Faithful Education: Madrassahs in South Asia

Introduction. Why Study Madrassahs?: Understanding the Importance of Islamic Seminaries

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i n t r o d u c t i o n Why Study Madrassahs? understanding the importance of islamic seminaries Educational institutions called madrassahs have been a feature of Muslim societies for centuries, yet the word madrassah was almost nonexistent in the Western lexicon, particularly in public discourse, until September 2001. After 9/11 the U.S. media took special interest in madrassahs, and referred to these institutions as citadels of militancy, or factories of jihad. In a very short time, a once unknown word gained familiarity and notoriety at once. Media coverage of madrassahs, particularly during the U.S. military operation in Afghanistan, was frenzied, to say the least. What became known to the media audience was that the madrassah is a special kind of educational institution that teaches Islamic thought and that provided training to the then ruling regime of Afghanistan—the Taliban. Some media reports provided an element of context, informing readers that the madrassahs were also the recruiting centers of the Afghan mujahideens or holy warriors, who fought against the Soviet Union in the eighties. In this highly skewed coverage, vital questions have been overlooked: What do we know about madrassahs? Why and how have Islamic educational institutions whose traditions date back hundreds of years been transformed? Is there any connection between the so-called global jihad and the madrassahs? Is there a need to reform the madrassahs? Should Western policy makers be alarmed by the recent increase in the number of madrassahs in Muslim countries, particularly in South Asia? This book aims to explore these questions through examination of the madrassahs of three South Asian countries, namely Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India. I shall attempt to define the tracts and territories of thoughts and ideologies , deliberations and practices, debates and conflicts on these issues rather than give a set of ready-made answers. But before we begin our exploration it is necessary that we understand what a madrassah is, what the significance of 2 faithful education these institutions is, and what the importance of South Asian madrassahs is. In this introduction I will deal with these three aspects and provide an outline of the chapters that follow. What Is a Madrassah? The word madrassah is an Arabic word whose literal meaning is “school.” The word comes from the same Arabic root as dars, which means a lesson or an instruction. In Arabic-speaking regions, it does not specifically refer to a religious seminary; instead schools of various levels are referred to as madrassahs. However, in non-Arabic speaking societies this word has assumed a different meaning, and is often understood to designate a special kind of institution for the training of ulama (literally scholars, plural of alim). In the South Asian context, madrassah means an educational institution that offers instruction about the Qur’an, the sayings (hadith) of the Prophet Muhammad, jurisprudence (fiqh), and law. In other words, schools that promote Islamic curricula are called madrassahs. Although the word madrassah is used as a generic description of educational institutions covering elementary to university-level education, to Muslim scholars they represent the primary and secondary level of education through tenth grade. Educational institutions offering curricula equivalent to eleventh and twelfth grades are called darul uloom (literally, abode of knowledge), and jamia offer curricula equivalent to college and university. In this study, I use the term madrassah to identify all of these educational institutions. The Arabic plural form of madrassah is madaris, but for the sake of clarity I have used the English equivalent plural form madrassahs throughout the book. Why Study Madrassahs? While the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan and post-9/11 security concerns have thrust the issue of the madrassah into the foreground of public discourse, the urgency to examine the madrassahs stems from four needs; first, to investigate the sources and the veracity of the widely held opinion that madrassahs are a threat to global security; second, to understand Muslim societies, particularly the role of traditional social institutions in the face of the rise of political Islam; third, to reassess the role of educational institutions in the struggles between various groups and classes within society; and finally, to appreciate a social institution that provides a safety net to the poor segments of the society and provides free education, including literacy and valuable cultural skills, to vast numbers of children from poor families who cannot afford expensive private education. introduction...