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M.A./M.ED. SPRING 2019 SEMESTER

ISLAMIC SYSTEM OF EDUCATION
LECTURE NOTE – 8 (June. 30 , 2019)

MADRASAH—THE PLACE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

INTRODUCTION

Madrassah is symbolic of the institution of education in Islam. It signifies the

institutionalization of the philosophy and the system of educations that are based
upon and derive their basics from the revelationary source (Wahee) Qur’an.

For example: the very first word of the revelation of the Qur’an— Iq’ra –denotes
“education for all as mandatory for all Muslim men and women and order of Allah
(SWT)” that all Muslims must obey. The verse “Iq’ra bism-e-
Rabbikal’lazi…”(96:1) sets the goal and purpose of education, which imply that
education must focus development of the characteristics and the capabilities that
the man has been endowed with to fulfill the purpose of his creation. The meaning
of Ilm and its emphasis in the Qur’an is descriptive of the curricula, which presents
a logical and hierarchical linkage of fields of knowledge and learning (language,
Ilm-e-Deen, social, mathematical and natural sciences) in a way that each one of
them contributes to and provides basis for the other, which lead to the ultimate of
the knowledge. Description of nature of human nature in terms of the man’s
strengths and weaknesses are more explanatory of human behavior, which provide
psychological bases for learning and teaching behaviors of students and teachers in
the Madrassah. The text of the Qur’an provides specific principles and methods of
teaching and learning that are based on the nature of the man as human.

PLACES OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

Study of the history of education of Islam, provides evidence to the fact that for its
function and scope the Madrassah has not been confined to a place such as a school
building or any other place designated for the purposes of organizing teaching and
learning. And yet, each place that had ever been used had its own educational
significance in general, and continues to be so, even to the present times. As it
relates to Madrassah and education in Islam, valuing of the educational
significance of different places that were used in early period of Islam, has a
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definite place and purpose in the literature of the Islamic education, and opens up
an venue.

EDUCATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF
PLACES OF TEACHING AND LEARNING
HIRA
The Hira cave is one of the holy places, which is revered by Muslims for its
association with the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It was the place where the
Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) used to spend his pre-enunciation days, in
worship and contemplation.
Location and Physical Characteristics of Hira: Hira, called Ghar-e-Hira (Cave
Hira) is a cave in the Jabal Al-Noor (Mountain of Noor), situated about three
kilometers north-east of Makkah. The Mountain of Noor presents the loneliness
and calm of the mountainous desert of its location. The cave Hira, within it is even
more isolated. It is a place without water and vegetation except few desert thorns
here and there. The cave space measures about 12 x5 ft and is cited about 900 ft
above the ground level. It takes more or less six hundred tiring steps to reach the
cave from the bottom of the Jabal Al-Noor.
Educational Significance of Hira: Deserts and Rocky Mountains certainly have
things in them that define and build their atmospheric climate and conditions,
which have their own effects on all their dwellers. In human beings these effects
are manifested in all their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual characteristics.
The poet of East, Iqbal (Zarb-e-Kaleem) has well described it as “Fitrat Ke
Maqasid Ki Karta Hai Nigehbani; Ya Banda-e-Sahraie Ya Mard-Kohistani Ae
Shaikh Bohat Achhi
Maktab Ki Faza, Lekin; Banti Hai Byaban Mein Farooqi-o-Salmani.” (The man of
the desert, or the man of the mountains, alone can further the purposes of
Nature…O’ Shaykh! The atmosphere in the school is so pleasant; But only in
deserts are people like Faruq and Salman born.). Farooqi and Salmani refer to the
two great personalities of Islam—Umar Farooq and Salman Farsi. The former
symbolizes best of governance, wisdom, administration, statesmanship and power;
whereas, the latter is symbolic of love, generosity, kindness, scholarship and
mysticism. Location and natural atmosphere of Jabal Al-Noor, where the cave Hira
is situated, signifies the place which is more suited to the natural development of
the best and the higher levels of human traits and capabilities.
Contemplation is a spiritual exercise in creating awareness of self, and insight in
mental, emotional and spiritual aspects in relation to both, the perceptual world as
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well as the extra sensory realities. Contemplation and meditation together signify
higher form of worship, which has been a common practice in all the great
religions of the world, among the individuals aspiring spiritual ascension. The
natural location of Hira cave provides the best natural and environmental
atmosphere for contemplation and meditation. Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW)
spending time in Hira cave must have been a naturally guided exercise as
preparatory to his enunciation.
History of education, monuments and ruins of ancientreligious educational
institutions and monasteries etc. provide evidence to the fact that tops of hills,
mounds, and places rising above the ground level were particularly chosen for
purposes of education, meditation and worship. All these involve high level of
physical, mental, and spiritual functions, which are essential for all higher level
educational activities.
In the world of education the modern concept of contemplative education,
especially in higher education, for certain, has its roots in such practices and
traditions of the religious past of the world.
It is of no little interest to see that founders and proponents of new schools of
thought in philosophy and psychology of education appear to be inclined more to
emphasizing the educational values of what have long been despised as religious.
DAR-E-ARQAM:
Dar-e-Arqam (House of Arqam) was the residence of Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam. It
is known as the first school of the Muslim Ummah where the Muslim converts
gathered to learn Qur’an and basics of Islam from the Holy Prophet Muhammad
(SAW). Dar-e-Arqam located on mount Safa, in Makkah provided a safe and
secluded place of learning away from the eyes of the hostile community of
disbelievers of the city.
In the context of Islamic or Muslim education, the nomenclature Dar-e-Arqam, has
become associated with the revered sanctity of the first Islamic educational
institution, where the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) himself taught the Muslim
converts and prepared them for their pioneering role in the propagation and spread
of Islam. Several great historic personalities of early Muslim period were among
those who attended the Dar-e-Arqam.
Dar-e-Arqam is symbolic of institution of education in Islam, which signifies the
following:

