Hudhayfa (Allah be pleased with him) said, “People do not curse one another without that curse coming true.” [al-Adab al-Mufrad]
وعن أبي الدرداء رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : “إن العبد إذا لعن شيئًا، صعدت اللعنة إلى السماء، فتغلق أبواب السماء دونها، ثم تهبط إلى الأرض، فتغلق أبوابها دونها، ثم تأخذ يمينًا وشمالا، فإذا لم تجد مساغًا رجعت إلى الذي لُعن، فإن كان أهلا لذلك، وإلا رجعت إلى قائلها”.
Abu-Darda’ (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “When a person curses somebody or something, the curse goes up to heaven and the gates of heaven get closed. Then it comes down to the earth and its gates get closed. Then it turns right and left, and if it does not find an entrance to go anywhere, it returns to the person or thing that was cursed; if he or it deserves to be cursed; otherwise it returns to the person who uttered it.” [Abu Dawud]
For those that don’t know me, let me introduce myself. I am an Alim who studied in an institute for seven years, thereafter worked in several so-called Islamic institutes giving me enough experience to write this article, Alhumdu Lillah. I also have many Ulama colleagues and acquaintances, which has added to my experience! I will be fair, maybe it is because I am an Alim and have so many Ulama colleagues I have had such overwhelming experiences and in such a large capacity. Definitely more than the average person reading this, who may not be an Alim or has not had as many experiences because he/she does not know Ulama, as well as some of us, do. I just want to add these are my experiences, but I am not a selfish person – Alhumdu Lillah! I have also heard many of my friends, colleagues and family members who have had bad experiences with Ulama. This is what has to lead to me mustering the courage and speaking on behalf of them all. In case people who are naive say, “these are just a few experiences.”
CURSING A BELIEVER
I am going to start from recent events, as the whole reason I decided to lift my pen on such a crucial, but essential, critical, but vital topic is the image above which is my most recent experience, this was the final straw. How can we imagine anyone would give such a curse, let alone an Alim, a Mawlana, an individual who has studied Qur’an and Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ for several years under qualified Ulama. You must all be wondering what the reason was. I wasn’t going to write the story behind that message, not because I am scared, not at all. I am not afraid of the truth Alhumdu Lillah, nor am I afraid to admit my mistakes in public or in private. I feel it will get too long and I will end up going off on a tangent, as I tend to do. For the moment, I want readers to think of what possibly could be a justified reason to give someone such a curse (bud-dua)? What would be a reasonable explanation for it? Please do think long and hard. Has anyone of you heard such a curse (bud-dua) before? Would you give such a curse (bud-dua) to your enemy or even a Kafir?
Well, we all use WhatsApp and have several groups for friends, family, maybe work colleagues and other social uses perhaps. Many Alims/Alimahs will have “Ulama/Alimaat” groups where they would discuss Fiqh/Hadith or Deeni issues (if the group is used for the correct purpose). I was on such a group not so long ago. There were many young Alims on the group, some may have still been studying. It was a simple issue of someone making a statement of not putting titles next to a scholar’s name and Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) was written just as “Aishah”, this scholar was a Mufti so he should have addressed himself as a Mufti and wrote “Allah be pleased with her” or “Radhi Allahu Anhaa” after Aishah. This brother was corrected and he did not argue or reply back. Minutes later another person on the group went further and just wrote “IT” for Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (Allah have mercy upon him). I waited to see if anybody criticised him for it, as the first person was criticised. We should be fair in criticism and not pick and choose who we criticise. If our Ustadh makes a mistake we ignore it and when another person makes a mistake we magnify it? This is totally contradictory to the teachings of Islam. So, after seeing nobody commented and criticised this individual, I made a comment, I said, “We have gone a step further, far from removing titles, we are using acronyms for great Ulama.” This individual responded saying, or should I say ‘justifying’ his position, “It is acceptable because it is the Urf to use short form on Social Media.” I understand people use slang and short form on Social Media, but since when did HE become Urf. Urf is a term used in Fiqh, something which is “common in the people”, something socially habitual. One man is not Urf! One man does not decide what Urf is! It is based on a “whole” society. He further went on to say, “if I did not like it I don’t need to use the short form. He doesn’t mind using it so he will use the short form.” I found this a little arrogant, why? Doesn’t Islam say we should be doing “what’s right”? Not what “we want.” If everyone is going to do what they want, then what is the purpose of Qur’an and Hadith? What is the purpose of having knowledge?
So to hear this behaviour coming from an Alim was shocking, he didn’t need to say that. He could have accepted he was wrong or proved his point. Not by making things up that it’s Urf because Ulama have said, which Ulama? He didn’t state one single Alim who has endorsed this short form for the names of Ulama or Salaf Saliheen on Social Media or public forums. I further emphasised that I found his statement arrogant, there’s a difference between calling someone “an arrogant individual” and saying something is “an act of arrogance”. No doubt, there are signs of arrogance in Qur’an and Hadith, like there are signs of a Munafiq. As humans we use it in everyday language”, e.g. “He/she was a bit arrogant that day.” This doesn’t mean we are claiming to be God! Only Allah knows what’s in the hearts, but what is in the heart is often revealed through our actions and especially our tongues. As Imam Ibnul Qayyim (Allah have mercy upon him) says, “If you want to get a taste of someone’s heart, look at his tongue.” Here, Imam Ibnul Qayyim (Allah have mercy upon him) isn’t claiming to be God, he is making a factual statement.
MOLVIS ARE GOOD LAWYERS!
Moving on, this individual demanded that I do not call him/others arrogant (despite me clarifying it was the statement that came across as arrogant), especially because they are Ulama. Wow! I was shocked, let’s just look at this carefully… so you can never EVER call an Alim arrogant? Despite what they do, great! This is some serious dictatorship, asking us to follow him blindly. I was then removed from the group because the truth hurts. I rang the admin to ask why I was removed, he said because I called his teacher arrogant, even though I hadn’t. We debated the issue and he could not accept he was wrong. I bade him farewell. Regardless of what exactly happened, it is important to note the traits of evil Ulama, the corrupt ones, the ones cursed by the Prophet ﷺ. What I would like to point out at the end of this story, the Alim who removed me was confronted by several Ulama as to why he made this curse. He denied it, despite me sending a screenshot with his name, then another showing number. He replied saying it is all a lie and I had photo-shopped the image! Subhan’Allah, I have never known anyone in my entire life to lie so much, let alone an Alim.
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ” لاَ يَنْبَغِي لِلْمُؤْمِنِ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَعَّانًا ”
Ibn ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The believer is not one who curses others.” [Tirmidhi]
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ لَيْسَ الْمُؤْمِنُ بِالطَّعَّانِ وَلاَ اللَّعَّانِ وَلاَ الْفَاحِشِ وَلاَ الْبَذِيءِ ” . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ
‘Abdullah (Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The believer does not insult the honour of others, nor curse, nor commit Fahishah, nor is he foul.” [Tirmidhi]
ARE ALL ULAMA CORRUPT?
For those who say this is only one incident and it is not fair to ‘paint all Alims/Alimahs with the same brush. Wallahi! I am not that judgemental and narrow-minded, as to use one incident and magnify it to give all Ulama a bad name. So far, I have not once said “ALL” Alims/Alimahs are corrupt. Nor will I be saying that in the rest of the article In Sha Allah. My main reason behind this article is not to name and shame an Alim or any Ulama (notice names have not been mentioned). The aim is to protect the general public from the corrupt and crooked, immoral and depraved Ulama. We must remember there are two types of Ulama; a) Ulama Haqq (rightful) and b) Ulama Soow (corrupt). From this we can deduce, contrary to popular belief not every Alim/Alimah will go to Jannah, and yes, the rule applies to males and females. Please see the Hadeeth.
In his book Ad-Daa’ Wad-Dawaa’, Ibn Al-Qayyim (Allah have mercy upon him) explains the Hadeeth of the first three to be thrown into Hell on the Day of Resurrection. He says: “from Abu Hurayrah, who said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, ‘Verily, the first to be judged on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who had died as a martyr. He will be brought forward. Allah will remind him of the favours He had bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. Then He will ask him: `what did you do to express gratitude for it?’ The man will reply: `I fought for Your Cause till I was martyred.’ Allah will say: `You have lied. You fought so that people might call you courageous, and they have done so.’ Command will then be issued about him and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell. Next, a man who had acquired and imparted knowledge and read the Qur’an will be brought forward, Allah will remind him of the favours He had bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. Then He will ask him: `what did you do to express gratitude for it?’ The man will reply: `I acquired knowledge and taught it, and read the Qur’an for Your sake.’ Allah will say to him: `You have lied. You acquired knowledge so that people might call you a learned (man), and you read the Qur’an so that they might call you a reciter, and they have done so.’ Command will then be issued about him, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell. Next, a man whom Allah had made affluent and to whom Allah had given plenty of wealth, will be brought forward, Allah will remind him of the favours He had bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. He will ask him: `what did you do to express gratitude for it?’ The man will reply: `I did not neglect any of the ways you liked wealth to spend liberally for your sake’. Allah will say to him: `You have lied. You did it so that people might call you generous, and they have done so.’ Command will then be issued about him and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell.” And the wording, “So these are the first of Allah’s creation the Fire will be kindled with on the Day of Resurrection“[Saheeh Muslim, 13/45/1905]
Then he says: “And I heard Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (Allah have mercy upon him) say, “Just as the best of the people are the Prophets, then the worst of the people is the one who imitates them, giving the false impression that he is from them while he is not from them. The best of people after them are the Ulama’ and the Shuhada’ and the Siddeeqoon and the Mukhlisoon, and the worst of the people is the one who imitates them while giving the false impression that he is from them, while he is not from them.” [Ad-Daa’ Wad-Dawaa’ pp38-39]
TWO CATEGORIES OF ULAMA
In the Hadeeth, there are grave warnings of dreadful things awaiting the Ulama-e-Soow. They are among those who will be first to enter into Jahannam. They are astray and are leading others astray. The Prophet ﷺ said: “A person who seeks knowledge with the object of acquiring worldly riches, will not even smell the fragrance of Jannat.” [Targheeb]
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever acquired knowledge for the purpose of attracting people to be inclined towards him, will be cast into Jahannam.” [Targheeb]
and also “The worst of people, have the worst Ulama.” [Targheeb]
It is also reported that Rasulullah ﷺ said: “Knowledge is of two kinds: One type is that which is only on the tongue (having no effect upon the heart). This is Allah’s proof against men (He completed His argument). The other type is that which is in the heart and is beneficial knowledge.”
