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How to cite this thesis
Surname, Initial(s). (2012) Title of the thesis or dissertation. PhD. (Chemistry)/ M.Sc. (Physics)/ M.A. (Philosophy)/M.Com. (Finance) etc. [Unpublished]: University of Johannesburg. Retrieved from: https://ujdigispace.uj.ac.za (Accessed: Date). AN EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION OF THE MADRESSA SYSTEM OF RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION qo /0 F51jf/
by
YOUSUF ISMAIL ESHAK
THESIS
Submitted in accordance with the requirements of the degree of
DOCTOR EDUCATIONIS
in
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
in the
FACULTV OF EDUCATION
at the
RAND AFRIKAANS UNIVERSITY
SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR D.P.J. SMITH CO-SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR J.A. NAUDE
JANUARY 1995 DEDICATION
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, The Beneficent, the Merciful. Owner of the Day of Judgment, Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help. Show us the straight path, The path of those whom Thou hast favoured; Not (the path) of those who earn Thine anger, Nor of those who go astray.
(The Holy Our' an, 1: 1-7)
******
To all those who, under very difficult circumstances, contributed to the functioning of the Madressa.
******
To.rnv family: Amina Zaid, Shireen, Azhar, Iqbal Uzair My Mother and my late Father ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My sincere gratitude to:
Professor D.P.J. Smith, the supervisor of my study, for his guidance, assistance and advice. Professor Smith gave generously of his time, and his meticulous approach has taught me so much. I shall always be in his debt.
Professor J.A. Naude, my co-supervisor, for the generous manner in which he shared his knowledge and experience.
Professor John Smith of the Doctoral Committee for his assistance.
Professor A.J.B. Wiid and Ms M.M. Bester of the Statistical Consultancy Service of the Rand Afrikaans University for the statistical calculations.
Mrs H.A. Davidson for the typing, particularly for the sacrifice of her holiday and the speedy and able manner in which she organised the difficulties of the different computer programmes.
Ms L. Kemp for part of the typing.
Ms E. Wimberger for proof-reading and correcting the thesis.
ii The principal, staff and pupils of the Lenasia Muslim Association and the Saaberie Jumma Musjid and Madressa Trust. I received the complete co operation of both organisations, and all the persons I approached went out of their way to provide any assistance that was needed.
The Jamiatul Ulema of the Transvaal and the deputy president of the organisation, Maulana Saloojee, for valuable assistance.
All those persons, too numerous to mention, who gave such important and valuable advice and assistance.
iii SUMMARY
AN EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION OF THE MADRESSA SYSTEM OF RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION
The madressa is a system of instruction for Muslim children, believers in the religion of Islam. Madressa classes are held daily, concurrently with classes of the ordinary secular school. Classes begin after the ordinary school day has ended. They start at about 14:30 and last for about two and a half hours. Most Muslim children, about 97% in Lenasia, attend these classes.
This study originated from a concern about the educational justifiability of the madressa system.
The madressa involves the religious formation of children. It shapes the attitudes, consciousness and behaviour of those who attend it, yet it is not subject to any form of control or supervision by an outside agency. If it is not in conformity with educational criteria, it can be open to abuse.
There is also an enormous expenditure of time and effort on the madressa. It is necessary to consider whether the madressa is worth the effort devoted to it, whether it fulfils its religious purposes.
The aim of the study was therefore, to determine whether the madressa:
operates within the framework of acceptable educational criteria; fulfils its religious purposes.
The research techniques employed are primarily qualitative, but a quantitative component has been added to make the study more comprehensive.
iv Criteria for education have been established through literature study. These criteria serve as the bases for the evaluation of the madressa. The structure of an educational situation has been examined and has been divided into the following component parts:
the aim; the learning content; the method; the persons involved: the educator and the learner; educational relations, particularly authority, discipline and punishment.
Criteria for each of these components have been determined.
The madressa owes its existence to its religious purposes. It exists to prepare learners to be good Muslims, who know and fulfil their religious obligations. For these reasons, the principles of Islam have also been described.
There has also been a detailed study of the practices in the madressa.
The research has revealed that:
the practices in the madressa are in conformity with educational criteria; the madressa is directed towards achieving its religious purposes.
However, there are areas of the madressa's activities that need further attention:
there has to be much greater concentration on improving the skills of the educators and on ensuring that they have the required attributes;
v it is also necessary to promote greater co-operation between parents and educators;
it is essential that both parents and teachers provide positive examples of behaviour;
greater self-discipline has to be acquired by learners as this is crucial to the performance of religious duties.
This study can provide the bases for a reconsideration of aspects of the madressa's activities to promote more effective education.
This study also provides an example of a community's ability to create educational structures, by its own efforts, to reproduce its beliefs and values.
vi OPSOMMING
'N OPVOEDKUNDIGE EVALUERING VAN DIE MADRESSA
STELSEL VAN GODSDIENSONDERRIG
Die madressa is 'n stelsel van godsdiensonderrig vir Moslem kinders, wat glo in die Islam geloof. Madressa klasse word daagliks op weeksdae aangebied. Klasse vind in die middae vanaf 14:30 tot 17:00 plaas en duur vir ongeveer twee en 'n half uur. Die meeste Moslemkinders, ongeveer 97% wat in Lenasia woon, woon hierdie klasse by.
Die madressa sisteem het veral betrekking op die vorming van kinders. Dit vorm egter ook die houdings, bewussyn en gedrag van diegene wat dit bywoon. Omdat die madressa nie aan enige vorm van beheer of toesighouding deur 'n bulte instansie onderworpe is nie, kan dit potensieel misbruik word.
Daar is sprake van 'n buitengewone besteding van tyd en moeite aan die madressa. Dit is derhalwe nodig om te bepaal of die madressa die tvd en moeite wat daaraan bestee word, werd is en of dit aan die religieuse oogmerke daarvan voldoen.
Die doel met die studie was om te bepaal of die madressa:
* binne die raamwerk van aanvaarde opvoedkundige kriteria funksioneer; * aan die religieuse doelstellings daarvan voldoen.
Die navorsingsmetodes wat in die studie aangewend is, was hoofsaaklik kwalitatief van aard. 'n Kwantitatiewe komponent is egter aanvullend gebruik met die oog op meer omvattende data-insameling.
vii Kriteria van opvoeding is met behulp van In literatuurstudie qeidentifiseer. Hierdie kriteria het as basis gedien vir die evaluering van die madressa. 'n Analise van die struktuur van 'n opvoedingsituasie het die onderstaande vyf konstituente aan die lig gebring:
* die doel; * die leerinhoud; * die metode; * die persone betrokke: die opvoeder en die leerling; * die opvoedingsverhouding.
Kriteria vir elke van die genoemde konstituente is vasgestel.
Die bestaan van die madressa is aan 'n religieuse motief te danke. Die madressa onderrig sy leerlinge om goeie Moslems te wees en tot In bewuswording van religieuse verantwoordelikhede. Om hierdie rede word In hoofstuk aan die beginsels van Islam gewy.
Enkele van die belangrikste bevindings van die studie is dat:
* die madressa opvoedkundig verantwoord is; en * die madressa voldoende op die religieuse doel daarvan afgestem is.
Daar is egter terreine in die madressa se aktiwiteite wat verdere aandag verdien:
* opvoeders se onderrigvaardighede behoort verbeter te word om sodoende te verseker dat die doelstellings van die madressa doeltreffender verwesenlik kan word;
viii * samewerking tussen die ouers en madressa-opvoeders te wees;
* onderwysers sowel as ouers behoort deur hul voorlewing vir kinders 'n voorbeeld van toegewydheid aan die doelstelling van die madressa te wees;
* 'n grater mate van dissipline moet by die kinders gevestig word aangesien dit belangrik is vir die uitvoering van religieuse take.
Deur hierdie studie is die vermoe van 'n samelewing gedemonstreer om religieuse opvoedingstrukture daar te stel om dit waarin hulle glo by hul kinders in te skerp.
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IX CHAPTER ONE
ORIENTATION, STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE STUDY
1.1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1.1 Orientation 1 1.1.2 The Term "Madressa" 1 1.1.3 A Note on Spelling 2 1.1.4 The Demands of the Madressa 2
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM AND THE AIM OF THE STUDY 3
1.3 MOTIVATION FOR THE RESEARCH 4
1.4 SELECTION OF THE TARGET GROUP 7
1.4.1 Size and Influence of the Two Groups 7
1.4.2 Generalisation of Content 9 1.4.3 Generalisation of Method 9 1.4.4 Teachers 9
1.5 RESEARCH METHODS 10
1.5.1 Historical-Descriptive Approach 10
1.5.1.1 Literature Study 11
1.5.1.2 Conceptual Analysis 13 1.5.1.3 Dialectic Interaction 13
1.5.2 The Empirical-Analytic Method 14
1.5.2.1 Observation 15 1.5.2.2 Interviews 15 1.5.2.3 Questionnaires 15 1.5.2.4 Document Analysis 16
1.6 ORGANISATION OF THE STUDY 16 ,.
x CHAPTER TWO
IN SEARCH OF CRITERIA FOR THE EVALUATION OF MADRESSA INSTRUCTION
2.1 THE PROBLEM AND THE AIM OF THIS CHAPTER 18
2.1.1 An Evaluation of the Madressa 18
2.2 THE STRUCTURE OF THE EDUCATIONAL SITUATION 20
2.3 THE STANDARDS FOR ESTABLISHING CRITERIA 21
2.4 THE CONTEXT IN WHICH THE MADRESSA OPERATES 22
2.5 AIMS IN EDUCATION 24
2.5.1 An Analysis of the Concept 24
2.5.2 The Multiplicity of Aims 25 2.5.3 In Search of Criteria for Aims 25 2.5.4 Suggested Criteria for Evaluating the Aims of the Madressa 30
2.6 CONTENT IN EDUCATION 31
2.6.1 The Concept of "Content" and "Curriculum" 31 2.6.2 Content in the Madressa 31 2.6.3 The Nature of Knowledge and the Curriculum 32 2.6.4 Religious Education: Content and Knowledge 33 2.6.5 In Search of Criteria for Justifiable Content 34 2.6.6 Criteria for Evaluating the Content of the Madressa 36
2.7 METHOD IN EDUCATION 37
2.7.1 The Concept and its Part in Education 37
2.7.2 Method in Religious Education 38 2.7.3 In Search of Criteria for Justifiable Method 39 2.7.4 Criteria for Evaluating Method in the Madressa 42
2.8 THE PERSONS INVOLVED 43
xi 2.8.1 The Educator 43
2.8.1.1 Qualities Expected in an Educator 44 2.8.1.2 Desirable Attributes in an Educator 47
2.8.2 The Educand 48 2.8.2.1 The Nature and Needs of the Child 48 2.8.2.2 The Educand in a Religious Context 51 2.8.2.3 The Educand: Summary 53
2.9 RELATIONSHIP STRUCTURES 54
2.9.1 Central Characteristics 54 2.9.2 The Structures to be Discussed 55 2.9.2.1 The Relationship of Authority 55 2.9.2.2 Criteria for Authority in Education 58
2.10 FORMS OF EDUCATIONAL CONTROL 59
2.10.1 Discipline 59 2.10.1.1 Standards for the Exercising of Discipline 60 2.10.1.2 Criteria for Discipline 68
2.10.2 Punishment 62 2.10.2.1 Criteria for Punishment 65
2.11 INDOCTRINATION AND MADRESSA EDUCATION 66
2.11.1 The Concept of Indoctrination 67 2.11.2 Indoctrination: Aim 68 2.11.3 Indoctrination: Content 68 2.11.4 Indoctrination: Method 69 2.11.5 The Link between Education and Indoctrination 69 2.11.6 Criteria to avoid indoctrination 71 2.11.7 Indoctrination and the Madressa 71 2.11.8 Rationality and Indoctrination 72 2.11.9 Conclusion: Is the Madressa Indoctrinatory? 73
2.12 THE MADRESSA AND MORAL RELATIVISM 74
2.12.1 The Position of Moral Relativism 74 2.12.2 Moral Relativism and Education 76 2.12.3 The Madressa and Moral Relativism 76
2.13 SUMMARY 78
xii CHAPTER THREE
THE PRINCIPLES OF ISLAM
3.1 AIMS AND CONCEPT CLARIFICATION 84
3.1.1 Aims of this Chapter 84 3.1.2 Concept Clarification 84
3.2 SOURCES OF ISLAMIC LAW 85
3.2.1 The Primary Sources of Islamic Law 85 3.2.2 The Secondary Sources of Islamic Law 88
3.3 ATTRIBUTES OF GOD 89
3.4 COSMOLOGY 91
3.5 ANTHROPOLOGY 92
3.6 ETHICS AND SOCIAL RELATIONS 93 3.6.1 Technical Classification of Actions 95 3.6.2 The Concept of Duties and Rights 96 3.6.3 Cornerstones of Islamic Ethics and Social Relations 96 3.6.3.1 Justice 96 3.6.3.2 Truth 97 3.6.3.3 Honesty in Trade 98 3.6.3.4 Respect 100 3.6.3.4.1 Respect for the Environment 100 3.6.3.4.2 Respect for Life 101 3.6.3.4.3 Respect for Property 102 3.6.3.4.4 Respect for Parents 103 3.6.3.4.5 Respect for Other Religions 103 3.6.3.4.5.1 Islam and Christianity 104 3.6.3.5 Mercy and Forgiveness 105 3.6.3.6 Other Values in Islam 106 3.6.3.6.1 The Status of Women 106 3.6.3.6.2 Dress 107
3.7 CONCLUSION 109
3.7.1 The Function of the Madressa 109 3.7.2 The Principles of Islam and Educational Justifiability 110
XlIl CHAPTER FOUR
ISLAM AND EDUCATION
4.1 AIM OF THIS CHAPTER 112
4.2 FOUNDATIONS OF ISLAMIC EDUCATION 112 4.2.1 The Processes of Knowledge 114
4.3 THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE 116
4.4 AIMS IN ISLAMIC EDUCATION 119
4.5 CONTENT IN ISLAMIC EDUCATION 121
4.5.1 The Unity of Knowledge 121
4.5.2 Classification of Knowledge 122 4.5.2.1 Fard Ayn Knowledge 122 4.5.2.2 Fard Kifayah Knowledge 123
4.6 METHOD 124
4.7 THE EDUCATOR 126
4.8 THE EDUCAND 130
4.9 EDUCATIONAL RELATIONS 133
4.9.1 Authority 133 4.9.2 Punishment 134
4.10 DISCIPLINE AND SELF-DISCIPLINE 135
4.11 SUMMARY 136
,.
xiv CHAPTER FIVE
AN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF MADRESSA EDUCATION
5.1 INTRODUCTION 141
5.2 EARLY ISLAMIC EDUCATION 141
5.2.1 Aims in Early Islamic Education 144 5.2.2 Content in Early Islamic Education 145 5.2.3 Method 147 5.2.4 Teachers 148 5.2.5 Educands 149 5.2.6 General Organisation 150 5.2.6.1 Location of Madressas and Times 150 5.2.6.2 Finance 151 5.2.6.3 Discipline and Punishment 152
5.3 SPREAD AND DEVELOPMENT OF ISLAMIC EDUCATION 152
5.4 ISLAMIC EDUCATION IN INDIA 153
5.4.1 Content 154 5.4.2 Method 155 5.4.3 Education under British Rule in India 155 5.4.3.1 Changes in Content 155 5.4.3.2 Religious Education under British Rule 156 5.4.3.3 Responses to Challenges under British Rule 156 5.4.3.3.1 Aligarh 156 5.4.3.3.2 The Deoband Darul Uloom 157 5.4.4 Madressa Education in India after 1947 158 5.4.4.1 Aims 158 5.4.4.2 Contents 159 5.4.4.3 Methods 159 5.4.4.4 Teachers 160
5.5 EARLY MUSLIM EDUCATION IN THE TRANSVAAL 160
5.5.1 The First Indian Muslims in the Transvaal 160 5.5.2 Muslim Religious Institutions in the Transvaal 161 5.5.3 Madressas in Johannesburg 163 5.5.4 The Jamiatul Ulema of the Transvaal 163
xv 5.5.5 Organisation of Early Madressas 164 5.5.5.1 Content 165 5.5.5.2 Method 166 5.5.5.3 Discipline and Punishment 166
5.6 CHANGES IN THE ORGANISATION OF MADRESSAS 166
5.7 CONCLUSION 167
.' XVI CHAPTER SIX
CURRENT PRACTICES IN THE MADRESSAS
6.1 INTRODUCTION 169
6.2 TERMINOLOGY AND NOTES 170
6.3 THE CONTEXT OF MADRESSA EDUCATION 171
6.3.1 Physical Location 171 6.3.1.1 Location of Classes: A.L.M. 172 6.3.1.2 Location of Classes: Saaberie 172 6.3.2 Times of Attendance at Madressa 173
6.4 AIMS OF ISLAMIC EDUCATION AND MADRESSA EDUCATION 175
6.4.1 General Aims of Islamic Education 175 6.4.2 Aims of the Madressas 176
6.5 THE PERSONS INVOLVED 177
6.5.1 The Educand 177 6.5.1.1 The Nature of the Child 178 6.5.2 The Educator 181 6.5.2.1 Terminology 181 6.5.2.2 Teacher Training 183 6.5.2.3 Courses at Darul Ulooms 183 6.5.2.4 Attributes Required of an Educator 185
6.6 EDUCATIONAL RELATIONS 187
6.6.1 Authority 188 6.6.2 Discipline 189 6.6.3 Punishment 190
6.7 METHOD 191
6.7.1 Method: A.L.M. 192 6.7.2 Method: Saaberie 192 6.7.3 Methods of Instruction 192 6.7.4 Testing 193
\ ,
xvii 6.8 CONTENT 194
6.8.1 Syllabus 196 6.8.2 "Hidden" Curriculum 201
6.9 MADRESSA ATTENDANCE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILD 202
6.9.1 The Madressa and the Intellectual Development of the Child 203 6.9.1.1 Reading Performance in Primary Schools 204 6.9.1.2 Degrees, Diplomas and Matriculation 206 6.9.1.3 Students at Medical School 207 6.9.2 The Madressa and the Physical Development of the Child 208
6.10 CONCLUSION 210
xviii CHAPTER SEVEN
EMPIRICAL STUDY
7.1 INTRODUCTION 215
7.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 216
7.3 AIM OF THE EMPIRICAL RESEARCH 216
7.4 RESEARCH STRATEGY 217
7.4.1 Observation 217
7.4.2 Interviews 217 7.4.3 Questionnaire 218 7.4.4 Questionnaire for Learners and Questionnaire for Educators 219
7.5 THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE QUESTIONNAIRES 219
7.5.1 . Requirements for a Questionnaire 219
7.5.2 The Concept of Attitude 220 7.5.3 Scales to be Used for Measurement 221 7.5.3.1 The Thurstone Scale 222 7.5.3.2 The Likert Scale 222 7.5.3.3 Other Scales 223 7.5.3.4 The First Page of the Questionnaire 223
7.6 ANALYSIS OF QUESTIONS IN THE QUESTIONNAIRES 224
7.6.1 Questionnaire for Learners 224
7.6.2 Questionnaire for Educators 230
7.7 ORGANISATION OF THE QUESTIONNAIRES 233
7.7.1 Reliability 234 7.7.1.1 Measures to Improve Reliability 235 7.7.2 Validity of the Questionnaires 237 7.7.2.1 Concurrent and Predictive Validity 237 7.7.2.2 Content Validity 238
\,
XIX 7.7.2.2.1 Measures to Ensure Content Validity 239 7.7.2.3 Construct Validity 240 7.7.2.3.1 Measures to Ensure Construct Validity 242
7.8 THE SAMPLE GROUP 243
7.8.1 The Term "Sample" 243
7.8.2 Generalisability for the Madressa Groups 244 7.8.3 Generalisability for Madressas 245 7.8.4 The Sample Tested 245 7.8.5 Administration of the Questionnaires 246
\,
xx CHAPTER EIGHT
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF EMPIRICAL RESEARCH
8.1 INTRODUCTION 248
8.1.1 Observation 248 8.1.2 Interviews 248 8.1.3 Aims of the Questionnaires 250
8.2 CODING AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE QUESTIONNAIRES 251 8.3 STATISTICAL REQUIREMENTS 251 8.4 STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES USED 252 8.5 PROCEDURE OF ANALYSIS OF QUESTIONNAIRES 253 8.6 ANALYSIS OF QUESTIONNAIRES 255 8.6.1 Learners' Questionnaires 255 8.6.2 Educators' Questionnaires 285
8.7 SUMMARY 306
xxi CHAPTER NINE
AN EVALUATION OF CENTRAL ISSUES RELATING TO THE MADRESSA
9.1 INTRODUCTION 310
9.1.1 The Problem and the Aim of the Study 310
9.2 ORGANISATION OF THE STUDY 310
9.3 CRITERIA FOR EDUCATION 311
9.4 FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS 315
9.4.1 The Aims of Madressa Education 316 9.4.2 Method in Madressa Education 318 9.4.3 The Educator 319 9.4.4 Discipline 322 9.4.5 The Madressa and Indoctrination 324 9.4.6 The Madressa and the Intellectual and Physical Development of the Child 325 9.4.7 The Importance of the Madressa for the Community 326 9.4.8 The Madressa and Religious Education in Schools 328
9.5 SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 330
9.5.1 The Attributes of Educators 331
9.5.2 The Performance of Religious Duties 332 9.5.3 The Application of Knowledge in Practice 333
9.6 CONCLUSION 333
9.7 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH 334
BIBLIOGRAPHY 338
XXII TABLES
TABLE 1 TIMES OF ATTENDANCE 173 2 NUMBER OF PUPilS: 1992 182 3 TEACHING STAFF: 1993 182 4 lEVEL OF EDUCATION 206 5 DISTRIBUTION OF lEARNERS 256 6 lEARNERS AT DIFFERENT lOCATIONS 257 7 PERFORMANCE OF RELIGIOUS DUTIES 259 8 INFLUENCE OF PARENTS, MADRESSA AND FRIENDS TO PERFORM RELIGIOUS TASKS 263 9 DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE MADRESSA 266 10 DISCIPLINE AND PUNISHMENT 269 11 ATTRIBUTES OF EDUCATORS 272 12 ACTIONS AND VALUES 276 13 COMBINED RESPONSES BY lEARNERS FOR SECTION E 279 14 INFLUENCE OF THE MADRESSA 281 15 INFLUENCE: BOYS - GIRLS 281 16 TREATMENT AND PUNISHMENT: BOYS - GIRLS 283 17 AIMS 289 18 SATISFACTION - EDUCATORS' VIEW OF ORGANISATION OF MADRESSA 291 19 SUCCESS OF MADRESSA 294 20 COMPARISON: lEARNERS - EDUCATORS 295 21 ACTIONS AND VALUES 298
XX111 22 COMBINED RESPONSES BY EDUCATORS FOR SECTION E 299 23 CONPARISON: EDUCATORS - LEARNERS 300 24 COMPARISON: SAABERIE - A.L.M.: LEVEL OF SATISFACTION 302 25 COMPARISON: SAABERIE - A.L.M.; EXTENT OF SUCCESS 302 26 COMPARISON: EXPERIENCE - AIMS 303 27 COMPARISON: EXPERIENCE - SUCCESS OF THE MADRESSA 304 28 COMPARISON: EXPERIENCE: SUCCESS OF THE MADRESSA 304 29 COMPARISON: EDUCATION LEVEL: AIMS 305 30 COMPARISON: EDUCATION LEVEL: KNOWLEDGE OF THE RELIGION 305 31 COMPARISON: EDUCATORS - LEARNERS 321
XXIV ANNEXURES
1. A.L.M. GUIDELINES TO TEACHERS
2. SYLLABUS A.L.M.
3. SYLLABUS J.U.T.
4. MEMORANDUM BY THE J.U.T.
xxv CHAPTER ONE
ORIENTATION, STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE STUDY
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.1.1 Orientation
It is not possible to be a good Muslim, a believer in the religion of Islam, without knowing what duties and obligations are imposed on a believer. Believers are required to know what is expected of them and to carry out, with proper understanding, their religious duties. This requires a knowledge of these duties. "The search for knowledge is an obligation laid on every Muslim" (Mishkat at Masabih: p. 54).
