By: Dr. Mohammed Iqtedar Husain Farooqi
Scientist/Deputy Director, National Botanical Research Institute Lucknow, (Govt. of India)
Education is fundamental for development of any nation and higher education is a powerful tool for the eradication of poverty, boosting shared prosperity and making the society strong enough to face challenges of times.
This basic fact was very well known to Muslim Ummah during Middle Ages, a Golden Period in Islamic History. “Seek Knowledge” was the known Commandment of Islam for Muslims and they followed it for almost eight hundred years.
Muslims around the world during the last four century showed great interest in every aspect of life except education. Poetry, music, painting, ceramics, architecture, metal work etc became important activities throughout the Islamic world.
But very little interest was shown to the fast developing modern education coming from Europe. Probably the most harmful act was their refusal to allow the use of Printing Press in 15th Century, a turning period for Europe.
Through the Printing Presses, scientific revolution was made possible in all the sphere of scientific and industrial activity in Europe.Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi rightly observed “After sixteenth century Muslims lost the interest in Enquiry and Physical Sciences and engaged themselves more inMetaphysical Sciences with the result they could not produce great men of knowledge (genius).’’ — “Muslims forgot their own scientific thinking and followed only traditional knowledge. They therefore lagged behind in Science and Technology and thus became slaves of the West”.
After a long spell of slumber, Muslims all over the world have started to understand that without modern knowledge and higher literacy their exploitation by the West cannot be checked. This is what Sir Syed told Muslim Ummah in the late 19th century. Fortunately, education is re-emerging in the Islamic World during recent past, say 21st century.
According to the survey by John Miller, 5 Muslim countries namely Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan find places amongst 25 countries with highest literacy rates of 100%.World Bank and UNSECO data for2018- 2021 shows that 25 Muslim Majority countries have achieved average literacy above 90 per cent.
These include Saudi Arabia (95%), Indonesia (94%), Malaysia (94%), Iran (90%), Jordan (96%), U.A.E. (94%) and Turkey (95%). Nine countries, including Syria (86%), Tunisia (82 %), Iraq (79%), Egypt (75%) Algeria (73) and Morocco (72%) were reported to be in the bracket of 70% to 89%. Unfortunately fifteen countries including largely populated countries of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nigeria still lag behind in literacy (Less than 70%). However, compared to the literacy Data of 1980 (Av. 30%), 2018– 2021 data is highly satisfactory.
A redeeming feature is the fact that the Gender Difference (Men and Women) in literacy in many Islamic countries has also fallen sharply. At least 21 countries have the difference only 0 to 7% only.
Tertiary Education (Higher education in all the disciplines of knowledge) in Islamic world needs serious attention. Yes it is true that scientific awakening is under way in Muslim World. Research spending in many countries, like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar, Turkey etc has been raised substantially.
Tertiary Education in Western countries is generally above 40% whereas barring few countries likes Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, it is between 2 to 6%. Research spending in Muslim countries also needs serious attention. Only countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Qatar have substantially raised funds for this purpose.
Qatar is reported to have proposed the raise of the Science budget from 0.8% to 2.8% of its GDP. However, Education Expenditure has been raised substantially in many Islamic countries. For instance, 19 % of Saudi Arab GDP is meant for Education. Similarly Oman expenditure is 12%, Tunisia, 12.8%, Turkeyi, 9%,Kuwait, 12.6%, UAE, 12.3%, Malaysia, 19%, Egypt, 12% etc.
Many Muslim countries have already established centers of higher learning (Universities) with emphasis on the modern sciences. According to The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019, ninety six universities from Muslim countries have been listed amongst the top 1102 Universities of the world. 22 belong to Turkey followed by Iran 18; Pakistan, 10; Malaysia and Egypt 9 each; Saudi Arabia, 5; U.A.E. and Indonesia 4 each; Jordan and Morocco 3 each; Tunisia 2 and Algeria, Bangladesh, Kuwait, Lebanon, Nigeria, Oman and Qatar 1 each.