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “The majority of the Hypocrites of this Ummah [Muslims] will be its readers [i.e. those who read the Qur’an and not act according to it].” [Musnad Ahmad no. 10/123]
In another Hadeeth, He ﷺ said: “In the latter days the devout ones (Sufis) will be ignorant and the Ulama immoral.”
And also,
“Seek not knowledge in order to contest with the Ulama and to argue with the ignorant ones and to attract people towards you by it. Those who do this will be cast into Jahannam”.
Sayyidina Umar (Allah be pleased with him) said:
“On behalf of this Ummah, I am most fearful of the Alim who is a hypocrite.”
People asked: “Who is a hypocritical Alim?”
Umar (Allah be pleased with him) replied:
“He is one who by the tongue is an Alim, but in his heart he is ignorant.”
Hasan (Allah be pleased with him) said: “Do not become such that in spite of having acquired the knowledge of the Ulama and become acquainted with the deep researches of the thinkers, you behave and act in the manner of ignorant fools.”
Regarding the corruption and fitnah of the Ulama in times close to Qiyamah please this article on the link. The Prophet ﷺ said: “There will come a time on the people when there will remain nothing of the Islam except its [ism] name and nothing will remain of the Qur’an except its [rasm] outward form. Their Masjids will be full of people/very well built but will be empty of guidance. Their scholars will be the evilest under the heavens; from them, [fitnah] turmoil will emanate from them and to them will it return.” [Baihaqi, Shu’bul Iman no. 2/788]
“DON’T PUT ALL YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET”
Ulama have always played a major role in the Ummah, no doubt Ulama of the past were very sincere and honest. They treated people fairly and justly. More importantly, they gave rulings and fatwas with complete knowledge and Taqwa. The Ulama of the past had the Hereafter in mind and were God-conscious. It is because of these Ulama, Islam reached us in its pristine form – Alhumdu Lillah for their sacrifices, and I am not ungrateful. You can learn more about Ulama Haqq here. However, in the past there were also corrupt scholars and evil Ulama, the difference is today they have increased in number far more than that of the past. I heard a renowned Alim of the UK state, “Before Qiyamah, the majority of the Ulama will be corrupt.” Please do not take this statement lightly, let it sink in before you read any further. This means that the true Ulama will be few. No doubt there are good Ulama living today, even here in the West, but if we want the best for ourselves and our children we need to find those Ulama. Not every Imam is a God-fearing person, not every Madrasah teacher has Taqwa and piety. Many Imams beat their wives and stand like hypocrites on a Friday to lecture the community about peace and justice in their sermons. There are many examples I can give of “Molvis behaving badly,” unfortunately too many. I am pretty sure everyone reading this article will have had their own experiences too, at least with one Alim. I want to create a balance, give you the other side of the coin (every coin has two sides). We need good Ulama, to guide and direct us, but is every Alim good and pious? Imam Anwar Awlaki (Allah have mercy on him) once said, “Every deviant sect was made by an Alim.” So for those of you who are still in cuckoo land and think we must respect “every Alim”, that is wrong, unfortunately. You respect the devout and pious Ulama, the way to find one is to look at his actions, not his speech. Anybody can talk with a sweet tongue, looking eloquent and handsome.
CHILD ABUSE
There are many signs of corrupt Ulama. One example I would like to start with is, teachers who beat the living daylights out of our children when we send them to Madrasahs and Darul Ulooms, (this still goes on FYI). Some so-called Ulama damage our children so painfully, these children lose all confidence in themselves. They neither progress in Deen nor Dunya. They grow up hating Islam, hating Ulama, hating the Masjid and probably hate their parents for sending them to Madrasah. These children grow up distant from the Qur’an and distant from Islamic knowledge. Many later get married and have their own children, but they will not send them to the Masjid because of the experiences their father had when he was a child.
Who is to blame for all of this?
Simply because Molvi Saheb couldn’t control his anger?
Molvi Saheb didn’t get his tea on time that day?
Or due to the fact Molvi Saheb had an argument with his wife that day, he took it out on our children?
For all those evil Ulama out there, who justify child abuse, shame on you! I challenge any single one of you, show me one Ayah of the Qur’an, one Hadith where it allows you to hit a child. Show me one incident where the Prophet ﷺ hit a child? You may deceive the parents of the child by saying, “it’s for their own good!” La Hawla Wa La Quwata Illa Billah! How will you justify your zulm in Allah’s eyes?! I have no hesitation in calling such people zalims, Alim or non-Alim, zulm is Haram for everyone. It was even Haram for the Prophet of Allah ﷺ, but it has been made halal for Ulama? Allah himself declares zulm haram. Dear parents, beware of whom you send your child to, to learn Islam. Please don’t just look at convenience, “Molvi Saheb lives on the same street as us, SO HE MUST BE GOOD!” Such naïve thinking can be dangerous. Find good Madrasahs and good teachers, regularly talk to your children about their day at school and Madrasah. Ask them, “Does your Ustadh hit?” Being shy about these matters will only cost you and your child, their future. Zulm is zulm, wrong is wrong.
COMPLAIN, NOT MOAN AND WHINGE
I understand it is hard for parents, especially mothers (usually the mothers do the running around) to confront an Ustadh or the principal with regards to these issues. Considering many Alims/teachers are defensive when it comes to acknowledging their own mistakes, the short story I gave at the start is evident to this. Nevertheless, confront them.
ARROGANT & NARCISSISTIC MOLVIS
I have met many Alims who are arrogant narcissists in their approach and manner and most won’t accept their mistakes. Some will use, or should I say MISUSE Qur’an and Hadith to justify their behaviour. I remember working for a so-called Islamic charity run by Ulama. One of the senior Alims, who I used to respect a lot in my naïve days, whenever I would disagree with him or air an opinion he didn’t like (because of his arrogance), would quickly quote the Hadith, “respect your elders.” I laugh now thinking back on it, to disagree with someone is disrespectful? Having an opinion is disrespectful? Then to misuse Hadith! Subhan Allah. Another sign of corrupt Ulama, true knowledge makes you humble. Some Alims just cannot accept criticism nor accept their mistakes. Arrogance was Haram for the Prophet (SAW), who made it Halal for Molvis?
WHO IS TO BLAME?
The blame is not always on Darul Ulooms, initially, I blame the parents who are the mothers and fathers of these children. Many parents don’t have the correct intention for sending their children to Darul Uloom or making them Alim/Alimah. I have heard this from many Pakistani Ulama, in Pakistani families as long as one or two are educated and professionals, i.e. bringing the money in, the weaker children or not as bright are “shoved” into Madrasahs. So how can we fully blame Darul Ulooms for producing such arrogant individuals when their parents’ intentions were not sincere? So the lion’s share of the blame is on the parents, rather than the individuals themselves. They spend six or seven years in an Islamic environment, unable to change their ways and bad habits. How will such people make changes in the Ummah? But the one thing I will blame Darul Ulooms for, most of them anyway, is focusing on numbers, 40-50 graduates a year? What’s the need? Since when has Islam been about numbers? They need to stop lowering their standards and focus on quality, not quantity. I understand times have changed from the 80s and 90s and there is more focus on the secular side, but then you need to look at some of the product you are making. There is absolutely no need for such a great number of Ulama, especially when they are leaving with no Tarbiyyah and Islah (upbringing) whatsoever. Anyone who disagrees can ask me personally, the incidents I have seen/had with recent graduates. I won’t share them here, because my intention isn’t to expose anyone but nobody should suffer at the hands of these wolves. Yes, ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing’, or should I say, ‘Devils in Molvis’ clothing’! “Islam does not say suffer peacefully.” – Malcolm X (Allah have mercy on him)
“QUALITY NOT QUANTITY.”
Islam has never been about numbers, never. When Islam started the Prophet ﷺ only had Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him), He ﷺ only had his wife Khadijah (Allah be pleased with her). One man and one woman, why didn’t He give up? Because that one man and one woman were equal to a whole Ummah! “Quality not quantity.”
On the day of Badr, there were only 313 Sahabah (Allah be pleased with them) against 1,000. Why didn’t they wait for more people to accept Islam? Simply because those 313 were unique and consolidated, they could overcome an army of 10,000 if you ask me! “Quality not quantity.”
Now, this is a problem everywhere, especially on social media. It has become all about numbers, followers and likes. Please see this article for further information.
When Madrasahs/Maktabs/Darul Ulooms just focus on numbers, people tend to start thinking is it just about making money?! More students, more fees?! I am sorry Sherlock, but it doesn’t take a genius to work that one out There are Madrasahs in the UK who focus on quality, fewer numbers more productivity. I don’t see them closing down because they cannot pay the bills. My point being we need “less Ulama,” but good Ulama.
The Prophet ﷺ:“Knowledge (of the Deen) will be (imparted and acquired) for purposes other than the Deen, the Dunya (wealth and fame) will be pursued with the deeds of the Akhirah.”
