(Siasat News)Islamic Thinker Dr. Iqbal had once said, “After seeing Europe my opinion has changed. Let these Deeni Madrasas continue in the same condition. Let the Muslim children study in Deeni Madrasas. If these Mullahs and Dervishes don’t survive, our position will be like Spain where even after 800 years of Muslim rule, there are no remnants of Islamic civilization in Granada or Cordova expect” Al-Hamara palace.”
Perhaps, the same situation is going to prevail in the Indian sub-continent. No doubt, the remnants of Islamic Civilization would be found in India in the form of dilapidated buildings but we won’t find the traces of Islamic culture. There will be Muslims but there will be no Islam. The main reason for this is that indifference towards Deeni Madrasas is on the increase. In fact the need for Deeni Madrasas is more these days than earlier. Twenty to thirty years ago, most of the student of Muslim Community used to study in Urdu medium schools where there used to be a period of moral science. In every mosque, there used to be a morning school for imparting Islamic knowledge and Quranic teachings. Gradually, the fashion of English medium schools increased. The timing of English medium schools are such that the students don’t get time to go to the schools maintained by mosques. They are engaged in English medium studies to such an extent that they don’t get time to gain Islamic knowledge. It has become necessary to appoint a private tutor to inculcate Islamic awareness among children. These tutors would be available to us only from Deeni Madrasas. There was a time when we used to invite hafiz from outside Hyderabad for leading Taraweeh prayers. Due to the wide spread of network of Deeni Madrasas. We are able to get hafiz locally these days.
It is a well-known fact that the enemies of Islam are not bothered about the existence of the Muslims but their efforts are to see that Islam is removed from their lives. This is the reason, they always engage them selves in hatching conspiracies against Deeni Madrasas.
After the attack on World Trade Center of America, they got an opportunity to cut off the vein, which supplies blood to these Deeni Madrasas. They started imposing restrictions on Deeni Madrasas of Europe and America and the aids they receive from various sources. This is the reason that the sources of income from foreign countries to Deeni Madrasas in India were closed.
The representatives of Indian Deeni Madrasas used to tour America and other western countries to get financial aid for their Madrasas. These days, people are afraid of even meeting them. The expenses of Deeni Madrasas mainly depend on financial aid from the foreign countries Due to this, these Madrasas turned towards local aid for meeting their expenses but in India, so many movements have emerged which changed the priorities of donations of Zakat and alms giving. Today, the rich people are giving Zakat to the institution, which supports the students in getting modern education. As a result of it, Deeni Madrasas are forced to minimize their expenses. It resulted in the reduction of number of teachers in Deeni Madrasas. The strength of the student also fell down.
The opponents of Deeni Madrasas target these institutions in various ways. Sometimes they propagate their misdeeds and irregularities and some other time they attack the Madrasas. We should try to join hands with the managements of these institutions to rectify irregularities.
The pity is that all those who don’t donate anything to these institutions are active in leveling charges and criticizing them.
Our intellectuals are laying more stress on getting modern education and say that it will be in the interest of the Muslims if our children excel in modern education. No doubt, we have to take out a share from out other income without diverting the Zakat amount for this purpose. A day will come when Deeni Madrasas will be vanished from society. In such a situation, we won’t be able to get imams and muezzins for our mosques
Although we comprehend the depth of the writings of Dr. Iqbal but we won’t get its spirit. Dr. Iqbal had analyzed the mistakes committed by our ancestors. He had the farsightedness to tell that Deeni Madaris are necessary for the Muslims.
We should, therefore, take care of Deeni Madrasas besides paying attention to modern education of our children.
—-Siasat News