Noibi calls for ‘balanced education’ of Muslim children

THE Executive Secretary of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), Professor Dawud Noibi, has emphasised the importance of ensuring that the education Muslim children receive in schools is balanced in the sense of combining sound Islamic spiritual contents with the conventional curriculum.

Professor Noibi made the submission at the annual Ramadan symposium and iftar programme of Reflective International College, Ibadan, Oyo State, held last weekend.

According to him, educating children without giving them a sound spiritual upbringing is disservice not only to the children but also to the whole nation and to humanity.

“It is obvious that the various avoidable challenges besetting this country and many other nations across the world are a result of the absence of sound spiritual content in the education that the youth receive; absence of the concept of accountability to the Supreme Being in the life to come,” Prof. Noibi, who was the chairman of the occasion, said.

He called on parents to see the sacrifices they make in enrolling and supporting their children in school as service to Allah through the material and spiritual education of their children.

“Without doubt, they are assured of richly rewards now and in the life to come, for Allah does not allow good deeds done for His sake to go unrewarded,” the erudite sholar said.

One of the lecturers at the event, Professor Afis Oladosu of the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Ibadan, urged parents to provide holistic education for their children in the best possible ways and influence their growth and development, materially and spiritually.

Prof Oladosu, who stressed that the kind of education Islam demands of Muslims begins from home, described the mother as the first institution for the teaching of the children.

The don, therefore, advised women to rise up to the challenge in this regard and stressed the need for both parents to cooperate and guide their children towards attaining their full potential in life.

The second lecturer, Mr Wale Akinlabi, observed that despite worsening poverty in the country, more parents, surprisingly, were becoming more interested in education.

Akinlabi, in emphasising that the present economic realities should not be an excuse to deprive children of education, urged parents to take advantage of available lawful financial safety nets so that “whatever happens,” their children’s education would be guaranteed.