MONEY-MAKING MILLIONAIRE MOLVIS
Umar (Allah be pleased with him) said, “When you see that any scholar loves the world, then his scholarship is in doubt.”
Now we come on to the money-making Molvis, another sign of corrupt Ulama. These sell their Deen for the Dunya. Ulama who made their Madrasahs and Islamic schools into businesses, purely for money making. They neither care about the children nor the parents, as long as their surpluses add up at the end of the year. But society is deceived and loses out. They charge extortionate rates to parents for fees, their teaching standards are abysmal. Which only proves one thing: they are bereft of any form of sincerity. I am not playing God nor being judgemental, sincerity has signs and so does a lack of sincerity. Not forgetting the ones who became millionaires by selling Taweez and taking advantage of people’s misfortune, but that doesn’t stop these Molvis from making their “fortune.” Read this to see how much scholars charge for lectures.
POWER GRABBERS
Then we have Ulama who are the power-hungry control freaks. The Dictators. Nothing short of a Tyrant. Their word is the Gospel. You cannot question them or differ with them. They make Hitler and Stalin look like puppets. They will never let go of their “kursi” (position) once they hold it, Imam or principal. Some go to great lengths to get those positions. I know of an Alim in my local Madrasah who tried to absolute name me and shame for reasons Allah knows best (I don’t want to get defensive on here, nor come across defensive). But the dictator himself was not elected in management, another Alim had been selected by teachers by the majority of votes. This Alim in front of my own eyes swindled and dwindled the votes, then put his own name at the top. Most of you won’t believe it, but it is true – Allah is my witness. Masjids and Madrasahs are no longer JUST places of worship, rather they are places for politics and corruption. For power and greed! Inna Lillah Wa Inna Ilayhi Raji’oon.
RACISM AND UNFAIRNESS
Oh yes! You all knew that was coming. Racism is in everyone, not just Ulama. So why have I mentioned it here? The Racism is in Ulama is to another degree, far more than the average person. Possibly because they have a lot of authority and control, but they use that to their own advantage. Not how Allah has taught them in the Qur’an. Any institution whose constitution is based on Racism can never ever be successful in the eyes of Allah SWT, Qur’an and Hadith teaches us that. How can you judge a person from the village their grandparents lived in?? Are you for real?! Nowadays we have schools that give preference to people from their own village. Once I had a debate with an Alim who was so very defensive in respect of such schools, in my naïve days I respected this Alim a lot as he worked in my Madrasah, but his Racism was unbelievable. Nice to know what these people keep in their hearts:
“Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is greater. We have certainly made clear to you the signs if you will use intellect.” (3:118)
Unbeknownst to him, the school have a policy, in which they give preference to certain members of certain mosques (all to do with villages in India). Wow! When you live in the 21st century Britain you would think those days would have gone, you would think Racism was a thing of the past. Shame on such Ulama, would Fatima bint Muhammad ﷺ be allowed in your school? She certainly isn’t from your village. Why do I single these guys out, when all Mosques have similar policies? The Alim asked me this same question, but I am a fair man, Alhumdu Lillah. My answer; the Mosques are run by committees, who are mostly laymen, not Ulama. You should know better. Not saying they are correct either. I am not a member of any Mosque for this reason; their Racist constitutions. Unfortunately, I am unlike other Ulama who just look at their own benefit, I have principles – Alhumdu Lillah. Because Ulama lack principles, they tend to “stick up for their own”. This is totally against Islam.
Every Masjid and Darul Uloom is “Waqf”, nobody owns these buildings, they were made with the public’s money. When they ask for Lillah money they don’t ask you which village you are from?!
I wrote this whole article after one incident where I walked into a Masjid in Blackburn and I was told by an Alim I wasn’t welcome because I am not from their village in India!!! I am really sorry my parents weren’t born in your village (THANK GOD THEY WEREN’T). What makes it worse is when I related the incident to some acquaintances, I was told to ‘chill out and relax. It was just a joke?!’ I apologise for my lack of sense of humour, but Racism is Haram and so are Racist jokes. Dear Molvis, don’t make Haram into Halal because it suits you. Islam is not a buffet, you can’t pick and choose. And for the record, I have a perfect sense of humour, Ma Sha Allah. There is a fine line between immaturity and cracking a joke, learn the distinction between the two. If your local Masjid or Madrasah or any organisation, be it a charity does wrong, it is wrong. I am sorry for stating the obvious, but some Ulama find this really hard to digest. Because they are blind and too stubborn to accept the truth. If an Alim or any Islamic organisation does wrong they must be condemned, NOT condoned and overlooked. Zulm is not just in Syria and Burma, we have many Ulama who oppress people right here in the UK, but it is brushed under the carpet. More importantly, when an individual complains and speaks up he is made to look like the bad guy. Why? Because we are deceived by the long turbans and flowing beards of Molvis. You respect good Ulama, not the bad ones. And you certainly do not worship them and make them into God! If people dislike and loathe what I say, then teach your staff members and parents not to behave with me in a Racist and arrogant manner. Alhumdu Lillah! My mother did not give birth to a coward, I CAN speak and SHALL speak till Allah wants me to. Allah says about the Jews and the Christians,
“They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah, and [also] the Messiah, the son of Mary. And they were not commanded except to worship one God; there is no deity except Him. Exalted is He above whatever they associate with Him.” (9:31)
PART-TIMERS
One final factor that has a major role in corrupt Alims/Alimahs is part-time classes, which I have never agreed with, Absolutely Dead Against.
Here’s the proof: have you ever heard of a part-time pilot? Part-time doctor? Part-time surgeon? Part-time lawyer? Part-time engineer? No! But we hear of part-time Alims/Alimahs, disgraceful.
If you were in an operating theatre and you were told the surgeon has only studied a part-time course, would you be happy for them to operate on you? Only a fool would be.
How on earth can we rely on part-time Alims/Alimahs? I understand the need to educate and equip our boys and girls with Islam but I don’t understand the need of so many Alims/Alimahs, ESPECIALLY when you are not doing a proper and thorough job of it, sorry. Let them learn Arabic and Tafsir and Hadith within a few years. You don’t need to give them the title of a scholar when they have not studied in depth. If this continues, you will see more and more evil spread in the Ummah because of these half-baked scholars. Parents are not to jump on the bandwagon and follow what everyone else does, Allah gave you Aqal. The full blame though, lies on the founders of these places, many just open because the mosque next door has opened an Alimah class, Competition?
JEALOUSY, ENMITY AND BACKBITING
On the topic of competition, Alims and Alimahs need to learn to work together and avoid jealousy and hatred on Every Little Thing! Seriously, it is not healthy AT ALL! There are Ulama that have conspired to shut another Madrasah down because they opened on the same street. Does this Alim not believe in Taqdeer? Rizq is in Allah’s hands? Unity/working together? Someone once famously said,
! ایک گلی میں دو کتے رہ سکتے ہے لیکن دو مولوی نھیں
“Two dogs can live (peacefully) in one alley, but two Molvis cannot.” Well said, I fully agree.
One of the reasons we have so many mosques and madrasah is that a certain Molvi had beef with another Molvi Saheb, so the first one split from the mosque and built his own. Is that Ikhlaas? Sincerity has signs. It is the same in Madrasahs. I don’t need to look far, Blackburn has over 40 mosques. If you look at the history behind some of these mosques, it is because they are from different villages in India – so they split. Two mosques on the same street?! These mosques were not built with Ikhlaas, how will they be successful? Allahul Musta’aan! On a micro level, we have the same on WhatsApp groups. Ulama bicker and fight over petty issues, then they go and open their own groups. Such childish behaviour is embarrassing.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen رحمه الله said in his, ‘Liqa’ Bab al-Maftooh’, 9/112:
أكثر العلماء اليوم إما علماء دولة وإما علماء أمة، وقل من يكون من علماء الملة
“Many scholars of today are either scholars of state, or scholars of the ummah; and lesser still are the (real) scholars of the millah [i.e. Deen].”
He further elaborates these categories in his highly beneficial commentary, ‘Sharh Riyadus-Saliheen’, 4/307:
ليس كل عالم يكون ثقة، فالعلماء ثلاثة: علماء ملة، وعلماء دولة، وعلماء أمة. أما علماء الملة – جعلنا الله وإياكم منهم – فهؤلاء يأخذون بملة الإسلام وبحكم الله ورسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم، ولا يبالون بأحد كائناً من كان. وأما علماء الدولة فينظرون ماذا يريد الحاكم، يصدرون الأحكام على هواه، ويحاولون أن يلووا أعناق النصوص من الكتاب والسنة حتى تتفق مع هوى هذا الحاكم، وهؤلاء علماء دولة خاسرون، وأما علماء الأمة فهم الذين ينظرون إلى اتجاه الناس، هل يتجه الناس إلى تحليل هذا الشيء فيحلونه، أو إلى تحريمه فيحرمونه، ويحاولون أيضاً أن يلووا أعناق النصوص إلى ما يوافق هوى الناس
“Not every scholar is considered trustworthy. The scholars are of three type: scholars of the millah [Deen], scholars of state, and scholars of the ummah. As for the scholars of the millah – may Allah make you and me from them – They receive and take the Deen of Islam and rule according to what Allah and His Messenger ﷺ command with, not caring for who anyone else is. As for the scholars of state, they see what the ruler wants and they make judgments according to his desires. They try to blindly approach the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah so that it conforms and agrees with the state ruler’s edict. And such scholars of state are the real losers.
As for the scholars of the ummah, they are those who look at the orientation (and trend) of the people; considering if the people will allow and permit this thing in their favour, or prohibit it as impermissible? These scholars also try deafly wrapping the divine texts to what the people agree with, and so conform to what they like.”
Allah keep us connected with our true scholars, who sincerely serve the Deen without fear or favour. Ameen.
