Learning and teaching (ta'allum and ta'lim)

التعلم والتعليم

Ta'allum (learning) is the reflexive form of ta'lim (teaching). Teaching is making a thing known by repetition until it leaves a mark on the learner, and al-Raghib says it differs from informing, which is quick and by report. ¹ It is distinguished from culture (taqif), from training (tadrib), which is a means of teaching, and from discipline (ta'dib), which may be by upbringing or by punishment. ^{1 2} Learning is an individual duty for what a Muslim cannot do without in belief, worship and dealings; a communal duty for what public life needs, such as medicine, arithmetic and grammar; recommended in depth; forbidden in sorcery, soothsaying, augury and geomancy; disliked in love poetry that names real women; and permitted where nothing is objectionable. ^{2 3} Teaching is a communal duty, and becomes binding on one who is the only qualified person; it is binding when someone asks about Islam or what is lawful and unlawful; al-Nawawi holds that teaching students is a communal duty. ³ Scripture and reports praise knowledge, including the report that God wants good for whomever He gives understanding of the religion. ^{4 5} The etiquette of the teacher: seek God's face, be kind to students, be humble, teach to their level, and practise what he teaches. ^{5 6} The etiquette of the student: purify the heart, be humble before the teacher, do not press him with questions, be diligent and steady, and show patience and high aims. ^{6 7} Parents must teach a child what his belief and worship require, and also manners, swimming and archery; al-Rafi'i holds this is obligatory and al-Nawawi affirms it. ^{7 8} Teaching women the Qur'an, sciences and manners is lawful by agreement, and what they need, such as women's medicine, is required; most jurists see no objection to teaching women to write. ⁹ A teacher may beat a pupil for discipline under conditions: the beating is customary, the guardian permits it, and the child understands discipline. The Hanafis hold the teacher liable if he beats without permission, while the Shafiis hold him liable whenever the beating leads to death. ^{9 10} Being paid for teaching the Qur'an and religious knowledge is disputed: the earlier Hanafis and one Hanbali view forbid it, while the later Hanafis, one Maliki view and one Hanbali narration allow it. ^{10 11} The Malikis allow pay for teaching the Qur'an and dislike it for jurisprudence and other sciences; the Shafiis require the surah or the questions to be named. ^{11 12} Pay for teaching lawful crafts is allowed; most jurists allow it for non-religious sciences such as language and manners, while the Malikis dislike it. ^{12 13} Teaching forbidden sciences such as soothsaying, astrology, geomancy, sorcery and their like is forbidden, and taking pay for them is forbidden. ¹³ For the game caught by a trained hound to be lawful, the hound must have been trained, as the Qur'an says and the hadith confirms. ¹³