Another redeeming feature in the rankings is the fact that in forty one universities, female students are higher in numbers than male students. Eleven Universities have more than 65% female students. Imam Abdul Rahman Bin Faisal University of Saudi Arabia 81% followed by United Arab Emirates Univ. 79%, Qatar Univ., 73% and Kuwait Univ. with the ratio of 72:28.
The following details give an idea of Re-emergence of Education in the Islamic World.
Literacy Islamic World (2018-2021)
Country: Lit.1980++ Lit.2021; Male / Female ++ Gender Diff, 2007
Afghanistan: 12% ++37.3%; m: 52.1% / f: 22.6% ++30%
Albania: NA++ 98.1% ++ m: 98.5 / f: 97.8% ++13%
Algeria: 37%++ 81.4%; m: 87.4% / f: 75.3%++20%
Azerbaijan: NA++100%; m: 100% / f: 100% ++NA
Bahrain: 73%++97.5; m: 99.9% / f: 94.9% ++ 7%
Bangladesh: 26% ++74.9%; m: 77.8% / f: 72% ++22%
Bosnia: NA ++ 98.5%; m: 99.5% / f: 97.5% ++7%
Brunei: 63%++97.2%; m: 98.1% / f: 93.4% ++5%
Burkina Faso: 12% ++ 39.3%; m: 49.2% / f: 31% ++20%
Chad: 12%++22.3%; m: 31.3% / f: 14%++17%
Comoros: NA ++58.8%; m: 64.6% / f: 53% ++NA
Cote d’Ivoire: NA++89.9%; m: 93.1% / f: 86.7% ++NA
Djibouti: 32%++67; NA ++ NA++20%
Egypt: 44%++71.2%; m: 76.5% / f: 65.5% ++21%
Eritrea: 52% ++76.6%; m: 84.4% ++68.9% ++21%
Gambia: 16%++50.8%; m: 61.8% / f: 41.6% ++NA
Gaza: NA++ 97.5%; m: 98.8% / f: 96.2% ++ NA
Guinea: 25%++ 39.6%; m: 54.4% / f: 27.7% ++27%
G–Bissau: NA++ 59.9%; m: 71.8% / f: 48.3% ++37%
Indonesia: 62% ++96.5; m: 97.4% / f: 94.6%++10%
Iran: 50%++89.5%; m: 90.4%/ f: 80.8% ++12%
Iraq: 50%++85.6%; m: 91.2%/ f: 79.9% ++31%
Jordan: 80% ++98.2%; m: 98.6%/ f: 97.8% ++10%
Kazakhstan: NA++ 100%; m: 100% / f: 100% ++NA
Kosovo: NA++91.9; m: 96.6%/ f: 87.5 ++ NA
Kuwait: 60%++96.5%; m: 97.1%/ f: 95.4% ++4%
Kyrgyzstan: NA ++99.6%; m: 99.7% / f: 99.5%++0.2%
Lebanon: 74%++ 95.1%; m: 96.9% / f: 93.3% ++11%
Libya: 50%++91%; m: 96.7% / f: 85.6% ++20%
Malaysia: 60%++95%; m: 96.2%/ f: 93.6%++6%
Maldives: NA ++97.7%; m: 97.3%/ f: 98.1% ++NA
Mali: 10%++35.5%; m: 46.2%/ f: 25.7% ++NA
Mauritania: 17% ++53.5%; m: 63.7% / f: 43.4% ++21%
Morocco: 28% ++ 73.8%; m: 83.3%/ f: 64.6% ++25%
Nigeria: NA++62%; m: 71.3%/ f: 52.7% ++21%
Oman: NA++ 95.7%; m: 97%/ f: 92.7%++16%
Pakistan: 31%++58%; m: 69.3%/ f: 46.5% ++27%
Qatar: 76%++ 96%; m: 92.4%/ f: 94.7% ++1.0%
Saudi Arabia: 50%++97.6%; m: 98.6%/ f: 96% ++14%
Senegal: 10%++51.9%; m: 64.8% / f: 39.8% ++25%
Sierra Leone: 15% ++ 43.2%; m: 51.6%/ f: 39.8% ++20%
Somalia: 20%++39%; m: NA/ f: NA++25%