THE TRUE SCHOLARS
“…Those truly fear Allah among His servants are those who have knowledge (Ulema). For Allah is Exalted in Might and is Forgiving.” [Al-Fatir: 28]
Regarding “…Those truly fear Allah among His servants are those who have knowledge…” Imam Ibn Kathir (Allah have mercy on his soul) stated that “The more the knowledge of Allah and His SWT power is complete, the more He SWT will be feared by those who have the complete knowledge.”
Imam Al-Qurtubi (Allah have mercy on his soul) said that “The scholars are those who know the power of Allah SWT. They are in no doubt of His SWT punishment no matter what the sin is.”
It was narrated by Ali (Allah be pleased with him) that Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) said, “The scholars are those who know that Allah is capable of anything.”
On the authority of Ziyad ibn Lubayd (Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘….and knowledge will go [or disappear].’ He said, ‘O Messenger of Allah how will knowledge leave [disappear] whilst we read the Qur’an and our children read the Qur’an and they will make their children read it till the Day of Judgement.’ He said, ‘May your Mother lose you I thought your one of the men of understanding of Madinah. Don’t you see these Jews and Christians reading their Torah and Gospel but they don’t practice anything of it.’ [Ibn Majah no. 4048]
Ali (Allah be pleased with him) said I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ says, ‘Fitnah will certainly come.’ I asked what is the way out O Messenger of Allah ﷺ? He replied, ‘The Book of Allah [swt] is the way, for it contains information of what happened before you, news of what will come after you and a decision regarding matters that will occur among you…It is decisive [fasl] and not a joke [hazl]. Whoever leaves it, is a tyrant and Allah [swt] will break him, and if anyone seeks guidance else-where [other than the Qur’an] Allah will lead him astray. It is the rope of Allah [swt], the wise reminder, the straight path, whims would not deviate it nor the tongue become confused, and the scholars cannot be fully satisfied [i.e. still more to explore]. It is not worn down by repetition nor do its wonders ever cease……He who quotes it speaks the truth, he who acts according to it is rewarded, he who judges according to it is just, and he who invites people to it [i.e. the Qur’an] is [himself] guided to the Straight Path….’ Tirmidhi no. 2906 [Dha’eef – the chain is weak but the meaning is Saheeh –scholars comment that this is more likely the statement of Ali and not the Prophet ﷺ]
Abdullah Ibn Mas‘ood (Allah be pleased with him) said, “No age will dawn upon you but it will be viler than the one preceding it. I do not mean a ruler better than another ruler, or a year better than another year, but (I mean) that your Ulama and Fiqh will disappear, and you will not find (uprighteous) successors to them. Then there will come people who will issue ‘fatwas’ [legal opinions] based on their own opinion.” And in another narration, “Who will blunt Islam and destroy it.”
Hakeemul Ummah, Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Allah have mercy upon him) states: “Rasulullah ﷺ directed us to follow the ‘Sawaad-e-A’zam’ in times of fitnah. From the different opinions of Ulama, the preferred view seems to be the one that is understood from the Zaahir (text) of the Hadith i.e. ‘follow the majority.’ This view is restricted to the Khayrul Quroon when Khayr (goodness) was dominant (Ghalib). Today’s “majority” are not the purport of the Hadith (i.e. the Sawaad-e-A’zam Hadith), because today the majority consists of misguided people.”
يحيى بن معاذ ينشد في مجالسه كان
مواعظ الواعظ لن تقبلا…. حتى يعيها قلبه أولا
يا قوم من أظلم من واعظ ….قد خالف ما قاله في الملا
أظهر بين الناس إحسانه ….و بارز الرحمن لما خلا
CONCLUSION
I have written this article as a reminder for myself and other Ulama, first and foremost. A wise man once said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Becoming an Alim is easy, especially in this day and age when standards are so low in Darul Ulooms. Anybody can pass like wind through six years, we have all heard of “Arafati Molvis.” We need to live up to the title, ‘Mawlana’.
I always say, “Ulama LOVE the title ‘Mawlana’, but very few people LIVE the title of a Mawlana.
In no way, means or fashion do I think of myself as a true Alim or from the Ulama Haqq. I am not perfect and there is no pretence or artificial humility there. You don’t need to be perfect to complain and speak up. You don’t need to be flawless to criticise someone. You just need to be clear and be sincere. Humility leads you to criticise your own, arrogance leads you to always “defend” your own. I have always believed that, feel free to disagree. I am not going to criticise Brelwi Ulama and Salafi Ulama when we have corruption in our own, you put your own house fire out first! Why should I be afraid to speak the truth, when these corrupt Ulama are not afraid of lying? I intend to empower people to stand up to the Ulama that deceive us and mislead us, learn to wake up and speak up! Don’t be afraid of these bullies and cowards. Many are just armchair critics, they can never meet you and have a challenge face to face. Please do listen and follow the true Ulama, I have not said once stop following Ulama. Just learn that there are two types and look for the right type. Finally, there are people out there campaigning against Ulama; Muslims and Non-Muslims, no doubt there are anti-ulama folk out there. I pray this article does not reach them, as they will misuse it against the purpose for which it was written. I fully support honest, truthful and sincere Ulama who are doing a fantastic job educating the masses. If you are anti-ulama, please read this below:
“Those who disrespect the Ulama and the Awliya, humiliate and disrespect them when they are laid in their graves their faces they will be turned away from the Qiblah! I swear by Allah! If you do not believe me, go and check for yourselves.”
Hadhrat Mawlana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi (Allah sanctify his secret)
Allah keep us united on the truth. Allah grant us ALL Hidayah and guide us to the straight path. Allah protect us from being amongst Ulama Soow and save us all from Hellfire.
Ameen.
Ismail Ibn Nazir Satia (Unafraid to speak the truth, Alhumdu Lillah!)
10th Safar 1439
“The most dangerous man in society is he who has nothing to lose.”
حکیم الامّت مجددالملت حضرت مولانا اشرف علی صاحب تھانوی نور اللّٰه مرقدہ کی قیمتی نصیحت
⚫ایک بات اہلِ علم کے کام کی بتاتا ہوں کہ دین پر عمل کرنے کا مدار سلف صالحین کی عظمت پر ہے، اس لیے حتی الامکان ان پر اعتراض اور تنقیص کی آنچ نہ آنے دیں
⚫(صرف )مولوی ہونا کوئی خوشی کی بات نہیں ہے،(مولوی ہونے کے ساتھ ) دین دار ہونا خوشی کی بات ہے
⚫علم کے ساتھ صحبت (اولیاء )کی بڑی ضرورت ہے، صحبت سے واقفیت بھی ہوتی ہے اور عمل کے ساتھ مناسبت بھی ہوتی ہے
⚫(اکثر )علماء کو ہمیشہ غریب ہی رہنا چاہیے، جس قوم اور جس مذہب کے (اکثر )علماء امیر ہوئے، وہ مذہب برباد ہوگیا
⚫دو چیزیں علماء کے واسطے بہت ہی بری معلوم ہوتی ہیں، حرص اور کبر*
⚫مناسب ہے کہ قلم اور کاغذ جیب میں پڑا رہے، جس وقت جو مضمون ذہن میں آئے اس کا اشارہ لکھ لیاجائے، پھر دوسرے وقت ان میں ترتیب دے دی جائے
⚫دو باتیں مجھے بہت ناپسند ہیں: ایک تو تقریر میں لغت (مشکل الفاظ) بولنا دوسرے تحریر میں شکستہ لکھنا،کیوں کہ تحریر و تقریر سے مقصود افہام ہوتا ہے اور یہاں ابہام ہوتا ہے
⚫جب آدمی دین کا پابند نہ ہو اس کی کسی بات کا اعتبار نہیں، کیوں کہ اس کا کوئی کام حدود کے اندر تو ہوگا نہیں، دوستی ہوگی تو حدود سے باہر، دشمنی ہوگی تو حدود سے باہر، ایسا شخص خطرناک ہوگا، ہر چیز کو اپنے درجے میں رکھنا یہی بڑا کمال ہے. آج کل اکثر مشائخ و علماء میں اس کی کمی ہے
⚫میں تو اپنے دوستوں کو بھی مشورہ دیتا ہوں کہ اگر اللّٰه تعالیٰ ان کو کسی دینی مدرسے میں درس و تدریس کا موقع نصیب فرمائیں تو انتظام و اہتمام کو اپنے لیے قبول نہ کرو، کیوں کہ دونوں میں تضاد ہے، مدرس اور علمی خدمات کرنے والوں کے لیے یہی زیبا ہے کہ اپنے آپ کو اسی شغل میں لگا ئے رہیں
⚫چھوٹی جگہ میں رہ کر کام زیادہ ہوسکتا ہے کیوں کہ وقت فراغت کا زیادہ ملتا ہے اور بڑی جگہ رہ کر چھوٹا کام بھی نہیں کر سکتا، اور نہ ہوسکتا ہے، کیوں کہ زیادہ وقت لوگوں کی دل جوئی میں گزرتا ہے. کام تو گم نامی ہی میں ہوتا ہے
“Verily, we revealed the reminder (Qur’an) and we are its guardian.” (15:9)
Narrated ‘Ali bin Abi Talib (Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever recites the Qur’an and memorises it, making lawful what it makes lawful, and unlawful what it makes unlawful, Allah will admit him to Paradise due to it, and grant him intercession for ten of his family members who were to be consigned to the Fire” (Tirmidhi as weak).
