Below is an article written by famous mosque architect
Prof. Abdel Wahid El-Wakil for issue 26 (Autumn 1998) of Common Sense on
the topic of The Madrasah Mosque.
KNOWLEDGE AND
EDUCATION
In tradition, Education
nourished both the spiritual and mental aspects of human nature. It
endeavored to stimulate the Soul and Intellect by dissipating true
knowledge.
True Knowledge consisted
of Revealed (Intuitive) Knowledge, and Acquired (Deductive)
Knowledge. The former was known as the "Intelligence of the Heart";
inspired from the soul, poetic and imaginative by nature, and guided
by Faith. Its element is Certainty. The latter was referred to as
the "Cerebral Intelligence"; a mental operation based on observation
and perception, discursive and analytical in nature and guided by
Reason. Its element is Doubt. Both these aspects of knowledge are
essential to the development of Human Intelligence.
Jean Piaget, the Swiss
Pedagogue, in his analysis of the development of human intelligence
has described this dual mentality as: the "Magical-Symbolic" and the
"Logical-mathematical"; The one bordering on the irrational the
other on the rational. Both are required for a true knowledge.
In the past, education
considered both requirements by teaching Physics and Metaphysics. At
the present, modern education, in quest of the practical, has
concerned itself with the material and utilitarian; unaware that,
with spiritual impoverishment comes material impoverishment. It
should be of no surprise to witness a remarkable decline of
standards in present education. Further to that, in an ever
increasing world of change, most of what has been taught is made
obsolete or inapplicable. The related cost and time spent in
learning and relearning is proving to be beyond individual means and
public funds. This matter is vital and crucial to economies with
limited budgets.
SOCIETY AND
CULTURE
A culture establishes its
identity by the interaction between the Collective Intelligence and
the Environment. Consequently, changes whether in human ideals or
environment will have a remarkable effect on the culture of a
society.
Man's predetermined
environment is the natural habitat of the "God Created-Universe".
The "Man-Fashioned World" is the particular environment shaped by
his will: the virtue of what he does and what he makes will be the
footprint of his culture.
Yet, a true culture
exists in history. For beyond the extensions of the physical world
is the duration of a temporal world. A World of history, filled by
memory, remembering the Past and speculating upon the Future. A true
culture is sustained in Cosmos as well as History; in Space and in
Time. Modern man, with all the technical ingenuity he possesses in
extending space and time, finds himself choking for space in his
crowded cities and feeling bankrupt for time. Without a metaphysical
dream, he is constantly falling out of space and running out of
time: Destroying nature and squandering his heritage through the
whole process.
SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY
In the 20th century,
Science has become the distinctive enterprise of Western
civilisation. Yet, it is perhaps the least understood. Above that,
is the common misunderstanding between science and technology.
Science is the branch of knowledge concerned with the investigation
of the natural or physical: - It is of a "universal" nature.
Technology, defined in Webster's Dictionary as the application of
Science to the social, cultural and economic benefit of a people or
society, is "particular" in nature. The false notion that it could
be universal has forced upon us 'appropriate' and 'alternate' to
rectify the definition for a true and working technology.
Further to being
inappropriate, many of the products cunningly imposed upon us today,
are based upon personal greed instead of general benefit. The worst
comes when a struggling economy, duped into the myth of scientific
progress, undertakes to import the harmful gadgetry of such an
industry. This science of deceit is eventually polluting our prime
means of survival. In spite of the alarming evidence to the end
results of our present situation, the hysterical optimism in modern
technology has not diminished. Not even the obvious adulteration of
our food, water and air, has managed to shake this hysteria.
In France, a recent
study, on agriculture and the food industry, predicted a near future
when man might be limited to the choice of either dying by food
poisoning or by starvation.
ECONOMY AND PRODUCTION
Recently, the
"microprocessor" revolution has introduced a new quality of
acceleration into the displacement of human by non-human
"employment". So far, no accepted party has faced the realities of a
'robot' industry: an industry that has excelled in the technique of
mass-producing beyond the capacity of human consumption. "Waste and
"pollution" are the names given to the unused excesses of this
modern industry. Not least, is the waste of human resources
resulting from an increasingly redundant workforce. Ironically, the
cynical view regarding the return to handicrafts advocated by
William Morris, a return which would, in fact, now be possible not
'in spite of' the machines but 'because' of them.
This progressive
magnification of waste and pollution has produced its reaction in
the Ecology Movement; which triggered the recent Environment Summit
in Tokyo.
However, the problem
remains. For, the solution is not that of compromise, but that of
eliminating the cancerous economy of excess. We are constantly being
reminded of scarcity amidst a world of plenty.
