Education system in the era of the Prophet

Education system in the era of the Prophet

At the time when Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born, Mecca was the largest center of idolatry. There were three hundred and sixty idols in the Kaaba. The only distinction of the Prophet (peace be upon him) family was that they were the custodians and key bearers of this idol. The Prophet (peace be upon him) never bowed down to idols. There was a cave three miles from Mecca. It is called Hira. He would go there and stay there and meditate.

He would take food and drink. According to the narration of Bukhari Sharif, he would perform “tahnath” or worship in the Cave of Hira. Scholars have written that this worship was contemplation and learning; therefore, in this cave, he was elevated to the greatest position of prophet hood. The circumstances that occurred after prophet hood are not hidden from the eyes of any student of the See rah; therefore, before the migration, there was no specific educational and invitation center for Islam and Muslims in Mecca, where he would continue his invitation activities with peace and tranquility.

  In fact, during the Makkan period, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) himself was the active center of learning. Traveling and staying, day and night, in every situation and place, he (PBUH) was the one who called and preached. The companions generally studied the Holy Quran in secret. Despite the oppression of the infidels of Makkah, the companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) were busy in preaching and spreading Islam. Such places and circles of the Makkan period can be interpreted as centers of calling and preaching. Where the work of spreading Islam was carried out in one way or another according to the sensitivity and need of the situation, so the following lines will shed light on the educational and training system of Makkah.

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The House of Abu Bakr

But Ibn al-Daghna brought him back saying that a person of character like him could not be forced to migrate and then declared his refuge for Hazrat Siddiq Akbar. Abu Bakr returned and built a regular mosque in the courtyard of his house:

There was neither a permanent teacher appointed in the Abu Bakr Mosque nor a regular student; however, it can be said that this mosque was the first school of education and religious studies in the Meccan period, and preaching services were carried out from here. Also, here, the children, girls and women of the infidels of Mecca listened to the universal message of the Quran and were inclined towards Islam:

“Hazrat Abu Bakr was a soft-hearted person. When he recited the Quran, he would cry. For this reason, boys, slaves and women would stand by him, and they liked his appearance. Some people from Quraysh went to Ibn al-Daghna and said to him: O Ibn al-Daghna, you did not give shelter to this person so that he would cause us harm.

He is such a person that when he recites the words that Muhammad (peace be upon him) has brought in prayer, his heart fills with tears and he weeps. He has a special appearance and manner due to which we fear for children, women and other people that he may cause them trial; therefore, go to him and order him to leave his house.  Stay inside and do whatever you want in it.”

So Ibn al-Dughnah came to Hazrat Abu Bakr and said, “Either you stop doing this or return my protection to me.” Hazrat Abu Bakr said, “I have returned your protection to you. The protection of Allah is sufficient for me.”

The House of Fatima

Similarly, the house of Fatima bint Khattab was also a religious, preaching, invitation, and training center. She is the sister of Hazrat Umar bin Khattab, who converted to Islam at an early age along with her husband Saeed bin Zaid. Both husband and wife used to study the Holy Quran from Hazrat Khabab bin Al-Arat in their home. One day, before embracing Islam, Hazrat Umar went out with a sword with the intention of killing the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him);  But on the way, when he received the news of his sister and brother-in-law becoming Muslims, he reached their house in a state of extreme anger, taking his sword in his hand. He found them engaged in reciting and teaching the Quran. Ibn Ishaq has written:

And with them was Khabab bin al-Arti, who had a scroll in which Surah Taha was written, which he was teaching.

The School of Sha’b Abi Talib

The infidels of Mecca were confident that they would put the Islamic movement to death with their brutal oppression and violence; but when, despite all their efforts and strategies, the sphere of Islam continued to expand and they saw that people like Hazrat Hamza and Umar also accepted Islam and that their ambassadors in the court of Negus had also faced humiliating failure, this blow further disheartened the infidels of Mecca; so after much deliberation, they unanimously decided to surround and destroy the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his family; so all the tribes made an agreement that no one would approach the family of Banu Hashim; neither would they buy or sell from their hands nor would they allow food and drink to pass to them. This agreement was written and hung at the door of the Kaaba.

