Madrasah-7: The System

This is a series of articles for the understanding of the history of centuries old Madrasah and Islamic Education System in South Asian perspective published in Muslims Weekly, New York, USA, in 19 series of the weekly column “Personal Notes.”

First Published: Muslims Weekly, Issue No. 219, May 14, 2004

 

 

BECAUSE of its immense importance, I’d like to reiterate that, before the British occupation in South Asia, there were various types of Madrasahs readily available for students. There were the Arabic Madrasahs (specializing in deeni and religious education), Farsi Madrasahs (specializing in worldly education), and Mahajani Madrasahs (specializing in commercial education).

Students who showed interest in vocational and technological skills were taught by experts in their respective fields. Often the teachers were factory owners and workers who never hesitated to pass on their knowledge.

As times changed, adaptations were made to the curriculum; however, the basis remained the same. There were three stages of education: 1. Maktab [elementary (primary) school for Qur’an and Farsi language]; 2. Madrasah Farsi (Farsi language and all kinds of worldly and physical knowledge); 3. Madrasah Arabic (Arabic language, Deeni knowledge, and higher education).

The development of the education system evolved alongside the collective progress of the society. There were various curricula of the Muslim education system, and the “Nizami Syllabus” (Darse Nizaami) became very popular in India. Its founder, Mulla Nizamuddin Sahalwi (who settled in Firangi Mahal, Lucknow), had developed this system by a particular special pattern, but he left enough room for necessary adjustments.

Islam came to South Asia through the Turk emperors of Central Asia. Hadith, one of the basic subjects of education, almost never saw a place in the system; instead, Fiqah (laws and interpretations of Islamic codes) received a high position on the syllabus. During the tenth century of the Islamic calendar, for the first time, Sheikh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlawi (R.) attempted to spread the knowledge of Hadith. The credit, however, went to Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi (R.), his kin, and his students for the spread of knowledge on Hadith by education, translations, and interpretations. They included the important book of Hadith “Sahahe Satta” in the curriculum, which later became integral part of the Darse Nizaami. (This book was a compound of six concrete books, including

Sahih Al-Bukhari,, Sahih Muslim,, Sunan Abu Dawud, Sunan Tirmidhi, Sunan Ibn Maaja, and Sunan Nissai.)

Arabic literature and history did not receive a place in Darse Nizaami. Later on, however, some books were included. Muslims were constantly changing and updating their systems according to the requirements.

For the Madrasah, there was no age limit for admission. One could find elders attending classes in any given Madrasah. This system of education was not grade-based, but it was book-based. When a student completed one book, he would be given another book, and it would be said that this student had completed these books and was now reading that book and now reading that lesson. Every student was taking a different lesson. It was one-on-one education; i.e., one teacher and one student at one time. All the students could learn the lessons by sitting in the same place and classroom. A remarkable student could move much faster than a slow-learning student and could complete his education at the earliest possible time. The modern grade- or class-based system may accomodate teachers and management, but it hinders the individual student. A genius student has to study one full year with weaker students, and a slow-learning student who can’t move with the class feels compelled to drop out of school. The difference is, in Madrasahs students were the focal point, and in present schools teachers are the focal point.

It was a tradition in the educated family that on the day a child reached four years, four months, and four days, a celebration would be held as a starting day of the education that is called “Bismillah.” That was the joyful day of the family, and relatives and friends were invited. It was a wedding-like festival. A teacher, generally a religious and pious person, would visit and sit with the child and would ask the child to say, “Rabbi Yassir Wala Tuassir Wa Tammim Bilkhair, Bismillah Hir Rahma Nir Raheem.” After that, the teacher would recite few Ayahs (lines) of Surah Iqra of Qur’an and Surah Fatiha. The child would repeat the recited words. Then sweets would be distributed. The teacher was presented clothes and other gifts according to the capability of parents.

