Islamic Madrasas: Role and Importance

Islamic Madrasas: Role and Importance

By: Khursheed Alam Dawood Qasmi*

Email: qasmikhursheed@yahoo.co.in

Introductory Words:

Thanks to the sincere efforts of Maulana Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi (1832-1879), a good number of Islamic Madrasas were founded following the establishment of Darul Uloom, Deoband (Est. 1866), in India, pre and post India’s freedom which are and were run with the contributions and donations of the Muslim community. Following the establishment of the British rule in India, all Islamic educational institutes were closed down because they were being run with munificent grants from the Mughal court and from Muslim nobles only. That was the reason; it had been decided at the time of foundation of Darul Uloom, Deoband that the entire financial burden of running Madrasa should be borne by the Muslims themselves.

Shedding light on the final collapse of the Mughal Empire and the ruin of the Islamic seminaries by the British rule in India with the events of 1857, ex- Mufti of Darul Uloom, Deoband, Mufti Muhammad Zafiruddin Miftahi (1926-2011) writes:

“…The educational institutions that had been imparting instruction to the Muslim youth in cities like Delhi, Lahore, Agra, and Jaunpur and similarly at many places in the provinces of Gujarat, Bihar, Madras and Bengal had all closed down after the establishment of British rule. This was mainly because they were being run with munificent grants from the Mughal court and from Muslim nobles. They also received financial aid from charitable trusts that had been founded in the past for this very purpose, and that had all stopped functioning or had been confiscated by the government after the establishment of British rule in India. (Darul Ulum Deoband: A Brief Account of its Establishment and Background, P.: 08)

Now, one can find a good number of Islamic Madrasas not only in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh; but even in the UK, USA, and many African and European countries, which follow the same syllabus and system of Darul Uloom, Deoband with little bit difference of the omission and addition into the curriculum and are run with the donations of the Muslims themselves to teach Islamic theology.

Muslims’ Current Situations:

There are a good number of Madrasas throughout the world, which are busy in spreading the Islamic messages and equip the Muslim kids and adults with Islamic theology. Though there is no official data available, but it is believed that there may be more than 50,000 Madrasas only in India. But after so many Madrasas, when you analyse the Muslims’ social and religious current situation, you will find that many of them are not aware of the real concept of Aqaaid (Believes), Ahkaam (rulings), Ma’amlaat (Dealings) Faraaidh (Obligations) etc. If one goes ahead and claims that in the country like India even a good number of Muslims don’t know Shahaadtein (Islamic declaration of belief in the unity of Allah and Prophethood of Muhammad Sallallahu Aleihi Wa Sallam) properly, he will not be wrong.

The fact is that a Muslim as an individual must know Islam and its requirements as mentioned above to please his Creator, Allah in regard to his day-to-day affairs. The Muslims collectively, as being the best nation, must play a positive role in the society to spread the peace and convey the true messages of Islam to those who are unaware of. Because, this is the reason that Allah has addressed them in the Glorious Quraan as “You are the best Ummah (nation) ever raised for mankind. You bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair, and you believe in Allah.” (The Quran: Aal Imraan, Verse: 110)

Present problem is that when the Muslims themselves don’t know believes, rulings, dealings, obligations etc., how can they be good Muslims and how can they convey the messages of Islam? We need to look into the main cause of the worst situation of Muslims. It’s a truth that most of the Muslim families don’t prefer Madrasas education. The students in Madrasas are commonly from few poor and middle class families. From upper class family, hardly one goes to the Madrasas. On top of that, those who go to Madrasa for learning are just four percent. The report of Sachar Commitee says: “Only four per cent of Muslims students actually go to Madrasas primarily because primary state schools do not exist for miles. Therefore, the idea that Muslims prefer Madrasa education was found to be not true.”

Inferiority Complex:

Common Muslim families in general and the upper class families in particular don’t prefer Madrasas education. They don’t want to let their children learn Islamic education. They are scared that after spending a long period of 6-8 years in a Madrasa, whatever their children will learn can’t be enough to get a luxurious job with lucrative salary. Actually, they have mistaken thinking so. The goal and aim of learning in a Madrasa is not to get a luxurious job with lucrative salary. Madrasa education is not job or career-oriented. We, Muslims, never learn Islamic sciences as means to seek job. We learn to know Allah, His rights, and his sent messages that are in the Quraan and Hadeeth. We learn it for being a good human being. It helps us to lead a better life. We learn traditional sciences so that we can be able to convey the messages of Islam to those who are yet uninformed. So, we should not be in inferiority complex; rather we should understand the aims and objectives of religious education.

Sometimes, a Madrasa’s graduate himself raises the same question and goes up to extend to say, “I have lost so and so precious years of my life being in Madrasa.” This question comes only to the minds of those who join Madrasa unknowingly the objective, or he is facing inferiority complex. If one gets admission in a Madrasa knowing its goal, he will never complain of the same.

Value of Madrasas:

When one thinks deeply, he comes to know that we need to create awareness among the members of the Muslim community to know the value and significance of Madrasas and to make their children enrolled in it. We need to connect more and more Muslim families with Madrasas. When they get attached with Madrasas and start learning, Allah willing, above problem will be solved itself. It is, therefore, big task to encourage those 96% Muslims to join Madrasas to learn Islam. If a Muslim gains everything, like fame, wealth and high office; but he is unaware of the Creator and Islam, as a result, he gained nothing. This worldly life is only for taste, the real life and world will start after death, as we believe truly. Allah, the Almighty will question for the worldly life. That is why, we need to know Islam and learn Islamic theology as it will help to spend the life in the world in accordance with the will of Allah, the Supreme Lord. Islamic Madrasas are the best sources to learn Islamic knowledge. They are the fort of Islam. The Madrasas are the important vehicle for carrying a sense of separate identity for Muslims. Keeping this point in the view, we must appreciate and acknowledge the works and contributions of Islamic Madrasas.