This knowledge of the religion, which involves understanding the religion and the requirements of the religion, is transmitted through a special system of instruction known in the Transvaal as the "madressa".
1.1.2 The Term "Madressa"
The word "madressa" is spelt in different ways. In the Oxford Shorter Dictionary (Onions, 1962:1184), it appears as "madressah" or "madresseh", and these words are regarded as being different pronunciations of the Arabic word "madrassa" which is derived from "darasa" meaning "to study". The dictionary states that the word means a Muslim College. This would imply that when correctly defined, a "madressa" is an institute for higher learning.
1 The appropriate term for a primary school or any institution for elementary education is "maktab", though this term is not common in the Transvaal, and the term "madressa" is used for all religious institutions, with a seminary sometimes being referred to as a "darul uloom", a place of learning.
1.1.3 A Note on Spelling
The Arabic alphabet has sounds which do not have equivalent letters in the English alphabet. To reproduce these sounds, diacritic marks and other devices are used which are sometimes confusing to the reader who does not have the appropriate academic background in Arabic. In this study, many documents from the madressa are used, which do not have academic spelling. For the purposes of maintaining consistency, and because this study is intended for readers with different academic specialities, ordinary spelling rather than academic spelling for Arabic terms is used. Preference is given to the spelling used in the madressa.
1.4.4 The Demands of the Madressa
Madressa classes occupy an important part of children's lives. They occupy children's time on schooldays, being in the afternoons after the classes of the ordinary school are over. Classes in an ordinary state primary school end at 13:30. The times at different madressas vary, but the classes usually start at 14:30 and end at 17:00. This means that classes are usually held for two-and-a-half hours a day, five days a week, in a school year that runs concurrenly with the state school. Except for the use of state school premises, all other costs are borne by parents and the community. These costs require constant generosity by the community.
2 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM AND THE AIM OF THE STUDY
The madressa deals with the formation of children. It tries to shape the attitudes, consciousness and behaviour of its pupils. It is a system of instruction which is privately organised and funded and not subject to any form of control or supervision by any outside agency. This means that the possibility exists of children being exploited to their detriment.
It is imperative that the madressa operate in conformity with proper educational requirements. These requirements need to be defined and explained so that they can form the framework for later evaluation.
The primary question that concerns us in this study is:
Does the madressa system of religious instruction operate within the framework of acceptable educational principles?
Arising out of this, and related to it, are the following questions:
* Does madressa education have clearly defined goals? "Education is goal directed" (Du Plooy and Kilian, 1980:84). Are these goals appropriate to education? Are these goals appropriate to Islam?
* Are appropriate teaching procedures involved?
Religious education does not merely impart information; it tries to create belief. Does madressa education attempt to do this? Does this knowledge and belief lead to appropriate action?
3 * Does the time occupied by the madressa have any adverse effect on the child? Does the child's academic performance suffer? Does the lack of play or physical activity have any detrimental effect on the child's development?
* What perceptions do the participants have of madressa instruction?
* Does the child learn merely the ritual forms of worship or is there an understanding of religious and moral responsibilities?
There are problems and uncertainties surrounding the madressa system of religious instruction and this study aims at undertaking a critical analysis of the madressa system of religious instruction in order to determine whether it is educationally justifiable and whether it fulfils its religious purposes.
1.3 MOTIVATION FOR THE RESEARCH
The primary consideration with regard to the madressa involves the wellbeing of children involved in this system of instruction.
Another consideration involves the enormous amount of time and energy expended in the organisation of the madressa by those who actively participate in it. The figures in the following paragraph give an indication of the extent of this activity in Lenasia, a suburb of Johannesburg inhabited mainly by South Africans of Indian descent.
In Lenasia, there are fourteen state primary schools. No separate figures are available for Muslims and non-Muslims, but figures for one school, the Libra
, Primary School, have been taken as a sample. In this school, there were 344 children in the senior primary section (Standard Two to Standard Five).
4 Of these, 216 pupils (62,7%) were Muslims. The number of children attending madressa classes was 203 (93,9%). Of the children not attending, seven had been to madressa to some extent, which meant a total of 210 (97,2%) had, or were having, some exposure to the madressa system.
The energies and time devoted towards madressa education are considerable. Adequate research has not been done to assess whether the effort is productive. It is thus important to evaluate this area of educational effort.
Momoniat (1989:3) in the foreword in the collection of papers on the Lenasia conference on the madressa said, "It is also envisaged that more critical and analytical studies will follow.
The major task rests on the shoulders of Muslim educationists, philosophers, professors and social scientists. The road ahead is a long and arduous one and this publication is the first building block".
The statement by Momoniat implies that there is an urgent need for a critical and analytic study of Muslim educational effort.
The principals of the three largest madressa groups in Lenasia, the Association of Lenasia Madressas, the Saaberie Madressa and the Nurul Islam Madressa all indicated in interviews that it was very important that the madressa system of education be critically examined. They felt that such an examination could lead to an improvement in the system of education.
There have been conferences of madressa educators in the Transvaal. One took place in Rustenburg, the exact date is not available, another in Benoni in October 1985, and one in Lenasia in March/April 1989.
5 Papers were delivered and there was intense debate, but only the papers delivered at the Lenasia conference were published and are readily available. Some of the others are available, but with difficulty, as they were not published or made available in any other way. There has been some other research on madressa education in South Africa (Haron, 1988; Mahomed, 1988) but this has been presented as brief articles or incidental to work that has concentrated on some other aspect.
No believing Muslim would question the need for religious education, as the obligation to be aware of duties imposed by Islam is embedded in the religion, but it is permissible to question the manner in which children are educated. An historical overview will show that the process has been subject to change. Thus a study can point out areas that could be improved upon. Such research could also assist in leading to a better channelling of effort.
An understanding of the child's involvement in an additional process of education could be of value to the educator in the ordinary state school, as it would add to a knowledge of the child.
The madressa system is also an example of a community preserving and reproducing its beliefs and culture in an environment in which it is a minority and where the state is, at best indifferent, and at worst hostile, to the needs of the community concerned.
Some research has been conducted on madressa education but this research has been a small part of, and incidental to, research on broader educational issues. An example is the conference held in Saudi Arabia in 1977, which concentrated more on general education in Muslim countries, where there is a single system of ~ education incorporating religious education. It would be of value to focus on the
6 activity as it is practised in the Transvaal. There are differences in the way madressas are organised in other places, but the limitations of space require that this study be limited to the Transvaal.
1.4 SELECTION OF THE TARGET GROUP
There are many different madressas, ranging from large groups of students to small madressas in a room in a private house. Instead of a representative quantitative study of the whole Transvaal, a small-scale quantitative and qualitative study of two madressa groups has been chosen. A vertical study of the two groups, the Association of Lenasia Madressa (A.L.M.l and the Saaberie Madressa has been undertaken.
The question to consider is this:
"Could the findings or at least part of the findings, of a study related to these two groups be generalised and made applicable to other madressas?"
The answer would be in the affirmative. The findings could be generalised for the following reasons:
1.4.1 Size and Influence of the Two Groups
The focus of the study is Lenasia. Lenasia has the largest concentration of Muslims in the Transvaal, and if Lenasia is linked to central Johannesburg, the proportion becomes even greater. Due to its numbers and the activities that take place in the area, Lenasia tends to influence places which do not have the same resources.
The two groups are the most influential in the area of Lenasia for the following reasons:
7 The Association of Lenasia Madressa (A.L.M.) provides for the largest number of pupils in Lenasia.
It was organised by the Lenasia Muslim Association (L.M.A.) and the Central Islamic Trust (C.LT.). The A.L.M. has twenty madressas in Lenasia, that is twenty separate places in which its madressas are situated, with a total of about 3300 pupils (principal's Report, A.L.M: 1989). The C.I.T also organises madressas in Fordsburg, Mayfair, Crown Mines and other areas around central Johannesburg.
During the course of this research, the A.L.M. separated into the original two groups and in 1994 the C.LT and the L.M.A. reassumed their original nomenclature. Many of the documents of the L.M.A. (Lenasia Muslim Association) still bear the old name of A.L.M. (Association of Lenasia Madrassas). It is necessary to note that the terms A.L.M. and L.M.A. as used in this research, refer to the same organisation, namely the L.M.A. (Lenasia Muslim Association).
The L.M.A. now administers all the former A.L.M. madrassas in Lenasia and the C.LT. administers the majority of the madressas in central Johannesburg. As the curriculum and method of operation remains the same as it was during the period of amalgamation, the L.M.A. still retains its influence.
SAABERIE: Although much smaller (it has three madressas in Lenasia) it is affiliated to the Jamiatul Ulema of the Transvaal (J.U.T.), a body of theologians. While the J.U.T. does not have binding religious power over Muslims, it has a strong influence over religious matters.
The J.U.T. supervises and conducts oral tests in 103 madressas in the Transvaal. This body also provides the syllabus. Two of the teachers in Saaberie are members of the supervisory panel. They also issue reports on tests conducted. All ~ this would imply a close cohesion of approach.
8 1.4.2 Generalisation of Content
Another reason for generalisation is the fact that a large part of the content in madressas is similar. Anything relating to content would be applicable to other madressas.
1.4.3 Generalisation of Method
There is some variation in method, but as method is related to content, there is more similarity than diversity. This is an area where there are no religious barriers to change and findings could be generalised.
1.4.4 Teachers
This is a more problematic area as there could be variables even within the same group. However, most madressas have four categories of educators:
* those who have studied at a religious seminary, a darul uloom (Ulema);
those who have memorised the Qur'an (Huffaaz);
* those who have studied at a teachers' training college and who are teachers at an ordinary school;
those who have no training or religious education but have been pupils at a madressa.
9 Most madressas employ, in varying proportions, these categories of educators and the findings at one madressa are of relevance to other madressas.
The findings of the research on these madressas will, therefore, be relevant to all madressas in the Transvaal.
1.5 RESEARCH METHODS
To undertake an educational evaluation of the madressa system of instruction, it will be necessary to:
'* formulate criteria appropriate to religious education;
describe the values and beliefs which the madressa is intent on transmitting;
'* examine the theoretical principles of education in Islam;
'* trace the evolution of the madressa system to its present form;
'* examine the main issues confronting the madressa.
Different research methods can be employed to conduct an analysis of the madressa system.
1.5.1 Historical-Descriptive Approach
Historical research will be used to place the present practices of the madressa in context, and to discover their position and purposes in the religious life of Muslims. The system is a part of the development and spread of the religion. "The inner meaning of history, on the other hand, involves an attempt to get at the truth, a
10 subtle explanation of the causes and origins of existing things, and a deep knowledge of the how and why of events" (Ibn Khaldun, 1377:5).
According to Best & Khan (1986:24), descriptive research describes "what is". It involves "describing, recording, analysing and interpreting conditions that exist".
The historical-descriptive approach has been used to:
* describe the beliefs and values that necessitate a system of religious education in Islam (Chapter 3);
establish the principles which, according to Islam, have to control education (Chapter 4);
* trace the evolution and development of the madressa system from its origins to its present form (Chapter 5);
* describe the practices in the madressa (Chapter 6).
The information needed for the historical-descriptive approach has been obtained through the use of various methods, but the primary means has been literature study.
1.5.1.1 Literature Study
"Literature study can be defined as a sharp, critical, careful and systematic examination and correctly arranged comment from available literature which refers to a particular problem area" (Smith, 1990:25).
11 The study of literature has been essential to the study. Literature will be used to:
provide a framework for the research;
* obtain knowledge from research which has already been done;
* define aims, methods and techniques.
Literature used includes books, periodicals, articles, reports, theses, encyclopaedias and documents.
To make the study as inclusive as possible, various sources of information have been consulted:
* the libraries of universities: the Rand Afrikaans University and the University of the Witwatersrand;
* inter-library loans for material from the University of South Africa and the University of Durban-Westville;
* libraries of religious organisations: Nur-ul Islam, L.M.A., and the M.Y.M;
private collections of books;
the library of the Institute of Race Relations;
* various bibliographies to obtain information on the madressa;
* search systems: E.R.I.C. (Educational Resources Information Centre) the British Educational Index 12 documents of the two madressa groups;
documents in the possession of the J.U.T.;
,. documents in the possession of private individuals.
1.5.1.2 Conceptual Analysis
The understanding of words as used in a particular context is important: "If ... we are trying to analyse a concept ... we have to study carefully their relation ... to understand the different sorts of purposes ... concepts are linked indissolubly with the social life of the group" {Hirst and Peters, 1970:8}.
Conceptual analysis requires a careful examination of the use of a word in different contexts.
Many of the words used in the madressa context have meanings and connotations different from normal usage. The religion of Islam was revealed in Arabic and though the medium of instruction in the madressa is English, many Arabic terms and concepts are used.
A translation or glossary does not explain the connotations of these terms. Conceptual analysis is required. This analysis is also necessary to clarify meanings that might be incorrectly attached to certain practices.
1.5.1.3 Dialectic Interaction
"Dialektiek het dus as werklike essensie die idee van dialoog, maar dan 'n besondere dialoog waarin tese teen antitese gestel word. Die denkende stel van tese teenoor antitese kan lei tot'n sintese" (Smith, 1989:24).
13 The study has been undertaken by a person who is a believing Muslim, a member of the community concerned and a former pupil in the madressa system. As a Muslim, the writer has faith in Islam and the values of Islam, which implies certain assumptions about the nature of humanity and a certain attitude to education.
Having these assumptions, it has been necessary to keep any subconscious bias in check. The discussions and dialectic interaction have been intended to ensure that other perspectives could be brought to bear on the research to ensure critical and evaluative thought.
In the application of this method, there have been constant discussions with:
Professor D.P.J. Smith, Supervisor of the study; Professor J.A. Naude, Co-supervisor of the study; the Principal of the L.M.A.: Maulana Nanabhay; the Principal of Saaberie: Maulana Kaka; the Deputy Principal of L.M.A.: Maulana Pandor; the Administrator of Saaberie: Mr A Patel; the Deputy President of the J.U.T.: Maulana Saloojee.
There have also been discussions, though not on a regular basis, with people who have knowledge and expertise in the field which is being investigated.
1.5.2 The Empirical-Analytic Method
The empirical method employs a number of techniques that allow data to be gathered. Empirical data provides a factual basis for the research.
A number of techniques of empirical research have been employed.
14 1.5.2.1 Observation
Observation is "at once the most primitive and most refined of modern techniques" (Mouly, 1970:281). Observation has been used for obtaining information about the madressa, to gain insight into it and to formulate strategies for more controlled investigation.
1.5.2.2 Interviews
As a research technique, the "interview is a conversation carried out with a definite purpose of obtaining certain information" (Mouly, 1970:263).
The interviews conducted for the purposes of this research have been semi structured. Predetermined questions were asked but neither the questioner nor the respondent was expected to adhere to a strict formula. Respondents were allowed to deviate, to offer explanations and to make retractions. The interviews have been used to obtain supplementary information, add depth to information already obtained and get clarification.
1.5.2.3 Questionnaires
Questionnaires have been used as part of the empirical study. Although termed "questionnaires", they could be more accurately described as a combination of questionnaire and opinionnaire (Best and Kahn, 1986:166). These instruments have been used to obtain factual information as well as opinions from learners and from educators.
15 1.5.2.4 Document Analysis
Current documents have provided an important source of information. These documents have been used to obtain details of current practices in the madressa.
While historical research "often uses document analysis, it deals solely with past events. When document analysis is used as descriptive research, current documents are the foci" (Best and Kahn, 1986:191).
1.6 ORGANISATION OF THE STUDY
Chapter One gives an orientation to the subject of the investigation. The problem is formulated and the aims of the investigation set out. Research strategies are also described.
As the study is concerned with the educational justifiability of the activities in the madressa, it is necessary to identify and define educational criteria. The second chapter deals with education, particularly moral and religious education. The questions of moral relativism and indoctrination are also discussed.
It is the purpose of madressa education to make learners aware of their duties as Muslims and to prepare them to fulfil their duties as Muslims and their religious obligations. The third chapter outlines the principles of Islam and the duties and obligations of a believer.
Islamic theories of education which are based on the principles of Islam are discussed in Chapter Four. Reference is made to the nature of knowledge and the manner in which education should be conducted according to Islam.
16 The madressa owes its existence to its religious purpose, but the manner of its activities is also influenced by cultural and other factors. Muslims in Lenasia are mainly of Indian descent and the madressa system in the Transvaal was initially a replication of the system in India. It has, however, undergone radical transformation, but to be properly understood, it has to be seen as a product of its history. The history of the madressa system is explored in the fifth chapter.
In Chapter Six there is an investigation into madressa education as it is practised and organised by the two madressa groups being studied. In this chapter we take a detailed look at the arrangement of classes, the subjects taught, syllabuses and other activities.
The planning of the empirical investigation and the construction of the questionnaires is described in Chapter Seven. This entails a description of the measuring instruments and a discussion of the sample surveyed.
Chapter Eight analyses and examines the responses to the interviews and questionnaires.
In the final chapter, Chapter Nine, an evaluation of the madressa is made, in which issues relevant to the madressa are examined. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations made.
17 CHAPTER TWO
IN SEARCH OF CRITERIA FOR THE EVALUATION OF MADRESSA INSTRUCTION
2.1 THE PROBLEM AND THE AIM OF THIS CHAPTER
As detailed in Chapter One, the activities of the madressa occupy a substantial portion of the formative years of a Muslim child, and inevitably have a significant impact on the child's formation.
The activities are described by the organisers, teachers and pupils (as well as the community) as being "education", but the term "education" can be used very loosely, and can often refer to activities that are not properly education or are sometimes inimical to education, for example, activities such as indoctrination or conditioning. If the madressa were to be conducted according to ethically acceptable educational norms, then the madressa would be likely to have a positive effect, both on the learners and, in the long term, on the community.
2.1.1 An Evaluation of the Madressa
Criteria are necessary as the madressa has to be evaluated by comparing it with educational requirements. The central problem in this chapter is the formulation of educational criteria needed for the purpose of undertaking an educational evaluation of the madressa. A subsidiary problem concerns the attitude of certain educationists towards religious education. There is a tendency to dismiss religious instruction as being a form of indoctrination:
18 "Imagine a Catholic school in which all the teachers ... try to bring up the children as devout Catholics ... They deliberately attempt to inculcate in their pupils an unshakable commitment to the truth of Catholicism ... It is difficult to conceive of anyone seriously doubting that these teachers are indoctrinating ... " (Barrow and Woods, 1988:70).
It is therefore necessary to justify the instruction as being educative and not indoctrinative.
Another problem that has to be addressed is the question of moral relativism. Born out of a reaction against the excesses of cultural imperialism and a eurocentric view of education, moral relativism is one of the hallmarks of current "political correctness". There is a reluctance to condemn what is generally considered to be wrong. Any values, provided they are sincerely held, are considered acceptable.
"The decisive factor in the classification of an action as I educational' is simply that the desired result should be considered as positive by the person who brings it about" (Brezinka, 1992:42).
The effort put into the madressa by those involved in it obviously indicates that it has value for them. The organisers of madressa activity consider this as being positive. Does this make madressa activity an "educational" activity? If so, then further investigation is unnecessary.
However, in spite of Brezinka's assertion, there is more to education than the result being considered positive. It is necessary to examine the thinking that underlies Brezinka's statement. Thus the issue of moral relativism also has to be discussed.
Arising out of a consideration of the problems, it is intended to:
19 * determine criteria for the evaluation of madressa education;
determine whether madressa activity can be categorised as education or indoctrination; and
justify the transmission of set moral values and argue against the tendency of moral relativism.
