The Nature of a Universal Islamic Education System
Dr. Muhammad Isa Shahedi
When we talk about an Islamic education system, madrasa education comes to mind first. Most people believe that only madrasas serve as religious education institutions.
They see general education in schools, colleges, and universities as a secular system. One historical reason for this view is that colonial British rulers introduced general education during the era of foreign rule.
The question is whether we should only count madrasa education, or Arabic and Islamic Studies departments in universities, as true Islamic education. Or should we also bring general education under the umbrella of Islamic education.
One group of thinkers believes madrasa and general education should not stay separate. They argue both should merge into a single unified education system.
They say that keeping schools and madrasas separate creates division within families and society. One sibling becomes known as “Mister” through school education, while another becomes known as a cleric through madrasa education.
They argue that a single general education system would work better. Under this view, a smaller group would study Islamic Studies or Arabic and become Islamic scholars, similar to how secular universities in the West produce orientalist scholars.
The first important point here is that no subject taught in today’s education systems falls outside the scope of Islamic knowledge. The second key point is that true religious education cannot be practiced fully outside a religious environment.
Islam does not view education as mere bookish learning. Along with teaching, spiritual purification must also take place, and this purification comes even before formal teaching begins.
In Bengali, we describe this combination as both education and moral upbringing. Even today’s general education system in Bangladesh reflects this principle in some form.
For example, when a student joins Dhaka University, they must first become a resident student of a hall. Only after joining a hall does the university send them to their chosen department for study.
This means the student must build their character in the hall environment while gaining knowledge in their department. Education and moral training work together, and this combination helps a person become truly knowledgeable.
Religious education requires even greater care. To become skilled in the Quran and Hadith and to become a true follower of Islam in daily life, a person must practice Islamic rules and rituals from early childhood.
Mastering the finer details of the Quran and Hadith requires early training in Quranic recitation, Arabic grammar, and rhetoric. Without early practice in ablution, prayer, and knowledge of what is permitted and forbidden, no one can truly grasp revealed knowledge.
Islamic knowledge is not simply bookish learning. It requires practicing love and fear of Allah in daily life, something visible even in the basic discipline maintained within madrasas and Islamic universities.
Just as cadet schools and colleges have separate systems for those who will join the military, madrasas should have their own separate institutions and rules for those who will lead religious life in society. This tradition continues today through Aliya and Qawmi madrasas in Bangladesh, despite some shortcomings.
The real question is whether we should treat only madrasas as religious institutions and label all school, college, and university education as secular. Anyone who studies the words and verses of the Quran deeply will find proof of Allah’s existence and the truth of Islam.
This is why Quranic verses are called signs. Hadith, jurisprudence, Arabic language, Islamic history, and Quranic commentary all help explain the greatness of these verses.
However, Allah never limited human research to only the Quran and Hadith. He strongly urged people to reflect on and study the signs present throughout creation.
University subjects that study creation and the mechanisms behind it should not be dismissed as foreign or secular knowledge. There is no valid reason to view them that way.
Consider how narrow thinking has affected religious communities. Surprisingly, many devout and educated people in Western countries also equate religious education only with Hifz programs and madrasas, and consider sending their children there as the mark of true religiosity.
Meanwhile, because Muslim children lag behind in science and technology, the economic independence and resources of Muslim countries increasingly fall into the hands of others. If we compare the salaries and living standards of foreign experts working in our country with the living standards of our own children, we see clearly how much we lose due to our weakness in science and technology.
Therefore, Quran based religious learning, in other words traditional madrasa education, holds great importance and spiritual reward for us. At the same time, university level study of the signs present in creation carries equal importance and equal reward.
To emphasize the importance of religious scholars, we often quote part of a Quranic verse stating that only those with knowledge truly fear Allah. But we must look at the full verse to understand who these knowledgeable people really are.
The verse describes rainfall from the sky producing fruits of many colors, mountains containing paths of white, red, and deep black, and people, animals, and livestock of many different colors as well. It then states that among Allah’s servants, it is the knowledgeable ones who truly fear Him, for Allah is Mighty and Forgiving. (Surah Fatir, verses 27 to 28)
Notice that Allah refers to anthropology, natural science, astronomy, archaeology, geology, agriculture, and zoology, essentially all subjects studied in universities today, before stating that only the truly knowledgeable fear Him. The following verse explains that these knowledgeable people, enriched by true recognition of Allah, express His remembrance through their lives and their words.
Many verses in the Quran carry this same message. One example describes the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of day and night as signs for people of understanding.
It describes those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying down, and who reflect deeply on the creation of the heavens and the earth. They conclude that Allah created nothing without purpose and ask for protection from the punishment of fire. (Surah Al Imran, verses 190 to 191)
The Quran does not limit itself to the message of Allah’s oneness and religious rulings. It also describes the history of earlier nations, their errors, and their eventual outcomes, especially detailing the history of the People of the Book, referring to today’s Jews and Christians.
So why should Islamic education remain limited only to study of the Quran and Hadith. After the Battle of Badr, seventy prisoners from the Quraysh army of Mecca were brought to Madinah.
The Prophet set a condition for their release. Any prisoner who taught ten Muslims how to read and write would be freed without paying any ransom.
This event proves how deeply the Prophet valued literacy and education for the Muslim community. Ask yourself whether the condition set for these prisoners involved teaching Quran and Hadith, or simply teaching basic reading and writing skills.
This event carries an important lesson for those of us who consider ourselves devout believers. Our intellectual weakness stems from separating the spiritual and worldly messages of the Quran from each other.
Among us, intellectuals often focus only on worldly matters, while religious authorities focus only on religious law and spiritual matters. Consider the depth of the following verse, which states that Allah will show people His signs throughout the universe and within themselves, until it becomes clear to them that He is the truth, and asks whether it is not enough that He is aware of all things. (Surah Fussilat, verse 53)
When we speak of universal Islamic education, some assume we mean turning schools, colleges, and universities into madrasas. This assumption is incorrect.
Our real proposal is that subjects like medicine and engineering continue to be taught as they are today. Meanwhile, the study of revealed knowledge should continue separately within religious madrasas.
We must remember that most of our children study in schools, colleges, and universities. They too are children of Muslim families.
Islam was not sent only for religious scholars, imams, or madrasa students. Every believing Muslim carries responsibility for Islam.
We must think carefully about how our generally educated youth can grow up with a true Islamic mindset and fulfill their responsibilities toward their country and society. I have written extensively about how school, college, and university subjects can be shaped along Islamic lines.
In short, university subjects should remain as they are, but adding a few courses related to Islam could bring great benefit. For example, a medical student may need to complete around one hundred courses and exams to become a doctor.
If universities added a course on Quranic verses related to medicine and health, a course on the Prophet’s guidance on medical matters found in Hadith, a course on the lives and contributions of Muslim physicians like Ibn Sina and Al Razi, a course on serving humanity and caring for the sick as a path to pleasing Allah in the afterlife, and a course on the health benefits of ablution, prayer, and fasting, doctors would become more humane rather than solely profit driven, and the country would save enormous foreign currency.
In our country, winter religious gatherings known as Waz Mahfil have become a well established tradition. We believe spending money on these gatherings brings spiritual reward.
However, about ninety percent of our future generation studies in schools, while only ten percent study in madrasas. If even a single line of religious guidance is added to school textbooks, the spiritual reward could match or exceed that of spending large sums on religious gatherings.
The writer is Amir, Islami Oikya Andolan
