a kilogram) for every two of them every day (al-Tabarani, al-Mujam al-Awsat, hadith: 6,325).
This example was the first model of scholarship in Muslim civilization.
The Quran emphasizes the importance of education and gives dignity to scholars. Allah says, “Allah will raise those of you who believe and those who have been given knowledge in rank” (Surah al-Mujadala, 58:11).
In light of this education, the Muslim community considers providing financial support for students as a religious duty. The jurists further specified this duty, stating that supporting students is a fard kifayah (social duty) on society, and it can be made obligatory if necessary, such as specifying a khat for the payment of zakat. (Ibn Abidin, Al-Uqud ad-Durriya, 2.125, Damascus: Dar al-Mustafa, 1838). In the early days of Islam, scholarship was simple but effective. When Muhammad (peace be upon him) received the prophethood in Mecca, only a few of the Quraysh knew how to write, such as Harb ibn Umayya (d. 607 CE) and Abu Sufyan (d. 680 CE). (Dhahabi, Siyar Alam al-Nubala, 1/123, Beirut: Mu’assasat al-Risala 1985)
There is little specific information about the initial cost of education, but one example is found in the case of the release of prisoners taken at the Battle of Badr (624 AD). Muhammad (pbuh) offered to teach the boys of the Ansar in exchange for the release of some of the prisoners. The cost of this education was about 400 dirhams, which is about 800 US dollars today. (Zad al-Ma’ad, 3/156, Damascus: Dar al-Fiqr, 1/350)
The Ahlus-Suffa were the first well-organized example of scholarship in the Prophetic era. These poor students lived in a special place in the Prophet’s Mosque, and Muhammad (pbuh) took responsibility for their education and livelihood. Abu Nu’aym al-Isfahani (d. 1040 CE) said, “Their main task was to understand and learn the Qur’an” (Hiliyat al-Awliya, 1/345, Beirut: Dar al-Qutb al-Ilmiyah, 1997).
This group numbered about seventy, and many of them later became great scholars of jurisprudence and hadith. (Al-Dhahabi, Siyar, 2/89)
Muhammad (peace be upon him) took special care of his students. He said, “People are your followers and people will come to you from all over the world to learn the religion. When they come, treat them well.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith: 2650)
This education instilled in the companions a sense of responsibility towards their students, which in the following centuries took the form of institutionalized scholarship. make
