"Occupy yourself in the seeking of knowledge without let, for only the knowledgeable are truly alive" - AMIR AL MUMININ ALI IBN ABI TALIB (AS)

"I have endeavoured to give him a noble upbringing a fine instruction and a refinement in culture, and now he is a man of wisdom and accomplished learning." - SYEDNA TAHER SAIFUDDIN (RA) IN PRAISE OF HIS SON & SUCCESSOR.

Educating a child is the foremost responsibility of his/her parents. Syedna (RA) was not only a good father to his chilldren  but as will be evident by this part of the interview he was a good teacher as well. If one sees his son Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (TUS) today he would require no more proof of Syedna (RA)'s capabilities as a father and a teacher. In this section of the interview we will witness Syedna (RA)'s fatherly role in not only educating his family & mumineen, but also the students of Aligarh Muslim University. If only Syedna (RA)'s opinions on educating a child are incorporated in today's education system we can be sure of our children's success not only in this world, but in the life hereafter.

"His Holiness has been not only an ardent advocate of education but also an indefatigable teacher himself all his life. Even now, he holds regular classes in Islamic scriptures and Arabic lore for all the members of his family, young and old, not excluding even his own brothers. In fact, for three to four hours every mornings, Saify Mahal is more a buzzing academy of learning that a home.

Answering questions about his experiences as a teacher, His Holiness said that he was convinced that teaching increased one’s own knowledge. His method of instruction was to reach as close to the young as possible, he explained. He would start teaching them about concrete things, things close to familiar them, and then take them on step by step to the higher rungs of knowledge. One must first judge the mental capacity and receptivity of the learners, and adjust the process of instruction accordingly, he added.

His Holiness's devotion to children is proverbial. However busy the day and however pressing his engagements, he must spend some time with them and, when eating, nothing seems to give him so much pleasure as to have a child romping about and coming now and then to him for a wee bite. He is absolutely against the use of any form of force or compulsion on the young whatever the provocation. In his discourses, he always stresses to the need of training and correcting children with love. And he has let it be known that if any mother beats her child, she would be causing as much pain to him as if she had beaten one of his own dear ones.

When asked about this in the course of the interview, he admitted as much and said that he had even gone so far once to ask children to complain to him if their mothers ever dared to raise their hands against them. A child, acting promptly on the advice, did come to him with a complaint. His holiness said. The mother was duly summoned and admonished not to do so again.

Continuing, he said that he had never had any occasion to regret the application of love even when children were in the wrong. They had responded to his treatment most satisfactorily, and he could not recall a single instance of failure. In answer to a further question, His Holiness said that his devotion to children was something inborn which, however, had been fully vindicated by his experiences so far.  Surprising as it may appear to some seemingly harassed teachers in nursery classes, His Holiness holds that the tiniest of scholars are the easiest to handle and the most delightful to teach.

His Holiness has decided views on the present system of education. When drawn into a brief discussion, he said that he had been a critic of the educations order even in British times, and he did not see much reason to change his opinion since the advent of Freedom. The prevailing system, he remarked, was cumbersome, ill-conceived and ill-directed. While the curricullum was groaning under the weight of several unnecessary subjects, it was deficient in some necessary ones. Giving a constructive turn to the talk, he said that he would want the emphasis to shift definitely to practical training and technical instruction useful for everyday life. Purely academic studies could be of advantage only to a few while the vast majority had to plunge into lifes stern struggle as soon as they left school.

As for the laxity of discipline among the young, he said that the present social set-up was primarily to blame for this state of affairs. Parents, teachers and the taught had all to bear responsibility for the sad development, and the remedy had to be found in the wider context of public thinking, social philosophy and code of behavior.

His Holiness has had the unprecedented distinction of being thrice elected Chancellor of the celebrated Muslim University of Aligarh, an office which was once the exclusive prerogative of Governors of Provinces and Rulers of States. His Elevation to the Chancellorship was the first signal recognition accorded to scholarship and learning as such in the annals of University.

Asked about his experiences at Aligarh, Dr. Saifuddin said that during his very first official visit there, he had insisted that he should have enough time to meet the students. He wanted them to come close to him and lay bare their difficulties. He had since stuck to this practice with the result that the students now looked up to him more as a kind father than as their Chancellor. It was of the utmost importance that young students, separated from their parents, should have something to replace the home atmosphere and affection they missed while at their studies, His Holiness emphasized.

An acknowledged authority on Arabic language and literature, His Holiness sees a bright future for them. But he feels that the outmoded, involved expression of the past should yield  place to simpler, easily understandable ones and that every attempt should be made to keep out slick, cheap phrases of modern coinage. The language should be at once simple and chaste."

TO BE CONTINUED . . .