Muslim Perspective: Qualities of an Effective Teacher

One among the many obligations that Muslims are entrusted with by Allah is the obligation to seek knowledge, implement it in their lives and spread it to others. In Islam the roles of student and teacher are of immense importance. As Islam is not just a religion, rather a complete way of life, Allah SWT chose The Prophet (PBUH) as our teacher. A teacher must possess a lot of good qualities to be able to fulfill his role in shaping minds, and He (PBUH) had all of them in abundance. This is “Qualities of a good teacher” essay which will reveal the Muslims perspective on this topic.  

One of the most basic qualities that a teacher must possess is leadership. A good teacher must be able to lead his charges in life, guiding them along the right path and steering them away from all harm and evil. He must be able to command their respect, devotion, and obedience. “A teacher, therefore, must have a certain quality of leadership…” and Allah Almighty says in The Holy Quran, 21:73 “And We made them leaders guiding by Our command. And We inspired to them the doing of good deeds, establishment of prayer, and giving of zakah; and they were worshippers of Us.”. Allah made Prophet (PBUH) a great leader and chose him to help us along the right path.

Teaching is an incredibly challenging responsibility and no teacher can function without abundant patience. Every student comes from a different background, and has their own insecurities, fears and colorful personalities. There are bound to be challenging situations in a teacher’s life with regards to his students during which he needs the patience to resolve them competently. “Whether you’re managing classroom behavior, working with colleagues with different views or communicating student issues or progress with parents, patience is one of the most important skills to practice as a teacher.” Our prophet (PBUH) was the most patient and forbearing of all humans. In the Quran, Allah SWT advises the prophet (PBUH) to practice patience, Quran 50: 39 “So be patient, [O Muhammad], over what they say and exalt [God] with praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting,” Whenever he (PBUH) taught the disbelievers about Islam and tried to guide them along the correct path, they ridiculed, mocked and tortured him. He (PBUH) bore all this with unwavering patience and placed his trust in His Lord. He would always be calm and forbearing with the ones who hurt him.

Of course, no teacher can be called one without ample knowledge of his subject matter. A teacher must be intelligent and knowledgeable to be able to transmit information successfully to his students. “A critical best practice for teachers is having a thorough knowledge of their field. As such, being knowledgeable is a core component of effective teaching.” Allah SWT bestowed great knowledge on all Prophets, including Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as evident from the verse in The Quran 57:25 “We have already sent Our messengers with clear evidences and sent down with them the Scripture and the balance that the people may maintain [their affairs] in justice …”

A teacher may possess all these qualities, but still fail at being effective if he lacks the ability to be a strict disciplinarian. His students must respect the boundaries set by him and know the consequences of breaking them. However, he must also maintain a balance between being a firm disciplinarian and being lenient and approachable. Students must know that they can always approach him with problems and concerns. Prophet (PBUH) understood the importance of discipline, especially as he was chosen to teach us how to live our lives, and a life without discipline and order would be neither productive nor purposeful. He (PBUH) would criticize the wrong actions of people, but in such a way that would not single them out or make them feel embarrassed, as discussed “When we look at our Prophet (PBUH), he would say, “what is the matter with those people that they say or do so and so!” and thus he made people realize that what is wrong is the behaviour, and he did not insult or scold people. He did not criticize the person, but rather the faulty action, and he tried to correct it in the best way.” “Discipline is life; it is behavior that contributes to proper attitudes and habits for social well-being. Discipline should be the responsibility of a person in whom the child has confidence and respect; someone on whom he can depend; and someone who will be firm, fair and friendly.”

There are numerous other qualities that a teacher must possess in order to be effective in his field, with one of the crucial ones being that he must employ several creative teaching methods to address all members of his audience. Each person has a complex brain and to assume that a single method of imparting knowledge is enough for all students would be a grave oversight. A good teacher must be able to recognize this and tailor his teaching skills and methods accordingly. “A good teacher provides for a great deal of definite learning activity other than reading material from books both in class and out of class. A good teacher interests youngsters in learning activities which will involve thinking, investigation, organization of material and ideas …” Our Prophet (PBUH) understood this and was known to employ a variety of teaching methods like repeating important information, asking questions, using drawings to better explain certain material, making use of examples to support the topic, making students write to remember and teaching by practice as practice cements knowledge in the minds of people. He was also very enunciative, approachable and would always implement his teachings. There are various Ahadeeth that provide proof of his modernistic teaching techniques with some of them being,

In conclusion, history proves that The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was an exemplary leader and teacher for mankind. In a very short time, he achieved great heights of success with the help of Allah SWT. He is a perfect role model for us in all aspects of life and following in his footsteps would lead to success in this world and in the hereafter (if Allah wills).

References

  • Best Practices in Teaching: Knowledgeable. (2015, March 30). 
  • Dennison, E. (2019, February 8). 10 Qualities of a Good Teacher. 
  • Douglass, H. R. (1958, January). What Is a Good Teacher? The High School Journal, Vol. 41(No. 4), 110-113. 
  • Gladden, T. (1957) The role of a classroom teacher as a disciplinarian (Graduate course paper) Henderson State Teachers College, Arkansas. 
  • Gultekin, V. (2012, November 9). The Educational Methods of Our Prophet (PBUH). 
  • Khan, M. M. (1997) The Translation of the Meanings of Sahih Al-Bukhari (Vol. 1). Riyadh: Darussalam
  • Noyer, R. (1938, March). The Qualities of a Good Teacher. The American Journal of Nursing, Vol. 38(No. 3), 295-297. 
10 October 2022
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