Importance of Knowing your History

Random Thoughts ... 

Reading history always force me to realize that those who don't know it, repeat it, particularly the mistakes, and that a nation if is unaware of it's past doesn't have a future either. After reading a few books in a row, and looking at the present state of ignorance of our educated class of their own history, I feel scared ... simply because the level of collective ignorance with our past implies that we don't a future either. Some one once told me the it was one of the tools of colonial power to gain a strong hold on the occupied ones, that they use to disconnect them from their history, and as a result their next generation was intellectually and psychologically under control of the imperialists.

Today we consider history as another boring subject ... our students are educated in a way that they aspire to through away each of their books as soon as they are free from their schools, colleges and universities ... the pedagogical illness in our schools is take our generations away from education instead of bring them closer to it ... The consequences are disastrous, as our educated class has become increasingly reluctant to educate themselves, and as a result they have declared themselves disqualified to be considered as an asset for this nation. They are devoid of any capacity to be called as the building block of this nation; they lack character, vision, determination and ability to prioritize their resources for the betterment of this country, and lack of awareness of their own history, is perhaps one of the fundamental reason for this incapability, in my view ... instead picking up a history book, they think, is a loathsome, purposeless, boring task for almost everyone...

Knowing your history on the other hand give you a sense of direction, purpose, identity. A student of mine came to me once and told me his experience of discovering his roots, which went back to Shah Wali Ullah (ra), Imam Raza (ra) and then back to the family of Prophet SAW. He told me that his ancestors were among the architect of the one of the prominent Islamic institute of subcontinent Darululook Deoband. The excitment with which he told me made me felt that I am talking to person who is truly alive; the impact of that discovery was very much visible in his body language with all its zest. In the end he shared his deep regret of not being able to continue the legacy, the spark in his eyes told me that his this regret wouldn't last much long.

Do you know your past in the same manner? or your nation's past? let alone the past of the civilization to which you belong. If you don't then you wouldn't have any idea how does it feel to know which legacy do you belong, ... do you have any idea what sacrifices the builders of this nation, or civilization, and the pains it's guardians, through out the history, have endured to make sure that this legacy of this civilization move on in history ... do we have the capacity today to keep it still moving?

A part form the Companiions (ra) of Prophet (saw) and their heirs, Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi (ra), Mehmood Ghaznavi (ra), Tipu Sultan (ra), Yousuf bin Tashfain (ra), Ahmed Shah Abdali (ra), Mosa bin Ghassan (ra), Badar bin Mughirah (ra), are just a few big guns whose names I can remember now among the millions who have sacrificed everything for the sustenance of the civilization to which we belong. But now we find it not too hard to see it getting torn away in front of our eyes, but do we pay some heed. Why we would? we don't have the slightest idea of it's worth, which subsequently doesn't makes us feel regretful of our oblivion ... that's a vicious circle we are stuck in, and we hardly find anyone who can come and persuade us to break the cycle of slumber, force us to walk the walk toward psychological, emotional, intellectual and spiritual enlightenment by exposing us with our history.

I can only pray, that you may find such a person, or such a source of inspiration ... and quick.