Being Beaten to Learn? - Qazwini
Imam Sadiq (a) said, “I wish my followers would be beaten on their heads with a stick to make them learn [about Islam].” Is the Imam advocating for violence here? The above statement is figurative as the Imam never beats anyone to learn something. Unfortunately, some madrasas have taken the above advice literally and beat their students (which is haram in Islamic law). In the Arabic language, it is common to say something like this to convey the importance of a message. It’s like asking our children to go to school or take a vaccination. Sometimes we would use statements or actions that will make them listen to us. When analysing a verse or statement such as the above, it’s very important to read and understand the biographies of the Prophet and our Imams. People tend to take verses or statements out of context without looking at the life of their teachers. These ambiguous verses or statements are a test for us (those who have a disease in their heart will follow the ambiguous verses).#Hawza #Seminary #Alhujjah #islam #shia #Qazwini
