Mr. Qaseem Abbas
Islamic Scholar
There are three spheres and layers of human life and three kinds of Knowledge
First sphere is the material physical life man encounter with the external universes through senses. This is the sphere of sensory knowledge. Knowing the physical realities of external nature or the animal and human bodies, their workings and discovery of the laws governing them and how that knowledge can be used for betterment of physical conditions of the human life and the natural resources. The collection of this knowledge is called „Science‟. This makes us to know and gives us what is called in Persian ‘dānish’-knowing or simple knowledge.
Second layer of human life is his Intellectual life. Man is not only „body‟ but also Mind‟ only comfort of body and material wellbeing do not satisfy Man. He also hankers for „intellectual Perfection‟. He wants to peep into super-sensory metaphysical realities. He also wants those Science which can guide him. Thus, Educational System may give due importance to Philosophy, Humanities and Ideology. Sciences makes Man know what is and develop technology to serve Man, Philosophy, humanities and Ideology enables Man to know what should be done and „guide‟ Man. That is why Dr Shariati, the Iranian thinkers has classified all branches of knowledge into two, those Sciences and branches of Knowledge which serve Man and those Sciences and branches of knowledge which Guide Man.
Third is the sphere of spiritual life. Man does not only consist of body and mind; he has also the „soul‟ and the‟ spirit‟. He is not satisfied with only material comfort; or even by just intellectual knowledge but yearn to see those realities and to move towards the Ultimate Perfection and to get absorbed in the Supreme Beauty and Bliss. This is source of the Spiritual life of Man.
What is the Holistic Education System?
Thus there are these three layers and dimensions. First is the level of knowing; second is the level of understanding; third is the level of seeing. This may come through education of Ideology, Ethics and Spirituality. First category is Science-Education which result in knowledge dānish; second consist of Education of Humanities and Philosophy and ideology which may give „framework‟ and „insight‟ what in Persian may be called beenish’. The third is the Education of Applied Ethics and Spirituality which may result in „illumination‟ and transformation; in Persian we may call „irfān‟ Usually the first category of branches of knowledge are which serves man ulūme khidmatguzar, second category is which guides man Ulūme Rāhnuma, the 3rd category is which makes Man ulūme insane sāzī. What we mean by a „holistic Education System in which all these three basis dimensions of Man are fulfilled and developed.