Q. I. I would like to learn about the traditional
system of Muslims as it began, and as it exists today,
in our subcontinent as well as other areas of the world.
(i). What levels of education are denoted by words like maktab, madrassa,
jamiah, dar-ul uloom etc.?
(ii). What language (s) is / are used as medium of instruction.
(iii). What syllabi are being used? Is there a standard syllabus or
a standard set of subjects used
all over the Muslim world.
(iv). Are students exposed to subjects like history, geography, mathematics,
literature, economics,
etc. at any stage?
(v). What degrees are conferred on students who complete various levels
of education?
(vi). What is the significance and meaning of the following words:
Farigh ul-tehseel, aalim, mufti,
maulana, maulvi, Sheikh ul-hadith. (Irfan Ali Hyder, Karachi).
A.
(i) The word 'Maktab' is generally used for a small institute of
religious education in which the children learn the recitation of the
Holy Quran (which is called the nazirah education, or they memorize
the text of the Holy Quran by heart. At the same time, some elementary
Islamic principles are also taught in such institutes.
The word 'Madrasah' is a wider term. Our early history tells the word
was used for an institute of higher education. This institution was generally
used for all the levels of education known in the contemporary terminology
as secondary, higher secondary and graduation. In some cases, even the
specialized courses were also held in the same madrasah. Thus the term
sometimes was applied for an institute of secondary level only, and sometimes
for higher secondary and graduation levels also.
As for Darul-Uloom, it was originally a proper known for a madrasah giving
education at all levels, like a university. But later, it was used for
every madrasah of a higher level.
'Jami'ah' is a modern term which is not found in our early history. Actually,
this is an Arabic translation of the English word 'University'. When the
word 'madrasah' has been adopted as a substitue for the English word 'School'
which is generally restricted in modern usage for an institute of secondary,
education only, some people in the traditional 'madrasahs started using
the word 'jami'a' for their educational institutes in order to avoid the
impression that their institute is of secondary level only. However, a
large number of traditional religious institutes continues to use the
traditional word 'madrasah'.
(ii) The prescribed books studied in our traditional 'madrasahs'
are mostly in Arabic. Some preliminary books, however, are in Urdu or
Persian also. But the teacher always delivers his lecture in the local
language. In some 'madrasahs' the Arabic language has been adopted as
a medium of instruction for the lectures of the teachers also.
(iii) & (iv) The exact syllabus of the traditional 'madrasahs'
differs from country to country, but the subjects of study are, by and
large, the same. Their main emphasis is on the subjects of Tafsir (Exegesis
of the Holy Quran), the science of Hadith, the Fiqh or Islamic jurisprudence
and theology. Since these institutes are meant for those special fields
of study, their main objective is to specialize the students in these
disciplines. All other subjects have been included in the curriculum to
the extent of their necessity for the intensive study of the main subjects.
For example, the extensive knowledge of Arabic language, literature and
criticism is a prerequisite for a competent study of the Holy Quran
and Sunnah. Therefore, all the relevant Arabic subjects are a necessary
part of the curriculum. Similarly, a brief introduction of logic and philosophy
is also necessary for a better understanding of Islamic theology and for
the study of comparative theology. So, these subjects are also included
in the curriculum. The Mathematics, Geography and History are also taught
to some extent. Economics, as a separate discipline is not a subject of
study in these 'madrasahs.' But various economic problems are dealt with
in other branches of knowledge.
(iv) The titles of the degrees conferred to the students at different
levels vary from country to country. The standard name of the final degree
conferred by a full-fledeged madrasah in our country is Shahadah-al-'alimiyyh'
which is now recognized officially as an equivalent to the M.A. in Islamic
Studies.
(v) Farigh-ul-tahseel means a person who has obtained the final
degree from a traditional 'madrasah'. The words Alim and Fadil are also
used for the same person. The word Mufti means a person who after obtaining
the final degree of alim, has specialized himself in the Islamic jurisprudence
and is thus competent to give Fatwa (explaining a Shariah ruling
in a particular situation).
The word Moulvi was a synonym to Alim in the past. Moulana
is neither a degree nor a designation. It is a word of honour normally
used to respect an Alim. Literally it means "Our master". "Shaikhul-Hadith"
is a person who is appointed as a senior-most proffessor of the science
of Hadith in a madrasah.
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