Hazrat Abu Talib was forced to besiege the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the entire family of Banu Hashim in Sha’b Abi Talib in Muharram 7/Nabawi. The Prophet (peace be upon him) and his family spent three years in this siege. Since everyone wanted peace during the Hajj period, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would go out of Sha’b Abi Talib and invite different Arab tribes during the Hajj season; while at other times, he would train the Muslims in this valley. There are indications of the presence of the Companions in Sha’b Abi Talib, in addition to the Banu Hashim family. Imam Suhaili has quoted the statement of Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas, who was also among the besieged. He says:

“I was very hungry one day. In the dark of the night, my foot came upon something wet. I picked it up, put it in my mouth and swallowed it. I was not even conscious enough to know what it was, and I still have no knowledge about it”.Similarly, Hazrat Utbah bin Ghazwan once said in his Friday sermon: “I was the seventh Muslim with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and we had nothing to eat except leaves from trees, until our cheeks were injured”.

Dar al-Arqam School

Hazrat Arqam bin Abi Arqam is one of the early converts to Islam. Hafiz Ibn Hajar has also adopted the opinion of Ibn Sa’d in al-Asaba; however, according to Ibn al-Athir, Hazrat Arqam’s acceptance of Islam is the tenth or twelfth.

They were very arrogant and often their behavior was very rude. The situation had become so critical that it was not possible for Muslims to worship and pray safely and freely even in the corners and valleys.

“Once the Muslims were praying in the valley of Mecca when a group of polytheists saw them and started calling them very lazy. The matter escalated to a fight and Hazrat Saad bin Abi Waqqas hit a man with a camel bone, which split his head. This was the first blood that was shed in the cause of Islam”.

These were the serious conditions in which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) took the Muslims to “Dar-e-Arqam”; so that the Muslims could bow their foreheads before their Lord with full dedication; thus, “Dar-e-Arqam” soon became the center of da’wah activities, where not only people were admitted to the circle of Islam; Rather, they were given appropriate education, training, and self-purification. Ibn Sa’d Asad al-Ghabah supports this and states: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to live in this place in the early days of Islam, inviting people to Islam, and many people embraced Islam here.” Arqam’s house was located on Mount Safa. In the beginning of Islam, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to stay in this house. Here he used to invite people to Islam and many people embraced Islam here.Thus, a large group of people accepted Islam here”.

 After Dar-e-Ar-Qam became the center of Islam, the work of preaching and preaching began to progress with some satisfaction. This was the stage of the preaching of Islam in which the destitute, poor and slaves of Mecca entered this new movement, thinking of their salvation in this world and the hereafter.

Also, Dar-e-Arqam was not only a refuge for the weak in Islam; but here, along with the education and training of the Companions, collective worship, remembrance of Allah and supplications were constantly carried out. Of particular note is the supplication that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made for the acceptance of Islam by either Umar ibn al-Khattab or (Abu Jahl) Amr ibn Hisham.

The details of this are that one day Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) set out with the intention of killing the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).  On the way, when he heard the recitation of Surah Taha at the house of his sister Fatimah bint Khattab, he immediately turned around. Seeing her inclined towards Islam, Hazrat Khattab bin al-Arat told her in a manner of glad tidings that he had heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) supplicating in Dar-e-Arqam.

Dar-e-Arqam as a House of Consultation

Dar-e-Arqam was not only the “House of Islam” but also the “House of Consultation” for Muslims. Important matters such as the first and second migrations to Abyssinia were also carried out there through mutual consultation.“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to his companions: If you go to the land of Abyssinia, there is a king there who does not oppress anyone. It is the land of truth, so that Allah may save you from the difficulty in which you are caught.”

 If we consider these words, it becomes clear that this address will be given at a gathering of the companions that will be held in Dar-e-Arqam. Similarly, one day the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) gathered and decided through mutual consultation that the Quraysh had never heard the Quran recited aloud in front of them, so there should be someone who would perform this duty; So Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood accepted this responsibility and invited the Quraysh to their gathering and read the Quran.

However, it cannot be said with certainty where this council of the Companions was held. However, the prevailing opinion is that this council of consultation must have been held in Dar-e-Arqam itself; because it was difficult for the Companions to gather in any other place.

Just as the people of Mecca used to determine the events of their contemporary history with reference to events such as “Aam al-Feel” and “Halaf al-Fudul”, Muslim historians also mention and record events of the biography and history of Islam in the Meccan Prophethood in relation to the stay of Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Dar-e-Arqam.