Madrasas’ Curriculum:

There are some so-called intellectuals and thinkers who always talk about the curriculum of Madrasas. They say that Madrasas in the present condition are not relevant for the mainstream employment opportunities as the scope and curriculum is very limited. They always ask the curriculum must be modified and harmonized with the current condition and modern sciences should be included in it; while it’s a reality that they have never been in a Madrasa. They don’t know even the ABC of Madrasa. As far as the changing or replacing of a book instead of a present book in the curriculum is concerned, owing to the language and method, it’s done occasionally. But their demand of changing by excluding some Islamic sciences or its assisting ones from the assigned curriculum by including modern sciences, is difficult and it can never happen, because, it is against the main objective of a Madrasa. As they aren’t fully informed with the purpose of the establishment of Madrasa, they put their demand in such manner.

What is the objective of the establishment of a Madrasa and why the modern sciences were and are not included in Madrasa’s curriculum? Let’s read the speech of Darul Uloom, Deoband’s founder to know its reason satisfactorily. Presenting the report of Darul Uloom, Deoband in 1873, Maulana Nanautavi said:

“Why, in the pursuit and acquisition of knowledge, was this policy adopted? Why were the modern sciences excluded? Among others, due consideration (whether in general education or specialised training) must be given to the aspect that needs greatest attention owing to its neglect in the past. Now anyone with the least knowledge of history knows that in the modern age, owing to the increase in the number of government institutions, the teaching of the new sciences has received the kind of attention that was denied to the traditional sciences even in the days of the best rulers of the past. There has, however, been an equally remarkable decline in the teaching of the traditional sciences of religion. Under such circumstances, to most people the establishment of one more institution of modern learning would appear to be futile and redundant. Only those branches of modern knowledge have been made a part of the syllabi at Darul Uloom which lead to more effective learning of religious sciences.” (Speech by Nanautwi in Ruedad-e-Madrassah Islami-Arabi, 1873 AD)

Maulana Nanautavi’s speech makes it loud and clear that the purpose of Madrsa is not to teach the modern sciences as for it there are many colleges and universities; rather to give full attention to the religious education which had been completely declined from a long time. If a person demands that the medical sciences should be taught to the engineering students or vice versa, as everyone is aware of its value, the same thinkers will say that this person seems to be foolish as here is specialization in Engineering or Medical; but the same intellectuals fail to understand that the Madrasa’s curriculum is also for the specialization in Islamic sciences.

Conclusive Words:

Today, without a doubt, Islamic Madrasas are playing a key role to impart Islamic teachings, to reform the society and to make an Allah-fearing human being to lead a better life. The pivotal role of Madrasas in Muslim community can never be declined. As it was needed before, we need it today more than ever. But, we have to say with sorrow that few so-called intellectuals are always trying to defame the Madrasas and ignore its services to the community. While on the other hand, we find that previous intellectuals and thinkers appreciated the role of Madrasas wholeheartedly and always highlighted its need. We conclude this piece of writing with the some statements of the elderly scholars, thinkers and philosophers.

Celebrated Islamic scholar Allamah Sayyid Sulaiman Nadvi (1884-1953) writes: I frankly say we would be in greater need of the Arabic Madrasas in India going to be transformed in different shapes, than we need them today. These Madrasas would be treated as the foundation and centers of Islam in India. People, like today, would be engrossed roaming around offices and jobs and flattering the authorities in power, and these crazy people would remain on alert tomorrow like today. It is, therefore, the greatest responsibility of Muslims to run and take care of these Madrasas wherever and whatever condition they might be. If these Arabic Madrasas have no alternate benefit and role, it is not a petty thing that these Madrasas are a source to impart knowledge to the poor people freely. Having benefited by them, our poor class get elevated a bit and their next generation improves a bit more and this progression continues. A deep thinking will unravel this point of view.”

Hakeemul Ummat Hazrat Thanvi (1863-1943) is of the opinion about these Madrasas: “Today, for Muslims, the existence of Islamic Madrasas is a great boon, not imaginable greater than this. If a system exists in the world for survival of Islam, it is Madrasa.” (Huqooqul Ilm, P.: 51)

The Great Eastern poet and philosopher, Dr. Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) said: “Let these Makaatib and Madrasas be left to work independently. Let poor Muslims' children be allowed to study in these Madrasas. If these Mullahs and dervishes are no more, what will happen, do you know? Whatever will happen, I have observed with my eyes. If the Indian Muslims are deprived of the influence of these Madrasas, the same will happen, happened in Spain despite 800-year of Muslims' rulings. Today, except the ruins of Granada, Cordoba and the signs of Alhambra, there are no signs of Muslims and the influences of Islamic civilization. There would be no sign of 800-year rulings of Muslims and their civilization even in Hindustan, except the Taj Mahal of Agra and the Red Fort of Delhi.” (Deeni Madrasas: Maazi, Haal aur Mustaqbil, P.: 49)

* Teacher: Moon Rays Trust School, Zambia