A Madrasah complex in Gambia

Ulugh Beg Madrasa, Samarkand, ca. 1910

The word madrasah (مدرسه in Arabic) means "school." It is often transliterated as madrasah, madrash, or madressa. This word also exists in many Arabic-influenced languages such as Urdu, Persian, Turkish, Kurdish, Indonesian, Malaysian as well as Hebrew. In Arabic, the word مدرسه implies no sense other than that which the word school represents in the English language , such as private, public or parochial school, as well as for any primary or secondary school whether Muslim, non-Muslim or secular. Unlike the understanding of the word school in British English, the word madrasah is referred to as a university in American English. The appropriate word for the university, however, is al-Jami'ah. Interestingly, the word "midrasha" in Hebrew language also connotes the meaning of a place of learning, which is obviously a cognate of madrasah. Madrasa in The Gambia. ... Madrasa in The Gambia. ... Image File history File links Stork nests on the Ulugh Beg Madrasa in Samarkand. ... Image File history File links Stork nests on the Ulugh Beg Madrasa in Samarkand. ... Colour photograph of Ulugh Beg Madrasa taken in Samarkand ca. ... -1... Arabic (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Persian (فارسی = Fârsi . ... The Kurdish language (Kurdî in Kurdish), is spoken in the region loosely called Kurdistan, including Kurdish populations in parts of Iran (Persia), Iraq, Syria and Turkey [1]. Kurdish is an official language in Iraq while it is banned in Syria. ... Hebrew (עִבְרִית ‘Ivrit) is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than 7 million people, mainly in Israel, the West Bank, the United States and by Jewish communities around the world. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( (help· info)), the peaceful submission to the will of God) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions and the worlds second-largest religion. ... This article concerns secularity, that is, being secular, in various senses. ...

It is commonly understood that wherever the governments failed to provide general education to its common citizens, private religious establishments succeeded to take the lead to fill this gap and administer the educational system of the country according to their own principles. In this context, a madrasah herewith is refered as an Islamic school for the Muslims, just as a parochial school for the Catholics or the yeshiva for the orthodox Jews. Although these institutions are academically assigned to provide general education, they also feel obliged to teach their students about the fundamentals of their religion. In the case of a madrasah, Islam. In some cases female students are also allowed to attend certain madrasahs, however they must sit in separate class rooms or buildings. A typical madrasah usually offers two courses of study: a "hifz" course; that is memorisation of the Qur'an (the person who commits the entire Qur'an to memory is called a hafiz); and an 'alim course leading the candidate to become an accepted scholar in the community. A regular curriculum includes courses in Arabic, Tafsir (Qur'anic interpretation), shari'ah (Islamic law), Hadith (recorded sayings and deeds of Prophet Muhammad), Mantiq (logic), and the Islamic History. Depending on the educational demands, some madrasahs also offer additional advanced courses in Arabic literature, English, and other foreign languages as well as science and world history. Yeshiva or yeshivah (Hebrew: ישיבה pl. ... The Quran (Arabic , literally the recitation; also called or The Noble Quran; also transliterated Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... Hafiz or Hafez (Arabic: حافظ), literally meaning guardian, is a term used by Muslims for people who have completely memorized the Quran. ... alim (Arabic: عالم) This islamic term literally means learned person. The term alim usually refers to the person who holds a degree in shariah sciences. ... Arabic (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... A tafsir ( (Arabic: تفسير )tafsÄ«r, also transliterated tafseer, Arabic explanation) is Quranic exegesis or commentary. ... Sharia (Arabic شريعة also Sharia, Shariah or Syariah) is traditional Islamic law. ... Hadith (Arabic: , Arabic pl. ... This article is about the prophet. ... The Suleiman Mosque (Süleymaniye Camii) in Istanbul was built on the order of sultan Suleiman the Magnificent by the great Ottoman architect Sinan in 1557 The History of Islam is the history of the Islamic faith and the world it shaped as a social, cultural, and political phenomenon. ... Arabic literature is the writing produced, both prose and poetry, by speakers of the Arabic language. ...

People of all ages attend, and many often move on to becoming imams. The certificate of an `aalim for example, requires approximately twelve years of study. A good number of the huffaz (plural of hafiz) are the product of the madrasahs. The madrasahs also resemble colleges, where people take evening classes and reside in dormitories. An important function of the madrasahs is to admit the orphans and poor children in order for to provide them with education and training. Imam (Arabic: إمام) is an Arabic word meaning Leader. The ruler of a country might be called the Imam, for example. ... Hafiz or Hafez (Arabic:حافظ), literally meaning guardian, is a term used by Muslims for people who have completely memorized the Quran. ...

There are approximately 10,000 madrasahs currently operating in Pakistan. Contrary to some media reports, only 0.3 percent of the Pakistani school age children are enrolled in the traditional madrasahs. This is according to Pakistan's 1998 Population Census [1]. Other sources estimate that enrollment at 1–1.5 million children although the 1998 Population Census found only 150,000 children. Orphans, migrants, and part-time students may explain the discrepancy. Regardless, percentage wise, the madrasah enrollment is relatively insignificant. There are some madrasah-like institutions also exist in North America and in Europe. Established in 859 A.D. Jami'at al-Qarawiyyin (located in Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque) in the city of Fas (Fez), it is not only considered the oldest madrasah in the Muslim world but perhaps the first University ever established in the world. Interior of the Al Karaouine Mosque and University The University of Al Karaouine in Fez, Morocco was founded in 859. ... This article is about the city Fes in Morocco. ...

Criticism

Due to administrative mishandling, radical political indoctrination of students and adopting a more conservative view of the simple teachings of Islam, especially in certain Muslim countries such as Pakistan, the madrasahs nowadays are sometimes deemed as ideological and polictical training grounds for hatred against the West.

See also

• Islamic architecture
• Taliban Former Pakistani Madrasah students

Islamic architecture is the entire range of architecture that has evolved from Islam as a social, cultural, political and religious phenomenon. ... Flag flown by the Taliban. ...

External Links

• A traditional Afghan madrassa: Islam Way Online - Your Religion and Spirituality Portal

• Alexander Evans, Understanding Madrasahs, Foreign Affairs, Jan/Feb 2006: [2]

Evans presents a revisionist approach to madrassas, arguing that although conservative their supposed links to terrorism and militancy are usually mythical.