Press Release
Only Adoption of Islamic Educational System will Raise a Faithful, Pious, Thoughtful, and Mujahid Generation!

With the beginning of the new academic year in Afghanistan since March, there is a sense of frustration and/or lack of motivation towards schools and universities – as a large number of talented youth and even university lecturers are fleeing the country. Unfortunately, with the brain-drain from Afghanistan, the talented youth that should have been employed to serve Islam and Muslims are leaving the country.

We consider the issue of educating and upbringing Muslim children as a vitally crucial political issue, and any tiny negligence towards it will bear unpleasant and harmful consequences in this world and the Hereafter. Because without Islamic education, millions of youth will remain aimless who will not be able to understand their Islamic duty. Unfortunately, the current regime has failed to introduce and/or endorse an educational system based on Islam in the last two years, and the legacy of the failed occupation is still being adapted in the educational institutions with some minor reforms.

The educational system of the previous regime, which was built on the basis of democracy, now with slight changes in some aspects (i.e. addition, reduction and removal of some topics and disciplines, as well as an increase in the credit of subject of theology ‘Islamic culture’ at universities), still continues in the same way as before. It’s unfortunate to see that the current government is still adapting this corrupt system with more passion and order. While the system and curriculum in Afghan schools and universities have serious content-based problems from an Islamic point of view. For example, the aim and content of syllabi at Economics and Law faculties, which were replicated from Western culture, are still taught in the same way as before.

What is most dangerous for the educational system of Afghanistan is the duplicity and deep distance between the institution of school/university and Madrasa. Such dual system is the legacy of the occupying British that created a deep gap between these two institutions in order to continue its occupation in the Indian Subcontinent. The British colonialism was trying to separate Islamic knowledge from contemporary and scientific education. On the one hand, this educational system presents to society a generation who would have the required ability and competencies, but would not consider Islam as a solution to the world problems– finally endorsing the dangerous idea of separation of religion from life. On the other hand, this system educates a generation who understands Islam academically and theoretically, but in the field of practice, they do not have a correct understanding of the politics, economy, and complexity of today’s world from the perspective of Islam. As a result, a generation will come up who won’t have a clear picture of Islamic governance nor will they know how to adapt Islam. Subsequently, the adoption of this dual education system in different Islamic lands has led to deep intellectual decline among youngsters, hindering their success in the world and Hereafter.

The educational system of Islam is a unified system that educates people in a way that, while being equipped with intellectual and scientific skills, can also apply Islam in their personal and political lives. They see the life’s meaning in this world aimed at attaining the satisfaction of Allah (swt) and propose solutions to economic, political and social problems from the perspective of Islam. In addition to having faith, piety, equipped with political insight and passion for Jihad, they also have the ability and competencies in various fields of sciences. Such an educational system presents distinct and Islamic personalities to the society, whose main purpose is the complete and comprehensive adaptation of Islam aimed at guiding the world and bringing other nations out of the darkness of Kufr into the light and justice of Islam.

As Allah (swt) and the Messenger of Allah (saw) clearly mentioned regarding the importance of education and/or knowledge:

[يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ]

“Allah will elevate those of you who are faithful, and ˹raise˺ those gifted with knowledge in rank. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.”[Al-Mujadila:11]

«وإنَّ فضلَ العالمِ على العابدِ كفضلِ القمرِ ليلةَ البدرِ على سائرِ الكواكبِ»

“The superiority of the educated man over the devout worshipper is like that of the full moon to the rest of the stars (i.e., in brightness).”

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Afghanistan