2.2 THE STRUCTURE OF THE EDUCATIONAL SITUATION
Education is a very broad concept and to be able to derive criteria it is more convenient to consider it in subdivisions by looking at its constituent parts. To do this, it is necessary to establish which are the essential constituents or components of an educational situation.
Different writers have mentioned different components of an educational situation. Gunter (1982:48) mentions four components: the educator, the educand, the aim and the content.
Hirst and Peters (1970:40-41) make specific reference to aim, content, method and procedure. However, there is also frequent mention of the educator and educand and these could therefore be included. Smith (1993) has given a comprehensive list of the components of an educational situation. These include aims, method, content, educator, educand, the educational relations between educator and educand and the context in which education takes place.
The following diagram derived from the work of Smith (1995:12) will illustrate the seven constituents of an educational situation:
20 Diagram 2.1 : Structure of an Educational Situation
I EDUCATOR I I I CONTENT, I EDUCATIONAL EDUCAND 1--1 RELATIONS I-- AIM I METHOD Context of I I space/time
Since the components listed by Smith appear to be inclusive, these features will be the ones to be considered in deriving criteria. The features are aims, method, content, educator, educand and a selection of educational relations.
2.3 THE STANDARDS FOR ESTABLISHING CRITERIA
Since criteria defined by different educationists are not exactly similar, the criteria will be selected on the following basis:
* those criteria that are common to the writers whose views are mentioned; and
* criteria mentioned by those writers which are particularly applicable to the madressa system. This means criteria which are appropriate to religious and moral education.
To obtain the criteria, the following procedure has been adopted:
* each component of an educational situation has been considered separately;
21 '* in each case criteria by different writers have been given;
'* since the madressa is a form of religious instruction, the religious education aspect of the component has been discussed;
those criteria that share a common thought, though sometimes expressed differently, have been selected;
criteria which are not applicable to madressa education are excluded.
The reason for this exclusion is that the madressa operates in a particular context, and is designed to fulfil its functions in that context. The criteria may include valid criteria for general education, but the madressa may not be intended to fulfil that particular purpose.
It is therefore necessary to understand the context in which the madressa operates.
2.4 THE CONTEXT IN WHICH MADRESSA INSTRUCTION TAKES PLACE
Education always takes place in a certain context, under specific socia-cultural conditions, "at a certain time, in a certain place, through members of a certain group, in a certain culture. Education is inextricably intertwined with the concrete living conditions of society" (Brezinka, 1992:461. A totality of living conditions, the "ecology" (Kok, 1986:75-78), influences a person's experience and behaviour.
Madressa activities too, are characterised by a very particular "ecology".
..
22 Secular "education" which, among others, includes literacy, numeracy and vocational education, is provided by state schools, but these schools do not provide religious education as the pupil population comes from diverse religious backgrounds. The madressa exists to fill this gap for Muslim pupils. The madressa does not attempt to duplicate the services of the secular state school system, but to satisfy what believers consider to be an important need.
Among the stated aims of the madressa are (Hathurani, 1985:1):
* the creation of an unqualified and indivisible belief in the Supremacy of God and the belief that there is only one God;
* the creation of a belief in the authenticity of the prophethood of Mohammed .., (Peace be upon him);
the creation of the belief that whatever we do must be for the sole purpose of pleasing God;
* encouraging pupils to be prepared to fulfil our duties towards God and towards fellow human beings.
An anomaly exists in the present context of the madressa. Islam does not ordinarily recognise a distinction between the secular and the religious. "Every action of a Muslim, in whatever sphere of human endeavour, ought to be with the intention to please God" (Mohamed, 1989:7). Thus anything that is learnt, if it is to please God, would be regarded as religious. However, the schools obviously do not teach in this manner, and in this situation, that which is learnt in schools is regarded as being secular, but for a Muslim, if the intention underlying it would be to please God, it would become "religious".
23 The madressa exists to create this intention, to create a conceptual framework that would allow learners to become good Muslims.
In the formulation of criteria to evaluate madressa education, it is necessary to keep in mind the focus and aims of the madressa. For the purposes of establishing criteria, the separate components of the educational situation are examined.
After this the separate components of the educational situation have been examined.
2.5 AIMS IN EDUCATION
2.5.1 An Analysis of the Concept
The term "aims" means that an activity is directed towards some end, that it is undertaken deliberately with some ultimate view in mind. "Aim is typically used to refer to actions or activities of thinking beings who have intentions" (Harnrn, 1989:44). This intentionality is the principal feature of aims.
At the same time "aims" have the broader purpose of identifying the values held by the actors. They are the "normative postulates or prescriptions" (Brezinka, 1992:40). Aims indicate the "ought" state, the desirable values and personality states which the educator wishes to bring about.
24 2.5.2 The Multiplicity of Aims
As people hold different values, the aims of education are different. There is an almost endless list of desired ends.
Examples are: education for or education to ... autonomy, virtue, growth, patriotism, morality, self-realization, adulthood, needs, society, rationality, the appreciation of that which is worthwhile, the complete person, equality and so forth. (Brezinka, 1992; Peters, 1966; White, 1982; Gunter, 1982).
2.5.3 In Search of Criteria for Aims
There are a multiplicity of aims, but some standards are required to assess whether aims are educationally valid or not. Various writers have contributed to describe such standards to be used to assess aims.
After a thorough analysis of the justifiability of aims, Zecha (19-84:15-17) concluded by giving six rationally justifiable goals. These are that learners have to:
realize the fundamental value of human life and adopt a positive attitude towards their own existence;
* undertake every effort to work for their own existence and to fulfil the necessary prerequisites for that work;
* be supported in developing a positive attitude towards fellow human beings, be they members of their families, friends or, in principle, every other person;
25 * be supported in achieving a positive attitude towards the other sex, with a view to a wholesome family;
* be led to realize the beauty of nature as well as of human beings and their works, and thereby be encouraged to contribute positively to the beautiful in all its forms;
* be motivated and encouraged to engage themselves in a permanent harmony process, that is, in principle, to be open to every field of human enterprise and knowledge, involving equally the intellectual, emotional, spiritual and artistic faculties of every individual.
White (1982: 21-129) does not state criteria but sketches a picture of "the educated man".
White might not agree with the use of the term "criteria", but the attributes of an "educated man" given by him mean that these qualities are desirable. Th-e learners must, according to the attributes considered desirable, come to:
care about their own well being in the extended sense, which includes living a morally virtuous life, which would contain a civic dimension;
acquire a disposition to act in certain ways. This means possessing general virtue of prudence, of care for one's own good, and subordinate virtues such as, inter alia, courage, temperance, benevolence and justice;
acquire a disposition to prize autonomy and to respect the autonomy of others, including the ability to enter imaginatively into the points of view of others; 26 * possess vitality and enthusiasm in the prosecution of a life plan.
In addition, White stresses that virtue is more central than knowledge, but that knowledge remains necessary. The knowledge and understanding to be acquired would be complex, but would be necessary to virtue. It would be broad enough to enable the learner:
* to know what his/her wellbeing consists of and to know ends-in-themselves which would be components of a life plan;
* to have access to these ends which would allow for the enjoyment of physical, aesthetic, intellectual and other pleasures;
* to know means to virtue and obstacles to virtue. This includes necessary conditions ~ food, shelter, etc. - and virtues like courage and temperance.
Obstacles include psychological and socio-economic impediments.
Gunter (1982: 113-118) sees adulthood as being the overarching aim of education, but other criteria for aims are also given. The value of a principal aim would depend on the value of a particular world- and lifeview but aims can also be tested against criteria. For immediate and intermediate aims, the following criteria would apply. The aims must (free translation):
* deal with what ought to be;
* keep in mind the possibilities of the child, what the child is and what the child can do;
27 * take into consideration the norms that lead the individual to becoming an adult member of the community;
provide a challenge and an appeal to learners to give of their best and to activate them to strive, to labour and to sacrifice;
* provide a clear plan of action so that the educator and educand know what is expected;
* be flexible and allow for any adjustment required by circumstances.
Landman et al. (1990: 102-104) also see the ultimate aim as being responsible adulthood. This means that the following criteria have to be satisfied:
* one must take into consideration what the child is and what the child is capable of becoming;
education must provide for the real needs of the child, as an individual and as part of a community;
the aim must be compatible with the life/world of the child and represent a challenge to the child to do his/her best;
* the goal must be a plan of action to give order and regularity;
the aim should be flexible enough to deal with changing circumstances and the individual needs of the child;
... education should prepare a child for a positive relationship with God and also good relations with fellow human beings.
28 In addition to these criteria, there are three special criteria which the ultimate goal must satisfy:
* it must be comprehensive and not one-sided;
* it must start with the reality of the child as he/she is and lead to what he/she can become;
it must be ontologically grounded, and has to be of value to both education and the learner.
There are also three general requirements that are valid for a universal aim of education. Gunter 11982:116-118) and Du Plooy et al. (1982:159) give substantially the same criteria. The aim must:
be comprehensive. It must cover the whole life/world of a given group and not one-sidedly overemphasize or absolutise one aspect of human existence;
* give due consideration to the life and reality that exist. The ultimate aim, which the child ought to realize, must take into account what the child is and what the child can and must become;
* be directed towards, and built on, values that will endure and provide a firm anchor in life.
29 2.5.4 Suggested Criteria for Evaluating the Aims of the Madressa
Aims define the whole purpose and character of education. As indicated, there are a multiplicity of aims and these aims are expressed in many different terms. However, there is a core to each of the expressions of aims which show a remarkable degree of similarity.
Central to the concept of education is that there should be an improvement in the learner. It would be a logical contradiction to say that education does not lead to improvement (Peters, 1966:25).
From the analysis of criteria for justifiable aims, a number of similarities in the criteria for aims by different writers can be identified. The following criteria take into account differently expressed but essentially similar ideas:
.. aims are defined by the world-view of the community. Each community will transmit its norms and values and give content to these norms and values;
.. education should prepare a child to lead a life of virtue. Education should aim to create a disposition to act in ways which are considered correct and desirable;
.. a life of virtue implies a concern for the person's own wellbeing as well as a concern for the common good. A concern for the common good must develop positive and moral attitudes and develop the practise of truth, justice, respect and other positive values.
30 It has to be noted that there is agreement that the aims must be comprehensive, that the whole life/world of the learner must be taken into account, but that in its
context the madressa is not designed to cater for every aspect of life. As explained in later chapters, it is the work of the madressa to create the underlying attitude and philosophy to an approach to life.
2.6 CONTENT IN EDUCATION
2.6.1 The Concept of "Content" and "Curriculum"
According to Gunter (1 982: 140-141), scholastic or general education has two aspects, namely teaching and learning. This implies that something has to be taught and something has to be learnt. This "something" is referred to as the content of education. When the content is selected and organised into a programme, it is termed the curriculum.
2.6.2 Content in the Madressa
Content is crucial to the madressa. There is a fixed content that has to be transmitted to the learner. The nature of the knowledge to be transmitted is discussed in Chapter Six, but briefly the content involves knowledge about the religion, the ways of worship and the duties to be fulfilled by the believer. The madressa also tries to create and maintain faith in the religion and to teach the rules by which a Muslim can judge right and wrong.
As content is such an important aspect of madressa education, it is necessary to consider whether it conforms to educationally acceptable norms. For this reason, criteria have to be established to evaluate the content in madressa.
31 2.6.3 The Nature of Knowledge and the Curriculum
There is extensive writing on the curriculum, including works by Jansen (1984), Niebuhr (1986), Stenhouse (1988), Zais (1976) and others. The curriculum is based on knowledge and theories of knowledge or epistemology. The store of human knowledge is vast and not all of it can be transmitted. There has to be selection and classification and omission. This arrangement has led to knowledge being classified according to different areas of content. The "domain of human knowledge can be seen to be differentiated into a number of logically different forms" (Hirst, 1974:84).
This would mean that there are different forms of knowledge and different ways of knowing. Truth and evidence (Hamm, 1989:63) are not necessarily the same for all forms of knowledge. Some forms depend on the validity of argument, inference or consistency. There are different categorizations of knowledge (Hirst, 1965; Phenix, 1964). Hirst's view in particular, has been widely accepted as a basis of discussion.
The seven forms of knowledge defined by Hirst (1974:46) are:
Mathematics Physical Sciences Human Sciences History Religion Literature and the Fine Arts Philosophy
These forms of knowledge can be subdivided.
32 The form that concerns us in this study is the religious form of knowledge.
2.6.4 Religious Education: Content and Knowledge
The religious form of knowledge is characterized by central concepts such as sin, redemption and spiritual awe. Its distinctive tests of truth include revelation and analogical inference; its methodology includes checks against sacred books and authorities and philosophical argument (Harisrn, 1989:69-73). There is an epistemological distinction between:
* metaphysical truths (the bases for "theories of knowledge");
* scientific truths (which can be scrutinised); and
* truths of a philosophy of life (which is accepted on faith and not subject to scrutiny) .
Religion depends for its ultimate truth not on empirical experimentation but on the authority of God through revelation. Empiricism regards the routes to knowledge to be physical and empirical testing, but religion considers that there are truths beyond physical truths. The Bible indicates the sources of truth (Hill, 1990:92). This would imply that all knowledge emanates from God. One of these is the physical world and the other is the human mind. The physical world exists. God created a reality with its logical rules and patterns, but it is not an independent entity; it is a creation. It is a limited reality and the religious teachers can "by their respect for the authority of tested knowledge and experience point students beyond the subject matter to the Maker of things" (Hill, 1990:98).
33 This implies that in religious epistemology, the source of knowledge is divine. This does not mean that the knowledge itself is above questioning and experimentation. God has endowed human beings with the gift of thought and through the use of this thought, God's creation can be discovered. The ultimate Creator remains eternal while creation follows rules which remain to be discovered. The essence of the religious thus remains a belief in the supremacy of God. It requires faith.
Thus a significant difference exists between religious content and other forms of content. The subject matter can change and develop, but in religious education certain areas of content will remain, as they are basic to the religion. However, the question of selection according to appropriate levels will be at the discretion of those who formulate the curriculum, and educational criteria for content can be taken into consideration.
There are always, necessarily, selections, inclusions and omissions. While areas of content remain constant, time and circumstances bring about different emphases. "A change in realities necessitates a change in definitions" (AI-Ghazzali, 1107, in Moosa, 1993:385).
It is thus possible to use educational criteria in the formulation of curricula for religious education. Some criteria suggested by different writers will be considered.
2.6.5 In Search of Criteria for Justifiable Content
Different educationists have suggested principles to which content should conform.
Niebuhr (1986:8) suggested that content:
* has to lead to the general formation of the learner;
34 .. must consider the needs of the learner;
.. must also consider the needs of the community;
.. has to present a structured knowledge of reality .
Gunter (1982: 144-145) has given five criteria to test context in education:
.. the aim that needs to be fulfilled must be clearly defined;
.. the chosen content should be relevant to fulfil the aim;
the tradition, culture and needs of the community must be considered;
.. the nature and needs of the child must also be taken into account. The content must be selected and simplified, graded and organised in accordance with the needs, abilities, experience and interests of the child;
.. Finally a curriculum must reflect two fundamental norms:
the reality that is, what the child is;
the reality as it ought to be: what the child ought to be.
Barrow and Woods (1988:33-39) feel that developed forms of knowledge possess certain distinguishing features:
curricula must be sensitive to time and place;
35 * they must develop particular terms and logic that are testable in accordance with particular criteria;
* there must be justification for teaching particular content;
* this justification need not be pragmatic utilitarianism but should be broader. It would deal in matters with which persons ought to be concerned;
* the curricula need not include matter that could be dealt with as effectively by some other agency.
Some ideas expressed by Hirst and Peters (1970:61-65):
* the objectives aimed at must be clear;
* it must allow for legitimate social demands;
means and ends are inseparably connected. Means must be interrelated with ends.
2.6.6 Criteria for Evaluating the Content of the Madressa
There is some diversity in the views expressed by the different writers and it is not possible to reach complete agreement. The criteria selected here are those that are relevant to the activities in the madressa. The relevance was determined by a study of the activities in the madressa.
the content must be directed towards achieving a specified aim;
36 knowledge requires that there be an acquisition of concepts that are relevant to the field of knowledge. For the madressa, this would mean concepts appropriate to the religion being taught;
the material must be graded so that it is appropriate to the level of the learner;
the material should allow the learner to become sufficiently immersed in the form of knowledge and understanding, to appreciate its character, and to be able to use the aspects that are applicable to everyday life. For the madressa this means that the learner should understand the religion and apply this knowledge to the activities of ordinary life.
2.7 METHOD IN EDUCATION
2.7.1 The Concept and its Part in Education
There is an inseparable link between method on one hand and content and aim on the other. The learning material is to be used to achieve certain aims.. Methods are means used to attain mastery of the learning material. Hamm (1989:60) explains that three elements need to be taken into account in planning curricula. These are the method (or means) for bringing about mastery of the content (subject matter) for achieving educational objectives (or aims). Hirst (1974:3) describes a curriculum as a plan of activities aimed at achieving objectives through a content to be used and methods to be employed.
Method then refers to the means, the "whatever activities students and teachers engage in to accomplish goals" (Hamm, 1989:61). It refers to a variety of activities such as instructing, illustrating, displaying, describing, discussing, telling, drilling and others. The method to be used depends on the aim to be achieved and the content, which includes the material to be learnt to achieve the aim. 37 2.7.2 Method in Religious Education
Belief systems can be changed or modified. Thus teaching has to do with the modification and formation of belief, "not simply with what we shall believe but also how we shall believe it" (Green, 1971 :48).
Since religious education involves the formation of belief and the acceptance of values, it has much in common with the teaching of values, although there are significant differences too. For example, religious education teaches the rituals of a religion and these are specific to a religion. However, the values of a religion and moral values also have many similarities.
There are many approaches to the teaching of values. Kohlberg (1 985) with the "just community" and Wynne (1986) with the idea of the "great tradition" are examples, but even with differences of approach, there are similar moral concerns. This means that there are many shared values.
Damon (1988:149-152) suggests some guidelines for method:
no amount of rote learning and indoctrination will prepare children for the diverse situations in life. The child must learn to find the moral issue in an ambiguous situation and to apply moral issues to unfamiliar situations;
* there must be "respectful engagement". The child's own decision-making capacities must be fostered;
values and morals must not be seen as separate from everyday activities;
people who are respected for embodying moral values should be brought into contact with learners.
38 2.7.3 In Search of Criteria for Justifiable Method
A number of writers have given criteria essential to an appropriate method in
education.
According to Moore (1986:67-69) it would be essential to have intention and a commitment on the part of the educator and the educand.
The criteria given by Hirst and Peters (1970:74-81) include:
'* mastery. This means that there must be an aim, and the mastery of the content must be directed towards that aim;
'* experience. The mastery must be the product of the person's own experiences, and not be incidental thereto;
intentionality is required;
'* what is to be learnt must be indicated or exhibited;
'* this must be done in a way that is intelligible to the learner and within the capacities of the learner.
The criteria given by Hamm (1989:95-98) emphasize:
intentionality;
the display of subject matter. The subject-matter must be used in some way: illustrated, displayed, demonstrated, talked about;
39 readiness. The learner's cognitive state must be appropriate.
Ou Plooy et al. (1982: 167-168) describe method as an act of accompaniment and support, so that the learning content is made understandable and can be internalised.
The learner has to gain a grip on the polymorphous reality of the world by means of dialogues channelled through the content.
According to Du Plooy et al. (1982: 180) method involves a series of activities where the educator converses with the learner via the contents. Methods should also be structured to achieve clearly understood aims.
Three further criteria are mentioned (Ou Plooy et al. 1982:180):
*" the learning content must be reduced to its essentials;
*" various themes must be concretised as meaningful and relating to the life world;
*" a definite equilibrium must be maintained between teaching and learning aids.
Van Schalkwyk (1988:28-30) lists as criteria that method must:
*" lead to the unfolding/development of the learner's potential;
*" be done by an educator who has mastered the art;
*" be by means of educational content;
40 ,. be directed towards an educational aim;
be an activity of accompaniment, showing, helping, unfolding and nurturing;
,. involve an educand who participates actively and consciously.
As madressa education is religious education, it is relevant to mention the models indicated by the Bible (Hill, 1990:61-63):
The Old Testament
,. religious and moral learning form the foundation;
,. individual enlightenment is important;
,. parents have primary responsibilities.
The New Testament
,. parents retain responsibility, but others are also charged with this function;
,. the teacher's role has to be modelled on Jesus and the apostles;
*" it remains the duty of each believer to teach all the nations;
*" there is a recognition of the capacity of learners to discover things for themselves;
*" there should be respect for the autonomy of the learner;
the teacher should show love for the learner; 41 * the example of Jesus could be followed. He used "vivid epigrams, concrete illustration .. humour ... metaphor, probing questions and examples from real life".
2.7.4 Criteria for Evaluating Method in the Madressa
There are no major differences among the writers, though each one mentions certain aspects only. Those relevant to the madressa are listed:
the level of the learner must be taken into account;
* there has to be active participation by the learner;
* this means that methods should be used which would arouse the learner's interest;
.. the educator should show an interest in each learner;
there should be respect for the learner. There must be respectful engagement of the learner;
the learner should be able to apply the knowledge that has been acquired to situations that occur in life;
.. knowledge and action should be integrated. The learner has to become accustomed to acting on the knowledge that has been acquired.
42 2.8 THE PERSONS INVOLVED
Education is a human activity and there are persons involved in the process. The two main actors are the educator and the educand.
Religious education expects certain attributes and behaviour from the educator that are not necessarily expected from the educator in general education. For this reason it is necessary to determine what is expected of the educator from a religious point of view so that it can be decided whether educators in the madressa satisfy these requirements.
With regard to the educand, other aspects have to be considered. For education to be meaningful, the nature and needs of the educand, as a human being at a certain stage of development, have to be taken into account. The nature and needs of the educand are therefore discussed in paragraph 2.8.2.
