Four Pilars to each perfect human being (al-insan al-kamil)

Education is very important need in human life. To achieve these educational, human beings should effort to do the learning in order to become perfect human beings. Therefore, UNESCO (United States of Educational Scientical and Cultural Organization) published four pillars of education that can be the basis of human education, namely:

1. Learning to know, the process of seeking knowledge as widely as possible with the goal of human wholeness in mind, conscience, and spiritual. I think is very appropriate with the existing reality of human need that has a great sense of curiosity and to achieve it the human have to learn. Especially in the current era of globalization, information, knowledge and technology are continues to grow, then we must learn to to be intellectually competent, able to fulfill our spiritual needs as well as important things about life in nature. Learning to learn in the process is not only knowing what is beneficial but also knowing what is not useful for life.

2. Learning to do, namely a broad knowledge must be applied for can be used as an action and good works. Because the theory without application is useless. So learn not only teaches us to know but how we are skilled to do or doing something that produces something meaningful to life.

3. Learning to be, to learn to be independent and responsible for everything that is based on the knowledge and skills we have. This relates to what he aspired to a person in this life.

4. Learning to live together, to learn to understand and appreciate others. This is consistent with human nature as social beings who can not live alone and need cooperation with other people. So anything that we have learned we must apply our environment are.

So the congclution is the things that has become a pillar of education that has been publised by UNESCO has been able to be perfect human being (al-insan al-kamil). One of the example is the Indonesian Government through the Dept. / Ministry of National education RI has issued Decree No. Related 045/U/2002 correlated with competantion of elements that must be developed in all strata of education that refers to the meaning of UNESCO's four pillars of education. But what we see today is less application of the theories that have been mentioned above.

Distinguish between islam and western view about knowledge

“Pada hari ini telah Aku sempurnakan untukmu agamamu dan telah Aku cukupkan kepadamu ni’mat-Ku dan telah Aku ridhai Islam menjadi agamamu.” One of the blessings that God has given to man is science. Knowledge or education in Islam contains not only an intellectual education, but also physical and spiritual education which have all been described God's guidance on the source of human life, namely the Qur'an and Hadits. Science that is present in both sources are not only theoretically but also how that knowledge in practice. This is different to the western view that sees things only through reasonable or rational.

But now that dominate and master the science is western civilization, it is proven by the new inventions created by them, while we as Muslims only as users of their products. So the question now is why Western civilization is better than muslims civilization? and why the application of knowledge in muslims civilization is less than western?

In my point of view , Islam retreated for several reasons, namely:

1. The loss or burning of the books of Islamic scientists, so that the next generation can’t see and read the books from them. This was stated also by an expert in the history of AJ Toynbee, who said that the burning of books in the library of Baghdad made Muslims backward two centuries back.

2. Changes in the way of thought of Muslims. Said by a chest of intellectual from Pakistan Fazlur Rahman, the fundamental causes of Muslim decline is the change in mindset. After this period, according to Fazlur Rahman, Muslims only perpetuate the ideas of the Muslim past and not try to explore and develop science so that the development of Islamic thought into decline. I think this is also evident with the current view of Muslims who make the Qur'an just as a source of readings in order to get reward from Allah without review over what the meaning of these verses, it is most hated by our Prophet Muhammad who said that “Telah diturunkan kepadaku satu ayat tadi malam. Celakalah bagi orang yang membacanya, tetapi tidak mau memikirkan (maksudnya)-nya, celaka baginya.” (HR Muslim & Ibnu Hibban). In addition, the paradigm most Muslims who say that good and bad of a fate determined by God, so if they get the poverty it has become their destiny that can’t be changed. Though this is contrary to God's word which says that "Allah won’t change a people unless the people themselves" (Surat ar-Ra'd: 11).
Another example of muslims’s thingking is some Muslims robust to general science and think that it is not useful to study because they think that only the study of Islamic education will get a reward from God ..... this quite contrary to what God says in the Qur'an that " Sesungguhnya dalam penciptaan langit dan bumi, dan silih bergantinya malam dan siang terdapat tanda-tanda bagi orang-orang yang berakal,” (QS Ali Imran : 190)

In conclusion, the progress of western civilization today because they want to use their mind and learn everything and practice is their live and takes the time to learn what there is on this earth. So as Muslims we should change our thingking, learn the science and utilize existing resources. And Muslims should not be hostile to western civilization, but how we learn their science, of course with a selective way, get the good and discard the bad.