1. Institution of education is idealized and empowered by its mission.

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2. The teacher is all important in the system and process of education.

3. Peace and security are essential for educational institution.
4. School physical facilities are of secondary importance in achieving
educational objectives.
5. Dar-e-Arqam represents model of the nursery, which, with its simplicity and
scarcity of resources can fosters people of great ideas and potentials.

HOME TUTORING
Facility of Home Tutoring was provided for people, who for certain reasons, could
not attend Dar-e-Arqam. For example: Khabbab ibn al-Aratt, used to teach the
sister and the brother-in-law of Hazrat Umar a chapter of Qur’an at their home.
MOSQUE
The first mosque, in Islam, Masjid Quba was built in the outskirts of Medina at a
place known as Quba, immediately after the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
migrated from Makkah to Medina in the fourteenth year of his enunciation.
Muhammad (SAW) himself laid the foundation of the mosque and joined with
people in the mosque’s construction work.
In early period of Islam, the mosque was the centre of religious (salat—worship)
political (affairs of the state), judicial and educational activities. But, as Islam
expanded and the State of Medina was established and, which further developed
into the Islamic Caliphate; mosque’s functions of politics (state), judiciary and
education were separated from the mosque and took form of distinct social
institutions. However, the mosque, besides being the place of worship still
continued to be the centre of worship and education in Islam. Because, as it is with
worship (Ibadah) in Islam, education (acquisition of Ilm) is also mandatory for all
Muslim men and women; it therefore, upholds sanctity with the act of worship and
remains a function of mosque for purpose of teaching Qur’an and educating adults
and children in the basics of Islam.
Educational Significance of Mosque: The elements of sanctity and holiness of
the mosque are the very natural means of disciplining people and developing in
them habits and traits becoming of a good Muslim that are the objectives of the
Islamic education system.
The mosque as an educational institution has significant role in the education of
children and adults both.
Early Childhood Education: Early childhood education is emphasized in Islam
for two reasons. First; the child has to be properly educated and trained for future,
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as the one has to assume the responsibilities of the adults of tomorrow. Second; as
the great mystic Hassan Basri said, the education of the early childhood is like the
words inscribed on rocks, as compared with learning in old age which is
evanescent. For early childhood education mosque serves as a “Nursery School”
that nurtures a Muslim child for his or her future life as it relates to the following:

1) Many aspects of the child’s development and education begin in the family
immediately after its birth, and continue through early childhood period
within the limited family and social environment in quite the natural way. A
child’s entering the mosque (school) for education marks the beginning of its
formal schooling, which lay the foundation for formal education and future
development of personality traits.
2) Early childhood education in the mosque, as a tradition, follows the
Integrated Curriculum Model (ICM), which begins with teaching reading. In
mosque it comprises reading Arabic Alphabets, and text of the Qur’an,
which is basic to developing language reading skills in the child. In teaching
and learning Arabic language (which is the language of the Qur’an) much
emphasis is laid on teaching and learning correct pronunciation of words,
which is basic to speaking any language.
3) A Muslim child, even before beginning education in the mosque, is aware of
the sanctity of the place. Development and modification of good personal
and social habits, traits and etiquettes begin to take place in the child, as the
one adapts and adjusts itselfto the natural and holy atmosphere of the
mosque.

