In the speech made during the foundation laying ceremony of the Aga Khan Academy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Mawlana Hazar Imam said that, “The Holy Qur’an sees the discovery of knowledge as a spiritual responsibility, enabling us to better understand and more ably serve God’s creation.”

Striving for continuous education at all stages of life is an important value that we need to be reminded of often.

The need and the search for knowledge comes from the beginning of times. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is reported to have said that, “Seeking knowledge is the duty of every Muslim, male or female”.

One of the main areas of focus of Mawlana Hazar Imam is quality education not only on academic endeavors but also on a basic community level - civil society – which is paramount in contributing to improving the quality of life of the societies in which we live.

As Mawlana Hazar Imam said in 2008 in Bangladesh, “The roots we inherit from our history – linking us to a particular past – are a great source of strength and joy and inspiration. And a sound educational system should help nourish those roots.”

Education is fundamental to everything in our lives and we must strive to give our children the best education possible aligned with a set of values that will allow them to make the best choices for them.