Madrasah: what is it and where did it come from?

The official answer to the question "madrasah - what is" is the following: this is the educational institution of Muslims, in which teachers and even priests are trained. Sometimes here also future civil servants are trained. That is, it can be considered an analogue of a higher education institution in Europe and America.

Madrasah - what is it? Its history

If you translate directly from Arabic, then this word means in a literal sense a place in which someone learns something, studies something and learns something. That is, the meaning of the word "madrasah" is "a place for study".

The first educational institution of this type appears during the reign of the Abbasid dynasty. First mentions and answers to the question: "Madrasah - what is it?" - date back only to the 9th century, but in the 13th this phenomenon is already widespread. In such schools, subjects with a religious bias, including theology and the Koranic disciplines, were mainly studied. In addition, the students were taught Arabic, necessary for reading the Koran, as well as arithmetic and history. In the 11th century the school turns into a state institution. The government appointed teachers who worked there. Perhaps, it was due to this that the orthodoxy of the Sunnis actively developed. Gradually from the institution, which was originally a school, they made a place for training personnel for the civil service. That is, the madrasah has become a stronghold of control over the religious and political life of the state.

Organization of studies

The main subjects that were studied in madrasah: medicine, mathematics and jurisprudence.

These educational institutions were supposed to train officials who were sacredly devoted to the state. This was the reason for the selection of objects, because the madrassa was supposed to turn into an instrument of control over the political and religious life of the society. Classes were held in mosques, which were not of primary importance for the faithful. The maintenance of schools and expenses were paid for by waqf. Mudarris-teachers also received salaries from the state. They recruited assistants, with whom they conducted lectures for students, organized debates on religious topics, and also studied literature that could in future be useful to students in state posts. Pupils who received such training became loyal subjects of the state, which provided them with not only housing and supplies for the period of study, but also a scholarship. The 12th century in the history of education in the Arab countries is significant because at that time educational institutions of a new format are beginning to be built, the so-called madrasah-tombs. One room in them was intended for classes, and the other, fenced off, served as the burial place of the founder. Hence it is clear that the organization of madrasah was an honorable occupation, a unique contribution to the development of the state.

What was studied

Speaking of which, madrasah - what is it, we figured out that this is an analogue of a higher educational institution for officials. Accordingly, the disciplines studied were selected with this specialization taken into account. Since legal schools trained bureaucrats and bureaucrats, in addition to fiqh, jurisprudence and a number of other related disciplines were introduced. Fatimid imams, thanks to their active missionary work, were able to persuade Sultan Saladin to open new schools. Since he was an adherent of Sunnism, in new schools pupils were brought up in the spirit of this trend and were preparing to accept a post in public service.

That is, the Sultan did everything to train bureaucrats who shared with him some religious and political views.

Architectural Traditions

The Muslim madrassah is considered one of the masterpieces of architecture, since its design has received the closest attention. The complex of buildings included directly the mosque, housing for students, classes and refectory. The main room was aivan - a vaulted hall divided into three naves by rows of columns. One side of it was open and led to the main courtyard. Registration of the madrassas was paid special attention. The buildings that have survived to this day in Istanbul and other cities are striking in their beauty and refinement.

Cultural and historical significance

The main role of the madrasah as an educational center was not limited to the preparation of officials loyal to the state. They were of great importance for the spread of Islam both in the East and in the West, having at one time exerted a great influence on the system of European education. For example, the first educational institution that trained bureaucrats for public service was the University of Naples in Italy. In fact, this is a direct borrowing of the experience of Muslims in the training of officials. Europeans quickly adopted this experience.

As a result, almost all European universities were organized according to the madrasah model. They provided students with scholarships, housing, access to educational materials.

Madrasah today

Educational institutions of this type are not only in Muslim countries. For example, the Madrasah of Muhammadiyah operates in Kazan, where students receive a theological education or are preparing to become translators from Arabic. Only Muslims are accepted for study.