Adult Education: Mosque as an institution of education has its role in adult

education also. For adults, the mosque provides for education in religious and
social matters with particular reference to the teachings of Qur’an and Sunnah.

TEACHERS’ HOMES
Use of teachers’ homes for purpose of teaching, was not similar to the Vedic
Gurukul, great Muslim scholars of their time, used their homes for teaching
students. It was not very longtime ago (late 1930s) that educated Muslim women
used to teach preschool age Muslim boys and girls elementary language, and
Qur’an at their homes voluntarily. At the age of about 4-5 the author himself
attended one such home school in his village in U.P. India, which was run by a
pious young lady, whom we all called Atta Aapa.
Preschool education at teacher’s home provided a natural intermediary to the shift
from home to the school environment. A home environment, be it the one of the
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child’s own, or some one else’s, still has several elements of familiar home
atmosphere, Since the child does not have to go away from home to a new place,
and meet unfamiliar people, in a formally structured school setting, the home
school presents little or no peer relationship and adjustment problems for the child
as he or she is already acquainted with them.
SUFFAH
Suffah is a raised platform within the main hall of the present building of the
Masjid-e-Nabavi.The place is revered by Muslims for its association with the early
devotees of Islam, and their affiliation with Suffah.
In the period of the Holy Prophet (SAW), the Masjid-e-Nabavi was a clay-built
four-walled structure. It was constructed for purpose of worship. However, it was
also used as centre of the state, the judiciary, an institution of education, an
assembly, a place where diplomats and envoys were received, and for other similar
purposes.
Originally the Suffah was a thatched roof structure of date leaves, built in the north
of the four walls of the Masjid-e-Nabavi. As an institution of education, Suffah, as
an institution of education was characterized by the following:

1) Students of Suffah were adults, self motivated and devoted for acquisition
and dissemination of Ilm, the main sources of which were the Qur’an and
Teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
2) Suffah was both, a day as well as a residential educational institution.
Students, who had their residences in Medina, attended Suffah as day
scholars, while the ones who had no place to live in Medina were the
resident students of Suffah.
3) Resident students of Suffah were generally very poor people. And yet, the
Suffah was not a charity institution. Students themselves worked to earn
their bread and helped each other.
4) In Suffah, Halqa was generally used as a method for both, teaching and
learning. The word Halqa literally means ‘a circle’. In terms of education,
it connotes methods of teaching and learning. In teaching, the students are
seated round the teacher in a circle, so that all students face the teacher.
For the purpose of learning, a group of any number of learners is seated in
the form of a circle, so as to enable each student to face the whole group.
Individual students, then make presentation (to the group) of what they
have learnt from the teacher or from any other sources or means.
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EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATION OF SUFFAH

In the world of Islam, the Suffah provides for standards and a model of an
educational institution for its several educational and institutional aspects, which
include the following:

1) Suffah was located in the precinct of Masjid-e-Nabavi. It was a residential

educational institution and provided lodging to a number of its students,
who had no place to live in the town of Medina. However, keeping in view
the sanctity of the mosque, as the place of worship, the date leaves thatched
roof structure of Suffah was built on a platform raised above the floor
surface of the mosque, which separated it from the main mosque.
2) Suffah served as an academy which provided for teaching and learning of
Qur’an, Sunnah, basics of Islam and reading and writing etc. to the new
converts. It also provided continuing and higher education facilities to those
who already had received education of some kind.
3) As for as the timings of teaching and learning at Suffah were concerned, it
was a twenty-four-hour-open school and provided longest school hours to
facilitate education to all kinds and categories of students.
4) Some of the students of Suffah, were very poor, and had to labor at day
times for their subsistence. These students used times of night for learning.
5) A kind of a ‘Proxy Learning System’or an ‘Alternate Work Study Program’
was also observable at Suffah, as certain person who, for reasons of their
engagements could not attend Suffah every day went there alternately and
shared their learning together.
6) The Qur’anic injunction and the Hadith, which made acquisition of Ilm
mandatory for all Muslim men and Women, had provided Muslims strong
motive and created in them strong urge and self-motivation for learning.
7) As Islam was rapidly expanding and the numbers of converts to Islam from
remote places were increasing, several homes in Medina became centre of
learning. Education facilities were also provided outside Medina and
education centres were set up in far off places in tribal communities. Alumni
of Suffah went to serve as teachers at such centres. Suffah, in that situation
also served as a centre for education and training of teachers.