2.8.1 The Educator
The concept of the educator is a very general one. An educator does not have to be in a professional or institutional context only. This can apply to "any person who is the agent or initiator of educational actions" (Brezinka, 1992:46). Thus the term can refer to parents or any other person, but because of the system of institutionalised education, it usually refers to a professional educator.
According to Brezinka (1992:203), educators are the most important variable which can be influenced in helping educands acquire the desired physic state. In influencing the educands, the educator's personality, example and skills are of critical importance.
43 2.8.1.1 Qualities Expected in an Educator
Usually, an educator is a person who has the relevant knowledge and skill to allow the educational process to achieve its aims. There are many learning and teaching models, for example Gagne and Briggs (1979), Skinner (1968), Stenhouse (1988), Van Brummelen (1988), and others. It would be expected that the educator would acquire competency in using appropriate methods.
Gunter (1982: 129-136) describes traits and qualities expected of an educator. The educator should:
'* have knowledge. This knowledge should not be one-sided but should include:
knowledge of the subject and the subject matter;
knowledge of the child;
self-knowledge;
knowledge of the educational aim.
have love which, like knowledge, should embrace:
love for the work being done;
love for the subject;
love for the child, and this would include the attributes of trust, respect and friendliness. 44 *" the imagination to place oneself in the learner's situation;
* be the bearer of authority and exercise authority;
consider each learner as an individual, as a person and as a subject not an object;
*" know the aims, those both intermediate and final;
*" let one's life reflect the values that are desired;
regard teaching as a vocation and approach it with dedication;
* be able to fulfil the requirements of adulthood.
Desirable attributes are mentioned by Hirst and Peters (1970:89-105):
* there should be respect for the learner as a person;
*" the values that are immanent in what is being taught should be held in regard;
there should be an interest in, and concern for, the learner;
* there should be an understanding of, and sensitivity to, the learner;
* one should be prepared to really listen to the learner.
45 With religious and moral education, there is another dimension. The educator is not there merely to impart information but to create a disposition to think and act in a particular way, even though there might be a temptation to act differently.
The educator has to be a positive model. Ryan (in Redden et al. (1956:364) differentiates between the teacher and the technician. "Someone who is simply involved in the technical transfer of information or skill has no need to be of good character ... teachers ought to be models for students". The teacher's life. should exemplify the values that are being propagated. The educator affects the disposition of the educand not only by being a role model but also by his attitude towards the child. The "educator lives or exemplifies his basic attitudes which contribute towards assisting the child educative/y" (Du Plooy & Kilian, 1980:9).
There are other requirements for the moral educator. Ryan in Redden et al. (1956:364) writes about moral education but these are applicable to religious education as well. He suggests that the educator must be:
.. committed to the Moral Realm. There needs to be an active commitment to the development of moral character (this could be adapted to mean a commitment to religious belief);
.. able to engage learners in moral discourse, be able to deal with the "ought" in life;
.. able to express desired moral values and oppose the negative;
.. able to establish a moral environment;
.. able to immerse students in moral activities.
46 /, ( \
The teaching of belief is particularly difficult if belief is lacking in the educator.
2.8.1.2 Desirable Attributes in an Educator
There are strictly speaking no criteria required but rather attributes that are considered desirable in an educator. The attributes mentioned here are expressed by Gunter and also by Hirst and Peters. According to them, the educator should have:
* respect and love for the child;
* love for the subject and the task that has been undertaken;
the empathy to place himself or herself in the learner's situation;
the ability to consider each learner as an individual, a subject;
* a belief in the values that are being taught.
In addition, one other attribute is particularly relevant to religion and to the teaching of values. Gunter mentions it and it is implied by Hirst and Peters. Ryan stresses it. This attribute requires that the educator lives his or her own life as an example of the values being taught. The "educator lives or exemplifies his basic attitudes " (Du Plooy and Kilian, 1980:9).
The importance of the educator cannot be overemphasized. It is the educator who gives meaning and life to the content, who controls relations, who selects the . appropriate method and who sets the tone and atmosphere in the educational situation. For these reasons, the personality, approach and attributes of the educator are crucial. 47 2.8.2 The Educand
The educand is any person who is the object of educational actions (Brezinka, 1992:4-5). The educands can be differentiated in many ways such as, inter alia, by age, cognitive levels or abilities. It should be remembered though that educational actions take place in the concrete living conditions of society, under specific socio-cultural conditions.
In effective educational efforts, many aspects of the educand need to be considered.
Since most educands in institutionalised education are children, it is important to take into account the characteristics specific to the development of children, and the needs, nature and growth of children.
2.8.2.1 The Nature and Needs of the Child
In an educational situation the nature and needs of the child have to be taken into account, and the child has to be educated in a way that considers its being. Learners have to be taken as they are and led to what they ought to be. "For one of the hall-marks of teaching people, as distinct from just lecturing at them, is that the teacher should start from where the learner is and attempt to lead him from this point" (Hirst and Peters, 1970:37).
The nature and needs of the child are intertwined, as the nature, the unescapable being of the child, leads to the needs.
48 Physiological needs are primary needs, and if these are not satisfied, a state is created in which there is interference in the educational process. A child who is on the verge of starvation is not able to learn, even if the learning situation takes other needs into account (Hirst and Peters, 1970:37).
After physiological needs, the child also has psychological needs that have to be considered if learning is to take place. Many writers have written about the nature of the child and set out its needs. The following list has been compiled from the works of various writers (Weil, 1987; Smith, 1988; Pringle, 1980; Gunter, 1982):
* the child is a being that can and needs to be educated;
* the child enters the world helpless and is in need of help;
* the child possesses possibilities which can be actualised;
the child has limitations imposed by situation and other factors, and expectations with regard to the child must be realistic;
the child is able to make meaning of the world and constitute its own world;
* the child is a child and not a miniature adult;
* the child is a social being, and has to be prepared to live as part of a society;
* the child has a natural value as a human being. It has to be ranked equally with other human beings;
49 \ \ \
the child is able to choose its values, it becomes an individual able to make choices;
the child has the potential of an ethical consciousness, and the ability to distinguish right from wrong;
* the child has religiosity, the instinctive need of belief in a superior power;
* the child goes through different phases or stages;
* the child is a temporal being, living in time, with a past and a future.
The child has psychological needs as well. Some of the most important (Weil, 1987; Smith, 1988; Pringle, 1980; Gunter, 1982) are:
Order: This is the first need. Everything has to follow an order. Needs, too, require a balance.
Liberty: The ability to choose.
Obedience: Obedience to rules and obedience to human beings looked upon as leaders.
Responsibility: The need to feel useful by the exercising of initiative and responsibility.
Equality: To have the amount of respect and consideration that is due to every human being.
Honour: To have a share in a noble tradition enshrined in the past and given public knowledge. 50 \
Punishment: Disciplinary and penal.
Risk: An element of uncertainty which serves as a stimulating factor.
Private property and collective property - personal belongings and a feeling of ownership in public possessions.
To be rooted: A real and natural participation in the life of the community.
Truth: A sacred need. Security, love, self-respect, self-esteem, praise and recognition are also important needs.
The needs are complex. Here they have been stated simply as it is not possible to describe all the complexities within the scope of this research.
Needs are sometimes antithetical. Contrary needs have to be balanced and have to be satisfied in turn. For example, warmth is required but so is coolness, exercise is required but so is rest. These needs have to be met at different times.
Weil (1987:3) also stresses that obligations come before rights. A right is a reflection of an obligation that some other person has to fulfil.
2.8.2.2 . The Educand in a Religious Context
All these views of the nature of the child need to be taken into account although there is no complete agreement about theories of child development. There is sometimes a tendency to equate human beings with machines: a thinking, sentient being, but still with mechanistic responses.
51 Behaviourists have provided insights into human actions and cognitive psychology has helped in understanding the way people think, but these disciplines have also tended to limit human beings in some way. They have "reinforced older views of human learners as rational animals housed in regrettably diverting bodies" (Hill, 1990:31).
The different theistic religions have different views, but all consider a human being to have an immortal soul in a mortal body. There is continuity after death. However, although it is a temporary habitation, the body has to be respected. In Christianity, bodies are "temples of the Holy Spirit" (The Bible, Corinthians, 6: 19). In Islam, bodies are viewed as a trust from God. (Moosa, 1993:385).
Another feature of religion is that a human being has accountability. In many of the sciences, a person is considered mechanistic, a product of genetic factors or the environment with no individual responsibility. The religious view places human beings as having individual responsibility. God has given people the ability to make choices and to be responsible for these choices. To make choices, we have to know the options available and to have criteria to guide us in our decision-making.
For this reason, children have to be taught the requirements of the religion. In Christianity, parents have a duty to protect and nurture their children (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Matthew 19:13-14). They have a duty to teach their children the correct behaviour. They also have to exercise care and concern for their children.
Religious knowledge has to be taught to children from an early age. "Christian parents ... believe that the child is God-given and has to be guided to serve and know the Lord". Du Plooy and Kilian, 1980:13).
52 2.8.2.3 The Educand: Summary
In an educational situation, the nature and needs of the child have to be kept in mind. The satisfaction of physiological needs such as the provision of food is usually undertaken by other agencies, but the learning situation has to take psychological needs into account.
Any attempt to suppress or subvert these needs will, in the long term, lead to a failure of the educational enterprise. There are numerous examples of doctrines which attempted to go against human nature and human needs and which were unsuccessful. Communism for example, did not accept the ideas of- private property, freedom of choice and religiosity.
The madressa, however, is a supplementary educational institution. The school satisfies some of the needs and the madressa does not attempt to satisfy all needs. It has, however, still to ensure that its activities do not go against the nature and needs listed in the previous section.
The nature and needs of the child, relevant to the madressa, can be summarised as follows:
The child is helpless when it enters the world and needs help to fulfil its potentialities, to give meaning to its world, to distinguish between right and wrong and to fulfil its role in society. The child goes through different stages and the educational activity has to take the stage of development into account.
53 Educational activity must not come into conflict with the needs of the child. The needs are: order, authority and discipline, obedience to rules and human beings, liberty, initiative, responsibility, equality, hierarchism, honour, punishment, freedom of choice and opinion, private and collective property, truth, love, acceptance, risk, competence, security, new experiences, praise and recognition, self-respect and self-esteem.
The child is also a religious being, with an immortal soul, and it is the duty of parents to guide the child towards the attainment of religious beliefs.
2.9 RELATIONSHIP STRUCTURES
2.9.1 Central Characteristics
Education is a human activity, and in the association of human beings, relations are constituted. The essence of the pedagogic can be seen in the nature and quality of the relations which are constituted (Oberholzer et al. 1981 :81).
Van Zyl (1977A: 168-194) gives the characteristics of educational relations. The relation is one of:
unequalness. It is a relation of an adult with an adult-to-be;
*" dialogic. It is not one-sided. Both educator and learner contribute to a constantly changing relationship;
*" trust. Without trust, education would not be possible;
*" love. There is a bond of love;
54 <,
* knowledge;
* risk. Both on the part of the learner and the educator, a chance has to be taken;
mutual creative participation;
authority.
These characteristics are to be found in educational relations and form the-basis of education. It is because of love and trust that the learner is prepared to follow the guidance of the educator. The creation of the proper atmosphere is crucial to the development of the child, and the creation of this atmosphere is primarily dependent on proper educational relations.
2.9.2 The Structures to be Discussed
These relations are completely interconnected, and all are important. However, in this study, the discussion has centred on the contentious issue of authority, and with it the question of discipline and punishment.
2.9.2.1 The Relationship of Authority
Authority is an essential part of the educational Situation. Authority "is a basic problem to education" (Du Plooy and Kilian, 1980:73). The educator is vested with authority. This authority is derived from the following (Gunter, 1982:85):
* the parents. The educator is the representative of the parent; .. * organised society. The educator represents organised society; 55 * parents are charged by God to educate their children and this authority is delegated to the educator;
* an expert in an area of education, as a person with more knowledge than the child.
Authority can be distinguished as falling into one of two categories. A person can be an authority or in authority (Hamm, 1989:121-122):
* an authority: someone who has expertise in some area of knowlsdpe or skill;
* in authority: someone who is placed in a socially sanctioned role which carries with it certain rights and responsibilities;
In education, both forms of authority are relevant. There is more to the notion, but only a brief mention is made here and a few points are written about the relevance of authority to religious education.
Damon (1988:58-60) discusses the distinction between authoritative, authoritarian and permissive patterns of child rearing. The characteristics of each are:
Authoritarian pattern:
* a combination of high control and low clarity;
* shows warmth and nurture;
* expects mature behaviour.
56 Authoritative pattern
* a combination of high control and clear communication;
warmth and nurture;
* expects mature behaviour.
Permissive pattern
* low control;
infrequent maturity demand;
warmth and nurture;
* clear communication.
While there are cultural values and practices that also influence behaviour, the authoritative pattern appears to influence children to be friendly rather than hostile to peers, facilitative rather than disruptive of others' work, and co-operative (Damon, 1988:58). This means that firm authority, allied to warmth, nurture and clear communication with expectations of good behaviour, can lead to children who are socially responsible.
In the area of religious education, authority is crucial. The notion of authority may differ with different religions, but it remains a central factor. Religion usually has a revealed message from God and this could include rules that have to be obeyed.
57 The authority of this revelation would then be paramount. Often, the interpreters of the revelation also carry a "special" authority. For example, the Pope making an ex cathedra pronouncement, would carry the authority of revelation.
The authority of the clergy would differ depending on the influence reserved for its message, but this authority would also be borne by educators.
This would place certain people as an authority, but the power to impose punitive measures would also place people in authority (Barrow and Woods, 1988:92).
2.9.2.2 Criteria for Authority in Education
In education, authority is of two kinds. An educator is an authority, having special knowledge and expertise.
An educator is also in authority, having to establish order in the educational situation. For authority to be successful, it has to be based on trust and knowledge (Du Plooy and Kilian, 1980:75).
For the learner to have a sense of security and confidence, authority must be based on (Damon, 1988:58-60).
* an expectation of correct behaviour;
* firm control;
* clear communication - clear parameters of permissibility.
58 The essence of the educational can be seen in the nature and quality of the relation between educator and learner. If the relations are based on love, trust and understanding, the learner will be prepared to follow the guidance of the educator.
2.10 FORMS OF EDUCATIONAL CONTROL
2.10.1 Discipline
Authority is one of the essential characteristics of the relationship structure of education, but is also a form of control (Gunter, 1982:1491.
It involves a relationship between adult and child where the adult, the educator, gives direction and guidance, provides assistance, approves and disapproves, encourages and discourages, rewards and punishes. The learner is expected to identify, to accept, to follow and to obey (Gunter, 1982:149).
The authority used for the purpose of achieving educational aims is described by Gunter (1982: 149) as "discipline". The exercising of pedagogic authority, that is discipline, is a basic element of education.
Religion requires discipline in many ways. It is based on the idea that we have to exercise restraint so that we receive benefits after death. It requires discipline in fulfilling certain requirements. Most religions have their sets of permissives and prohibitions. They require discipline in abiding by its forms and times of prayers, fasting and other ways of worship. Some of these requirements can be demanding, but religion requires discipline in the form of present self-denial for ultimate reward.
59 Hamm (1 989: 108) regards the central notion of discipline to be submission to rules. The rules could relate to subject matter, manner of learning, organisation of activities or the organisation of the functioning of an institution, or to rules relating to interpersonal behaviour. The discipline could be self-imposed or externally imposed. There are many concepts of discipline, and these often depend on the context. For example, military discipline would imply a strict, observable, hierarchically determined form of control.
Education needs order. Even from a liberal point of view (Hirst and Peters, 1970:123) there is agreement that minimal conditions of order have to be maintained. In any group activity there has to be some form of restraint to allow for co-operative work. Discipline in this sense means present control, exertion or denial for what might be seen as an ultimate benefit.
There are different aspects of discipline. There is external or imposed discipline and there is the ideal of self-discipline. Discipline can be preventative or corrective (Landman et al 1980:151). Preventive discipline is directed towards avoiding wrong. It implies that the educand is urged and led towards the right. Corrective discipline involves notions of control, restraint and ultimately punishment.
2.10.1.1 Standards for the Exercising of Discipline
There are a number of factors to be considered in exercising discipline. Gunter (1982:159-166) lists:
love. Discipline has to be exercised with love. There is need for firm but sympathetic control;
60 '* respect and trust. There should be mutual respect and trust between educator and educand, though the responsibility for creating this respect and trust lies with the educator;
'* allowing freedom and independence. Discipline should only be exercised where there is a need for it;
*" discipline should be dialogic. It should not be arbitrarily imposed. The educator should listen to the concerns of the child, but there are certain limits;
'* being a true friend of the educand. This does not mean familiarity but friendliness and concern;
'* exercising strictness but with tact, wisdom and sympathetic understanding;
'* having a clear, consistent policy and letting the learner know what is expected;
showing by example, leading an exemplary life.
There are further means of encouraging discipline (Gunter, 1982:167-168). "The ... means include the educator's own example, the guidance given, the whole ethos and atmosphere of the school. The direct means include reward, reproof by eye or word or punishment".
Damon (1988:58-60) discusses different patterns of control, and the distinction between the authoritarian, the permissive and the authoritative. The most effective pattern is the authoritative. It is characterized by:
61 * firm control;
* clear communication;
* warmth and nurture;
* expectation of correct behaviour.
2.10.1.2 Criteria for Discipline
From the two views mentioned above, criteria have been derived by taking ideas that are common to both views. Discipline would require:
* submission to rules;
firm control;
a feeling of sympathy and love, which could be termed as "nurture";
* clear rules and parameters.
For reliqious purposes, it is important that there be an internal discipline, that the child learns to exercise restraint because of faith and belief.
2.10.2 Punishment
Punishment as a form of corrective discipline implies the intentional infliction of pain or unpleasantness by someone in authority on an offence for a breach of rules (Hamm, 1989: 111). It is:
62 * intentional, not accidental;
* painful or unpleasant;
* enacted by someone invested with authority;
* inflicted for an offence on an offender.
Punishment is an inextricable part of religion. In Islam, belief in the Day of Judgment is part of faith. The Day of Judgment implies that each person will be judged for deeds in this life, and reward and punishment will be meted out.
"The day when the trumpet is blown ... " (The Holy Our'an, 20:102)
"That day mankind will issue forth in scattered groups to be shown their deeds. And whoso doeth good an atom's weight will see it then. And whoso doeth ill an atom's weight will see it then" (The Holy Our'an, 99:6-8).
The madressa teaches about the Day of Judgment, punishment and reward.
In addition, punishment is a relevant issue in education (Hirst and Peters, 1970:128-130 for example). As the madressa is being educationally evaluated, punishment in the madressa is an issue that has to be considered.
Punishment has many implications and can be classified in many different ways, for example as deterrent, retributive or reformative. There are other differentiations. For example, Kleinig (1982:223) separates punishment (for moral failure) from penalisation (for breaking a rule).
63 · If there is misuse of punishment, it can easily degenerate to abuse and sadism and subvert the educational aim. If overused, it loses its deterrent effect, but there can also be a strong negative effect if there is no punishment. To ensure that punishment serves the purposes of education, criteria have been given. Among these are those of the criteria given by Gunter (1982: 168-172):
*" it must be used to help the child, to serve as a deterrent;
*" the offender must know the reason for the punishment;
*" there must be a clear offence;
*" punishment must be appropriate to the transgression;
*" it must not be inflicted in anger;
the child must not be humiliated;
there must be forgiveness after the punishment.
Hamm (1989: 115) requires that the punishment be predictable, fairly and fittingly enacted, and made public.
While there are schools of thought that discourage all punishment, it should be noted that the punishments of life can be harsh.
Hirst and Peters (1970:128-129) give some ethical views about punishment in education. They concede that it might be necessary, but insist that punishment must be:
*" used for deterrent purposes. Ideally, it would be reformative as well; 64 * predictable; and
* impartial.
The notion of reward and punishment is central to most religions. In some, it is an essential article of faith.
The rewards are not material rewards nor are they immediate. Religion regulates actions by ultimate reward or punishment, and because judgment is after death, it is usually irreversible. Allied to the notion of punishment, however, is the notion of forgiveness. Salvation is always attainable until the moment of death.
This is broad generalisation of the notion of punishment and reward, but is stated to make two points:
religion does not exclude reward and punishment. In fact these, allied with forgiveness, are central to religion;
* this again assumes individual responsibility and accountability.
2.10.2.1 Criteria for Punishment
From the requirements mentioned by the educationist cited here, punishment requires that:
* there be clear demarcations between right and wrong, so that the punishment would be predictable;
* the punishment must be deterrent or reformative but not vengeful;
65 * it must be fair and humane.
2.11 INDOCTRINATION AND MADRESSA EDUCATION
Indoctrination is characterised by the implanting of an unshakable conviction of the truth of a particular proposition. This proposition, according to Barrow and Woods (1988:74), is an unprovable proposition. As religion has certain propositions which have to be accepted as truth by the believer, some educationists have equated religious education with indoctrination:
" ... we are indoctrinating if we are passing on beliefs which we are unable to demonstrate as true" (Gribble, 1969:33).
Thus, according to this argument, what is taught has to be based on "publicly acceptable evidence" (Gribble, 1969:34).
Yet religion requires an acceptance on faith. Islam requires Muslims to "believe in the unseen" (Holy Qur'an, 2:2) and the madressa tries to inculcate this belief. Transmission of a belief, without rational evidence, would be considered to be indoctrination. If madressa instruction is indoctrination, it cannot be evaluated as education, and for this reason it is necessary to establish whether it is education or indoctrination.
To establish this, it is necessary to determine what indoctrination is and then to consider whether madressa instruction is indoctrination or not.
The concept of indoctrination will be examined as well as the features that are central to this concept. Madressa instruction will then be compared to indoctrination.
66 2.11.1 The Concept of Indoctrination
Central to the idea of indoctrination is the implanting of belief in a doctrine (Gribble, 1969:34), but this has not always been the value-laden term it is today. In its original meaning it did not have the negative connotation that implies undesirable influence (Onions, 1962:993). In present usage though, the negative connotations are predominant. As used in relation to education, the general features of indoctrination are (Barrow and Woods, 1988:69-70):
* to cause someone to have an unshakable belief in what are in fact unprovable propositions;
* to use some form of non-rational persuasion to bring about unshakable belief;
* to have a real intention to implant belief.