 For example, the historian Ibn al-Athir has explained in his translations (tazirks) of Masood bin Rabi’ah, Aamir bin Fuhairah, Mu’mar bin Harith, etc. that these people had become Muslims before the Prophet (peace be upon him) moved to Dar-e-Arqam.  Similarly, in the mentions of Musab bin Umair, Suhaib bin Sinan, Talib bin Umair, Ammar bin Yasir, Umar Farooq, etc., Ibn al-Athir has clarified that these people had gone to Dar al-Arqam and become enriched with the wealth of Islam.

The first and earliest of the emigrants from Mecca to accept the true religion of Islam has been divided into two phases, namely, who were those who, after making Dar-e-Arqam the center of invitation to Islam, became the circle of converts to Islam.  Ibn Saad has specifically mentioned in his mentions of the following companions that they had accepted Islam before the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entered Dar-e-Ar-Qum:

Hazrat Khadija, Abu Bakr, Uthman Ghani, Ali al-Murtaza, Zaid bin Haritha, Ubaidah bin Harith, Abu Hudhayfah bin Utbah, Abdullah bin Hajjash, Abdur Rahman bin Awf, Abdullah bin Masood, Khabab bin al-Arat, Masood bin Rabi’, Waqid bin Abdullah, Amir bin Fuhairah, Abu Salamah bin Asad, Saeed bin Zaid, Amir bin Rabi’ah, Khunais bin Hudhayfah, Abdullah bin Maz’un and Hatib bin Amr. Similarly, Ibn Saad has also considered it necessary to identify those elders who entered Dar-e-Ar-Qum and embraced Islam at the hands of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).  These companions include Hazrat Suhaib, Ammar bin Yasir, Musab bin Umair, Umar bin Khattab, Aqil bin Abi Bakr, Iyas bin Abi Bakr and Khalid bin Abi Bakr.

Duration of stay in Dar-e-Arqam

A study of history shows that this arrangement reveals the fact that for them, the event of making Dar-e-Arqam the center and axis of the da’wah and propagation activities of the true religion was such a turning point that it served as a safe haven and an unparalleled training ground in giving a new direction to the unparalleled and revolutionary Islamic movement of the world.

 All historians and researchers agree on this that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) remained in Dar-e-Arqam until Hazrat Umar Farooq embraced Islam; while according to some traditions, Hazrat Umar embraced Islam in the sixth year of Prophethood; However, historians disagree about when the Prophet (peace be upon him) stayed in Dar-e-Arqam and how long Dar-e-Arqam served as a refuge for Muslims. Although some historians have quoted statements of six months and one month regarding the duration of his stay in Dar-e-Arqam (21).

But if the source is examined in detail, it becomes clear that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stayed in Dar-e-Arqam for a considerable period of time. Although it is difficult to determine this period, and it is also impossible to say when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) took refuge in Dar-e-Arqam; However, we can estimate this period from some incomplete indications of historians, for example, Ibn al-Athir, while mentioning the event of Hazrat Umar’s acceptance of Islam, wrote: “Umar bin al-Khattab left his house with his sword drawn. His intention (may Allah forbid) was to kill the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Muslims also gathered with him (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in Dar al-Arqam. Which was near Mount Safa. At that time, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was taking refuge there with about forty men and women from among the Muslims who had not migrated to Abyssinia.This statement of Ibn al-Athir is clear: Hazrat Umar accepted Islam after the migration to Abyssinia, while Ibn al-Qayyim has clarified that the first migration to Abyssinia took place in the month of Rajab 5 of the Prophet’s.

 Only those Muslims who had not migrated to Abyssinia for some reason had taken refuge in Dar al-Arqam.  So the number of these remaining Muslims was about forty, not the total number of those who had converted to Islam by that time, which was forty.

The first and second migrations to Abyssinia were decided upon through mutual consultation in Dar-e-Arqam itself. In this sense, if the period between Hazrat Umar’s acceptance of Islam and migration to Abyssinia is counted, it also becomes more than a year; whereas it is certain that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had taken refuge in Dar-e-Arqam long before the migration to Abyssinia.

