Q. A pious shaykh who is a non-Alim, in his bayaan citing Hadhrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Rahmatullah alayh), spoke in favour of western education. Please listen to the bayaan, and comment on his views. Is his view valid? Jazaakalaah.

Our Comment
We have listened to the six minute bayaan. The Shaykh Sahib is confused. While he mentions Hadhrat Thanvi’s naseehat, he fails to understand that:
1) No one says that secular education is haraam.
2) No one says that science in toto is haraam.
3) No one prohibits employment (nokri).
4) No one prohibits earning wealth.
5) No one says that earning is not necessary.
However, the pursuit of these objects is haraam if undertaken in haraam ways. If the pursuit of lawful worldly objectives entails plunging into haraam, fisq, fujoor and kufr, then such pursuit is haraam. Pursuing worldly objectives via universities and the like leads to the worst of moral and Imaani corruptions. The shaykh Sahib is quiet on all the corruption and evils which are concomitant to the pursuit of western education. He does not even mention what happens to females in universities. The manner in which the shaykh spoke about English ta’leem confirms that he is either ignorant of the evils and destruction to Imaan and Akhlaaq caused by western education or he is intentionally passing over these evils in order to condone such pursuits.

THE MAJLIS VOLUME 26 NUMBER 01