According to Barrow and Woods (1988:70), a Catholic school is an example of indoctrination. In such a school, all the teachers would be committed Catholics. The aim of the school would be to make the learners committed Catholics with an unshakable faith in the truth of Catholicism. A madressa attempts to fulfil the same task as the Catholic school, and the question would be whether the activities in such a school should be placed in the realm of indoctrination or education. To find an answer, the true nature of indoctrination should be considered.
Indoctrination can be understood by analysing its three components, namely aim, method and content.
67 2.11.2 Indoctrination: Aim
The primary aim of indoctrination is to instil belief in certain ideas, to make these ideas acceptable and to create a firm conviction that these ideas are correct.
According to Schofield (1972: 126), aims are indicative of indoctrination because the indoctrinator deliberately suppresses reason and proof so that the belief can be inculcated. Facts are not allowed to stand in the way of inculcation of belief.
However, aims are not the only component of indoctrination. The aim of the indoctrinator is to create belief, but there is also a body of beliefs, a doctrine, which has to be accepted, and this makes content just as important as belief.
2.11.3 Indoctrination: Content
There are writers who argue that content is the central feature of indoctrination (Arnstine, 1967; Ozmon, 1976). The word itself is derived from "doctrine", which implies a set of beliefs.
It is argued by Barrow and Woods (1988:78-80) that indoctrination teaches a particular set of beliefs as the truth without allowing the mind to be open to any evidence to the contrary. It is also a condition that there be an unshakable belief in what are unprovable propositions. This could be an arguable assertion as education also makes certain assumptions.
They also contend that an individual will be governed by the beliefs and assumptions with which the person has been indoctrinated. All persons are products of their environment but rational persons are able to question their assumptions while indoctrinated persons are not able to do so.
68 In indoctrination, content is unchangeable and receives the greatest emphasis.
Content, though, is not the only component regarded as being important. Barrow and Woods (1988:72-74) contend that method, in addition to content, aim and unshakable commitment, is a necessary component of indoctrination.
2.11.4 Indoctrination: Method
In indoctrination, there are no restraints on method, while in education, procedures of transmission must take the welfare of the learner into account. In indoctrination, it is the achievement of the desired state of mind or unshakable conviction that is important and not the person. Barrow and Woods (1988:90) feel that indoctrination goes against the moral principle enunciated by Kant that every rational being should be an end and not merely a means for arbitrary use by this or that will. Indoctrinators treat people as means to their selfish aims, which could in fact be detrimental to the person being indoctrinated. Thus, for the indoctrinators, any method is acceptable, as long as they achieve their aims.
2.11.5 The Link between Education and Indoctrination
There are certain common features between education and indoctrination. In education, learners are also expected to learn arbitrary rules. According to Smit (1981 :157), many concepts in Mathematics, Science and Geography, for example, are taught without being explained to pupils, especially at an elementary level. To show that not everything taught arbitrarily is unacceptable, Smit (1981 :157) distinguishes between "soft" and "hard" indoctrination.
69 "Soft" indoctrination is part of education. "Hard" indoctrination is unacceptable. There are crucial differences between education (which includes "soft" indoctrination) and "hard" indoctrination. The following comparison shows the most important differences:
Education (and "soft" indoctrination) Indoctrination Opens the mind Closes the mind Considers the interests of the educand Considers the interests of the indoctrinator Leads to the development of the total Leads to the development of belief only person Develops the ability to make choices Requires blind obedience
Smit (1981 :40-51) gives certain criteria for actions considered to be indoctrinatory (free translation):
.. the person is seen as being merely instrumental. The aim of the indoctrinator is more important than the person;
.. beliefs have to be unquestioningly accepted;
.. beliefs do not have to be related to what is generally acceptable;
.. any alternatives conflicting with the desired state are hidden or suppressed;
.. method is controlled by the need for effective transmission of the desired beliefs;
70 * as the method is subsidiary to beliefs, and the aim is more important than the person, there are few restraints on method. Any method is permissible as long as the desired result is obtained.
2.11.6 Criteria to avoid indoctrination
To ensure that the activity represents education and not indoctrination, the following criteria have to be applied:
* the person must not be considered to be merely instrumental. The aim must not become more important than the person;
* the learner must not be made to accept the doctrine unquestioningly. Acceptance must come through conviction and belief on the part of the learner;
* the mind must not be closed to any alternatives;
* there must be restraint on method. Educationally unacceptable methods must not be used;
* the interest of the child must be the primary consideration, not the interest of the educator.
2.11.7 Indoctrination and the Madressa
Madressa education does lay itself open to a charge that it is a form of indoctrination, particularly as the values taught are fixed values, ordained by God, and the child is taught to accept these values unquestioningly. In addition, the central requirement of Islam is the expression of faith, which asserts a belief in
71 God, the existence of angels, the revealed books and the Day of Judgment. This belief has to be accepted completely on faith, without questioning or reservation.
This insistence on faith means that rationality does not receive the greatest importance.
2.11.8 Rationality and Indoctrination
Barrow and Woods (1988) and many others often place the strongest emphasis on rationality in order to distinguish education from indoctrination. Religious instruction is regarded as indoctrination because it does not have the same canons of rationality as other forms of knowledge.
This view, particularly the emphasis on rationality, is open to debate. Relativists question whether there is only one form of rationality. Although today it is the conceptions of the scientific and the rational that are assumed to be the new absolutes, rationality is not always the universally or independently verifiable construct that it is assumed to be.
What represents rationality is a social construction, representing a particular paradigm, rather than a form of universal truth. Kuhn (1970) has described the grip that paradigms exert on scientific, and by extension, rational thought. Therefore, even the teaching of rationality could be described as favouring a particular paradigm.
Thus the emphasis on rationality does not necessarily make the madressa indoctrinatory, but on the other hand, it is evident that the madressa transmits certain set values and a certain view of the world. It inculcates certain patterns of thought and behaviour.
72 2.11.9 Conclusion: Is the Madressa Indoctrinatory?
Although the madressa teaches beliefs, it cannot be considered indoctrinatory because:
the inculcation of religious beliefs is considered to be for the welfare of the child;
* the madressa is merely instrumental in bringing about certain changes in the child. The child is taught so that its actions are pleasing to God, not to the madressa or the organisers of the madressa;
the child is not an object or an instrument. The child's welfare is the main concern;
the method used has to take the nature and needs of the child into account;
* the child is as important as the educator;
* the persons involved in the madressa do not have selfish aims. They are altruistic in that they expend time, effort and money for the welfare of others;
* the madressa desires to serve God, and obey the commands of God to educate children in the "ways of God";
the values taught are discipline, honesty, truth, justice and respect, which are not narrow or selfish values but universal values;
73 '* an important point to remember is that attendance at the madressa is voluntary. Pupils have to pay to attend the madressa.
2.12 THE MADRESSA AND MORAL RELATIVISM
This is an age of permissiveness and many educationists argue that it is not acceptable to impose set values. Learners have to be allowed to create their own values. Damon (1988: 132-136) describes the method of value clarification by which the learner should be allowed to choose from many different alternatives.
This is in strong contrast with religious education in which values are given as ordained by God and cannot be formulated by the individual.
In this section, moral relativism is examined. The position of the madressa with regard to moral relativism is also discussed. It is argued, in this section, that moral relativism is not a tenable position and that the madressa, with its set values, is closer to that which is "worthwhile" and is educationally justifiable.
2.12.1 The Position of Moral Relativism .
It is self-evident that different moral systems have different moral values. Damon (1988: 106) gives an example of such differences.
PATTERNS OF AGREEMENT AND DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN AMERICAN AND HINDU BRAHMIN CHILDREN ABOUT WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG.
Disagreement: Brahmin Children think it is right, American Children think it is wrong:
* caning an errant child;
74 * eating with hands;
* father opening a son's letter.
Disagreement: Brahmin Children think it is wrong, American Children think it is right:
* addressing the father by his first name;
* eating beef.
Moral relativism argues that it would be difficult to say whether anything is correct and therefore all values have to be acceptable. There would be little difficulty in accepting the difference mentioned here, but when it comes to more serious issues, such as widow-burning or human sacrifice, it would not be as easy to be tolerant.
Religious education, whether in a madressa or in any other form, teaches a particular moral system which is regarded as divinely ordained truth. It is not permissible to regard religious rules as subject to human wishes or to relegate religion to "the realm of opinion as opposed to knowledge" (Bloom, 1987:28). Relativism is, however, not always acceptable though it seems to have force in current thought.
Relativism was born out of good intentions. It was a reaction against imposition and cultural imperialism. As all persons insisted that they were right wars, persecutions and other evils arose (Bloom, 1987:26). It is necessary to tolerate diversity, though tolerance itself is a problematic concept (Mendus, 1989:17). Relativism does not merely say that other beliefs should be allowed, it "argues that there are no true beliefs" (Bloom, 1987:28). 75 There are different types of relativism. Young (1981: 5-11) describes moral, conceptual and perceptual relativism and also relativism of truth and relativism of reason. Zecha (1984:6-8) identifies cultural, sociological and descriptive, ethical or normative and meta-ethical relativism. It is not relevant to this study to discuss the different types of relativism, but it is relevant to note that there is strong opposition to moral relativism. Instead of correcting the mistakes of zealots, relativism suggests that there are no mistakes at all.
Zecha (1 984A: 12) insists that there are universal values. Morrow (1982: 103) echoes a similar rejection of relativism, when he labels the relativist stance in morality as "incoherent nonsense".
2.12.2 Moral Relativism and Education
Brezinka (1992:42) argues that an action should be judged as "educational" if it is considered as positive by the persons who bring it about. If Brezinka's postulate were to be accepted, then this study would be unnecessary. Madressa education is obviously considered to be of value by those .who bring it about, and by Brezinka's standards it is already educational.
However, madressa education is not being evaluated by the criteria of being considered worthwhile by its proponents; it is being evaluated against educational criteria.
2.12.3 The Madressa and Moral Relativism
In madressa education, the whole notion of moral relativism is unacceptable. It is a basic belief that canons of right and wrong are defined by God. This does not imply that there must be intolerance (see Chapter Three) or that there must be an imposition of belief: 76 "There is no compulsion in religion" (The Holv Our'an, 2:256).
This point is strongly emphasised:
"I worship not that which ye worship; nor worship ye that which I worship. And I shall not worship that which ye worship. Nor will ye worship that which I worship.
Unto you your religion, and unto me my religion" (The Holy Our'en, 109:2-6)
Islam has fixed standards of rig~t and wrong, and children are taught these standards. The values, as distinct from the rituals of worship though, have more than a limited acceptability. The cornerstones of Islamic practice include (refer to Chapter Three):
'" truth in speech and action;
'" justice in all one's dealings;
respect, which includes respect for parents, for elders, for children, for the environment and for other religions;
mercy and torqiveness:
'" ultimate accountability for all one's actions.
77 While beliefs among people differ, it would be difficult to argue that these values have no universal worth. If madressa education succeeds in transmitting these values, it would, without a doubt, produce moral and good persons.
2.13 SUMMARY
The concept of education, its components, and the madressa have been examined in this chapter. From the examination, the following criteria for the evaluation of madressa instruction can be established:
The Structure of the Educational Situation
The educational structure is comprised of an educator and educand. It is directed towards an aim and uses content and method to achieve that aim. Important also are relationship and control. The educational situation is in a context of space and time.
The criteria summarized here are only those that are. relevant to the context of the madressa:
Criteria for Aims in Education
Aims are dependent on the world-view of the community. The norms and values of the community concerned have to be kept in mind.
These aims should be compatible with general educational principles.
Education should prepare a child to lead a life of virtue.
78 * A life of virtue implies a concern for a person's own wellbeing as well as a concern for the common good.
* This concern for the common good requires that learners must develop a positive and moral attitude to all human beings. This in turn would require that actions be based on truth, justice, respect and other positive moral values.
Criteria for Content in Education
* The content must be directed towards achieving a specified aim.
* Relevant concepts rather than isolated facts should be acquired.
* The learning material must be graded according to the level of the learner.
* The learner should understand and appreciate the character of the knowledge.
'* This knowledge should form the basis of the activities of ordinary life.
Criteria for Method
'* The level of the learner must be taken into account.
There has to be active participation by the learner.
iI· The interest of the learner should be aroused.
'* The educator has to show an interest in, and a respect for, each learner.
79 '* Learners should go beyond the subject matter to get a grip on the reality of the world. The learner must be able to apply it to the situations that occur in life.
The learner must act on the knowledge that has been acquired; knowledge and action should not be separated.
Desirable Attributes in an Educator
The educator should have:
:,(. love and respect for the child;
a love of the subject;
a love of the task;
'* the empathy to understand the child's situation;
a belief in the values being taught;
'* a desire to live a life that shows these values in practice.
It should be kept in mind that the personality, approach and attributes of the educator are of crucial importance.
The Nature and Needs of the Child
'* The child is helpless and needs help to:
80 fulfil its potentialities;
give meaning to its world;
distinguish between right and wrong.
*" The needs of the child are:
order, authority, discipline, obedience and punishment;
liberty, initiative, freedom of choice and opinion;
responsibility, risk, competence, recognition and new experiences;
honour, self-respect, self-esteem, praise, acceptance and security;
hierarchism and equality;
private and collective property;
religiosity (a need to believe in a Superior Being).
Criteria for Authority
The educator:
*" must have knowledge and expertise as educator and of his subject;
*" there must be trust, respect and understanding between educator and educand; 81 * there has to be an expectation of correct behaviour;
* firm control is required;
* clear communication is needed with clear limits of permissibility;
* love, trust and understanding are essential elements in relations of authority, as well as in discipline and punishment.
Criteria for Discipline
* There has to be firm control, tempered by love, sympathy and understanding.
* There should be "nurturance".
Clear rules and parameters are required.
Discipline should be internalised so that it becomes self-discipline.
This internal discipline should lead to the exercising of self-control because of faith and belief.
Criteria for Punishment
* There has to be a clear demarcation between right and wrong;
* The punishment should be fair and humane;
* Punishment should not be vengeful, but deterrent or reformative; 82 * It must be consistent and predictable;
In addition to establishing criteria for education, two issues have been considered in this chapter:
* the madressa and moral relativism;
* is madressa education indoctrinatory?
It was concluded that madressa education is not indoctrinatory because of the following:
* the welfare of the child, not of the educator, is the main consideration;
* the method considers the needs and nature of the child;
* the persons involved are not selfish but altruistic;
* children are educated in the "ways of God";
* values such as honesty, truth, justice and respect are taught and these are universal values.
The madressa does not accept moral relativism. While there is respect for the beliefs of others, right and wrong are taught as defined by God.
The actual practices of the madressa are examined in Chapter Six.
83 CHAPTER THREE
THE PRINCIPLES OF ISLAM
3.1 AIMS AND CONCEPT CLARIFICATION
3.1.1 Aims of this Chapter
The madressa owes its existence to the religion of Islam. The primary purpose of the madressa is to teach children to become good Muslims, that is, to fulfil the requirements of the religion.
To assess whether the activities of the madressa are educationally justifiable, it is necessary to know what the madressa teaches and why this is taught. For this reason, it is necessary to know the requirements of the religion. It then becomes evident whether educational principles do in any way contradict the principles of the religion.
An understanding of the principles of Islam makes it clear that the need for the madressa, or something similar, is embedded in the religion. This aspect is further expanded upon in Chapter Four.
3.1.2 Concept Clarification
Islam: Islam is an Arabic word. The root word salima means to be "safe, unharmed, unimpaired, secure ... " (Wehr, 1971 :424). This can be summarised to mean "peace". From the original root, Islam has assumed primarily the meaning of a submission to the will of God or Allah.
84 Allah: Allah is synonymous with God. Believers prefer the term "Allah" as it has connotations that are a little different from those associated with "God", but as most translators use the term God, both these terms are used in the study.
Muslim: Muslim means a believer in Islam, a person who has submitted to the will of Allah.
3.2 SOURCES OF ISLAMIC LAW
"The kind of society that a community builds for itself depends fundamentally upon its belief as to the nature and purpose of the universe and the place of the human soul within it" (Gibbs, 1954:86-87).
The Muslim code of existence is embodied in the shariah or revealed law. This is not just a narrow religious law, it is an all-embracing body of religious duties, the totality of Allah's commands that regulate the life of a Muslim in all its aspects" (Schacht, 1971 :4).
3.2.1 The Primary Sources of Islamic Law
The Qur'an: The Qur'an is the ultimate authority in Islam. It is the very word of God, revealed to the prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) lover a period of twenty three years.
According to Islam, it is proper to recite "peace be upon him" (abbreviated to P.B.U.H.) when a prophet's name is mentioned.
85 The Our'an was revealed in Arabic and the reading and recitation of it is considered an act of vvorship.f
Many Muslims believe that the Holy Our'an cannot be adequately translated. This view is supported by Muslim translators of the Holy Our'an such as Pickthall (Translator's Foreword) and A. Y. Ali. Pickthall calls his translation an explanatory translation which is rendered almost literally but he argues that no translation can equal "that inimitable symphony, the very sounds of which move men to tears and ecstasy" (Pickthall's Foreword). The quotations in this study are from Pickthall's translation.
The Holy Our'an is treated with reverence by Muslims and it is an important part of Muslim religious practice that children learn to read and recite in the original Arabic. Understanding it in Arabic is not considered to be as important. The Holy Our'an is the first primary source of Islamic law (Dol, 1984:21).
The Sunnah or Hadith: Next in importance to the Holy Our/en is the Sunnah or Hadith. These two words are used interchangeably, though there is a distinction. Briefly, Sunnah is what was practised and Hadith is the record of the practice (Robson, 1963:1).
The Hadith is the record of the prophet Muhammad's (P.B.U.H.) deeds, words, and his tacit approval or disapproval of other people's deeds or words. The Sunnah is next in importance after the Holy Our/en and derives its importance from the Holy Our'an. The Hadith is the second primary source of Islamic law (Doi, 1984:45).
2 The Holy Our'an was revealed from about the year 610 A.D. The translation by Pickthall used in this study was printed in 1989. As these two dates differ, no dates are given in the references. The divisions used are surah and ayah. Thus 56:77 means surah 57, ayah 77.
86 "0 you who believe! Obey Allah and His messenger" {The Holy Our'an, 8:20}.
"Even as we have sent you a messenger from among you who ... teacheth you the Scripture and wisdom, and teacheth you that which you knew not" (The Holy Our'an, 2: 151).
The Hadith is the second primary source of Islamic law {Doi, 1984:45).3
3 The Hadith was compiled after a rigorous process, and the works of six
compilers are regarded by most Muslims as being the most authoritative. The ones most often referred to are the Sahih of Muslim and the Sahih of Bukhari. The Sahih of Muslim was translated from the Arabic AH Siddiqi published in 1972 and the Sahih of Bukhari, translated by M H Khan and published in Saudi Arabia, undated. These two works are referred to by the name of the compilers, Muslim or Bukhari, the volume and the page numbers. The Mishkat ~ al-Masabih is a collection of Hadith from the main compilers by al-Baghawi.
87 3.2.2 The Secondary Sources of Islamic Law
There are other sources of Islamic law. The most important are ijma, qiyas, ijtihad and istihsan. There are jurists who regard ijma and qiyas as primary sources, but the writers whose views have been considered for this study (Doi. 1984; Rahim, 1911; Ramadan, 1961) consider ijma and qiyas to be secondary sources.
The secondary sources are "derived from the legal injunctions of the Qur'an. Even any Hadith which goes contrary to the Gur'an is not considered authentic" (Doi, 1984:64). The secondary sources must, therefore be based first on the Our'an and then on the Hadith.
The most important secondary sources are (Doi, 1984:64):
* ijma: consensus of the opinion of the ulema, people learned in Islamic law;
* qiyas: analogical deduction. The legal principle introduced to arrive at a logical conclusion. It must be based on the Qur'an, Hadith and ijma;
* ijtihad: independent judgment. It was exercised during the first three centuries of Islam. Afterwards the legal decisions of a madhab (school of jurisprudence) had to be adopted;
* istihsan (or istislah or masalih): public interest. When something is not covered by other sources, the theory of law can be formulated according to the best interest of the person concerned and the community.
Most of these have a measure of controversy about them and there is agreement that ijtihad, which is particularly controversial, is liable to error.
88 It should also be noted that while a law may be applied by courts, salvation is an individual matter, a matter of conscience. "Pray unto me and I will hear your prayer" (The Holy Our'an, 40:60). "There is an influence by people learned in Islamic law but no one is sanctioned to speak on behalf of Islam. There are no institutional bodies which can make final rulings.
The primary sources of Islamic law have been used in this thesis to set out the theoretical foundations of Islam.
3.3 ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
Islam as a religion is strictly monotheistic, with a Creator God, revelation and prophecy. God is central to all, everything is created by God and everything has to submit to Him.
To allow for an understanding of the Muslim view of the attributes of God, some extracts from the Holy Our'an are given (with surah and ayah in brackets). The first is the opening surah of the Holy Our'an. If a Muslim performs all five compulsory daily prayers in full, then this surah would be recited forty eight times a day.
The Opening (1: 1-7) "In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
1. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. 2. The Beneficent, the Merciful. 3. Owner of the Day of Judgment. 4. Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help. 5. Show us the straight path.
89 6. The path of those whom Thou hast favoured. 7. Not (the path) of those who earn thine anger nor of those who go astray".
Surah 2:255 "Allah! There is no God save Him, the Alive, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep overtaketh Him. Unto Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that intercedeth with Him save by His leave? He knoweth that which is in front of them and that which is behind them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge save what He will. His throne includeth the heavens and earth and He is never weary of preserving them. He is the Sublime, the Tremendous.
Surah 112:1-4 "Say: He is Allah, the One Allah, the eternally Besought of all. He begetteth not nor was begotten. And there is none comparable to Him".