Some narrations indicate that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had settled in Dar-e-Arqam within the first one or two years. For example! Ibn al-Athir quotes Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir as saying: “I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) (after his conversion to Islam) and he was accompanied by only five slaves, women and Abu Bakr Siddique” (24). Mujahid states that Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir was among the seven men who initially accepted Islam (25); whereas all historians agree that he was among those who went to Dar-e-Arqam and accepted Islam (26).  In this case, it is proven that the Prophet (peace be upon him) settled in Dar-e-Arqam at the very beginning of Islam.

Similarly, when did Hazrat Hamzah accept Islam? There are different opinions about this, some have said that it was in the fifth year of the announcement of Prophethood and some in the sixth year of the announcement of Prophet Hood. However, the research of the researchers is that he embraced Islam in the second year of the announcement of Prophet Hood; thus, Allama Ibn Hajar Tahrir says:

And he embraced Islam in the second year of the mission and always supported the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and migrated with him (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

This makes it clear that Hazrat Umar pledged allegiance to Islam at the hands of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) three days after Hazrat Hamza in the second year of Prophet Hood. This statement is further supported by the fact that most scholars are of the opinion that forty-nine men had embraced Islam before him. The number of forty was completed with his conversion to Islam. Hazrat Umar states:“I saw that only forty-nine men had embraced Islam with the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and I completed the number of forty by believing”.

The result of the discussion is that if the statement of the researchers that Hazrat Hamza and Umar had embraced Islam in the second year of Prophet hood is to be believed, then the fact becomes even clearer that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had made Dar-e-Arqam the center of his da’wah activities from the very beginning; because all historians agree that both of them had gone to Dar-e-Arqam and embraced Islam.

Summary

From the above-mentioned explanations of Islamic historians and biographers, this fact becomes very clear:

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to invite the seekers of truth to Islam and whoever came here came out after receiving guidance.

 Dar-e-Arqam was a center of peace for the Muslims, especially the poor, the persecuted, the oppressed, the oppressed and the slaves who came here and took refuge.

The duty of remembrance of Allah and preaching and remembrance was also continuously performed here. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to offer collective prayers with his devotees. It is also clear from the statement of Hazrat Khabab that the benefactor of humanity used to supplicate to Allah Almighty here even at night for the guidance of the servants of God.

In this place, the performance of the preachers of Islam was reviewed, future plans for preaching were made and the difficult task of training the preachers themselves was also done.  Among the trained teachers of Dar-e-Arqam, Hazrat Abu Bakr, Khabbab ibn al-Arat, Abdullah ibn Masood, and Mus’ab ibn Umayr are particularly noteworthy.

Dar-e-Arqam was not only the “House of Islam” for Muslims, but also the “House of Consultation”, where future plans for preaching were made through mutual consultation. The decision to migrate to Abyssinia was also made here through mutual consultation, and this place held the same place in the history of Islam as Dar-e-Indawah had among the Quraysh.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taking refuge in Dar-e-Arqam was a historic event, and it was also an event like Halaf-ul-Fudul, Harb al-Fajr and Aam-ul-Feel. Just as the infidels of Mecca used to define their contemporary history by these events, similarly, Muslim historians also define the events that occurred in the Makkan era of Prophethood by referring to the events before and after the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) entered Dar-e-Arqam.

Hazrat Arqam was one of those people who were blessed with the wealth of Islam and had dedicated his place for educational, training and da’wah activities from the very beginning. It became the most important center for the propagation of Islam during the Makkan period.

 In the light of various statements by historians, it can be said that the period of stay of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Dar-e-Arqam was more than a year.

The infidels of Mecca were fully aware of the Muslims taking refuge in Dar-e-Arqam; however, they were certainly aware of the inner activities and plans of Dar-e-Arqam.

The presence of the companions in the Sha’b of Abu Talib is also clearly indicated. As much revelation was revealed during this period of siege, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) must have taught it to the companions in Sha’b of Abu Talib and the companions must have also discussed religious matters here. In this sense, Sha’b of Abu Talib can also be considered a center of da’wah during the Makkan era of prophethood, where the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his companions were engaged in teaching, learning, and preaching for three years.

The last point is that we should learn from the example of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the present era. In the above lines, the propagation and propagation of Islam during the Meccan period and the efforts of the Da’wah have been presented with great wisdom and expediency. This example of yours is a model for all humanity.