Educational Guidance in the Thought of Imam Ridha and Its Social Effects

Abstract

Education is one of the first tasks of the honorable prophetic missions, as revealed by the call to refine and purify souls and care for them through the divine educational instructions and directives that came on the tongues of the prophets and messengers. Allah Almighty said: “It is He who has sent among the unlettered a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses, purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom - although before they were in manifest error”. The Holy Quran includes many texts in the chapter of educational guidance and instructions, and the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) and the Imams of his family (PBUH) was not far from that; rather, everyone began to work based on the call of the Prophet (PBUH) to his nation: “Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock.” He did not exclude anyone from carrying out this social responsibility, and the Imam is more deserving of carrying it out than others from the common people, as he is the extension of the prophethood after the Prophet (PBUH).

     Therefore, the responsibility was great on the Imams of the Household of the Prophet (PBUH). What concerns us in this research is shedding light on what came from Imam al-Ridha (PBUH), the eighth Imam of the Household of the Prophet (PBUH), from the perspective of the educational instructions based on his religious and social responsibility of the Islamic nation, as educational instructions are among the most important contemporary religious intellectual starting points. It is found that Imam al-Ridha (peace be upon him) left an educational and guiding thought and preventive commandments to rescue the individual and society from intellectual and behavioral decadence and deviation.