Teaching in Islam

The teacher is expected to have patience, tolerance and forgiveness. The ability to be patient reveal the learners' talent. If a slow-witted learner does not understand a thing for several times he should be taught with patience and kindness. Imam Sadiq considers one of the traits of a learned person as patience. He says:
And a wise person needs wisdom, love, compassion, benevolence, prudence, fortitude, generosity, contentment''.
Since Imam in the rest of the narration explains the characteristics of the wise person and learner, we can say that the traits of a wise person are true about the teacher as well and as in the descriptions of the narrations they have mentioned teacher instead of a wise person. So the characteristics of the teacher is to be patient, in scientific research and also in teaching the learner.
B) Efforts in spreading science and technology
The Holy Prophet says: “The highest charity is that man learns something and teach it to others.
Imam Baqir says: “The Zakat of knowledge is teaching it to the servants of God.
C) The principle of equality with students
Hussan the teacher says: I asked Imam Sadiq that can I ask them for something because I teach them poetry, treatises and the like? He said: ‘Yes, if there happen to be children in your presence, (treat them) equal in the teaching, not preferring some over the others.
D) Teaching in an easy way
The Holy Prophet said: “Allah has sent me as an easy teacher''.
E) Motivation and effort in transferring your experiences
In the last part of the abovementioned narration by Imam Sadiq he introduces extending the knowledge as one of the characteristics of a learned person or a teacher. Extending knowledge means that if one realized that someone can be trained and that person asked him to teach it he must not refrain from it because everything has its own Zakat and “the Zakat of knowledge is spreading it''.
3. Priority of learning essential and necessary science
Among the necessary point in Islamic lifestyle regarding learning and teaching is that a revolutionary believer must know what should he learn? In many narrations it is recommended to learn the essential sciences. Based on the narrations, parents must teach their children necessary sciences so that they enjoy their benefits in the future.
Imam Kazim says:
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) entered the mosque and saw that people have gathered around someone. Then he said: Who is he? They Said: He's a scientist. He said: What that means? They said to the Holy Prophet: he is the wisest man in terms of learning Biographical evaluation and the Arabic events and also Arabic poems. The holy prophet said: If someone doesn’t know this science there’s no advantage and if someone knows it there’s no advantage for him the he said: Knowledge has three types: the knowledge of beliefs, the knowledge of ethics and the knowledge of Islamic rules and the rest is not necessary''.
It implies that that Islamic society must prioritize for gaining knowledge and deal with a knowledge that is useful for his world and the hereafter or remove a disadvantage.
References
A) being permanently busy with raising the level of education and religious sciences.
Imam Reza says: “God have mercy on someone who will revive our affairs, I said how a person can do such a thing? Imam said: to gain our knowledge and teach people, because if people had been better informed of the goodness in our sayings they would follow us''.
1. The knowledge of monotheism
The Holy Prophet says: “Teach the phrase [there’s no God but Allah] to your children as the first words''.
2. Quran recitation
Imam Baqir says: “The Commander of the Faithful, Ali ordered his son to read the Koran''.
3. Jurisprudence and religious duties
A person said to the Commander of the Faithful: “I want to make business”. He said: “Have u understood the religion of God?” he said: I will learn it later. He said: “woe unto you, first you must learn Fiqh and then make business because everyone who buys and sells something without asking about its lawfulness or unlawfulness will make the mistake of usury''.
4. Becoming familiar with Hadith
Becoming familiar with Hadith and Hadith studies is among the topics related to Including religious teachings and sciences. Imam Sadiq says about it: “Be quick in teaching Hadith to your children before Murji'a (deviants) do it''.
B) Acquiring a career or profession (skills)
Skill means mastership, dexterity and having the ability to perform a task adequately, by using knowledge and experience. As the statement implies, having a branch of having a profession and industry. So knowing a profession even not really specialized is a good idea. The Commander of the Faithful says: “Manual labor with chastity is better than the riches of a vicious life''.
However, scientific and technical skills and ability is necessary in any profession. Giving the responsibility to those who possess these characteristics, will lead to efficiency, productivity and achieving breakthroughs. God in the Holy Quran has praised the prophet Talut with academic and professional ability and says: “and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature” Surat Al-Baqarah [verse 247].
In the Islamic narrations, scientific and technical skills and ability has been noticed. The Holy says: “If you wanted to do something, do it with awareness and wisdom.
Doing any kind of task requires its own ability and knowledge, so that man can do it very well. Imam Ali on the required skill for a task says: “The worth of every man is in his attainments''.