Surah 53:3 " ... thy Lord is of vast mercy" (53:32).
Surah 6: 103 "Vision comprehendeth Him not, but He comprehendeth (all) vision. He is the Subtile, the Aware".
"
90 The writings in Islam on the qualities of God are voluminous, but His qualities may be summarised by saying that God is omniscient, ali-powerful, just, forgiving and merciful. God is not a body possessing form or substance. God is eternal, without any beginning or any end, the first and the last. God hears everything and sees everything. Nothing is beyond God's knowledge or power.
3.4 COSMOLOGY
God is the Creator. Everything that exists is of God's creation. Nothing in the universe escapes the knowledge of God.
Surah 2:164 "La in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of night and day, and the ships which run upon the sea with that which is of use to men, and the water which Allah sendeth down from the sky. Thereby reviving the earth after its death, and dispersing all kinds of beasts therein, and (in) the ordinance of the winds, and the clouds obedient between heaven and earth: are signs (of Allah's sovereignty) for people who have sense".
Surah 10:32 "Who provideth for you from the sky and the earth, or who owneth hearing and sight; and who bringeth forth the living from the dead and bringeth forth the dead from the living; and who directeth the course? They will say: Allah".
Surah 17:44 "The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein praise Him, and there is not a thing but hymneth his praise. La! He is ever Clement, Forgiving".
God is thus the Almighty Creator, above everything, and everything animate and inanimate hymn His praise. 91 3.5 ANTHROPOLOGY
God created humanity. The first human being was Adam.
Surah 2:30-38 "And when thy Lord said to the angels: Lo! I am about to place a viceroy in the earth ... And He taught Adam all the names ... And when God said unto the angels: Prostrate yourselves before Adam, they fell prostrate, all save lblis. He demurred through pride, and so became a disbeliever. And We said: 0 Adam! Dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden and eat ye freely (of the fruit) ... but come not nigh this tree lest ye become wrongdoers. But Satan caused them to deflect therefrom and expelled them from the (happy) state in which they were; and We said: Fall down, one of you a foe unto the other! There shall be for you on earth a habitation and provision for a time. Then Adam received from his Lord words (of revelation), and He relented toward him ... We said: Go down, all of you, from hence; but verily there cometh unto you from Me a guidance; and whose followeth My guidance, there shall be no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve".
Human beings will be subjected to temptation. Satan (also called Iblis) will try to lure them into error.
Surah 7: 16-1 7 " ... Now, because Thou hast sent me astray, verily I shall lurk in ambush for them on Thy Right Path. Then I shall come upon them from before them and from behind them and from their right hands and from their left hands ... ". 92 Human beings are susceptible to error, "for man was created weak" (The Holy Our'an, 4:28), but it is everyone's duty to remember the Creator, to strive for the good, to be patient. "0 ye who believe! Endure, outdo all others in endurance, be ready, and observe your duty to Allah, in order that ye may be successful" (The Holy Our'an, 3:200).
Human beings do not bear any inherited sin: "For it (is only) that which it hath earned, and against it (only) that which it hath deserved" (The Holy Our'an, 2:286). As vicegerents, humanity always has to keep God's guidance in mind. It has been given dominion on earth, "He it is Who created for you all that is on earth" (The Holy Our'an 2:29) but this power has been given as a trust and there is a final accountability. On the Day of Judgment, every soul will find itself confronted with all that it hath done of good and all that it hath done of evil ..." (The Holy Our'an, 3:30).
God has given mankind a gift, and mankind has to show its gratitude. In fact, the root of the word "kufr" which is disbelief, is derived from the Arabic word for ingratitude. The gifts are in the form of an "emeneh", a trust, and a time will be appointed when an account will have to be rendered regarding this trust. "La! the Hour is surely coming ... " (20: 15).
3.6 ETHICS AND SOCIAL RELATIONS
Muslims have certain obligations. Essential to being a Muslim is faith (iman). To be regarded as a Muslim, the profession of faith, "I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) is the messenger of Allah" is essential. Once there is this expression of faith, a person has to be accepted as a Muslim (Wensinck, 1965:30-34). However, while faith is essential to salvation, it is not the only requirement. The full expression of faith requires that a person must (Bukhari, Vol 1: 15):
93 * affirm a belief in Allah, His angels, His messengers (P.B.U.T.), His revealed Books, the Day of Judgment;
* affirm a belief in Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) as a messenger of Allah;
* establish the obligatory prayer;
* pay the poor tax (zakat);
* observe the fast of Ramadan;
* perform the pilgrimage (Hajj.
Although this is regarded as being a full expression of faith, there are many gradations to faith and there are other requirements of faith as well:
"Hast thou observed him who belieth religion? That is he who repelleth the orphan. And urgeth not the feeding of the needy. Ah, woe unto worshippers Who are heedless of their prayer Who would be seen (at worship) Yet refuse small kindnesses" (The Holy Our'en, 107:1-7).
The following are included among the many other actions which are part of belief. (Bukhari, Vol 1: 15-48; Muslim, Vol 1, 3-44):
94 * Modesty, scruples, self-respect. * Not harming others by tongue or deed. * Not harming neighbours. * Desiring for fellow Muslims what one desires for oneself. * The removal of something injurious from another's path. * Not carrying tales. * Not having pride. * Keeping promises. * Not betraying a trust. * Being just. * Being truthful.
3.6.1 Technical Classification of Actions
Human actions can be classified in a number of different ways:
* Fard (or compulsory). This again is divided into two categories, fard ayn (obligatory on an individual) and fard-kifayah (obligatory on a community).
* Wajib. Something that is obligatory or worthy to be obeyed.
* Sunnah. Something that was done or approved by the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.). It would be considered a meritorious action.
* Mustahabb (better or preferred). This brings reward but failure is not punishable.
95 * Halaal (lawful). This applies to all things that are permitted but connotations of the term go beyond that which is just legally permissible and carry implications of being pure and praiseworthy. The term used for "what is merely permissible" is "jaiz".
* Makruh. This applies to something that carries disapproval. There is "makruh tanzih" and "makruh tahrim". The second category is close to being forbidden.
* Haram. Forbidden.
3.6.2 The Concept of Duties and Rights
Islamic practice is based on an emphasis on duties rather than on rights. "0 ye who believe! Fulfil your undertakings" (The Holy Our'an, 5: 1). Each person is individually accountable to God, and one can only be accountable for one's own actions, not for those of another... Whatever rights a person has, those rights constitute someone else's duties, and that person is answerable for any dereliction of duty.
3.6.3 Cornerstones of Islamic Ethics and Social Relations
Although there are many values that form an integral part of Islam, among the most important are justice, truth, respect, mercy and forgiveness. The importance of these aspects will be mentioned here, with exhortations from the Our'an and examples from the Hadith.
3.6.3.1 Justice
God is a just God, "maintaining His creation in justice" (The Holy Qur'an,3: 18).
96 Every person will be fully rewarded or punished for whatever deeds have been done:
"And We set a just balance for the Day of Resurrection so that no soul is wronged in aught" (The Holy Our'en 16:90).
The idea of justice is a fundamental consideration and overrides many other considerations such as the duty to parents':
"0 ye who believe! Be ye staunch in justice, witnesses for Allah, even though it be against yourselves or (your) parents or (your) kindred, whether (the case be of) a rich man or a poor man, for Allah is nearer unto both (The Holy Qur'an 4: 135).
So fundamental a consideration is justice that it is repeated every week at the end of the important Friday sermon.
"Lo! Allah enjoineth justice and kindness, and giving to kinsfolk, and forbiddeth lewdness and abomination and wickedness. He exhorteth you in order that ye may take heed" (The Holy Our'en, 16:90).
3.6.3.2 Truth
As important as the essential requirement of justice is the requirement of truth.
"Lo! '" men who obey and women who obey, and men who speak the truth and women who speak the truth. Allah hath prepared for them forgiveness and a vast reward" (The Holy Qur'an, 33:35).
97 There are many other calls for people to be truthful. Only two from the many in the Our'an are mentioned:
"0 ye who believe! Be careful of your duty to Allah and be with the truthful" (The Holy Our'en, 9: 119).
"La! those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah's covenant and their oaths, they will have no portion in the Hereafter" (3:77).
The same emphasis on the truth is found in the Hadith:
"There are three signs of the hypocrite:
1. whenever he talks, he tells a lie; 2. whenever he is entrusted, he proves dishonest; 3. whenever he promises, he breaks his promise".
" ... he i.e. Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) ordered you ... to establish the prayer; to speak the truth, to be chaste, to keep promtses and to pay back trusts" (Bukhari, Vol 3:54).
There are many other injunctions to honesty, either generally or with regard to specific areas such as the property of orphans, marriage or trade. The whole basis of a person's conduct requires honesty and sincerity, and without truthfulness one is not likely to find salvation.
3.6.3.3 Honesty in Trade
Honesty and truth are cardinal requirements in all a person's activities, but have been especially emphasised in trade.
98 · "Woe unto the defrauders" (The Holy Our'an, 83: 1).
Honesty with regard to weights and measures has been repeatedly stressed:
"Give full measure and full weight in justice" (The Holy Our'an, 6: 153). "Fill the measure when ye measure, and weigh with a right balance ... " (The Holy Our'an, 17:35),
There are many other requirements to ensure fair dealing in trade (Bukhari, Vol 3:163-190; Muslim, Vol 3:797-848):
* a person is required to be easy and generous in bargaining;
* any defects in goods have to be made clear;
* a sale can be cancelled by either buyer or seller until one has left the place of transaction;
* there should be no attempt to deceive;
* harmful goods cannot be sold.
The underlying principle is that all one's affairs should be guided by concern and truth.
99 3.6.3.4 Respect
Respect could be defined and classified in different ways. The meaning used here could approximate to "regard or esteem felt or shown towards a person or thing" (Onions, 1962:1717). Islam requires, among others, respectful behaviour towards everyone, respect for parents, respect for one's body and respect for other religions.
Human beings were created at God's command. Physical form and function passed through different stages of development and became the human form, body and mind (The Holy Our'an, 23: 12-16). Whatever a human being has received, has been received as a form of trust. It must be respected and not abused. Intoxicants have been forbidden (The Holy Our'en, 5:90) as they show disrespect for the gift of the body. Cleanliness is a requirement. Moderation should be exercised with regard to everything, even prayer. Modesty and humility are important:
"Be modest in thy bearing and subdue thy voice" (The Holy Our'an, 31 :19). "Turn not thy cheek in scorn toward folk, nor walk with pertness in the land. Lo! Allah loveth not each braggart boaster" (The Holy Our'an, 31 :18).
3.6.3.4.1 Respect for the Environment
In the same way that human beings have been created, God has created everything else in the world, and His creations have to be treated with respect. We are allowed to use what God has placed at our disposal.
100 " eat and drink but be not prodigal. La! He loveth not the prodigal" (The Holy Our'an, 7:31).
It is constantly stressed that God created the world for use, but limits must be maintained:
"He hath created man, He hath taught him utterance. The sun and the moon are made punctual. The stars and the trees adore. And the sky He hath uplifted; and He hath set the measure, That ye exceed not the measure (The Holy Our'an, 55:3-8).
"And of mankind these is he ... his effort in the land is to make mischief therein and to destroy the crops and cattle; and Allah loveth not mischief" (The Holy Our'an, 2:204-205).
3.6.3.4.2 Respect for Life
Life has been given by God and it is forbidden to take away life:
"One of the evil deeds with bad consequences from which there is no escape for the one who is involved in it is to kill someone unlawfully" (Bukhari, Vol 9:2).
"Whoso slayeth a believer of set purpose, his reward is Hell for ever" (The Holy Our'an, 4:93).
" whosoever killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whose saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind" (The Holy Our'an, 5:32). 101 Taking life is permitted only during a just war, or for a crime that requires execution. In some cases, the relatives of the murdered person have the choice of accepting compensation:
"The life for the life .,. But whoso forgoeth it (in the way of charity) it shall be an expiation for him" (The Holy Our'en, 5:45).
3.6.3.4.3 Respect for Property
In the way that life is to be respected, the property of others is also to be respected. Any dishonesty is reprehensible. Theft or fraud are major sins. Apart from accountability after death, punishment in this world is also prescribed.
According to Muslim (Vol 3:907ff), a thief's hand should be cut off, but there are restrictions. There have to be at least two reliable witnesses and the guilt must be clearly established. A starving person having to steal is an indictment of the ruler, not a case of theft.
For those in need, assistance should be obtained in other ways. There are many exhortations to charity and zakat, the poor tax, is compulsory.
The punishment of cutting off a hand may be considered harsh, but the Islamic view considers the welfare of the community and not only that of the transgressor, while the psychological view tries to understand the transgressor, but it would be difficult to argue that the psychological approach has been successful.
102 3.6.3.4.4 Respect for Parents
Respect for one's parents is a very important issue in Islam.
"Thy Lord hath decreed, that ye worship none save Him and (that ye show) kindness to parents. If one or both attain old age with thee, say not fie unto them nor repulse them, but speak unto them a gracious word" (The Holy Our'an, 17:23).
Both parents are to be honoured, but a mother occupies a much higher position than the father.
"Someone asked the Prophet: 'Who deserves my service most after God?' The Prophet said, 'Your mother'. The person asked again: 'And who is next?' The Prophet said, 'Your mother'. The man asked further, 'And who is next?'. The Prophet replied, 'Your mother'. The man asked once more, 'And who is next?'. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Your father'" (Abdul-Rauf, 1977:25, quoting a hadith by Ibn Majah).
"Paradise is at the feet of the mothers" (Abdul-Rauf, 1977:25, quoting a hadith) .
3.6.3.4.5 Respect for Other Religions
A Muslim is expected to be staunch in belief, but also has to respect the beliefs of others. Belief cannot be forced. "There is no compulsion in religion" (The Holy Our'an, 2:256).
103 Fanaticism is discouraged. "Do not exaggerate in your religion" (The Holy Our'an, 4: 171). Kindness must be shown to all. "Allah forbiddeth you not those who warred not against you on account of religion and drove you not out from your homes, that you should show them kindness and deal justly with them, Lo! Allah loveth the just dealers" (The Holy Our'an, 60:8).
The beliefs of others must always be respected:
"Revile not those unto whom they pray ... " (The Holy Our'an, 6: 1091.
While all religions have to be respected, there is a special respect for the People of the Book (Jews and Christians). There could be found, in the hearts of the followers of Jesus (P.B.U.H.) "compassion and mercy" (The Holy Our'an, 57:27).
3.6.3.4.5.1 Islam and Christianity
Those who believe in the religion which was revealed to Abraham (P.B.U.H.) and are not idolaters are accorded a particular respect.
"Lo! those who believe, and those who are Jews, and Sabaeans, and Christians - Whoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and doeth right there shall be no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve" (The Holy Our'an, 5:69).
Christians are not regarded as disbelievers, but an important provision implies that belief alone is not sufficient; good actions are also required.
104 According to Holt (1970: vol 2B: XIV-XV), there are similarities and differences. Islam and Christianity are both monotheistic, with a historical founder and a sacred book. However, there are substantial differences in the theology.
In Christianity, acceptance of Christ has been the basic criterion. In Islam, acceptance of God as the sole Deity has been an expression of faith, but faith without action is not sufficient (cf. 3.6). Islam accepts Jesus (P.B.U.H.) as an important prophet, but regards Mohammed (P.B.U.H.) as being of greater importance. Christianity does not accept Mohammed (P.B.U.H.) as a prophet. However, there are also a remarkable number of similarities. Christians would not have much disagreement with the cosmology and ethical requirements of Islam. The major difference is that Islam does not accept the Trinity and the concept of original sin and salvation. For Islam, salvation depends on individual belief and actions.
3.6.3.5 Mercy and Forgiveness
Another quality that is repeatedly stressed in Islam is mercy and forgiveness. "Merciful" and "Forgiving" are among the attributes of God most frequently mentioned.
It is Islamic practice to begin any act by mentioning God, and the words "beneficent" and "merciful" are always added, to make the invocation: "In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful".
"Allah is of infinite bounty" (The Holy Our'an, 3:74). "Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful" (The Holy Qur'an, 3:89).
105 This idea is repeated very often, "Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins" (The Holy Our'an, 39: 53).
In the way that God is merciful, human beings are also urged to be forgiving:
"And vie one with another for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth prepared for those who control their wrath and are forgiving toward mankind; Allah loveth the good" (3:133-134).
"A kind word with forgiveness is better than almsgiving followed by injury. Allah is Absolute, Clement" (2:263).
Even in the case of a killing, mercy is urged. Thus while punishment is a part of Islam, there is great merit in forgiveness.
3.6.3.6 Other Values in Islam
There are many aspects of life on which guidance has been given. Only a few are mentioned, chosen somewhat arbitrarily.
3.6.3.6.1 The Status of Women
Before the advent of Islam, women were considered to be objects, possessions which could be inherited, and the birth of a daughter was considered a disgrace. Baby girls were often buried alive (The Holy Our'an, 81 :8-9).
Islam changed the status of women. Instead of being inherited (The Holy Our'an, 3:19), they became persons who could inherit.
106 "Unto the men (of a family) belongeth a share of that which parents and near kindred leave, and unto women a share .,. (The Holy Our'an, (4:7).
Women became equal individuals, accountable in their own right for their own actions.
"Whosoever doeth right, whether male or female "(The Holy Our'an, 16:97).
"We have created you male and female, '" Lo! the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct ... " (The Holy Our'an, 49: 13).
Women and men are different, but not unequal. Both are separate individuals, have duties assigned to them and are accountable. Polygamy is permitted, but is subject to very strict conditions.
A woman has the right to her own property (The Holy Our'an, 4:32), which remains hers after marriage. She retains her maiden name.
In terms of duty and respect from children, the mother is ranked much higher than the father.
3.6.3.6.2 Dress
As far as Islam is concerned, a person should be clean and tidy and dress decently. Clothing can be for beautification but its main purpose is to cover the body.
"We have revealed unto you raiment to conceal your shame and splendid vesture ... " (The Holy Our'an, 7:26).
107 Clothing should be used but restraint has to be exercised.
"Look to your adornments ." but be not prodigal" (The Holy Our'an, (7:31).
The minimum requirements (Hughes, 1885:92-99), in public:
For men: the body should be covered from above the navel to below the knee, but it is advisable that the body be fully covered, except for the face and hands. The head should have a covering. The feet from the ankles should not be covered.
For women: the whole body should be covered, except for the face and hands. Depending on the situation, it is suggested that it might be preferable for the face to be veiled.
It is an important point for some Muslims that they dress differently from non Muslims and keep to the style of clothes considered to be according to Sunnah.
Ostentation and pride are strongly condemned:
"Allah loveth not all prideful boasters" (The Holy Our'an, 57:23).
The Hadith also condemns pride in dress:
"Allah will not look at the person who drags his garment (behind him) out of conceit" (Bukhari, Vol 7:454).
With dress then, beautification is allowed, but pride and ostentation are discouraged. Decency is important. 108 3.7 CONCLUSION
3.7.1 The Function of the Madressa
It is the madressa's function to teach children to be good Muslims. Muslim children, therefore, have to acquire knowledge of the requirements of the religion and also have to be taught to fulfil their duties and obligations as Muslims.
It is thus essential for the madressa to teach the fundamental principles of Islam. These fundamental principles and requirements, summarised from the discussion in this chapter, are as follows:
* to be a Muslim, a person has to express faith and belief in God and in Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) as his apostle. A better expression of faith includes belief in the angels, all the messengers, the revealed books and the Day of Judgment;
* faith has also to be shown through actions. These actions include worship, but also include not harming others, exercising justice and being truthful;
* a Muslim has to believe that God is omniscient, omnipotent, knows and sees everything, and is just and merciful;
* human beings were created by God and placed on earth as vicegerents. Everything on earth can be used, but an account will have to be rendered for misuse. As we have been given everything as a gift from God, we have to be grateful to God for his bounties. God has to be constantly remembered through prayers, fasting, charity, pilgrimage, and by keeping all our actions within the limits ordained by God;
109 * the cornerstones of Islam are justice, truth, respect and mercy;
* God is a just God, and everybody will be treated with justice, but this justice will be tempered by tcrqlveness and mercy. Muslims are required to be just and forgiving as well as truthful in all their dealings. Respect is also required: respect for life, property, parents, other religions and other people;
* women have a different role from men, but are equal in status. Decency, modesty and cleanliness, not show and ostentation are the norms for dress.
. To behave according to the code defined by Islam, a Muslim has to acquire knowledge of right and wrong, according to Islam, and also has to develop the will and discipline to do what is right.
It is the madressa's task to provide this knowledge and to contribute towards creating the will and the discipline.
3.7.2 The Principles of Islam and Educational Justifiability
The purpose of this research is to investigate the educational justifiability of the madressa system of religious instruction. The principles and requirements of Islam constitute the content of madressa instruction. It is the task of the madressa to transmit these principles and requirements.
Although people of different religious persuasions obviously hold different religious beliefs, the values of truth, justice, respect and mercy which are a part of Islam have universal application.
110 It is imperative for a Muslim to be aware of the high ethical demands made by the religion and for this purpose religious instruction has become essential.
The principles of Islam and the values which the madressa has to transmit cannot, in any way, be considered incompatible with the criteria for education defined in the previous chapter. According to those criteria, the principles and values transmitted by the madressa are educationally justifiable.
111 CHAPTER FOUR
ISLAM AND EDUCATION
4.1 AIM OF THIS CHAPTER
The madressa is a practical activity and exists to transmit religious knowledge. However, whatever is done in a madressa is based on certain theoretical and philosophical foundations.
This chapter aims at exploring the theoretical and philosophical bases of Islamic education. The madressa system owes its existence to Islam's views about the need for Muslims to acquire knowledge.