Alhumdu Lillah, it is through the sheer grace and mercy of Allah, al-Kareem, we find so many people memorising the Holy Qur’an in the UK. In a small country like England, there must be thousands of Huffadh, Ma Sha Allah – Tabarak Allah – Fa Lillahil Hamd. Where I live, in Blackburn, there must be approximately 1,000+ Huffadh (male and female) in the whole town – Alhumdu Lillah. We should not take this lightly, rather, we must thank Allah profusely; firstly, for the blessing of the Holy Qur’an and secondly the blessing of memorising/hifdh. There are countries in the world that don’t have a hundred Huffadh in the whole country, let alone a thousand in a town. Most of these efforts have been in the last quarter of a century. If we rewind back twenty-five years ago, there were very few places that offered Hifdh classes and those that did, the class sizes were very small (less than a dozen boys). Back in the 70s and 80s, places like Bradford and Dewsbury only had one Hifdh class in the whole town, and there was a handful in Lancashire, as well as one in Bolton.
This is all down to the miraculous nature of the Holy Qur’an. One may question, how?
If we were to give these boys and girls who are memorising the Holy Qur’an a book in English, any book of any genre and they were told to memorise it, would they be able to? Surely they should be able to learn a page each day from the book, just like they learn a page a day from the Holy Qur’an. And this should be easier, as it is in their language but, we seldom find such children. This in itself is an indication that memorising the Holy Quran is not based entirely on the child’s memory but it is upon the merit of the Holy Qur’an being a miraculous book. This is a special favour bestowed upon this Ummah, as previous nations were not able to memorise their holy scriptures en masse, thus we will not find a person who has memorised the Bible in its entirety, nor the Torah. ‘And We have indeed made the Qur’ân easy to understand and remember’ (54:17).
So, whoever strives to memorise it and recite it regularly, it will be made easy for him, and whoever turns away from it, will lose it. ‘According to reports from the Banu Israil themselves, the ruler of Rome, Anitos Apifonis got every single copy of the Tawrah and burnt it until not a single copy was left. The same happened to the Bible so the original transcriptions became extinct as a result of the attacks of Titus of Rome…’ (An Approach to the Qur’anic Sciences).
Nowadays, we have a wholesale of Huffadh and a greater bulk on the production line wanting to become a Hafidh. This all seems good and well on the surface but, we must remember a Hafidh is a soul chosen by Allah SWT to protect His book, like the verse mentions, ‘Verily, we revealed the reminder (Qur’an) and we are its guardian’ (15:9).
However, let us bear in mind, becoming a Hafidh is not Fardh Ayn (obligatory on everyone). The Sahabah (Allah be pleased with them) were not all Hafidh, some only knew a few verses or just a Surah. Great Imams like the Master of Hadith, Imam Bukhari (Allah have mercy upon him) was not a Hafidh, some of the greatest scholars in later times like the esteemed Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri (Allah have mercy upon him), the honourable Shaykhul Hadith Mawlana Yunus Saheb (Allah have mercy upon him) were not Hafidh of the Holy Qur’an. If these scholars who had photographic memory were not Hafidh, why do some parents force their children to memorise? Parents need to have a balance with their approach towards Hifdh, otherwise, this can have negative consequences later on in life. Becoming a Hafidh has great rewards, no doubt, but we also need to bear in mind if your child is not cut out for it, please do not force them and suffocate them. Consequently, such children may end up completing their Hifdh, but rarely keep up with their revision thereafter and this has severe punishments attached to it. Becoming a Hafidh is only part one, retaining your Hifdh is part two and this is the bigger commitment. Memorising and retention are both as important as each other. It is more virtuous that your child learns the last ten Surahs voluntarily and remembers them till death, rather than forcing him/her to memorise the full Holy Qur’an and he/she later forgets it. They will then be committing a major sin as the verse explains, ‘The one who turns away from my message, he shall have a straitened life, and We shall raise him blind on the Day of Judgement’ (Surah Tahaa).
My purpose is not to be negative and discourage parents from Hifdh; it is merely an eye-opener and a gentle reminder of the realities. We frequently hear the virtues of a Hafidh, but seldom hear the other side which are the warnings of forgetting the Holy Qur’an. For now, let us ponder upon the following:
Not every child HAS to become a Hafidh.
The virtues of a Hafidh are great, but the warnings for those who forget the Holy Qur’an are just as great.
Becoming a Hafidh does not guarantee you Jannah, you must act upon the Holy Qur’an and carry out other obligations such as salah, fasting, keeping a beard, good etiquette and so forth.
Memorising the Holy Qur’an is not a medal to be worn around the neck once completed. It has implications and we must repeat and revise it until our death along with leading Taraweeh salah.
A Hafidh is not like someone who has obtained a degree or achieved a certificate and has no further obligations. The Hafidh has a duty thereafter to i) behave like a Hafidh according to the Sunnah ii) to understand the Holy Qur’an, especially what is halal and haram.
Narrated by Samurah bin Jundab (Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (ﷺ) said in his narration of a dream that he saw, ‘He whose head was being crushed with a stone was one who learnt the Qur’an but never acted on it, and slept ignoring the compulsory prayers’ (Bukhari).
My aim is to create a balance – alongside all the virtues of Hifdh, there are also the punishments for forgetting the Holy Qur’an. This does not necessarily mean forgetting the whole Qur’an, it can be a Surah or even just a verse. Many people learn Surah Yaseen or parts of the Amma para (30th) in childhood, then later in life tend to forget it – the same punishment applies there too.
From Anas bin Malik (Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘The rewards for my Ummah were displayed before me, even (the reward for) the dust that a man comes out of the Masjid with. The sins of my Ummah were displayed before me, and I have not seen a sin worse than that of a Surah or an Ayah of the Qur’an which a man learned and then forgot’ (Tirmidhi).
‘And We have indeed made the Qur’ân easy to understand and remember’ (54:17).
So, whoever strives to memorise it and recite it regularly, it will be made easy for him. And whoever turns away from it, will lose it. Imam Ibn ul-Munadi (Allah have mercy on him) said in Mutashabih al-Qur’an (p. 52), ‘The Salaf were always afraid of forgetting Qur’an after they had memorised it because this was classed as a shortcoming.’ Imam Suyooti (Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Itqaan (1/106), ‘Forgetting it is a major sin.’ As was stated by Imam Nawawi (Allah have mercy on him) in al-Rawdah and others, because of the Hadith “I was shown the sins of my Ummah…”
For a Hifdh family (who have a child/ren memorising Qur’an), they need to prioritise. They need to realise that memorising the Qur’an isn’t an honour bestowed on just anyone. Yes, you are the type of parents, if the Oxford Dictionary had a definition for you, it would read thus,
Hifdh parent
/hɪfdh parent/
noun. “a mum or dad whose social, emotional, physical and psychological decisions are governed by what para their children are memorising”
When one commits to this, they need to put their heart and soul and mind into it, and everything else is secondary.
Every Muslim parent wants their child to be successful in both worlds and to keep them focused on the straight path. One of the surest ways to raise one’s child firmly on the Deen is to create a connection with the Holy Qur’an which has been explicitly sent down as a guidance for mankind. For this connection to take place, one needs to create an affinity for this book to inspire feelings of attachment. Understanding the Holy Qur’an and exploring its depth can all be developed later in life, but as long as parents are able to create an association between the child and the Holy Qur’an, the most important job of all is done.
Tips for parents, In Sha Allah
Your intention should be correct for making your child a Hafidh – to please Allah SWT and to inculcate love for the Holy Qur’an in your child. We often hear parents talking about ‘free tickets to Jannah because my child is a Hafidh.’ It’s like the poor child is carrying the sins of the whole family and if he does not complete Hifdh then the family are doomed for Hell. La Hawla Wa Laa Quwwata Illa Billah.
First and foremost, observe your child’s memory skills and conclude if your child has the ability to memorise the Holy Qur’an by testing his current Surahs and Duas. As your child becomes better at reciting the Quran, inspire him to memorise portions of the Quran such as the short Surahs, and some important, daily ones like Surah Yaseen and Surah Al-Mulk. Explain to them the importance of these various Surahs as well to create an understanding and an extra bond with the Quran.
Instil the love of the Holy Qur’an into your children by buying them an audio Qur’an. Play short Surahs whilst in the car or even on YouTube at home as they are easier to memorise – do this daily, in the morning or at night.
Start early –“learning when young is like engraving on stone.” From birth (or even in the womb), recite the Holy Qur’an to them in a beautiful voice. Let the sound of your Qira’ah evoke love and an attachment to the Quran for them. What would be better is to recite the Quran after Fajr, so that when your child opens his/her eyes in the morning, the very first sound he/she hears are the Words of Allah.
Set goals and rewards. Treat your child with positive reinforcements like their favourite chocolate or extra playtime when they complete a Surah/Para as this will motivate and encourage them further. Constantly remind them of the reward and that their efforts are not being wasted.
Set a timetable at home that works simultaneously and effectively with school time and school work. Arrange two short learning sessions rather than one long one – from personal experience, after Fajr and after school is effective. Most, if not all, experienced teachers advise the best time to memorise to be after Fajr. Memorisation during the daytime has also proven to be effective as long as the child is stress-free and is not heavily distracted with mind-numbing game consoles and other technology.
If you like, you can create a healthy competition between your children, however, DO NOT compare your children, because every child is unique. Set different goals for each depending on their capabilities and see who reaches their goal first.
Model what you want your children to emulate – children learn most from their parents’ actions rather than their commands. Engage yourself with the Holy Qur’an, try to memorise parts of it yourself and you will notice that your children will take more interest in picking up the Holy Quran themselves. Actions speak louder than words.
Provide the right environment with the right ambience – the child’s surroundings are equally as important as the actual memorisation itself. A serene and quiet environment can reduce time spent on memorising a page by almost 10-15% as well as making it easier to retain, as the mind does not have to process and turn-off distractions. Try selecting a place with greenery as plants tend to emit a positive energy. The inner spiritual surroundings of the heart and soul are even more important. It is hard for the Holy Qur’an to exist in a heart that is occupied with music, television, cartoons and games. It is the job of the parent to create an environment conducive to learning the Qur’an by keeping their children away from negative influences, and providing them with the opportunity to go regularly to the Masjid, meeting good Muslims, pious people and attending gatherings where they can learn about the Deen. A hifdh family is different from a normal family.
