Study Subjects That Will Change the World

'Abdullah 'Azzam (rahimahullaah)

“…Look at these Ba’this. Here is Michel ‘Aflaq (Christian co-founder of the Ba’th Party), who ruled two significant portions of the Arab world. He positioned himself upon the throne of ‘Umar bin ‘Abd al-’Aziz (i.e. Syria), and he now positions himself upon the throne of Harun ar-Rashid (i.e. Iraq).

Michel ‘Aflaq obtained the post of Minister of Education in Syria for a few months – he was just a minister – and he took the Ba’this and sent them to study in La Sorbonne (a university in Paris). What did he send them to study? Philosophy, psychology, history, social sciences, economics, politics – not medicine or engineering – because these are the subjects that change societies, and these are the subjects that change mentalities. As for the professor in the college of engineering, what will he change? He will keep teaching the same theories of engineering. As for history, you can paint it as you wish, and you can distort the events that you want and paint what you wish in a good light (i.e. you can affect what you are teaching).

And they actually did this, and they came back and took over the University of Damascus. They occupied the position of guiding a generation. So, you do not find them directing their little pigs except to study the social sciences, and they never enter the colleges of science. Why not? Because when it comes to the colleges of science, if a Christian studies chemistry, will it change anything? N2 + HCl will always equal N2Cl + H2. Will this formula ever change? It will never change. Hydrogen sulfate with the Ba’this is H2S04, and with the Muslims it is also H2S04. Will they bring about a new law of chemistry? They will not bring about a new law of chemistry.

As for history, building your mind, building your character, look at the Jews. The Jews in America and outside of America occupy positions in Eastern studies, Islamic studies, Arabic language studies, history, economics, etc. You find Henry Kissinger and Safroni – two Jews, and the Jews respect them – if anyone in the world wants to be respected, they say that they studied with Kissinger or Safroni. Many ministers in the Arab world studied under him, yes! In our lands, one by one. Over twenty ministers graduated from the same university, and the Jews sent them back after having wiped out all the Islam that was in their conscience with bleach…they send him back to his country with letters of recommendation from the university and its professors, along with any articles he had written – articles in the Times about economics and the Arab mind – he writes a few articles and becomes a minister in his country!

As for us, we want the Muslim doctor, the Muslim lawyer, the Muslim engineer – what will he do all day behind the bricks, the cement, and the laborers? A laborer who works with cement from dusk till dawn – do you think he will have time to listen to anything you have to say? He is simply looking to put food on the table. He is not in the mood to listen to what you have to say. He is simply looking to put food on the table. You have ruined it for yourself, except if you wish to build houses with Islamic designs. This is another story! If you want to design windows with Islamic designs and to put on them Andalusian embroidery, this is another story. Maybe we can benefit from your embroidery, if Allah Wills! The door is on the right and the exit is on the left…maybe, if Allah Wills, we can benefit from your knowledge!

We would advise our brothers to study Shari’ah, to study literature, to study Arabic literature, to study history…”

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 317-318]

MashaAllah, that was a good read.

J.A.K

Wa iyyaki

Jazaaki Allah Khair for sharing this with us Yasmin, its true we should try to study some of these subjects coz they benefit us.

Masha Allah i just stumbled on this post and I feel very motivated to do well with my studies now!

Jzk khair Yasmin

So true. . For the past 7 years i have stuck my head into politics, newspapers, books and alll about the past and history, about politics and the UN, About anthropology and international law... These topics, like you indicated, are not to be considered lightly. .