THE OPEN
In the context of education, ‘The Open’ denotes any place or occasion, which
could be used for imparting or acquiring Ilm or for teaching and learning particular
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things. Teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) provide examples of

teaching in the open. He taught his followers while journeying, going about places,
occasional meetings with people, situations providing opportunities of teaching
people moral lessons such as worthlessness of worldly possessions and wealth,
viciousness of backbiting and so on.

MADRASAH EDUCATION FACILITIES

EDUCATION BUILDINGS
While the use of places like the ones described before continued to be used for the
purposes of education in the world of Islam, education was more formally
organized in especially built Makatib, elementary schools, and various types of
institutions of higher learning. Book shops, literary societies and libraries were also
used for educational purposes. Libraries were an essential feature of Madaris built
in the later years. Nevertheless, the role of the mosque as an institution of
education was never minimized. The mosque always continued to be a centre of
education in the Muslim world. Provision of specially structured places for
education or Madaris, of which the Suffah marked the beginning, had begun to be
constructed in the very early period of Islam. However, such structures were built
either adjacent to the mosques, or else new mosques were built for providing
educational facilities, where they were needed.

Although, no more information, except that the Madaris built in early period of
Islam provided for teaching and residences of the teachers and the students, is
available, it is presumed that design and structure of buildings of those Madaris
would have been simple, indigenously structured, based on the needs of the
students and the teachers, and suited to the socio-cultural and geographic
conditions of their locations.
Nevertheless, with the development of Muslim architect, certain features of Islamic
architect emerged and became characteristic of Islamic architecture, particularly in
structures of religious significance such as mosques, Madaris and tombs etc.
Domes and minarets were symbolic of such structures. Madrasah buildings were
usually enclosed four-sided structures, built around a court yard, which was open
to sky and was surrounded by halls and rooms, all opening onto the courtyard.
Halls were used for teaching, whereas the rooms provided residences for students
and teachers. Educational significance of such Madrasah structures included the
following:
1) Peculiar Madrasah climate and academic community culture built on
student-teacher, teacher-teacher, and student-student relationships and
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interaction, which was conducive to self discipline and academic excellence

for the students and the teachers both.
2) Educational environment and all time educational atmosphere that promoted
academic activities.
3) Isolation from hustle and bustle and influences of community life.
4) Open sky environmental effect on users of the place.
5) Peace and security that is essential for any educational institution.
However, as regards to the structures of buildings for any purpose, in the words of
the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) (quoted by Ibn Sa’ad from Tabqat), a
Momin’s wealth spent on construction is sheer wastage and brings in no benefits. It
clearly undermines and de-emphasizes the importance and value of spending
money on construction of Madrasah buildings except that they fulfill the basic
requirements of students and teachers—that would include instructional and
residential facilities of a Madrasah as may be essential for purposes of teaching and
learning certain things. It suggests construction of simple and moderate Madrasah
building structures which have following implications:
1) Accustom youths to simple and moderate living styles and standards, which
have their own values in all aspects of human life.
2) Economizing cost of construction and maintenance of Madrasah buildings. It
reduces resource constraints for expanding Madrasah facilities, particularly
on the part of the state, which is responsible, more than any other
organization, for providing educational facilities to its people.
3) It must curb education institutional, and social class and status disparities in
the society.
LIBRARIES

The word library denotes a storehouse of knowledge (Ilm)—a place where all
means and sources of knowledge are made available for students and seekers of
knowledge of all kinds. The Iqra context of education, at first place, points to the
very text of the Qur’an, which is the eternal source, indicator and the knowledge
base of all that man in its entity as a being needs to know for living, and making
life worth living, in this world and the here after. It is to be always remembered
that the Qur’anic knowledge, with no exception, implies only good and good use,
of knowledge (Ilm) for all men and under all conditions.

