The
word 'madrasa' has a Semite origin that means 'to study in a place'. In Arabic
and many Arabic-influenced languages, madrasa (madrasah, madraza, or medrese)
represents any private, public, secular, and religious learning institution
including a school and a university for Muslim or non-Muslim learners. In
Islamic countries, madrasas usually include few courses, often two, like hifz (memorizing
the entire Quran) and ʻālim (for
those who want to become Muslim leaders). A ʻālim teaches the interpretation of the Quran,
Islamic law, teachings of prophet Muhammad, logic, and Muslim history. However,
in Muslim minority countries, including the west, madrasa refers to a religious education system where
learners study Islamic content in Arabic including the Quran, Hadith, Islamic
History, and Arabic literature. Most madrasas are usually, but not always,
linked to mosques.
History Of Madrasas
The
Medina mosque, built in the 7th century by the Prophet Mohammed PBUH, is
considered to be the first educational institution of the Muslim world. During this era, mosques served as the
primary environments for learning.
However, as societies evolved, learning circles expanded to include
royal settings, as well as informal gatherings in market places. By the Abbasid period (750 - 13th century),
religious education assumed a certain significance. It was not uncommon for some educators to
specialize in the teachings of the Qur’an, theology, and law, while the
emphasis for others was on history, the Arabic language, and literature. Learning circles and study groups gradually
increased in number, serving as the foundation of what were to become “madrasas”,
or colleges, intended for adults who had completed their primary education in
mosques or private schools. During the
10th century, madrasas emerged as independent institutions, distinct from
mosques, which helped to create a new type of educational system. As a result, these madrasas became centers
for religious and secular learning, as well as places where officials were
educated according to Muslim orthodoxy.
Documentary evidence and architectural remnants trace the origin of
these madrasas to Khurasan and Transoxania in the 10th century, as well as in
the region now known as northern Iran.
Educational
stratification was the direct result of the emergence of these madrasas. They provided higher religious and secular
education, while elementary education was provided by the “maktabs”. It was during this era that the term
“madrasa-mosque”, prevalent in the Middle Ages, was pervasive, thus reinforcing
mosques’ positioning as important social, educational, and cultural centers
along the Silk Roads. In addition,
madrasas containing libraries appeared in Bukhara, Khwarazm, Merv, Ghazna, and
Nishapur between the 10th and 12th centuries.
There was a tendency to build architectural ensembles that often
included a mosque, a madrasa, a mausoleum, and public “garmabs” (baths), at
major urban sites. Despite the
13th-century Mongol invasion, which severely destabilized learning, thereby
disrupting the continuity of culture and creativity, madrasas continued to be
the highest form of educational institution, spreading throughout the eastern
Caliphate in the 15th century and 16th centuries. After the successful introduction of monetary
reform under the Mongols, economic life soon revived throughout modern-day Iran
and Transoxania. Moreover, madrasas were
also established on the Indian subcontinent as early as the thirteenth
century. An example is the madrasa at
Gwalior, whose architectural structure resembles that of some Buddhist
“viharas” (monasteries). During this
period of cultural renaissance, madrasas underwent significant changes, with
preference given to its organizational role as a promoter of scientific and
literary thought.
Although
subject to periods of growth and decline, madrasas flourished and were
considered universal centers of education and intercultural exchange amongst
diverse populations. They provided a range of curricula including theology,
science, history, and philosophy, as well as language, literature, philology,
music, and the teaching of “adab”, or polite culture. Leading scholars recognized that the secular
sciences would ensure the dynamic development of society. These teachings would
later be challenged in medieval times, subjected to strict Islamic theological
traditions. However, during this period, madrasas in Samarkand and Herat were
highly-esteemed cultural centers for science, mathematics, astronomy, and
medicine. An example is Samarkand’s
renowned 15th century Ulugh Beg madrasa in the Registan square for scholars
such as Ghiyath al-Din Jamshid and Qadizada Rumi. Furthermore, madrasas were established for
the specialization of medicine in Herat.
Madrasas such as these were not only centers for education and culture,
but they also housed the poor, especially “mustahiqqs” (students), who received
room and board during their studies, eventually sharing their knowledge and
expertise with future generations. Over
time, madrasas that first appeared along the Silk Roads in Bagdad continued to
flourish, spreading throughout the current eastern Chinese regions and beyond.
Importance Of Madrasa
According To Islam
Muslim
scholars believe madrasa education anchors on the Quranic verse where prophet
Muhammad PBUH says that “God, give me knowledge” and in other verses where he
said “whoever leaves home to search for knowledge walks with God,” and “seek
knowledge from the cradle to the grave". Furthermore, the timeless Arab
saying “the ink of the scholars is more precious than the blood of the
martyrs,” shows how important education was to early Muslims. Believing that
prophet Muhammad PBUH taught and spread mercy, madrasas teach the hadiths of
the prophet for people to be better human beings and serve for the betterment
of humanity. From these texts, it is clear how and why madrasa education was
and still remains important to Islam.
Madrasa And Humanitarian
Assistance
In
a world where the western education system is spreading fast, Muslim majority
countries are also embracing the system. As the elite and middle-class in these
nations continue to migrate to western education curriculum, madrasas are left
to act as a humanitarian system for poor students. Poor parents enrol children
into madrasas which do not need much money to run and where they receive free
education alongside meals plus in some cases, a place to stay. Often, teachers
also serve on a voluntary basis or for low salaries.