The Madrasah time would start at dawn or after Fajr Prayer (prayer before sunrise), and it would continue till Zuhar Prayer. (There was a break for noon prayer, generally at 1 pm.) The classes would continue till Asar prayer (generally till 4 to 5 pm). The Friday was the holiday, and Thursday was half-day. However, the half-day of Thursday was also utilized in cleaning. All the students worked together to clean the Madrasah. In several Arabic Madaras, Tuesday was the day for copying the written books (age before the availability of printed books). There were 15 to 20 annual holidays in the year. In Arabic Madrasah, there was an annual holiday of two months at the end of education calendar year; that was Shaban 15 to Shawwal 15 (fifteen days before Ramadan and fifteen days after Ramadan).

There was a system of punishment. Nobody could drop out from Madrasah or was free to do anything inside the Madrasah. Education in Islam is mandatory. Therefore, parents generally gave open-hand to teachers to beat the students to discipline them. “Bones are mine, and flesh and skin are yours,” was the parents’ philosophy for teachers. The security personnel of Madrasahs searched for and brought back the run-away students. Some teachers became notorious for beating students. There was no concept of “failure” and “not getting education”; therefore, teachers maintained forced education.

There was no importance of “sports” in Madrasah; however, in some Madrasahs, there was a provision for physical exercises. The teacher used exercise to instill self-discipline. However, Imam Ghazali, a great thinker of Islam, declared sports as a necessity for students.

The students living in cities were called “residents,” and students coming from other places were called “wayfarers.” The wayfarers slept on the rough carpets of the Madrasah or Masjid. Even students from affluent families accepted such hardships.

There was no concept of preparing food inside the Madrasah. Neighbors took the responsibility of preparing home-cooked food at different times and on various days. All the teachers and students took their meals jointly while sitting together.

Intelligent students could complete all the deeni (religious and Qur’anic) education and worldly education (i.e., highest education) in fourteen or fifteen years. Shah Waliullah Dehlavi completed his education in fifteen years. Other average students took seventeen to eighteen years. Slow-learners could take more years.

After the completion of education, there was a tradition of convocation (graduate ceremony). All the scholars, teachers, and parents participated in the important, festive ceremony. Surah Fatiha was recited, and there were special prayers for the successful students. It was called “Fatiha of Completion.” A senior or elder scholar would tie the turban on the head of the student, a symbol of his certification as Alim (scholar).

There was a system of “Moeed” (repeater). There was a classroom tradition that, when a teacher completed the lessons, the most competent student had to listen to the lessons from other students and ask them to repeat to correct misunderstanding and mistakes. In the beginning of the nineteenth century, a government servant of Bombay province, Dr. Andrew Bell, saw the system of Moeed in Madrasahs and liked it very much. He introduced this system in England and called it “Monitor” when he returned to England. British also introduced monitor system in the new enforced education system of schools in South Asia.

A student completed his Farsi education (worldly knowledge) was called “Munshi.” The expert of Arabic knowledge (knowledge of deen, Quran and Sunnah) was called “Alim.” Before the Mughal period, all the students who completed the education were called “Danish Mond.” In the period of Maulana Ghulam Ali Azad Bilgirami (d.1785), the words “Danish Mond” were replaced with “Maulvi.”

After the completion of Farsi School, one was qualified for a government job. It was a qualification for all kinds of civil service jobs. Hindus and other non-Muslims in general stopped their education at this stage and generally got jobs and started their family life. However, the Muslim students generally continued the education for Arabic and deeni knowledge.

Teachers graduated from Farsi schools were called “Mian ji,” “Akhwand ji,” or “Mulla ji.” Hindu teachers were called “Munshi Jee.” Highly educated teachers and scholars of Arabic and Deen were called “Maulvi” or “Mullah.” Mullah Abdur Rahman Jaami and Mullah Abdul Hakim Sialkoti were among the top most scholars. Later the experts of deeni knowledge were called “Alim,” and experts of worldly knowledge called “Danish Mond.” Unfortunately, the words “Maulvi” and “Mullah” lost respect in the society due to continuous campaign by the colonial and Western occupying forces and because the change of hands of political power.

Jawed Anwar can be reached at: jawed@dailymuslims.com

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