Religious Schools: Their Mission and Role (Part Five)
Cultural Duality Born of Western Methods
The main product of Western educational methods was the emergence of cultural duality known as “al-Sanwiyyah al-Ilmiyah” in society. In this way, the Islamic community, especially the youth generation, was divided into two large groups: those who studied modern sciences and those who studied ancient sciences, each of which considered itself a “separate sect” from the other, believing only in itself and viewing the other as an obstacle to its path.
Contemporary author Dr. Asrar Alam Hindi writes: “Today, Islamic societies are divided into two groups: new and old, and supporters of both. Certainly, this phenomenon has severely disrupted the Islamic world in thought and action, caused stagnation in various fields, and blocked the path to progress and development.”
The bitter tragedy that has caused problems—and one of the great tragedies of the twentieth century in Islamic countries—has been the battle between the old and the new groups, which is still ongoing in many countries and whose adverse effects are felt. The situation in Afghanistan in the last century and the circumstances in Algeria, Egypt, Pakistan, and many other countries provide evidence of this dispute. Indeed, most of the tensions and concerns are considered to be bitter and undesirable consequences of cultural duality. It goes without saying that our aim in this discourse is not to deny new education and positive cultural achievements. Islam has not only considered progress and development in the sciences and acquisition of experiences and arts permissible, but also strongly called for and encouraged it. What is undesirable are the wrong methods, practices, and incorrect perceptions of sciences, techniques, and theories.
A Mission That Should Not Be Delayed
In view of the aforementioned problems, the Islamic world and the contemporary generation look only to the religious schools, which are the guardians of the last divine revelation and the hope of the Islamic nation. According to the great Islamic thinker, Allama Sayyed Abul Hassan Nadwi, may Allah have mercy on him: “Religious schools draw water from the springs of prophetic life and irrigate the fields of life. Indeed, the springs of prophetic life never dry up, and humanity never feels in need of it.” The indifference of religious schools to the current situation and their withdrawal from leading and guiding society is synonymous with suicide and disloyalty to humanity—nay, rather, it is a betrayal. This is where the officials and administrators of the schools should reconsider all aspects of their activities and ask themselves: Are they fulfilling their mission in various fields or not? Haven’t most religious schools taken the form of ancient teachings that are merely protectors of the forms and models of past centuries, lacking an effective role in the contemporary world, which requires a revision of method and content?
The Need for Change and Transformation in Educational and Training Programs
Considering that religious schools are centers of education and training and factories for the development of individuals who train educators and reformers of human society, it is necessary to take into account the needs of the contemporary world and the ups and downs of current civilization in planning and to deliver competent individuals to society who can respond to the problems of the present and future.
Many thinkers and experts in educational matters acknowledge that such transformations should take place in the programs of religious schools. The famous thinker, Professor Nadwi, may Allah have mercy on him, states in this regard: “Islamic scholars have always included new books in the curricula according to the needs of the economy at that time and have not hesitated to accept useful materials. Unfortunately, in the last hundred years, despite new intellectual, political, and other developments, this curriculum has needed transformation that has not occurred significantly. Meanwhile, the changes of the time necessitate change and transformation in some cases.”
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