To pace is better than to race. Some children can learn three pages every day, others struggle with three lines. Every child is different so pace your child according to his level. Do not put a timeline on when the hifdh needs to be finished as this can make the child panic, lose confidence when deadlines are not met and are put under unnecessary pressure. Many parents demand and force (even sub-consciously) their child to finish their hifdh ‘before their GCSE exams’ or ‘before starting college’ so that ‘it’s out of the way’. Although this seems practical, it can sometimes have an adverse effect with the child wanting to quit due to feeling unable to finish ‘on time’. Even if it is a lifelong task, remember ‘quality is better than quantity’. Quran is easy to memorise and remember – consistency and patience is the key. Let your children learn with love in their hearts, rather than force and stress.
Last but not least, be patient and do not get angry when your child makes mistakes. Every child is different, and you must not create despondency in them by becoming exasperated. Try and sit with them to help them learn, encourage and give a mother and father’s support. Make dua to Allah SWT to help your child and to keep them on the path of learning throughout their lives. Pray Tahajjud and give Sadaqah on behalf of them. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Three supplications are answered, there being no doubt about them; that of a father (for his children), that of a traveller and that of one who has been wronged” (Abu Dawud).
In your sajdah, when it rains, when you’re fasting, when you’re walking or driving or about to sleep—every moment—make Duʿâ for Allah to open the Holy Qur’an for your child, to make it easy for them to memorise, to make them successful in their memorisation and for them to love, live and teach the Holy Qur’an through all of their intentions and actions.
Memorising the Holy Qur’an may seem like an insurmountable mountain in the beginning but with every step you take up that mountain, the body will get stronger, In Sha Allah, and with time, consistency, determination and perseverance, it will get easier, they’ll get faster and eventually they will make it to the very top of that mountain!
NB: One addition, particularly for mothers, is to feed your child some memory boosting foods, such as raw honey, Zamzam water, olive oil, dates and almonds. Please avoid unhealthy and takeaway food or anything that has a lack of vitamins and minerals, contains high cholesterol, white sugar, carbonated beverages, processed carbohydrates and overeating in general. Children should get sufficient sleep and a good amount of exercise. Exercise causes more oxygen to transfer to your brain and a lack of exercise leads to laziness, weight gain, and internal health issues, and will consequently affect memorisation and other mental faculties.
The second issue is that of a teacher, i.e. finding a good teacher. The Holy Qur’an cannot be learnt without a teacher. Even the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) learnt from angel Jibreel (Alayhis Salam). Similarly, Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) taught the Holy Qur’an and listened to it from his Companions (Allah be pleased with them). A good teacher will not only correct one’s recitation but also teach the correct Tajweed and pronunciation. From my own experiences of teaching children who have left other Madrasahs or classes that run from home, there seems to be a lot of emphasis on sabaq i.e. the new lesson. Little or no emphasis is being put on their revision i.e. dawr. Alongside this issue is of some classes being full to the brim. I strongly believe that having 15-20 students in a Hifdh class is far too much, especially when the allocated time is typically two to two and a half hours per day. Having this high number of children in one class, in that amount of time, is extremely unfair on them as they do not receive the full desired and needed attention. This then leads me on to the extortionate fees at such places. So, we have this short amount of time for the high number of children receiving minimum attention, at £10 – £15 per week. Anyone can do the maths and see that some Madrasahs, unfortunately, are turning into a business. Unfortunately, some teachers are too focused on ‘quantity’, rather than ‘quality’ and there is ample proof of this. I am no saint nor a great scholar but if you are teaching the Holy Qur’an solely to make money or business, your teaching will be bereft of any sort of barakah and noor.
“The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it” (Sahih Bukhari)
Tips for teachers In Sha Allah:
Having a pure intention: Whether it is memorising the Qur’an or doing anything else for the sake of Allah SWT, the single most important thing needed for the success of that goal is to have the right intention. One must secure one’s intention purely for the sake of Allah SWT, for even if the person does not achieve success in this world, his success is guaranteed in the hereafter. Do not make your Madrasah/Class a money making business. Also, remind your students to have a firm intention for Allah SWT.
“And recite the Qur’an (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style”(73:4). Ali (Allah be pleased with him) commented on this verse saying, “Tarteel is Tajweed of the letters and recognising the places of Waqf (stopping). Before teaching the children Hifdh, please ensure their Tajweed is rectified and their pronunciation is correct as incorrect pronunciation can change the meaning.
Don’t have an age limit for your class, as there is no real age when to start Hifdh and it is never too late – In Sha Allah. Some teachers do recommend age seven, others recommend eleven. My personal opinion is that some children are seen to mature before others so can start earlier. Sometimes children of the same age are worlds apart in their understanding and receptiveness. Sometimes a child who is brilliant in school might have a harder time with the Holy Qur’an. Judge your student for who he is before embarking him on the journey to learn the Qur’an.
Ensure your students have one specific copy of the Holy Qur’an from which he/she reads all the time. A visual image of the page leaves an imprint in the mind making it easier to recall later.
Encourage students to read melodiously and beautify their recitation as much as they can. It is pleasing to one’s ears and provides an incentive to continue with the memorisation. It helps to make one’s memorisation firm and strong because any mistake will instantly feel and sound incorrect as it will distort the harmony of the rhythm one is used to. A Miswak is instrumental in this, it cleans the teeth but also clears the throat. Ali (Allah be pleased with him) said: “Verily, your mouths are the pathways of the Qur’an, therefore cleanse your mouth with the Miswak thoroughly” (Ibn Majah).
Keep rewards charts/stickers for the children; praise them regularly for their good efforts and gently correct them when they falter. Avoid negativity, never use a loud voice, harsh words or insulting remarks when it comes to instructing or motivating your students.
“And if an evil suggestion comes to you from Satan, then seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He is Hearing and Knowing” [7: 200]. Shaytan will always try and stop this meritorious deed. Remind your students of the virtues of the Qur’an and becoming a Hafidh of the Qur’an. Consistency is key and there are no holidays or weekends when you are memorising Quran. Students should be trained (as well as parents) to understand that any time off will most certainly have repercussions on their learning. Also, try not to give too many holidays in summer and in Ramadhan too as this can be disastrous in Hifdh class.
The Ustadh should always remain in a state of Wudhu, reminding the children to keep their Wudhu for as long as possible. “Truly, Allah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves (by taking a bath and cleaning and washing thoroughly their private parts, bodies, for their prayers, etc” [2: 222]. The Prophet (ﷺ) used to remain in a state of cleanliness and Wudhu. This is one of the best ways to keep Shaytan from influencing us and whispering evil thoughts. Allah SWT loves those who keep themselves clean and it is only His love and protection that can help us defeat our greatest enemy.
I was reading online about a particular Ustadh in another country whose Hifdh class students were known to be the best in the town. Why? Every month he would gather the students one evening and make them lead in Tahajjud, they would read their Qur’an that they had memorised that month. This might be hard, but not impossible! If not for Tahajjud, maybe one weekend in the daytime make them lead in Nafl Salah. This will boost their confidence and also train them for Taraweeh, which is the litmus test for every Hafidh.
And finally, the last point but probably the most important – there is absolutely no excuse or justification for physical beating or abuse when it comes to teaching. This was never seen in the life of the Prophet (ﷺ) nor the illustrious companions (Allah be pleased with them). I know of many adults who have either left Islam or abandoned the Holy Qur’an at an older age because of the harshness that was associated with it at a younger age, due to culture and not religion. I always say, “give them sweets and avoid the beats.”
NB: Teach the students Adab/etiquettes – how to hold the Holy Qur’an with respect, not to make drawings in their holy Qur’an and always carry the Holy Qur’an in their right hand. It is very sad to see, more often than not, children walking home with their holy Qur’ans in their left hands, which is such a basic etiquette generally forgotten by Ustadhs.
Exclusive advice from Umm Muhammad (a hafidhah class teacher)
I felt girls are usually left out when it comes to Hifdh, even though this is changing now. Alhumdu Lillah, in Blackburn we have half a dozen Hafidhah classes. So I asked one of the local teachers to write a few paragraphs, as advice for girls.
My personal experience is girls have a better attention span when it comes to learning and focusing. However, they are fragile by nature (especially when they are younger).
It is more beneficial for girls to start at a young age (before puberty) as it gives them a head start and they will not be disturbed by their menstrual cycle. However, Hifdh can be started at any age, as stated previously in the book.
Once girls start their menstrual cycle it becomes a little harder due to the number of days they are taking off from learning and revising each month. The impact of this is it is harder for them to get back into a routine and they can struggle with sabaq para and dawr (revision) as a result.
Repetition: Begin with one verse or a group of verses and repeat it/them until you’ve committed them to memory.
Writing – Go over the verse with your finger over and over. For visual and kinesthetic learners, the process of moving one’s hand to dictate the verses, combined with the visual focus of spelling every word correctly, helps commit the verses to the brain’s long-term memory.
For kinesthetic learners, movement is key to learning. Directing the verses means acting out key elements in verses with hand or head movements. So, for example, if the verse is discussing rain, one can use one’s fingers to make the movements of rain coming down from the sky. If the verse mentions an elephant, one can use one’s arms to make the trunk of an elephant. This would only be applicable for those who know the Arabic translation of the Qur’an.
