IN a laudable development, Punjab Government has made
teaching of the Holy Quran with translation as mandatory for all universities. According to a notification, issued on Sunday, a student will not be awarded degree if he/she does not study the Holy Quran with translation.
Islamiyat or Islamic Studies are being taught in educational institutions including universities but notably the Holy Quran with translation would be taught separately. The move would surely go a long way in strengthening ideological frontiers of the country as has consistently been advocated by this newspaper especially its founder late Zahid Malik, who was also author of a highly popular and world-acclaimed book ‘Subjects of Quran’. Pakistan’s geographical defence is, no doubt, in strong hands but in the present-day world the enemy is not necessarily required to launch an aggression as the objective of weakening a country can be achieved through other means as well especially by undermining ideological and cultural moorings, norms and motivational strength. Pakistan came into being as a result of two-nation theory and it withstood challenges to its security and defence mostly on the strength of its ideology. Though there is greater realization on the part of society itself to impart religious education to children but the objective can be achieved in a systematic and better way if there is also patronage of the Government in this regard. Punjab Government’s decision to teach Holy Quran with translation in universities would help realize the objective of a strengthening the objective of boosting ideological frontiers of the country. Otherwise too, as pointed out by Governor Muhammad Sarwar, success in the world and the hereafter can only be achieved through proper implementation on the guidelines of the Holy Quran as Islam offers a complete code of life.