"In fact, we live in a
world of technical brilliance and cultural barbarity" writes Eric de
Mare in his book titled: " A Matter of Life or Debt"- an inspiring
solution to the social and economic crisis.
RELIGION AND THE
COMMUNITY
Renaissance culture
brought about a radical change of climate to the universe of
Medieval civilisation. The Middle Ages were referred to as the "Dark
Ages" while the Renaissance was looked upon as the "Age of
Enlightenment". A change of perspective gradually transformed the
vertical axis of a spiritual universe into the horizontal axis of a
temporal world. Instead of looking up to find his origins in heaven,
man looked back, only to find an ape at the dawn of his evolution.
The concept of "traditional" and "progressive" marked the dividing
line on that horizontal axis. On one side, was the backwardness of
the "religious" and "humanistic", while on the other side, was the
progressives of the "secular" and "scientific". The "modern" mind
was then well established.
Tradition was rejected in
favour of technological advancement. Tradition was looked upon as
fossilised belief and not in its true function as the transmitter of
the universal truths that lie at the heart of all religions. Above
all, there came to be no spiritual bond linking the different
religious communities. No matter how sharply their religious
differences had divided them, the Christians, Jews, and Muslims of
the Middle Ages had inhabited the same spiritual universe. For
Renaissance culture, this universe no longer existed. Marked on
their edifices was the signature of this new age:- The genius of
Gothic architecture (symbol of an idea) was replaced by imitations
of a pagan Greco-Roman architecture.
REMEDY AND
RESTORATION
Courage and will are the
first steps towards remedy and rehabilitation: the courage to admit
that something is not right and the will to regain a new state of
well-being. Remedy requires a thorough knowledge of the patient's
history to indicate the periods of good health and degeneration and
a proper Diagnosis to determine the causes of the disease. Treatment
will be in the will to restore good health and the discipline in
adhering to the cure.
MADRASSAH-MOSQUE
As a centre of
Epistemology (study of human knowledge), the Madrassah-Mosque will
have a major role in restoring the self esteem of community by
serving as a Bank of Knowledge and Information.
A selected group of key
persons will be formed to diagnose the problems and shortcomings of
the community and its related institutions.
The program could be
based on themes that bring forth the various branches of human
knowledge.
This could be achieved by
debates, seminars, exhibitions, and documentaries.
The main themes could be
established by delving upon subjects related to issues mentioned in
the above topics.
A theme on the knowledge
of HISTORY will be specific in restoring the image of the Arab world
by revealing the grandeur of Arab civilisation in the past. It will
demonstrate the spirit behind the greatness that once influenced the
development of the Western world: the younger generation is not
reminded of this noble heritage left with a feeling of inferiority
amidst the glorified media that at the moment surrounds Western
culture.
A theme on the subject of
RELIGION would be to show its critical role in promoting knowledge
and understanding rather than orthodoxy and fanaticism. How faith
should fill the air with the fragrance of a spiritual universe
rather than carve our walls with morals and dogma. How love and
gratuity is more ennobling to our lives than hate and greed; and
that duty and servitude is the most enduring asset to oneself and
the community.
A theme on ART and CRAFTS
would reveal its relevance in our daily lives. It will redefine the
role of the artist. It will stress on making every man a special
artist and not every artist a special man. It will teach people to
make every useful object beautiful, instead of making, every
beautiful object useless. It will demonstrate how Beauty is the
expression of truth and therefore everlasting; that fashion is
wasteful and should not be the order of the day. Crafts will be
presented as an asset to the economy. It will explain why the skill
of sculpting a chair has more use and sanity than that of sculpting
statues; the skill of weaving a carpet as of more precious than the
splashing of paint unto canvas. Most of all, it will show that art
could be part of our everyday objects rather than be the occasional
visit to the art gallery.
A theme on SCIENCE could
instruct and inform the community on its needs. The science of
nutrition could promote good health and savings to the community. A
theme on technology could show the simpler methods in harnessing
energy and churning production. A true Technology is that which
legitimately resolves the essential needs of a community; rather
than cater for the desire of fancy gadgetry. A centre for future
inventors will provide the means for research and development for
genuine ideas to be actualised. Solar energy would have a major
concern within the science program.
A theme on ECONOMICS
could discuss the financial problems of the community and establish
workshops to improve the local income. The themes could range from
the home industries to that of the region.
A theme on ARCHITECTURE
could analyse the optimum configurations for built up space. The
maximum allowable population density. The use of local materials in
construction. The planning of neighbourhoods (modern planning being
the most uneconomical in urban history).
The proposed centre
will house all the facilities required for creating a Think Tank and
Knowledge Bank for the community. The administrative program and
managerial functions will be developed through the key persons
involved for this initial set-up.
Author: Prof. Abdel Wahid
El-Wakil
|
Date
Published: Autumn
1998 |
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