4.2 FOUNDATIONS OF ISLAMIC EDUCATION
God fashioned human beings and the spirit of God was placed in human beings. "So, when I have made him and have breathed into him my spirit .. , " (The Holy Our'an, 15:29). ' This spirit of God makes a person not only a physical and psychological being but also a spiritual being. Human beings have an innate disposition to worship God (Haren and Mohamed, 1989:5). Worship in Islam is an all-embracing concept and is not confined to "prayers and litanies" (AI-Zarqa, 1975:111). Every virtuous action which is intended to please God is considered an act of worship.
The Holy Our'an is the ultimate authority in Islam. It is the very word of God, revealed through His messager, the prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.).
112 For a person to ensure that an action is pleasing to God or not, it is necessary that there be knowledge. This necessity for knowledge is central to Islam. God sent His prophets and revelations to teach people what is right.
"Our Lord! And raise up in their midst a messenger ... who '" shall instruct them in the scripture and make them grow" (The Holy Our'en, 2:128-129).
This task of instructing was passed down from the prophets to every Muslim:
"And there may spring from you a nation who invite to goodness, and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency. Such are they who are successful" (The Holy Our'en, 3:104).
In instruction, as in charity and all obligations, a person's first duty is to those who are closest:
"0 ye who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire ... " (The Holy Our'en, 6:407).
This makes teaching one's children an inescapable duty and the creation of a madressa is a fulfilment of that duty.
113 4.2.1 The Processes of Knowledge
Ibn Khaldun (1377:333-336)2 gives a description of processes involved in
acquiring knowledge.
God gave people the ability to think and this distinguishes human beings from animals. All creatures have perception, a consciousness on the part of the perceiver. Perception gives a consciousness of things through the physical senses, but people are also conscious of essences through the ability to think, which is beyond the mere sensory. The mind abstracts other pictures that are beyond sense perception and the mind can also make analyses and syntheses.
Thought can be of different levels and degrees. The first involves knowing and understanding things that exist in the world. The second degree involves the ability to think, to have ideas and apperceptions. It involves the experimental intellect. The third degree involves hypothetical knowledge, knowledge beyond sense perception or practical activity. It is considered to be the speculative intellect, consisting of both perception and apperception.
Thinking perceives the order of things; it considers reasons, causes, conditions, a causal nexus at different levels for different people. Actions also materialise through a process of thought.
Ibn Khaldun' (d. 1406) best-known work is the "Muqaddimah" (prolegomena or introduction) and is devoted mainly to history, but has a section on education. It was written around 1377 A.D.
114 According to Iqbal 3 (Saiyidain, 1977:89-90) knowledge is first obtained through the senses then through direct realisation. The ultimate stage cannot be encompassed within the consciousness. This final stage, inspired by religion, is termed "Love" or "intuition". It is intuitive perception by the heart which gives meaning to life and makes the intellect a source of blessing. Knowledge then involves intellect, activity and intuition or love.
There are many other writers who have attempted to establish a basis of knowledge, but central to all ideas is that knowledge is always related to God as its source, and that the uses of knowledge must lead to the fulfilment of God's purposes.
Education should consider a person as an individual. This individuality is a real entity, which has to be nurtured and strengthened. Iqbal feels that individuality is a Our'enic concept. It is not a datum, but an achievement. It is "fruit of constant strenuous effort in and against the forces of cultural environment as well as disruptive forces within man himself" (Saiyidain, 1977:16).
The Holy Our'en requires that a person makes an effort to improve himself:
"La! Allah changeth not the condition of a folk until they (first) change that which is in their hearts" (The Holy Our'en, 13:11).
3 Iqbal (d. 1937) was an influential philosopher and poet in India. He was a somewhat controversial figure and though he influenced many, there were disagreements with his views as well. Although he did not write directly on theories of education or knowledge (Saiyidain, 1977:1), these theories have been derived from his philosophy.
115 It involves an active understanding, assimilation and reconstruction of an existing culture.
4.3 THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE
In Islam, knowledge is associated with belief. The days before Islam are known as the "jahilya", the period of ignorance. By using this and similar terms, knowledge is linked with faith.
Great emphasis is placed on acquiring knowledge. This leads to an attitude where the learner acquires an attitude of respect for learning and honour for the learned person. It creates an inducement to strive and sacrifice, and allows for what could be termed "a culture of learning".
The pre-Islamic period is known as the "jahliya"or period of ignorance. The word "Our'an" itself is derived from the same root as "reading". The first words of the Gur'an to be revealed were:
"Read: In the name of thy Lord who createth, Createth man from a clot. Read: And thy Lord is Most Bounteous, Who teacheth by the pen, Teacheth man that which he knew not" (The Holy Our'an, 96:1-5).
There are many other examples in the Holy Our'an that refer to the importance of learning. A few are mentioned:
"He giveth wisdom unto whom He will, and unto whom wisdom is given, he truly hath received abundant good". (2:269)
116 " ... My Lord! Increase me in knowledge". (20:114)
"My Lord! Vouchsafe me wisdom ... ". (26:83)
"Are those who know equal with those who know not? " (39:9)
There are many examples in the Hadith 4 as well. The examples cited here are taken from a collection of Hadith by different compilers, the Mishkat al-Masabih (collected by al-Baghawi and translated by Robson). The page numbers of Mishkat al-Masabih and the names of the original compilers are given after each quotation.
"Two people only may be envied ... a man to whom God has given wisdom who acts according to it and teaches it" (50:Bukhari and Muslim).
"If anyone pursues a path in search of knowledge, God will thereby make easy for him a path to paradise" (51 :Muslim).
"The search for knowledge is an obligation laid on every Muslim" (54:lbn Majah).
The Hadith is second only to the Holy Our'an. The Hadith is a record of the prophet Muhammad's (P.B.U.H.) deeds, words or tacit approval of other people's deeds or words.
117 "Studying together for an hour during the night is better than spending the whole night in devotions" (59:Darimi),
"Superiority in knowledge is better than superiority in worship" (59:Baihaqi).
"Those ones are learning knowledge and teaching the ignorant, so they are superior" (To worshippers) ... I was sent only as a teacher (59:Darimi),
"When a man dies no further reward is recorded for his actions, with three exceptions. These are charity which continues to be supplied, or knowledge from which benefit continues to be reaped, or the prayers of a good son for a dead father" (50:Muslim).
"He who goes out in search of knowledge is in God's path till he returns" (55:Tirmidhi and Darimi).
"The worst evil consists in learned men who are evil and the best good consists in learned men who are good" (61 :Darimi).
From these references, the high value Islam places on learning becomes evident. This also explains the efforts Muslims are prepared to make for the madressa.
The principles of education in Islam have been arranged in the same categories that have been used in Chapter Two namely aims, content, method, the persons involved and educational relations.
118 4.4 AIMS IN ISLAMIC EDUCATION
The principal aim of Islamic education is to produce a person who lives a life according to God's requirements. It aims to produce a person who would live a life that would allow him to render a positive acount of the trust given to him as vicegerent of God.
This would mean the actualization of a person's innate capacities to fulfil the responsibility imposed by the divine will (Haron and Mohamed, 1989:6).
According to AI Attas (1985:193), the purpose of education is to "inculcate goodness in man as man and individual self". By "good" is meant the person of "adab", where "adab" means respect but also involves much more. It implies action to discipline the mind and soul, the acquisition of good qualities and attributes which would lead to the doing of what is correct according to the trust received as covenant.
Iqbal (Saiyidain, 1977:100-119) also describes the good person, or good character as being the aim of education. He sees the good character as leading a life of active effort and struggle in contact with the environment. A person has to learn to apply intelligence to the exploitation of the forces of nature. There should be no compromise with the forces of evil and falsehood. Courage should be developed through TawhTd, a belief in the oneness of God. There should also be development of equality and freedom and, above all, concern. By concern is meant an inner attitude of detachment and superiority to material possession.
119 Education should lead a person, according to Ibn Khaldun (1377:352), to acquire an attribute as a firmly rooted habit in the soul, from which "a necessary knowledge results for the soul". It is the recognition of the oneness of God. The recognition, in the highest degree, from the belief of the heart, leads to actions of a quality that everything is made subservient to the affirmation of faith. "... The believer who has this faith will commit neither a great nor a small sin .,. ".
Education should, in addition, create a "state" of knowledge in a person. One should not, for example, merely know about mercy and charity, but should attain the attribute and habit of mercy and realize that this attribute brings one closer to God.
Ghazzali (1107:29)5 does not state any aim directly but aims can easily be inferred from the reasons given for, and in praise of, learning. Learning, allied to practice, is a beacon on the road to truth. This truth can only be acquired through education and it is essential to salvation.
The aim then is to acquire knowledge and practice based on this knowledge, which would lead to material and spiritual excellence. Education in itself is the search for this excellence.
The first World Conference on Muslim Education expressed aims for education (Saqeb, 1983:75):
5 Imam Ghazzali (d. 1111) is perhaps one of the most prominent and influential thinkers of the Muslim world. The writer of many books, his best known work is "Ihya Ulum al Din" (written about 1107). This has a section "Kitab al 11m", the Book of Knowledge. This date (1107) will be taken as the date when the book was written.
120 "Education should aim at the balanced growth of the total personality through the training of ... spirit, intellect, the rational self, feelings and bodily senses ... cater for growth in all its aspects: spiritual, intellectual, imaginative, physical, scientific, linguistic and motivate this towards goodness. The ultimate aim is complete submission to Allah".
4.5 CONTENT IN ISLAMIC EDUCATION
4.5.1 The Unity of Knowledge
In Islam, there is no separation of knowledge between the religious and the secular. All knowledge comes from God:
"His verily is all creation and commandment". (The Holy Gur'an, 7:54).
Every action done with good intention, particularly with the intention of pleasing God, is a religious act.
"The rewards of deeds depend upon the intention and hoping to get rewards from Allah" (Bukhari, Vol 1:46).
Knowledge is a unity, without secular or religious being separate. But there are different classifications of knowledge by Muslim writers. These classifications are based on different religious importance attached to the knowledge.
121 4.5.2 Classification of Knowledge
Although called different names, Ibn Sina for example calls it temporal and perennial (Langgulung, 1983:45), there is general agreement that knowledge could be classified as revealed or acquired (Haren and Mohamed, 1986:6). Revealed knowledge (fard aynJ is revealed by God and provides guidance for an individual to submit to God's will. Acquired knowledge (fard kifayah) takes into account the needs of society.
Ghazzali (1107:36-47) has given a detailed exposition of these types of knowledge.
4.5.2.1 Fard ayn Knowledge
Fard ayn knowledge deals with matters which are binding on an individual, and thus become required knowledge for every sane adult. This knowledge usually comprises three aspects: belief, works and prohibitions.
At an initial level, the first obligation for a Muslim is learning and understanding the minimum profession of faith. At first, it is only necessary to know it, not to fully understand its significance and implications, which would only become necessary with greater faith.
Works include the performance of obligatory acts, for example prayer and fasting. Knowledge is necessary to be able to perform these acts, but the knowledge is needed only when the acts to which the knowledge refers become obligatory.
122 It is necessary to have knowledge of prohibitions as well. Some prohibitions apply to all, for example, the prohibitions on evil, hypocrisy and envy. Some would apply to specific people. For example, the learned need to know that they should avoid pride in their knowledge.
Changes in circumstances bring about changes in the knowledge that is required. A mute need not know what is evil in speech, a poor person needs to know when pilgrimage becomes obligatory. However, if circumstances were to change, if the person were in a position to go on pilgrimage, details of the rites would become essential knowledge.
4.5.2.2 Fard kifayah Knowledge
Knowledge deemed to be fard kifayah is knowledge which contributes to the welfare of people. It is not obligatory for every individual to acquire this knowledge, but it is obligatory for the community. Not every person needs to be a doctor or plumber, but the community needs doctors and plumbers according to its circumstances.
There is also knowledge which is regarded as blameworthy, such as magic, trickery and astrology.
Fard kifayah knowledge is not relevant to madressa practices, as it is within the ambit of the secular school. The madressa is concerned more with fard ayn knowledge.
123 It should be understood that all permissible knowledge is meritorious. Ghazzali {1107:139} compares learners to soldiers. "Of them some are active fighters, others are on the reserve, others are in charge of the water supply, while others look after the mounts; but all will receive their reward if their aim is the glory of the word of God ... ".
Although there would be different categories of merit, God looks with favour on all who acquire knowledge and use it for a good purpose. "Some people have sought God through knowledge ... " (Ghazzali. 1107:57}. They gain the approval of God and obtain excellence in His sight because they act according to their knowledge, and seek His face through their efforts. The physician can come close to God through his knowledge.
4.6 METHOD
There is not much that can be directly said about method, but this does not imply that the manner of transmission is not important. The behaviour of the educator has received a great deal of attention. Implicit in this is the manner of doing and the method. The values that are considered important would thus underlie all method. Respect and concern are very important.
The nature and weaknesses of human beings have to be taken into account. People should be instructed according to their levels:
"You should preach to people according to their mental calibre ... " (Bukhari, Vol 1:95).
It is very important to maintain the interest of the learners. What is taught should be appropriate and should be presented in a way that does not bore the learner. The prophet (P.B.U.H.) said:
124 "Facilitate things to people ... and do not make it hard for them" (Bukhari, Vol 1:60).
He was careful about the time he selected, and his lectures were not too prolonged.
Understanding is vital to education. If something is not understood, it must be repeated till it has been understood. There is no diminished respect in asking for something to be repeated. In learning, there must be no pride, nor must there be shyness.
"How excellent the women of the Ansar are! They do not feel shy while learning sound knowledge ... " (Bukhari, Vol 1:97).
Behaviour during learning is important. The Holy Our'an gives injunctions about desirable behaviour:
" ... walk upon the earth modestly, and when the foolish ones address them answer, "Peace!" '''(The Holy Our'an, 2:83}.
Even the prophet (P.B.U.H.) was admonished by God when he seemed a little annoyed because, during an important conversation, he was interrupted by a poor blind man seeking information:
"He frowned and turned away Because the blind man came unto him. What could inform thee but that he might grow (in grace)" (The Holy
Our'en, 80: 1-3)
125 In recommendations following on the First World Conference on Muslim Education, Chaudri and Saqeb (1980:206) said that the history of Islamic education provided ample evidence of the resourcefulness and ingenuity with which the teacher formerly exploited the scanty material at his disposal. The Muslim teacher should have no reservation in utilizing modern techniques and methods in his work.
4.7 THE EDUCATOR
God taught Adam the name of things (The Holy Our'an, 2:31) and the prophet (P.B.U.H.) was also considered to be a teacher and a messenger. The status of the teacher is great, but this brings with it commensurate responsibilities.
"Educator" in Islam does not refer to a professional teacher only. It is every person's duty to transmit knowledge. In the early days of Islam, before formal schools were established, a person who knew taught a person who did not know, in any convenient place, for example under a palm tree, in a tent or in a house (Quraishi, 1983:12).
Today, there is still informal education. There are often lectures in mosques. These are conducted after the prayers and do not form part of the regular prayers. There is also a self-awareness or self-improvement group, which works with dedication to raise consciousness among Muslims. This group, known as the "Tabligh Jamaat," often has gatherings in mosques and other places where talks on Islam are delivered. The person speaking is an ordinary person, and the understanding is that you cannot urge a person to do something, for example to pray regularly, if you do not do it yourself.
Parents too have been given a special responsibility to teach their children: 126 "0 ye who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire, whereof the fuel as men ... " (The Holy Our'en, 67:6).
This verse has been interpreted (Ansari, 1973:Vol 2, 185-186) to mean that children have to be saved from the fire of Hell. This necessitates taking all those steps which will make them good in every way. This implies teaching religious beliefs and practices.
"And who say: Our Lord! Vouchsafe us comfort of our wives and of our offspring, and make us patterns for (all) those who ward off evil" (The Holy Our'an, 25:74).
What is said about educators refers to any person who teaches another something good, but in practice would refer more often to the professional teacher.
According to Ghazzali (1107:21), on the day of resurrection, the learned would say that worshippers had attained piety because of their teachers. Because of this teachers would be ranked with God's angels. According to the Hadith, the blessings of a teacher are like a charitable endowment. These blessings continue even after death (Muslim, Vol 3:867). The teacher can be compared to musk, which itself is fragrant and makes everything it touches fragrant, or to a whetstone which, though blunt itself, sharpens the knife rubbed against it.
Just as the status of the teacher is great, so too are the responsibilities:
"Whoever has any knowledge but conceals it will be bridled with a bit of fire" (Ibn Majah, quoted by Ghazzali, 1107:21).
127 Among the most severely to be punished are the teachers of falsehood or those who manipulate the truth. Just as bad are those who use it to satisfy their greed. Ghazzali also mentions other wrongful uses of knowledge by educators.
If learned men frequent the houses of rulers, you may conclude that they are thieves. Those who "confine their knowledge to circles of wealth and deem the poorer classes unworthy of it, these will occupy the third depth in hell" (Ghazzali, 1107:165).
Severe punishment will also be meted out to those who do not practise what they preach. Those who urge others to do good, but do not do it themselves will "have their lips cut with scissors of fire" (Ghazzali, 1107:166).
The notion of duties applies to educators as well. Ghazzali (1107: 144-153) lists a number of duties for educators. These include:
• the teacher must be sympathetic to learners and treat them as if they were his own children. If a teacher undertakes his task properly, his rights are greater than the rights of parents;
• the teacher should expect no reward or thanks. Although the learner owes a great obligation, the teacher should not feel that anything is owed. Knowledge should be spread for the sake of drawing oneself nearer to God, not for praise or vanity;
• the teacher should not withhold any advice from the learner;
128 • the learner's abilities should be understood;
• the learner's knowledge should be developed gradually;
• learners should be dissuaded from doing wrong by suggestion and sympathy, not by "odious upbraiding";
• although the teacher may be a specialist in one discipline, and value that discipline, other areas of study should not be disparaged;
• the teacher should not expect the learner to master material beyond his grasp. Instruction should be tailored towards the understanding of the learner. If this is not done, the learner could develop a dislike for the subject.
• the teacher's practical example is very important. Practice should not belie the words. Knowledge is comprehended through the mind, but it works through the eyes. If practice contradicts theory, then righteousness is frustrated:
"Enjoin ye righteousness upon mankind while ye yourself forget to practise it? .. (The Holy Our'en, 2:44).
At the First World Conference on Muslim Education, Committee 86 made recommendations regarding teachers. Some points made were (AI-Afendi et al. 1980:209-212):
• the teacher is a key person in an educational system;
• the righteous teacher has a position next to that of the prophets;
129 • the teacher has to be a committed person, with the appropriate qualifications and knowledge;
• more important than knowledge is faith and belief in terms of character and conduct;
• the teacher should be able to use technology effectively.
4.8 THE EDUCAND
According to Islam, children are a gift from God, and have to be accepted as such:
"Slay not your children, fearing a fall to poverty, We shall provide for them and for you. Lo! the slaying of them is a great sin" (The Holy Our'an,17:31).
Parents have to care for their children. This can be inferred from the child's prayer:
"My Lord! Have mercy on them both as they did care for me when I was little" (The Holy Our'an, 17:24).
The child is innocent and does not inherit any of the parents' guilt:
"Each soul earneth only on its own account, nor doth any laden bear another's load" (The Holy Our'an, 6:164) .
.. 130 Though born inherently good, human beings were created weak, "for man was created weak" (The Holy Our'an, 4:28), and also have an inclination towards evil.
"Lo! the (human) soul enjoineth unto evil" (The Holy Our'an, 12:53).
Thus human beings were created to pursue a moral struggle:
"Surely We created man of the best stature Then We reduced him to the lowest of the low, Save those who believe and do good works" (The Holy Our'an, 95:6 7)
This moral conflict requires knowledge, and the child has to learn what is right and wrong.
Parents have a duty to make sure that the child knows what is right and wrong:
"Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire "(The Holy Our'en, 66:6).
There is also a requirement that children be shown love and kindness. In this regard, the prophet (P.B.U.H.) is often cited as an example:
"I have never seen anyone more kind to one's family than Allah's messenger (may peace be upon him)" (Muslim, Vol 4:243).
131 In another incident, someone told the prophet (P.B.U.H.) that he had never kissed any of his ten children. He was told that he "who does not show mercy (toward his children), no mercy will be shown to him" (Muslim, Vol 4:1244).
Love, kindness and nurture are among the duties of parents and elders, but children, too, have duties. Their main duty is to meet the requirements of Islam, which would imply fulfulling duties towards parents, teachers and elders. Ghazzali (1107: 126:144), lists some of the duties of learners. These include:
• the first duty is to "purify his soul from impure traits and blameworthy characteristics because knowledge is the worship of man's heart as well as the prayer of his inmost self. The impurities of the heart include anger, lust, rancour, envy, pride, conceit and other vices. Students of bad character have acquired knowledge, but it does not lead to happiness in the hereafter".
• knowledge should be acquired for the adornment and beautification of the inner self, and the end of all knowledge is nearness ro God.
• the learner should not look down on any form of knowledge.
• he should not consider himself superior to his teacher, nor should he try to dominate his teacher. Knowledge is attained through humility.
• questions must be asked for the purpose of learning, and not to trick or trap the teacher.
• the teacher should be honoured as long as he obeys God.
132 • the learner should choose to study under a teacher who forms independent opinions.
• all forms of knowledge should be respected. Knowledge, whether it is regarded as "higher or lower either leads men to God or helps them a little on their way".
4.9 EDUCATIONAL RELATIONS
4.9.1 Authority
There is an emphasis on the notion of authority, both from the perspective of an authority and being in authority.
The Holy Our'an is the ultimate authority which means the authority of Allah. Nothing can be acceptable if it is in contradicton with the Holy Our'an. Then ranks the authority of the Hadith, which means the authority of the prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.), the "mercy for the peoples" (The Holy Our'an, 21: 107). Following on this is the authority of the learned.
When considering being in authority, obedience to rules and laws is required, and coercive authority is not excluded.
"Obey Allah and obey the messenger and those of you who are in authority ... (The Holy Our'an, 4:59) ... Allah is stronger in might and stronger in inflicting punishment ... " (The Holy Our'an, 4:84).