In comparison to boys there is less emphasis and encouragement on girls to do Hifdh, as there is fear that due to their menstrual cycle and childbearing, females can forget or have less time to revise. Whilst this may be true, a person who has memorised and has revised well in their student years will not find it too difficult to maintain, In Sha Allah. I completed my Hifdh after marriage, Alhumdu Lillah!
Memorising the holy Qur’an is like working out with weights. At first, when you begin lifting weights, you lift a certain amount that you can handle and heavier weights may seem impossible. You may look at others who lift weights and stare in awe as they lift so much more than you feel you could ever do. But if you lift those same weights every day or every other day for a year, they become too light for you! You add more weights as your body strengthens and eventually even those are too light. So you continue to add as your body becomes stronger, faster, and all of what you previously used to lift no longer proves challenging.
It’s the same way with the Holy Qur’an. It takes practise. Commitment. Time. Focus. Energy. And if you aren’t doing it every single day and working with a teacher on a daily basis, it’s going to take even longer. That’s okay. It is not a race. You do not need to finish your entire memorisation in a year or two or even three or four if you have all these other life responsibilities going on. Enjoy the journey of memorisation. When you’re frustrated, take a short break to rejuvenate and regroup, and then begin again.
Always remember, a female doing Hifdh is full of blessings – for herself and her family/children. Finally, only women have this blessing of conceiving and if a woman recites Qur’an regularly during her pregnancy, surely the barakah will be seen on the newborn child. If a non-Hafidha can also recite Holy Qur’an, surely it is much easier for a Hafidhah to recite off by heart whilst carrying out her daily chores.
I hope to see more girls becoming Hafidhah and learning the meaning of the Qur’an, along with teaching Tafsir and Tajweed, In Sha Allah. The importance of learning is just as much in women as it is in men. My advice to the Ummah at large is to show respect to such girls, just like we respect the males as well.
I will conclude with some advice for those who are either fully Hafidh or have memorised a portion of the Qur’an but are struggling to revise and refresh it. It was narrated that ‘Abdullah (Allah be pleased with him) said the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “It is not right for any one of you to say, ‘I have forgotten such and such.’ On the contrary, he has been made to forget. Try to review the Qur’an, for it is more likely to escape from men’s hearts than camels (let loose)” (Bukhari, 5032).
I read these lines of poetry written by Imam Shafi’ee (Allah be pleased with him) when he complained to his teacher about a weak memory and they have stayed with me since:
I complained to Wakee‘ RH about my poor memory:
Give up your sins, was his advice to me;
For knowledge is a light from divinity,
And the Light of God is veiled by iniquity.
If one strives hard to review the Qur’an regularly, there will be no sin on him even if he does forget some of it, for Allah sees the effort. The blame is on those who neglect the Qur’an and fail to review it and read it regularly. Let’s put it this way: the blessings of memorising the words of Allah and the barakah it brings to the life of a Muslim cannot be beaten! My advice would be to memorise as much as you can even if it is an Ayah and review it every day, for the Qur’an will be a great companion to have in the grave and on the Day of Judgement. Additionally, for Madrasah teachers who aren’t necessarily Hifdh teachers, let them be aware of implementing the memorisation of certain virtuous Surahs such as Surah Waqiah, Surah Mulk, Surah Kahf. The student may memorise them at the moment but later forget or keep up with its revision as to them this is not necessary because they are not a Hafidh/Hafidhah and also, the whole system of retention is not embedded in them like it is for an actual Hafidh/Hafidhah.
We, the Huffadh need to contemplate once or twice a week about how much Allah Ta’ala has been kind to us that He has made us from the elite of this Ummah. Are we living up to this title? With what perspective do the people look at us? Do they respect us because of who we are or because of our being from those who uphold the Qur’an? These are just some questions we need to ask ourselves and ponder over – Hadhrat Mawlana Muhammad Saleem Saheb Dhorat (hafidhahullah).
Since there is no book except the Book of Allah that is free from deficiencies or errors, we always welcome and encourage any advice, comments, criticism and corrections so long as they are scholastic and evidence-based.
Allah grants this book His approval.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC9CykWg-uM
Ismail ibn Nazir Satia (One who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure).
حضرت شیخ مولانا سليم الله خان زید مجدہ کي آج بروز جمعرات کے سبق میں طلبائے کرام کو اھم
نصیحت.
(یہ کتاب جو آپکی ختم ہورہی ہے آپ سے صرف ایک بات کہنی ہےاور وہ بات یہ ہے کہ تعلیم کے اس زمانے کے اختتام کے بعد آپ پر بڑی ذمہ داری عائد ہوجاتی ہے اور اس ذمہ داری کایہ تقاضہ ہوتا ہے.اس ذمہ داری کی وجہ سے آپ پر یہ لازم اور ضروری ہوتا ہے کہ آپ صراط مستقیم پر چلیں.اور صراط مستقیم پر چلنے کے لئے اپنی تمام کوشش اپنی تمام مساعی اسکے لئے استعمال کریں.
اور صراط مستقیم کے لئے سوائے اسکے کوئی راستہ نھیں سوائے اسکے کوئی طریقہ نھیں ہے.کہ حضرات علمائے دیوبند جنکی نسبت پر ہم فخر کیا کرتے ہیں جنکے ساتھ تعلق پر ہمیں خوشی محسوس ہوتی ہے.انھی کے مشرب کو انھی کے مسلک کو انھی کے طریقے کو ہم نھایت مضبوطی کے ساتھ پکڑتے ہیں.
آپکے سامنے بھت چیزیں آئینگی نئی نئی چیزیں آئینگی.
آپکومتاثر کرنے والے لوگ بھت ملینگے لیکن وہ سب دھوکہ ہوگا وہ سب فراڈ ہوگا.آپ ناتجربہ کار ہیں.کوئی تجربہ آپکے پاس موجود نھیں ہے.آپ نے مدارس میں رہ کر تحصیل علم میں اپنا وقت صرف کیا ہے لیکن تجربہ کرنے کے لئے آپ کو موقع نھیں ملا.
اب آگے آپ نکلینگے میدان میں اترینگے جیسا کہ ہم نے عرض کیا کہ بھت بھت چیزیں آپکے سامنے آئینگی بھت نمونے آپ کے سامنے آئینگے بھت چیزیں آپ کو اپنی طرف کھینچینگی اور کئی لوگ آپ کا شکار کرنے کی کوشش کرینگے.یہ ھوگا یہ ھوگا اس سے مفر نھیں ہے.اگر آپ چاھتے ہیں کہ آپ اللہ اور رسول کی مرضی حاصل کریں اگر آپ چاہتے ہیں کہ صراط مستقیم پر آپ چلیں تو میں نے عرض کیا کہ اسکا ایک ہی طریقہ ہے صرف ایک.اور وہ کیا ہے.وہ یہ ہے کہ حضرات علمائے دیوبند جنکو ہم مولانا رشید احمد گنگوھی،مولانا قاسم نانوتوی،مولانا اشرف علی تھانوی،حضرت اقدس مولانا حسین احمد مدنی،مولانا شیخ الحدیث محمد زکریا کاندھلوی یہ نام میں نے آپ کے سامنے لئے ہیں.
ان کے طرز کے علاوہ اگر کوئی آپ کو کسی اور راستے کی طرف راہنمائی کرتا ہے وہ آپ کو ناکام بنانے کی کوشش کرتے ہیں.
آج بھت فتنے ہم پر مسلط ہیں.تجدد کا فتنہ ہے.کئی لوگ آپکو ملینگے دیوبند کی طرف نسبت کرینگے لیکن دیوبند کے مسلک کی جڑیں کاٹنے میں ہمہ وقت مستعد ہونگے.اور تم نھیں پہچانوگے آپ فرق نھیں کرسکیں گے.
اس لئے میں کہتا ہوں کہ سب کو چھوڑو لات مارو فقط جن بزرگوں کا میں نے نام لیا ہے انکے طریقہ پر آپ چلو تو آپ کامیاب ہیں ورنہ آپ نے ب تک جتنا وقت گزارا ہے سب برباد کردیا)
29th Rabi’ul Akhir 1437 AH ~ Monday 8th February 2016
By Shaykh-ul-Hadīth, Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh
The UK’s Muslim community is no different from other communities in that they too desire peace, security and harmony in our country. When appropriate measures are put in place to achieve this they also welcome them, so that people of all communities can live together in peace and harmony without fear and suspicion.
A recent Government initiative calls for the regulation of all supplementary schools that offer intensive courses, which is likely to significantly impact Muslim supplementary schools known as madāris (plural of madrasah). A natural reaction is to consider whether the proposed measures are justified.
Any violence in the name of religion and the advocacy of such actions, is something which no doubt needs to be tackled. Any individual institute where activities threatening the security and social cohesion of our country are taking place should be held accountable. However, in the absence of clear evidence a wholesale attempt to accuse the madāris of being the issue and to propose remedies to address a perceived systemic problem, has the potential to lead to adverse outcomes. It may marginalise the very community the Government is seeking to engage. Therefore, it is imperative that the institution of madrasah in the UK is properly understood on the basis of evidence and facts, and not hearsay, suspicion or by adopting sweeping generalisations.
Many fellow citizens will have heard the term ‘madrasah’ for the first time in their lives in the context of the Prime Minister’s recent speech, and so regrettably may have formed a negative impression of this core institution of the Muslim community. The truth is that the madrasah in the UK is not an alarming new trend, but is as old as the Muslim community itself. It has been a strong positive influence on the moral, educational and social development of young British Muslims for decades, long before the modern phenomenon of extremism became an issue. If madāris were breeding grounds of hate and intolerance, surely the negative outcomes would have manifested in our society a long time ago. On the contrary, the authentic religious education and sound guidance of the madrasah have always helped young Muslims to understand their peace loving religion and so reject every type of hate and extremism.
