Komashisha
STRUCTURE OF OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM : Mufti Taqi Usmani
With due Hamd and Salat. I tend to mention two issues to this convocation. Firstly, what is the basic impression of education system? The key and the base of survival, progress and evolution for any nation is upon its education system. A nation or state having God’s all apparatus and entire natural and mine resources, while starving appropriate and update education system fails to nurture fit and expert manpower, the nation or state is destined to be destitute in course of time having wealth and resource of all category. Their inevitable destination is ashtray. If you fail to formulate your future generation fittingly, fail to make them fit to face the upcoming challenges and do not educate them properly that will result in hitting axe on legs of your future.
It is deplorable that in our country everything bears importance; Politics has importance, Election has importance, Clash and collision during election has importance. The only and the most neglected issue is our education system. Consequently, our children are still befouled in puzzle of tri-faced education system.
We have three contradictory education systems existing in our country. First is Madrasah education second is universal public education system (introduced in govt. schools, colleges and universities) and the third is English medium. These tri-faced education systems are running in our country and the learners of these are found with ultimate mental difference.
Madrasas under Pakistan Befaqul Madaris are counted as 19 thousand and I don’t have survey of non-affiliated madrasahs. But all together the number may reach twenty to twenty-five thousand and the number of students studying there may reach thirty to thirty-five lac. The total population of Pakistan is 18 crores. To that proportion this number is not a bigshot rather too small. Other than this number, crores of learners are attending public education system or English medium.
What should be the main focus of an education system and to what concrete and abstract destiny we like to range our manpower is much important. The widespread outlook of our educational institutions and the students attending them is: ‘the more a person can earn and achieve reputation or attain higher rank with own education the more is he successful.’ Therefore, everyone is quite busy in own career buildup and selfish thinking while having no stint to think for other than this. They are submerged in worldly progress and materialistic ideas. But I shouldn’t be saying- this has no exception. Alhamdulillah, the main focus and objective of Madrasas are not worldly and materialistic. Students do not attend them with materialistic thinking. Their first and foremost aim is the satisfaction of Allah, eternal salvation in hereafter and welfare of mankind. Reaching worldly riches and designations is their minor or secondary target.
Revered ulemas have various grouping, subgrouping and segregations. They are divided into various school of thought. But these segregations, groups and subgroups do not reprimand one another as our political parties do. The words, languages and styles used by political leaders to attack one another, to my sense revered ulemas do not practice like that. Lack of good manner results in the deterioration of the political leaders. They have education of good manner. So, we need educational reformation with integration of good manner to it. Our government and the educationists need to put concentration on this.
Second issue is: Pakistan needs a single and integrated education platform. Our education system should include teachings of all worldly and divine aspects. Muslims education structure was not so divided before British colony. Many of us heard and discussed Dars-E Nejami. All religious disciplines along with contemporary sciences were taught there. In Dars-E Nejami after providing a fundamental religious education unto a definite limit and level, learners were educated with optional higher studies at secondary stage. In that system, attending fundamental religion stage was compulsory for all. This statute had been prevailed from our precedents till the grab of British colonialism over us. Since religious studies alias Islamic education was exiled from public educational institutes during British colony and mentionable volume of religious aspects were absent in there applied educations curricula, so, revered ulemas were obliged to establish Darul Uloom Deoband with a view to protecting religious studies.
During British regime, Muslims especially ulemas were barred from job services and livelihood. But they didn’t pay heed. They led their lives typically in starvation. Thus preserving religious studies at non-government platform they conveyed to the decedents so that the leaning of religion does not sojourn, so that the Muslim community does not leave religion.
However, my revered father mentioned regarding education system of Pakistan: Pakistan needs such an education curriculum where students will be provided religious and worldly studies at class I to X that is elementary stage. In this stage fundamental schooling unto Farz-E Ain shall be added to curriculum and textbooks. So that a student passing class X alongside studies of modern sciences can achieve such religious studies that he may know the path and pathway to lead a Muslim’s life; he may differentiate between ways to heaven and hell; he may discrete halal and haram. After that he will progress with own option and taste. Some shall become physicians, some engineers. Some shall be Alims, some economists. Everyone shall become specialist in their own fields. Our educations system was supposed to be like that. But it’s deplorable that having independence achieved from the English we still hold the education curriculum of the British during dependent India. As the public education curriculum is not integrated as the madrasah educations system had not been restructured Free Akabir system alias Basic Dars-E Nejami. The consequence is that the madrasah educated persons fail to contribute the leadership of the society and the state while the public educated ones if requested to recite Surah Ikhlas or Fatiha in any seminar fails to articulate correctly. Therefore, revered Alims are still grasping madrasah education for the sake of religious studies and purity of Quran recitation. Alhamdulillah, our madrasas are teaching modern science and technology along with religious studies till secondary level. Not knowing the real state many are complaining that madrasahs are not teaching modern science and technology. Whereas per instruction of Befaqul Madaris none is allowed to admit Alim class without completing secondary stage.
Revered Alims are engaged in efforts to protect religious studies with fewer and limited elements. In present context the main arena for revered Alims is Islamic researches. Hence they tend to dedicate themselves. They are trying to reshape other branches of studies to an Islamic appearance with own capacity. They are utilizing their limited capacity in Islamization of knowledges. Alhamdulillah, some institutions of this kind have been established in Pakistan. Among them Jamiatur Rashid is the most mentionable one.
Here mentionable that to become Alim finalizing complete course of Dars-E Nejami is not Farz upon every Muslim. Rather, according to Shariah, to achieve knowledge up to Farz-E Ain level is essential and Farz upon each Muslim. It means that a Muslim is obliged to acheve knowledge up to the level that enables him distinguishing halal and haram and be aware of basic rules of the Shariah. To become specialist in Islamic knowledge is not that an easy task. One may reach this level only if Allah wishes after ones sacrifice for entire life with dawn to dusk labor and perseverance. Therefore, this is not Farz upon everyone, rather Farz-E kifayah.
However, if up-to-date plans are taken keeping my full speech and minutes ahead, the prevailing vacuum in the area of education of our society and the nation, may see a way to resolution.
I welcome the authority, well-wishers, teachers and students of Jamiatur Rashid from the core of my heart and express gratitude to them all. Allah SWT is receiving an enormous service for Deen extracted by this Jamiatur Rashid. I pray to Allah Rabbul Alamin- may he allow its righteous management as per his satisfaction. I again put tribute for the graduate alumni, their parents and teachers. May Allah present them before this world accepting them as true Muslims and devoted preachers of Islam. I pray that may every activity of this institute prevail. Ameen.