Libraries have always been an essential feature of Madrasah as an institution

within the institution of education. Study of the history of education of the Muslim
world shows that in the early period of establishment of educational institutions
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libraries were used as centres of teaching and learning. It is believed that the first
ever formal academy was built as an annexure to a library.

A Muslim research scholar, Ahmad Shalabi has presented detailed account of

libraries in the Muslim world. In his book History of Muslim Education (Dar al
Kashshaf, Beirut, 1954), Shalabi has compiled information about the early
Libraries of the Muslim world. Establishment and organization of libraries was the
manifestation of how much the Muslims valued and revered books as treasure and
source of knowledge (Ilm). For preserving books, and facilitating their use,
Muslims had developed the organized institution and system of libraries. Special
library buildings were designed and constructed to provide for collections; reading
rooms; and special rooms for different purposes such as copying manuscripts etc.

Books were kept in open shelves so that they were easily accessible to the reader.
However, rare and expensive books were kept under lock and key, and their use
was allowed only with the permission of the library administration. All large
libraries prepared and maintained catalogues of the library books for convenience
of searching and locating books in the library. There were two types of libraries—
the open libraries, which provided for lending books to readers and the reading
libraries where readers could go and read books: these libraries readers could not
borrow books from these libraries. The methods for lending books secured safety
and return of books to the library.
Libraries had organized system of administration. As the libraries had a special
place in the Muslim education system, the organizer or the head of the library used
to be men of distinct scholarly and managerialabilities. He was responsible for
obtaining and cataloguing new books, facilitating use of books by readers, binding
and securing books, and lending books to readers. Other staff of a library included
translators, calligraphists, binders, and other service personnel for performing
different duties in the library.

LABORATORIES

The Qur’anic verse, which reads, “He has subjected to you all that is in the
heavens and the earth, all being from Him. Verily there are Signs in this for those
who reflect (45:13):and the verse, “Allah is He Who has created the heavens and
the earth, and He sent down rain water from the sky where with He produced
different kinds of fruits to provide you food. It is He Who subdued the ship for you
that it may sail in the seas by His order and likewise He subdued the rivers for you
(14:32), together they mean that all things and elements in nature have been
created for the benefit of man in two ways. One: there are things that act regularly
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and benefit man in their own ways: they follow and act according to the laws of
nature, and they are beyond the control of man. Movements of sun and moon,
rotation of the earth, changing seasons, occurrence of day and night etc. are the
examples of such things. Second: there are things and elements in nature that man
can manipulate and use them to his will. The latters require full knowledge of
things and the laws that regulate them. This is what the science is all about. These
were the meanings and interpretations of the Qur’anic verses, which inspired the
Muslim scholars and scientists of the Middle Ages for studies and scientific
investigations in several fields of knowledge. They not only advanced, but they
also added to scientific human knowledge in areas that included, Mathematics,
Astronomy, Medicine, Physics, Alchemy and chemistry, Ophthalmology,
Cosmology, Geography and cartography, Sociology, Psychology, pedagogy etc.

Literally the Arabic word Ilm denotes knowledge of things which is positive,
certain, definite, factual and is verifiable by physical evidence and rational
reasoning. Besides, its Qur’anic connotation, and its being mandatory in Islam for
all Muslim men and women, the very meaning and concepts of the word Ilm,
would have provided Muslim scholars of the golden era of Islam, motive and
direction for expression of their zest for acquisition of complete knowledge (Ilm)
and going deep into the knowledge of things. This is same what the modern
science means. It would have been the reason why the Muslim scientists placed
greater emphasis on use of scientific methods which led them to establish
laboratories to conduct experiments in different fields of knowledge.

____________________

ASSIGNMENT –8 (To be submitted to the Head of the Education Department: by or before

July,7 2019).

Briefly describe with educational significance of each of the place, which can be
used for purpose of teaching which kind and level of class of students.
____________________________________________________________
Please feel free to contact me on phone or contact Dr. Khisro Kaleem in person if you need any
clarification or help about the lecture note and assignment.
Dr. M. Athar Khan
Phone: 051-2614826 Cell: 03335381901/03215580489