Salient Features of Islamic Education:-
Salient Features of Islamic Education:-
Islamic education during the Medieval period.
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Salient Features of Islamic Education:-
The history of education in the Middle Ages or Islamic era is a history of both destruction and construction over a long period of time. During this time, on the one hand, the ancient education system began to deteriorate due to religious fanaticism, royal anger, etc., on the other hand, the Islamic education system became strong due to the spread of Islam and the development of Islamic culture. To understand this change in the field of education, one must know about the characteristics of Islamic education.
1. Aim of education:-
The development of education in the medieval period , that is, in the Islamic era, was mainly developed under the patronage of Muslim rulers. The first aim of Islamic education in the medieval education system was to make people suitable for the education system to work according to the instructions of the holy Islamic scriptures. Therefore, special importance has been given to the propagation of education in Islam. One of the means of reaching Almighty Allah is education. Education, that is, knowledge, gives people the search for liberation, gives them the power to judge right and wrong, good and evil.
2. Curriculum:-
In the Middle Ages, the curriculum of Islamic education was based on religion, just like the ancient Indian Brahminical and Buddhist education systems. The curriculum of the Maktab, the primary education institution, was very traditional. Lessons were memorized from selected parts of the Quran. Students had to pray regularly. In addition, there was a system to teach students how to pronounce the Fatiha mantras correctly. The medium of instruction at the primary level was Arabic.
In the secondary education institution Madrasa and in the higher education sector, two types of curricula were followed in the Islamic education system. One of them was the curriculum of religious education and the other was the curriculum of secular education. The duration of these curricula was twelve years.
(a) The curriculum of religious education included theology and Quranic learning, interpretation of the Quran, discussion of the sayings of Hazrat Muhammad, Islamic law, etc.
(b) The curriculum of secular education included - literature, astronomy, administrative science, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, ethics, philosophy, natural science, agricultural science, medicine, history, geography, economics - etc.
3. Religious rituals: -
Just as the Hindus used to start their education through the handiwork ceremony, similarly in the Islamic education system, the educational life also started through a religious ceremony. The ceremony was called - 'Bismillah’ . When the child was four years, four months and four days old, he was made to wear colorful clothes and sit in front of the teacher or cleric and the cleric would make the child memorize a line of the Quran repeatedly on a silver plate. In this way, the initiation ceremony of the child of the Maktab was held.
4. Educational institutions: -
In the Middle Ages, Islamic education was imparted through various institutions. In addition to home education, Maktabs were established for primary education and Madrasas for secondary education. Rich people used to hire tutors for their children's education. The education of the children of the ruling sultans started in the harem. A tutor was appointed for their education.
In the Middle Ages, children were sent to Maktabs for primary education in the systematic institutional education system. In the Islamic education system, the institutions responsible for secondary level education were called Madrasas. Along with Maktabs and Madrasas, many higher education institutions were established for higher education in the Middle Ages. Those institutions were run through ‘dargahs’ centered around a religious leader.
5. Teacher-Student Relationship: -
Like in ancient times, the teacher-student relationship in the education system in the Middle Ages was very deep and sweet. According to Islamic teachings, the Ulema must be of good character. The teacher had a father-son relationship with the student. The moral life of the student was developed under the shadow of the teacher's affection and the student also considered him as a father. In many madrasas, teachers and students lived together.
6. Teaching method: -
The teaching method of the maktab was oral. The main task of the teacher was to make people memorize reading. In the maktab, no written book was usually followed. Students learned by listening while reading. The teaching method was mechanical.
The teaching method of the madrasa was also mainly oral. The medium of instruction was Persian. Teachers used the lecture method in teaching. Memorization was the main method of learning. Group discussions were arranged to teach subjects such as logic, philosophy, religion, etc.
7. Discipline: -
The moral development of students was one of the goals of Islamic education. Strict discipline was followed in the maktab. Students who were prone to crime and skipped school were severely punished. Corporal punishment sometimes reached the level of cruelty. Like the maktab, strict discipline and regularity were maintained in the madrasa.
8. Educational opportunities: -
Although education in maktabs was for everyone during the Islamic era, education in madrasas was mostly limited to the middle and upper classes. In the field of higher education, there was a severe lack of higher education due to the very small number of educational centers.
9. Women's education: -
Women's education was not illegal in Islamic teachings. Therefore, in the beginning, we hear about learned women like Fatima, Hamida, Sophia. Later, with the introduction of the ‘purdah’ system, general women's education was restricted, but ‘ulema’ were appointed for the education of upper-class girls in the inner palaces and masters were appointed for the education of fine arts. Among the women of the royal family, the names of Sultana Razia, Gulbadan Begum, daughter of Babar, and Jahanara Begum, daughter of Shah Jahan, etc. are particularly noteworthy. However, during the Muslim rule, Hindu society became quite conservative and the main victim of this conservatism was women's education.
10. Evaluation system and awarding degrees:-
The Islamic education system did not have the examination system of the modern era. The teachers used to judge whether the students were able to master the daily lessons they gave to the students properly. They would review the students' mistakes and help them to correct them. There was no specific time for evaluation. Certificates were given based on their qualifications in any particular field.
There was a system of awarding degrees at the end of education. Those who acquired special knowledge in the field of religion were given the title of 'Alim', those who acquired special knowledge in logic were given the title of 'Fazil' and those who showed special proficiency in literature were given the title of 'Qabil'.
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