World Teachers’ Day: Teachers’ reward may be in heaven, it should not foreclose their welfare on earth -NASFAT Chief Missioner Onike

The Chief Missioner of Nasrul-Lahi-l-Fatih Society (NASFAT), Imam Abdul-Azeez Onike, has enjoined governments at all levels to prioritise welfare of teachers.

Speaking in commemoration of the World Teachers’ Day, Imam Onike said: “The consoling aphorism that the teacher’s reward is in heaven should not mean that the purveyors of knowledge should live in abject poverty on earth”.

Quoting the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to buttress his points, he said: “Our Noble Prophet Muhammad variously said, “Everything seeks forgiveness for the teacher of virtue, even fish in the sea.”

“Mu’adh ibn Anas reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever imparts knowledge will have the reward of whoever acted upon it, without detracting from the reward of one who acted.”

He urged every individual to remember that “whatever you have become in life, you could not have got the knowledge without a teacher”.

The Chief Missioner added: “Mu’awiyah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “O people, knowledge only comes by learning and understanding only comes by seeking understanding. For whomever Allah wills good, He grants him understanding of the religion. Verily, only those with knowledge fear Allah among His servants (35:28)”.

Onike advised the government to ensure improved remuneration and pensions for teachers that will be meaningful and comparable to that of other professions, regular training to build capacity of teachers, good work environment with access to enabling tools and technology, and respect for the teaching profession.

He prayed for all the teachers, dead and alive saying: “O Allah, You acted as a teacher to Adam (AS) (“Then Allah taught Adam the names of all things and presented them to the angels and said: “If you are right (that the appointment of a vicegerent will cause mischief), then tell Me the names of these things” Q2:31).

“That act alone confers nobility on teaching profession, while we have no means of compensating our teachers for converting us to valuable beings, O Allah, bless our teachers and add the rewards of their efforts on us to the scale of their good deeds on the day of judgment, aamiin”, Imam Onike stated.

For a better society