4. Thinking and creativity
In addition to learning, thought and reflection is mentioned among the ways of gaining knowledge. Thinking means using the power of thought under the supervision of wisdom and the so-called, perception in the meaning of the different things to capture their concept. To put it simply, thinking of the two premises (the minor and the major) is formed to achieve a result. For example: 1. what is permanent is preferred over unstable; 2. Hereafter is permanent and the world is temporary. Then the hereafter is preferable over the world. The term thinking is linked and related to credibility, reminding, reflection, opinion, wisdom and knowledge, although there are differences between them.
The Holy Quran have paid a lot of attention to contemplation and has allocated many of its verses for encouraging to it. As by searching in the verses we can understand that God more than three hundred times invites man to contemplation and reminding. Moreover, in many verses it has blamed and rebuked not thinking over affairs. “Say, "Is the blind equivalent to the seeing? Then will you not give thought?" Surat Al-An'am [verse 50]. From the viewpoint of the Quran those who turn away from reason, are lower than cattle: “Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf and dumb who do not use reason” Surat Al-Anfal [verse 22].
References
A) Foreseeing before any action
The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali says about it: “Victory is by determination''.
In another Hadith also he says: “The wisest people are those who think about the result of their actions''.
B) Observance of the allowed items for not thinking
Qur'an and the Prophet and the Imams have introduced some issues to human for thinking and in turn, they prevent people from thinking in matters that are:
1. The permission for thinking and contemplation on Quran
According to some verses of the Koran that introduce the reason for descending the Quran to the prophet as explaining the divine revelation and people's contemplation: “[We sent them] with clear proofs and written ordinances. And We revealed to you the message that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them and that they might give thought” Surat An-Nahl [verse 44] and the contemplation on the Quran verses and reminding by those of understanding: “[This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded” Surat Sad [verse 29] or the verses which consider the purpose of divine instructions and explanation of verses as contemplation: “This has He instructed you that you may use reason” Surat Al-An'am [verse 151], “Thus Allah makes clear to you the verses [of revelation] that you might give thought” Surat Al-Baqarah [verse 219] Quran and its verses can be one of the most important areas for thinking.
2. Permission for thinking in divine signs
Among the topics that the Qur'an independently deals with it to know God and recommends to meditate and ponder is signs of God. Signs of divine revelations in a general division is divided into two categories: signs in the horizons and within themselves “We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth” Surat Fussilat [verse 53].
Signs in the horizons means signs that exist outside man’s nature on earth, in the sky, planets, mountains and seas and signs within themselves are the signs in man’s nature from the creation of different systems of man’s body the conception and development of the fetus in the womb, and above them the mysteries and wonders of the human soul.
3. Prohibition on thinking about the divine nature
In some traditions, the idea of the thinking about divine nature is prohibited: Think about the signs of God and do not think about God''.
Thinking about God means thinking in God's own essence that God in the Holy Quran says: “but they do not encompass it in knowledge” Surat Taha [verse 110]; It means that man cannot encompass the knowledge on God. [Because human contemplation system is limited; God’s essence is infinite; hence thinking about the nature of God will confuse man]. But thinking about characteristics, names and acts of God, is not such a restriction, but many verses encourages it.
4. Prohibition of thinking in the sins and pleasures
Also thinking about sins and pleasures has been forbidden in narrations. Imam Ali says about it: “Whoever thinks about sins a lot, this overthinking will make him commit sins''.
C) Prohibition against prejudgments and mental dependence on thinking
Contemplation will guide man to the truth in case it is done in an atmosphere without dependency, attachment and prejudgments; otherwise, if the person specify a special direction for himself before thinking and have decided before that, his contemplation is done within that limited range and he will reach to his desired result, as Walid ibn al-Mughirah based on his personal attitude and inclination that wanted to say something about Quran to introduce its call void and satisfy his people he thought to introduce the Holy Quran as poetry, myth, magic. Because he used to think within this area, finally came to the conclusion that the Quran is magic and it is made by human; hence, he will be afflicted by the wrath and the curse of God:
“Indeed, he thought and deliberated* So may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated* Then may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated* Then he considered [again]* Then he frowned and scowled;* Then he turned back and was arrogant* And said, "This is not but magic imitated [from others]* This is not but the word of a human being” Surah Al-Muddaththir verse 18-25''.
This concept is interpreted as freedom of thought against freedom of belief. To illustrate is that freedom of thought is different from freedom of belief. Freedom of thought arises from the human talent that human can think about affairs. This human talent must be free; because human progress and development depends on this freedom; but freedom of opinion has another characteristic. The source of many of the ideas is a series of habits, imitation and prejudice. Belief in this sense does not lead to any solution but in contrast it is considered as coagulation of thought; that is man’s thought is coagulated in this case instead of being active and it cause that the sacred power of thought is imprisoned din man’s nature because of this coagulation and interdependence. Freedom of opinion in the latter meaning is not only unhelpful, rather it has the most pernicious effects on individuals and society. Hence, something should be done to free thought from the bondage of this false belief.