World Teacher's Day 2024
Today, the 5th of October marks World Teachers Day that has been held annually since 1994 to commemorate thadoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the status of teachers.
For as long as they’ve existed, as the influencers of the next generation, teachers have always been honoured and respected. It is the act of passing over one’s knowledge, wisdom and ability to think beyond the apparent to someone else. Teachers have been known to instill moral, ethical and intellectual values in their students in a selfless manner and be proud of all that their students go on to achieve.
Interestingly, when we speak of teachers, we often imagine a classroom setting that includes an adult explaining concepts to younger individuals. But in reality, there are many other influential teachers in our lives besides those who taught us lessons in school.
One of the first teachers are our parents/guardians who taught us to walk, say our first words and instilled the love of Allah (SWT) in our hearts.
We have mentors in the form of siblings, friends, grandparents or colleagues at work, whose perspectives challenge or sculpt our opinions and values.
Perhaps even the world around us has all thqualities of being an amazing teacher, often equipping us with the resilience to deal with the changes in life. For example, the shedding of leaves during autumn and the regrowth in springtime teaches us to let go of grief and prepare for rebirth and renewal of our greater self.
But one of the most beloved are the teachers who have inspired millions of lives even when they have never even seen His personality nor witnessed the greatness of His conduct. But more than 14 centuries later, more than 2 billion of us Muslims wish to emulate our beloved Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) in all aspects of our lives.
Be it the incident when He (ﷺ) went to enquire about the well-being of the Jewish lady who, out of hatred, used to throw trash on hior forgiving his sworn enemies after the conquest of Mecca (Sahih al-Bukhari), He has been the perfect role model for humanity.
In a famous hadith, Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) has been reported to have said, “When a person dies, his deeds are cut off except for three: Continuing charity (Sadaqa), knowledge that others benefited from (Ilm Nafe), and a righteous son who supplicates for him. (Sahih Muslim)
He taught by example, emphasising the importance of seeking knowledge, irrespective of age, gender, or status. Yet, as much as we would like to uphold his teachings in our lives, it is true that millions of children worldwide are still denied the basic right to education due to poverty, conflict or being orphaned at a young age.
This is where Penny Appeal’s Education First and Hifz Orphan initiatives come in. Through programmelike these, we have been able to uphold the message of the Quranic verse:
اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ
Read in the name of your Lord who created. (Surah Alaq:1)
We have constructed and rehabilitated hundreds of schools in various poverty-stricken and disaster-prone areas such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sudan, Palestine, and more – Alhamdulillah! All our efforts have been dedicated to ensuring that children from underprivileged communities are not just able to enjoy quality education but also have the opportunity to shape their futures in a safe and secure environment. But there are so many more children across the globe who still don’t have access to stable education and therefore remain in the cycle of poverty which has dominated their short lives. We believe that every child has the right to education, don't you?
This World Teacher’s Day, let us come together to provide more education opportunities for the vulnerable children of the world – Ameen!
To learn more about what we’re doing to ensure more children stay in education, and how you can get involved, take a look at the following appeals.
SATURDAY 5 OCT 2024
