Rabi al-Thanni 28, 1448 (October 9, 2026)
Assalaamun Alaykum Warahmatullah Taallah Wabarakatuhu
Standing with Our Teachers: The Builders of Minds, Character and the Future
October 5, 2026, is being observed globally as World Teachers’ Day, a day set aside to celebrate teachers and recognise the enormous responsibility they carry in shaping individuals, communities and nations.
The 2026 theme, “Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures,” is particularly significant. It commemorates 60 years since the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, while drawing attention to contemporary challenges confronting educators, including teacher shortages, heavy workloads and rapidly changing educational environments.
But beyond international declarations and official ceremonies, there is a deeper question for us as Muslims and as Nigerians:
How do we value the people who teach us to read, to think, to distinguish right from wrong and ultimately to become useful members of society?
Islam provides a profound answer.
The Teacher Occupies a Noble Position
The first revelation received by Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) began with a command connected directly with knowledge:
> “Read in the name of your Lord who created.”
— Qur’an 96:1
It is remarkable that the beginning of the Qur’anic revelation was not a command to acquire wealth, political power or social status. It began with reading and knowledge.
Allah also asks:
> “Are those who know equal to those who do not know?”
— Qur’an 39:9
The answer is obviously no.
Knowledge lifts human beings. Education opens doors. Teachers are among the people who make that transformation possible.
A child may enter a classroom unable to read a single sentence, but through the patience of a teacher, that child may eventually become a doctor, engineer, journalist, farmer, scientist, lawyer, religious scholar, public servant or teacher himself.
Behind many successful people is somebody whose name the world may never know—a teacher who stayed after class, corrected a mistake, encouraged a discouraged student or simply refused to give up on a child.
The Prophet as the Greatest Teacher
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was not only the Messenger of Allah; he was also an extraordinary teacher.
He taught with patience, wisdom, compassion and practical example. He understood that people differed in their abilities and circumstances. He did not teach everyone in exactly the same manner.
The Qur’an describes his mission in educational terms:
> “He teaches them the Book and wisdom and purifies them.”
— Qur’an 62:2
This verse reminds us that true education is not merely about passing examinations.
Education should also produce character.
A person who has degrees but lacks honesty, compassion, responsibility and respect for others may be highly educated academically but poorly educated morally.
This is why teachers carry a responsibility that extends beyond the classroom.
Teachers Shape Character
Parents give children life, but teachers help prepare them for life.
A teacher teaches mathematics, science, history, languages and other subjects. But, consciously or unconsciously, teachers also teach punctuality, discipline, perseverance, respect and responsibility.
A teacher who refuses examination malpractice teaches integrity.
A teacher who treats every child fairly teaches justice.
A teacher who listens to a struggling student teaches compassion.
A teacher who tells a child, “You can do it,” may be planting the seed of confidence that changes that child’s entire future.
This is why Islam places such emphasis on beneficial knowledge.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
> “When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him.”
— Sahih Muslim
Think about that carefully.
A teacher who imparts beneficial knowledge may continue to receive reward from Allah long after leaving the classroom, because students may continue to use that knowledge and pass it to others.
That is an extraordinary form of Sadaqah Jariyah—continuous charity.
Respect Teachers, But also Support Them
However, celebrating teachers once a year is not enough.
We cannot praise teachers on October 5 and forget them on October 6.
If society truly believes that teachers are nation-builders, then that belief must be reflected in how teachers are treated.
Teachers need decent working conditions.
They need appropriate remuneration.
They need opportunities for professional development.
They need teaching materials and safe classrooms.
They need reasonable workloads.
And, perhaps most importantly, they need the respect of society.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
> “He is not one of us who does not show mercy to our young ones and recognise the rights of our elders.”
— Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi
Teachers deserve that recognition—not because every teacher is perfect, but because teaching itself is a responsibility of enormous importance.
Nigeria Must Take the Teaching Profession Seriously
For Nigeria, this message is particularly urgent.
Our country cannot build a prosperous economy while neglecting the people who build human capacity.
We cannot demand world-class doctors without supporting the teachers who educate them.
We cannot demand competent engineers without strengthening the schools that produce them.
We cannot demand responsible political leaders without investing in education that develops responsible citizens.
And we cannot complain about unemployment, insecurity, intolerance and social decay without asking what kind of education our children are receiving.
A classroom is not merely a room containing desks and a blackboard.
It is a workshop where the future is manufactured.
When that workshop is neglected, the consequences eventually appear in society.
When teachers are demoralised, education suffers.
When education suffers, the economy suffers.
When the economy suffers and young people lose hope, social instability can follow.
Therefore, supporting teachers is not simply an educational policy. It is an investment in national security, economic development and social cohesion.
Parents also Have a Responsibility
We should not place everything on government.
Parents must also respect teachers and cooperate with schools.
A teacher cannot successfully educate a child whose parents undermine every instruction given at school.
When a teacher corrects a child, parents should first seek understanding rather than immediately attacking the teacher.
At the same time, teachers must remember that authority comes with responsibility. Discipline should never become humiliation, and correction should never become cruelty.
The Islamic model is one of justice, mercy and wisdom.
Teachers Themselves Must Remember their Trust
To our teachers, we say: your profession is an amanah—a trust.
Every child sitting before you is somebody’s precious responsibility.
Do not measure your success only by examination results.
Ask yourself:
Did I inspire this child?
Did I teach honesty?
Did I encourage curiosity?
Did I help someone who was struggling?
Did I make my classroom a place where every child felt valued?
Sometimes the greatest achievement of a teacher is not the student who obtains the highest score, but the troubled child who finds direction because somebody cared.
Conclusion
As we mark World Teachers’ Day 2026, let us remember that the future does not begin in the presidential office, the parliament or the boardroom.
The future begins in the classroom.
It begins with a teacher writing on a board.
It begins with a teacher explaining a difficult concept for the fifth time.
It begins with a teacher encouraging a child who wants to give up.
It begins with a teacher opening a book and saying, in effect: There is more to this world than you currently know.
The Qur’an reminds us:
> “Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge by degrees.”
— Qur’an 58:11
Therefore, we should honour knowledge.
We should respect teachers.
Governments should invest in them.
Parents should cooperate with them. Teachers should uphold their sacred responsibility.
And we should remember that whenever a teacher equips a young person with beneficial knowledge, sound character and hope, that teacher is helping to build a better society.
Standing with teachers means standing with the future.
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May Allah bless our teachers, reward them for their sacrifices, increase them in knowledge and wisdom, and make the knowledge they impart a source of lasting benefit for generations to come.
Ameen.
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Endeavour to recite Surah Al-Kahf (Chapter 18: Verses 1-110).
Juma’ah Mabrouq