Furthermore, the key Prophetic teachings of sidq (truth) and amānah (trust) form the basis of how Muslims must interact with others, and this teaching takes on even greater significance in a religious setting like the management of madāris. Where there is sidq there will surely be transparency, and where there is amānah, the law of the land will definitely be respected. Therefore, it is difficult to envisage madāris violating the law or being anything but transparent.
The benefits madāris bring to Muslims and the wider society cannot be overemphasised. They are a priceless treasure worth preserving, not a threat that needs curtailing. Below is an extract from a previous article entitled The Legacy of the Madrasah (Dec 2006), in which I attempted to highlight some of the ways in which the madrasah is a blessing for us all:
The madrasah is not an insignificant institute. The flame of Īmān (faith) is first kindled in the madrasah. The light of Īmān first permeates the heart of a Muslim child in this environment. It teaches our young children moral values.
It is in the madrasah where we learned that to lie is a very great evil and that we should always speak the truth. It warned us against the use of bad language and that stealing, cheating and oppressing people are wrong. The madrasah taught us not to be a thorn in the side of our parents and to care for the elderly, orphans and widows. It was in the madrasah that we learned that we should be kind to our neighbours, be they Muslim or non-Muslim.
The madrasah even taught us things that we do as adults without paying attention to them, like the simple yet rewarding act of removing an obstacle from a path. The good morals and character we take credit for as adults were acquired through the madrasah. All the teachings we are familiar with and today practice in our lives spring from there. By taking stock of every good deed we are performing and every evil that we detest and avoid, we will be witnessing the legacy of the period of our lives between the age of four or five up to thirteen or fourteen: the years spent in the madrasah.
Madāris Benefit the Nation
The madrasah not only brings our children benefits in relation to the hereafter, it also provides them goodness in this world. Parents too, receive worldly gain: a child that spent its time well at madrasah will become a means of comfort and joy for its parents. The madrasah is a boon for the country as well because it produces good citizens, regardless of whether it operates in an Islamic country or a secular state. At madrasah, children are taught to respect the rights of all people and are warned against involvement in drugs, alcohol, theft, vandalism and all types of antisocial behaviour. It contributes towards a socially cohesive society and is a great blessing for humanity as a whole.
Prophet Muhammad sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam came into this world as a mercy and all his teachings are full of mercy. What is taught in the madrasah is what the Prophet Muhammad s taught. His life, his character, his dealings – they all form the basis of what our children learn. Every child who attends a madrasah becomes familiar with these Prophetic teachings and is equipped to go on to embody them and serve humanity and work for its betterment.
During these times it is even more important that madāris are safeguarded and this precious institution is not lost due to misunderstanding or negligence. I also wish to draw the attention of madāris towards some beneficial suggestions:
1. Focus on the maqsad (objective) of the establishment of the madrasah, which is ta‘līm (religious education) and tarbiyah (spiritual and religious nurturing / character building). Every institute should endeavour to continually improve standards to the best of their ability. Careful consideration should be given to both, the content of the syllabus and wholehearted effort on tarbiyah.
2. Ensure compliance with all statutory requirements and that no regulation is overlooked. Negligence in this regard will not only make the institute accountable to the law, but will also render the institute as acting contrary to the very teachings it seeks to impart.
3. Liaise, interact, engage and share ideas and good practices with other madāris to benefit from each other. If a meeting forum for madāris is set up in every area, it would bring many benefits such as:
Madāris will be able to compliment and support each other;
The Principals and Head-teachers understand the purpose, goal and the function of the madrasah more than anyone else and are sentimentally attached to the madrasah. Therefore, a forum will strengthen their efforts and striving for the safeguarding and promotion of these institutions; and
The authorities will also benefit as they will get direct exposure to those running the madāris, which will help to bridge gaps. Those running madāris will be able to directly explain their concerns and desires without third parties getting involved, resulting in more transparency and better understanding.
In future these forums can create a national network and as a result every madrasah will be able to benefit and enhance itself on all levels of ta‘līm, tarbiyah and general standards of quality and practice Inshā’allāh.
May Allāh ta‘ālā safeguard the institution of the madrasah and bless it with continued acceptance, as a means of cultivating young Muslims into becoming assets for their parents, communities and our country. Āmīn.
By Shaykh-ul-Hadīth, Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh
Our children attend madrasahs every evening, yet we as their parents do not attach much significance to them, regarding them merely as places that look after the ummah’s infants. We hold them on a par with nurseries, as places of elementary learning. We should realise though, that as long as we fail to attach importance to them, we will remain ignorant of our children’s development and progress.
The Madrasah’s Legacy
The madrasah is not an insignificant institute. The flame of Īmān (faith) is first kindled in the madrasah. The light of Īmān first permeates the heart of a Muslim child in this environment. It teaches our young children moral values.
It is in the madrasah where we learned that to lie is a very great evil and that we should always speak the truth. It warned us against the use of bad language and that stealing, cheating and oppressing people are wrong. The madrasah taught us not to be a thorn in the side of our parents and to care for the elderly, orphans and widows. It was in the madrasah that we learned that we should be kind to our neighbours, be they Muslim or non-Muslim.
The madrasah even taught us things that we do as adults without paying attention to them, like the simple yet rewarding act of removing an obstacle from a path. The good morals and character we take credit for as adults were acquired through the madrasah. All the teachings we are familiar with and today practice in our lives spring from there. By taking stock of every good deed we are performing and every evil that we detest and avoid, we will be witnessing the legacy of the period of our lives between the age of four or five up to thirteen or fourteen: the years spent in the madrasah.
Madāris Benefit the Nation
The madrasah not only brings our children benefits in relation to the hereafter, it also provides them goodness in this world. Parents too, receive worldly gain: a child that spent its time well at madrasah will become a means of comfort and joy for its parents. The madrasah is a boon for the country as well because it produces good citizens, regardless of whether it operates in an Islamic country or a secular state. At madrasah, children are taught to respect the rights of all people and are warned against involvement in drugs, alcohol, theft, vandalism and all types of antisocial behaviour. It contributes towards a socially cohesive society and is a great blessing for humanity as a whole.
Prophet Muhammad sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam came into this world as a mercy and all his teachings are full of mercy. What is taught in the madrasah is what the Prophet Muhammad sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam taught. His life, his character, his dealings – they all form the basis of what our children learn. Every child who attends a madrasah becomes familiar with these Prophetic teachings and is equipped to go on to embody them and serve humanity and work for its betterment.
Parents’ Responsibilities Towards their Children
In order for a child to get the most out of his/her madrasah education, parents need to work in partnership with the madrasah. Parents should not hand over their children to the madrasah and feel that they have fulfilled their share of educational responsibility. Some parents are content with just enrolling their children in any madrasah, but even those that take the time to find one that offers the best ta‘līm (education) and tarbiyah (upbringing) should not feel that after enrolling their child their duty has ended.
It is the parents who will be questioned by Allāh ta‘ālā about their children’s education. If the teachers, principal or the management committee failed in fulfilling their responsibilities, they will also be held accountable for their actions, but the parents will be questioned and held primarily responsible for any negligence regarding their children.
Allāh ta‘ālā will demand the answers to two questions from every parent concerning their child: what ‘ilm (sacred knowledge) did they give him and what ādāb (good manners/social etiquettes) did they teach him? Each mother and father will have to answer for each one of their children. And at that moment, no parent will be able to blame the child’s teacher or madrasah chairman.
It is the parents’ duty to give the correct ta‘līm and tarbiyah to their children. They cannot exonerate themselves from it. In light of this, the parents have to keep a close watch on the performance of their children. In the case of a madrasah not fulfilling its responsibility of educating and nurturing their children, parents should voice their concerns. And if the parents’ concerns are not addressed adequately then they should remove their child and enrol him or her in another madrasah. It is just like when a child becomes sick and we take him to a doctor; we check the progress of the child and if we feel he is not receiving adequate treatment, we talk to the doctor. If, after a couple of such discussions, the condition persists and it seems pointless talking to the doctor any further, we look for a better doctor. Just as the parents are responsible for their child’s physical treatment, they must shoulder the responsibility of their religious upbringing and education too.
Partnership Between Parents and the Madrasah
Parents should also cooperate with the madrasah and try to understand its aims and objectives. If a madrasah emphasises punctuality and regular attendance, with few breaks in between, parents should cooperate. For instance, if the board of scholars or committee of a particular madrasah consider it necessary to decrease holidays to allow enough hours to complete the curriculum, parents should ensure the attendance of their child. The people responsible are aware that if they allow longer holidays, the end result will be academic, religious and social underachievement. Therefore parents should cooperate with the madrasah; a vast amount of time and effort is spent in deciding what is best for our children.
Being involved with both the madrasah and dārul ‘ulūm educational systems, I am of the opinion that it is the madrasah more than the dārul ‘ulūm that is of crucial importance to the Muslim community, since ninety percent of Muslim children will pass through it. Not every Muslim child will participate in tablīgh jamā‘ah, associate himself to a shaykh for spiritual guidance, sit in the company of the ‘ulamā or pursue studies at a dārul ‘ulūm. However, nearly every child will study at a madrasah. This fact is enough for us to understand the primary importance of the madrasah system in educating our children to become good Muslims who will serve as role models for our society.
Therefore we all must work together: the principal, the teachers and the parents. Cooperation will enable us to build a secure future for our coming generations, in which the masājid will continue to be attended, the Dīnī environment we take for granted now will be maintained and society at large will continue to benefit from good citizens. Our children are the future. May Allāh ta‘ālā assist, bless and guide us in this noble task. Āmīn.
Taken from Riyādul Jannah, Vol. 15 No. 12, Dec 2006
حضرت شیخ مولانا سليم الله خان زید مجدہ کي آج بروز جمعرات کے سبق میں طلبائے کرام کو اھم