However, with being in authority, there must be understanding and mercy:
133 "And if when they had wronged themselves they had but come unto thee and asked forgiveness of Allah ... they would have found Allah Forgiving, Merciful" (The Holy Our'an, 4:64).
4.9.2 Punishment
Punishment, too, is an integral part of religion. The severest punishment is eternal punishment, and belief in the Day of Judgment is part of the expression of faith.
"Righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day II (The Holy Our'an,2:177).
On the Day of Judgment everything will be judged, "not a secret will be hidden" (The Holy Our'an, 69: 18) and there will be justice. "Allah judgeth with truth" The Holy Our'en, 40:20).
But. punishment is always tempered with mercy. "Forgive and be indulgent" (2: 108) ... because God is a merciful God. "Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful" (The Holy Our'an, 39:53).
There are punishments for worldly offences as well, and they can be severe, but they are hedged with strict rules and safeguards, and forgiveness is always recommended.
In education, though, punishment is an option that has to be used with great discretion. Ibn Khaldun (1377:424-426) feels that severity does great harm. Among other things, it makes for bad habits, makes learners lazy, and teaches deceit and trickery. If there is no choice but to punish, great restraint must be used.
134 According to Ibn Khaldun (1377:425-426), ar-Rashid wrote to the teacher of his son: " ... Take firm hold of him and make him only obey you ... do so without vexing him which would kill his mind. Do not always be lenient with him, ... As much as possible correct him kindly and gently. If he does not want it that way, you must use severity and hardness".
One has to be very careful with punishment (Ibn Khaldun, 1377:96) because punishment against one who cannot defend himself generates a feeling of humiliation, creates fear and docility and destroys discipline and fortitude.
Ghazzali (1107:33A) gives the details of instilling discipline, and suggests that avoiding shame would serve as a powerful factor in controlling actions.
Punishment then is a last resort. It has to be used with kindness and justice and tempered with mercy.
4.10 DISCIPLINE AND SELF-DISCIPLINE
Discipline is so much a part of the religion, that it would be impossible to conceive of the practice of the religion without the exercising of discipline. This refers particularly to self-discipline.
Prayers require adherence to time, to a particular way of doing things. It requires that life be conducted in such a way that prayers are performed at regular times. Fasting requires the denial, at certain times, of food and drink. This is an obligatory form of charity. There are rules that regulate which food is permissible or not. In fact, the central notion of Islam is submission to the will of God, and this means the rules prescribed by God. This submission to rules is a cardinal principle.
135 At the same time, orderliness, respect and courtesy are emphasised. Both Bukhari . and Muslim have chapters devoted to the manners expected of people in different situations.
As far as education is concerned, discipline is strongly emphasised. The learner has to accept the authority of the teacher and behave accordingly.
The ideal is that there be internalised discipline so that the learner behaves according to the rules of the religion, not out of fear, but out of love for God, because of conviction and a desire to please God.
4.11 SUMMARY
Principles of education in Islam are, briefly stated, as follows:
Aims
Important to the aims of Islamic education is the attitude that this life is a preparation for life in the hereafter. This education must aim at making a person live a life of virtue that would be seen as meritorious in God's eyes.
A person should develop all capacities, but there should be discipline in using these capacities. It should not be borne in mind that everything has been given as a trust. Education should not only aim at knowledge, but at a state which would lead to a virtuous life in they eyes of God and the ability to account for the trust.
Contents
The following can be said about content,
• knowledge can be classified as fard ayn or fard kifayah; \. 136 • fard ayn deals with knowledge obligatory on an individual;
• it has to do with the duties each person has to perform;
• these duties vary with the position of individuals;
• these duties would also change as an individual's circumstances change. For example, knowledge about the details of pilgrimage need to be acquired when pilgrimage becomes obligatory;
• the profession of faith would be essential knowledge for each person;
• knowledge is a unity, all knowledge having emanated from God.
Method
Method requires the following:
• mutual respect and consideration have to be present in the teaching situation.
• the material should be presented in a way that ensures that interest is maintained;
• the level of the learner should be considered;
• understanding is vital;
• shyness should not prevent questions from being asked;
137 • all permissible methods, techniques and aids could be used.
The Educator
The attributes desirable in a Muslim teacher include:
• a firm faith and belief in Islam;
• an understanding of the great responsibility that is being undertaken;
• sympathy towards, and an understanding of, the learner;
• appropriate knowledge of the subject;
• the ability to use appropriate methods and technology;
• understanding differences between learners;
• a commitment to live one's life as an example of a good Muslim.
The Educand
The following apply to the child:
• the child is a trust from God;
• the child is born innocent;
" 138 • parents have a duty to love, nurture and educate their children;
• the child in turn has certain duties: undesirable characteristics have to be eliminated; teachers should be accorded honour and respect; independent opinions should be valued; the effort made should be towards pleasing God.
Authority
The Our'an is the ultimate authority, as an authority. Then comes the Hadith, followed by pious and learned people, coercive authority not being excluded. Obedience to rules is required.
Discipline
Discipline is an integral part of religion, particulary self-discipline.
A person has to learn self-control and restraint, with regard to fasting, prayer and other activities.
There has to be orderliness, respect and manners.
All behaviour and actions are for the pleasure of God.
Punishment
Punishment is also an integral part of religion, and belief in the Day of Judgment and heaven and hell is part of faith.
\ , 139 But punishment must be tempered by mercy and forgiveness.
The central notion of Islamic education is that a human being, though inherently good, has been created weak. A person is, therefore, involved in a constant moral struggle. To do what is right requires education.
It is important, then, that this education should develop the human inclination to worship God through prayer and action and to lead a life which is pleasing to God.
The madressa has to ensure that two sets of principles are applied in its practices:
The principles of education defined in Chapter Two.
The principles of Islamic education set out in this chapter.
The principles do not contradict each other and the practices of the madressa are examined in Chapter Six to assess whether they conform to these principles.
\ , 140 CHAPTER FIVE
AN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF MADRESSA EDUCATION
5.1 INTRODUCTION
Madressa education does not exist in isolation but is part of the practice of the religion and grew and spread with the religion. Its primary objective has been to transmit knowledge of religious requirements so that Muslims are able to fulfil religious duties.
The madressa of today is the result of an historical process, and knowledge of its evolution to its present form contributes to a better understanding of it.
The madressa originated in Arabia, was part of Islam's spread to India and was brought to the Transvaal by Muslims who came from India. It was initially an exact reproduction of the system in India but was later adapted to suit local conditions. In this chapter there is reflection on these changes.
It is also the aim of this chapter to give a brief account of the development of madressa education from its origins in Arabia to its transfer through India to the Transvaal.
5.2 EARLY ISLAMIC EDUCATION
Arab society was an oral society but there was also a need for written records as Mecca was an important trading centre. There were scribes who recorded details of transactions, but the large majority of people were illiterate. "Illiteracy was almost universal in Arabia before Islam" (Kaloti, 1974:12). Illiteracy was not considered a stigma or regarded as a drawback. \ , 141 However, there are indications that children's schools existed before Islam. Children's schools were "... older than Islamic science, since at the very beginning of Islam, reading and writing were taught in Arabia" (Gibbs et al.1961 :300). According to Baladhuri, there is a record of a person who, in pre-Islamic times, lived in Wadi al-Oura and "began to teach his fellow citizens to read and write" (Gamildien, 1984:9).
Some of the scribes were among the first converts to Islam. The revelations of the Our'an were dictated to them and written down. Literacy began to be promoted. Only "literate preachers were sent to communities that embraced Islam" (Kaloti, 1974:11). In Medina, the teachers were not necessarily Muslims; they were often Jews but the ability to write was not as common here as in Mecca (Gibbs et al. 1961 :300). Ten prisoners captured in the Battle of Badr were ransomed on condition that each of them taught ten Muslims to read and write (AI-Aroosi, 1980:123). The oral tradition remained strong but literacy became increasingly important.
During the lifetime of the prophet (P.B.U.H.), "no formal or universal provisions appear to have been made for the prerequisites of teaching the elements to children" (Kaloti, 1974:15). Teaching was informal and voluntary. Teachers were not paid. A person who knew taught a person who did not know. Teaching and learning activities took place in any convenient spot; under a palm tree, in a tent or in a house (Quraishi, 1983:12).
There is a lack of certainty about the establishment of the first school. Kaloti (1974:15) says that no formal school was established initially, but other writers express different views. Sufi (1981 :2-4) maintains that as a result of an injunction in the Our'an, it appears that elementary schools grew almost naturally, the first formal class having been opened by about 9 A.H. (630 A.D.).
,. 142 It would seem that some form of organised instruction was taking place as the Caliph Umar made recommendations about the subjects that should be taught.
It is known that Dahhak b. Muzahim had a school in Kufa, with about 3 000 children, "where he used to ride up and down among his pupils on an ass" (Gibbs et al. 1961 :300). Schools spread during the Umaiyad period and instruction was also given at home.
Under the Fatimids, this tendency continued. In Palermo, 300 katatib were counted by Ibn Hawkal. In Cairo, Ibn Djubair records that there was a large number of schools which were mainly for orphans. They were maintained by the sultan (Gibbs et al. 1961:300).
During the first few centuries of Islam, formal education was almost exclusively urban. In rural areas, the elements of religion were learnt informally.
Vocational training was usually provided by a system of apprenticeships or by learning the trade of a parent while assisting with the work.
Elementary education, which was designed to provide basic religious knowledge and literacy, was open to practically all children. It remained a self-sufficient unit and did not serve as a feeder system to higher levels. There were some who chose to further their education, but for the majority education ended at the completion of the elementary level (Rahman, 1979:182). Further religious education was provided informally through talks and lectures in mosques.
143 There was a noteworthy division in elementary education (AI-Aroosi, 1980:130) where a type of private or "palace" education existed which was designed to channel princes or the wealthy into the positions they would occupy later in life. This "palace" education provided the same general culture as ordinary elementary education, but it also included some special features.
The education was provided by private tutors in consultation with parents and usually included oratory, literature and activities designed to prepare pupils for their future roles in life (Rahman, 1979:182). Fathers played an important part in designing the curriculum.
5.2.1 Aims in Early Islamic Education
Most important was the learning of the religion, the acquisition of a rudimentary knowledge of the religion to enable Muslims to fulfil their duties. The Our'an was the centre of elementary education (Quraishi, 1983:14). The instruction was also directed towards providing knowledge of the more important religious precepts and usages.
There was also the intention to provide basic literacy and numeracy so that the learner would be able to read, write and do some calculations. Reading the Our'an was an important religious observance. Calculating and paying the proper poor tax was also essential.
In addition, "palace" education aimed at preparing pupils for their positions in life.
144 5.2.2 Content in Early Islamic Education
Early Islamic education concentrated mainly on religious education. Lessons included verses from the Qur'an, the profession of faith and other religious requirements. The Caliph Umar recommended (Sufi, 1981 :4) that proverbs and the appreciation of poetry form part of the instruction. Boys were also to be taught to swim and handle a bow and arrow (Dodge, 1962:17-18). The main subject, though, was often "adab" (Gibbs et al. 1961 :300) which meant "respect", but was broader and could be roughly described as "proper behaviour".
The first poems taught were short with simple metres, the "rajaz". These led to the more complex "qasidas". Only poems with suitable themes, which promoted good morals, were taught.
Along with learning and reciting the Qur'an, there was writing and simple arithmetic, and instruction in the more important religious precepts and usages such as the proper method of performing prayers. Pupils had to become familiar with the practice of congregational prayers. They were also taught the stories of the prophets and anecdotes from the lives of pious people. The Caliph Umar directed a circular (AI-Aroosi, 1979:128): "You are requested to instruct your young in swimming and the equestrian arts. You should also make them learn well-known proverbs, wise-sayings and good poetry".
Ghazzali (1107:35) felt that it was compulsory to inform the individual about certain principles of Islam "whose acquisition is deemed an ordinance from God, binding on everyone. This knowledge included faith, actions and prohibitions.
145 This would form the core of the knowledge". AI-Aroosi (1980: 129) say that Ibn Misqaveh recommended that the child be taught the Qur'an, history, accounts, the stories of pious people, elements of arithmetic, and some principles of Arabic grammar, though Jahiz suggested that children should not be overburdened with grammar. He felt that it was more important to learn fair composition and to read the works of good writers.
In "palace" education, the father's wishes played an important part in designing the curriculum. There are some examples of the requirements by fathers (Gamildien, 1984:4 and AI-Aroosi, 1980:130-131):
Amir ibn Utbah instructed his sons' tutor: "The first thing to start with in educating my sons is to improve your own manners. My sons will be deeply influenced by you and will favour what you do and abhor what you avoid. Teach them the Gur'an but without wearying them of it, recite to them what is good in traditions and chaste in poetry, do not substitute one subject for another unless they perfectly know the former, teach them the virtues of wise men and keep them away from women's conversation".
Instructions were also given by Harun ai-Rashid who said: "0, Ahmar, I have given you the child of my blood, the fruit of my loins and given you power over him and made him obedient to you, therefore, prove worthy of this position. Teach him the Gur'an, history, poetry, traditions, appreciation of eloquence. Prevent him from laughing except on proper occasions. Accustom him to respect the Shaiks of the Hashim family and to offer a proper place to military commanders if they join the Council. Do not allow any time to pass without having some useful instruction for him but do not make him sad. Do not be too kind to him or he will take to idleness. Improve him kindly but if that will not suffice, you can treat him harshly".
146 5.2.3 Method
Initially, repetition and memorisation was the main method of learning religious content. Memorisation of the Qur'an was considered particularly meritorious, but writing, too, was considered important. Writing, an important part of the instruction, was practised on a tablet called a "Iuah" or a "takhti". A fine white clay was steeped in water. A wooden slate was then dipped in this mixture. When the slate was dry, the teacher traced the letters of the alphabet with a quill, a IIqalam", without using any ink. The quill cut into the clay, forming letters on the slate. The pupils then traced over these letters with ink, memorising the name and sound of the letters. The child also had to learn to write to dictation. Verses of the Qur'an were dictated; when the slate was covered with writing, the student learnt the verses. Sometimes poetry was used instead of verses from the Qur'an.
At the beginning of each lesson, a student had to recite what had previously been learnt (amokhta). As the pupil advanced, this revision took place once a week, usually on a Thursday. Friday was usually a holiday (Quraishi, 1983:15).
Lessons were centred on drill and consolidation. "Consolidation, not expansion, was the basis of the lessons" (Quaraishi, 1983:16). Learning by retention (hifz) was stressed, but assimilation and grasp (malikah) came to be appreciated (Kaloti, 1974:24-25). The necessity for understanding led to intelligent reading and students felt the need to ask questions, discuss, disagree and debate. This idea of understanding was encouraged only when learners had reached the highest level. In the lower classes, thoroughness and mechanical drill were regarded as important.
147 Certain religious observances were learnt through practice. The prayers were practised in school, with a senior boy as leader of the prayers.
5.2.4 Teachers
In the early period of Islam, there were three classes of teachers (Kinnany, 1980:143):
* the Prophet's companions, their successors and the ulema. They were not full-time teachers, but taught because they felt it was a religious duty. They did not expect to be paid;
* a group that devoted the greater part of its time to teaching. This group came from among the less affluent. They did have other occupations and the learner was not expected to pay;
* a group that often came from among the poor or from captives. They were usually paid by the public purse.
There were disputes about the permissibility of teachers being paid. The consensus was that teachers could accept payment but not demand it (Gibbs et al. 1961 :308).
The teacher in an elementary school was sometimes held in low esteem, but there were also highly respected scholars teaching in schools (Gibbs et al. 1961 :300). This could have been as a result of some of the teachers being slaves or because rote learnIng received too much emphasis. But teachers of higher intellectual ability often had great influence and were held in high honour (Quraishi, 1983:17-18).
148 The "palace" teacher was usually a highly respected person. Muslim attitudes expected the teacher to be married. The expectation was that the work of elementary teaching, where classes were co-educational, must not take place at the teacher's residence but in a specially appointed place, within sight of the public, so that there could be no suggestion of scandal (Quraishi, 1983:19).
At higher levels, the teacher had great individual importance (Rahman, 1979:185). At the end of a course, the teacher would give a personal certificate. The importance of the teacher was stressed by the fact that biographies of famous persons and scholars always gave the names of their teachers.
5.2.5 Educands
In elementary education boys and girls from about the age of six were taught, though girls' education did not often go beyond the elementary stage (Sufi, 1981 :2).
At a higher level, where a teacher lectured to a circle of students in a mosque, anyone was free to join (GIBBS ET AL. 1961 :308). There was a tradition of students travelling great distances to learn from particular teachers.
The education of girls was usually limited to moral and religious education, but this was not an Islamic injunction. Many practices in education relate to ethnic practices rather than to religion. Islam imposes the same religious duties on females and males. Women of learning have been held in high respect in Muslim history. Women played an important part in transmitting the Traditions and there have been many women of high learning. In spite of this, women's education was not usually considered important (Quraishi, 1983:23).
149 5.2.6 General Organisation
5.2.6.1 Location of Madressas and Times
The prophet (P.B.U.H.) was often asked for guidance in mosques, as were his companions (GIBBS ET AL. 1961 :301). This led to the mosque naturally becoming the place for instruction, but instruction could take place anywhere. Later, education "found its habitation in the vicinity of a fountain" (Sufi, 1981 :2), but a close link remained between mosque and education.
School premises, when not in the mosque, were expected to be simple with no adornment (Quraishi, 1983:34). Pupils were seated on mats, usually of grass and walls were bare or had plain mats hung on them. There was usually no furniture, except for a wooden or stone bench for the teacher. There was no timetable. Classes began at dawn and there was a lunch break at the time of afternoon prayers. Classes then continued till the late afternoon prayers. There was usually no supervision or control over teachers. This might allow greater latitude but it could also lead to routine, stagnation and waste.
Elementary schools were not frequently situated in mosques. The reason appeared to be that small children "could not be expected to care for their cleanliness" (AI-Aroosi, 1980:127). They might not be able to "control their bodily functions". Imam Malik Ibn Abbas wrote that children were not to be taught in mosques because mosques were to be kept immaculately clean. It became customary to build classrooms adjacent to, or in the neighbourhood of, mosques. Maktabs were adjacent to mosques or completely separate. Abdul Qassim AI Bulkhi had a kuttab of 3 000 pupils that was completely independent. There was a spacious courtyard with rooms around it.
150 Initially mosques were used for secondary classes (Quraishi, 1983:26). Mosques usually had passages along the sides that were used for classes. There was also a compartment near the front called a maqsaria. Sometimes a part of the mosque was separated by wooden lattices. When a special room was set aside for teaching purposes, it was called a madressa. Mosques were used as madressas until the fourth century A.H. (ninth century A.D.), then a madressa was set up separately from the mosque in Nishapur. The ruling Seljuks, after the Abbasids, turned schools into public institutions. They became government institutions but after the Babars, many were assimilated into the mosque again.
When the madressa was a separate building, it usually consisted of four large halls opening out into a courtyard. Each hall was a separate section. On both sides of the halls were dwelling apartments for teachers and students. Buildings were either single or double storey. Libraries were often attached to the madressas, mainly for the students, but the public were also allowed access. Hospitals, too, were sometimes attached to the madressa buildings (Quraishi, 1983:26).
5.2.6.2 Finance
Finance was usually provided by endowments, through trusts called "waqfs". Administration of the trust was in the hands of an individual or a group called "mutawallis". The first administrator was usually appointed by the founder, who also often directed that his descendants continue to be part of the trust.
The wealthy, apart from having their own young educated, often built and endowed institutions of learning as expiatory or religiously meritorious acts.
". 151 5.2.6.3 Discipline and Punishment
Discipline in the maktabs was often strict, and the rod was frequently used. This was not condoned in Islam, and jurists laid down rules regarding punishment. The authorities had the legal power to protect children (Quraishi, 1983:22), but in practice they rarely interfered. Community attitudes often allowed for strict regulation.
5.3 SPREAD AND DEVELOPMENT OF ISLAMIC EDUCATION
In the beginning, Islamic education concentrated on the transmission of the requirements of Islam, but as Islam started spreading, education became more complex, owing to a demand for literate administrators. Instead of being purely religious institutions, schools had to serve material and secular purposes too. Educational institutions were created by Muslims in all countries where Muslim rule was established. Early centres were in Mecca and Medina, then in Basra, Kufa, Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo, Nishapur in Iran and Cordova, Toledo and Seville in Spain (Sufi, 1981 :8-9). Many madressas were destroyed during the Mongol invasion under Halaqu, but many were also built by his mother (Quraishi, 1983:30).
Many famous colleges and universities were established. The first was the Nizami University of Baghdad, which was founded by Nizam al Mulk in 1065 A.D. (Guillaume, 1965:241), though some feel that the famous AI-Azhar of Cairo was the first, being founded in 972 A.D. (Gibbs et al. 1961 :303-304). As a result of the energy and enthusiasm of Nizam al-Mulk, others were inspired to follow his example. This led to a period of brilliance and growth (Gibbs et al. 1961 :303-304).
152 It is also clear that Muslim scholars had an important influence on Western thought and learning. The universities of Europe are "junior to the Oriental universities, and the testimony of scholars in the Middle Ages abundantly justifies the thesis that Islamic learning provided them with much material for their studies" (Guillaume, 1965:243).
5.4 ISLAMIC EDUCATION IN INDIA
Islam reached India from the North and the West. With the arrival of Muslims in Sind, men of learning began "to pour in and settle in different places" (Zuberi, 1965-65: 14). There was hardly a mosque that did not have a school attached to it. The system followed the pattern of other Muslim countries (Zuberi, 1965:15).
According to Islam, the state had to protect its subjects and see to it that Muslim law was upheld (Ouraishi. 1983:139). This implied that the state had to ensure that there was knowledge of religious requirements. The rulers had to see to it that there were scholars who studied religious law and who devoted themselves to "the teaching and spreading of religious knowledge" (Ouralshi. 1983: 139). Generally, rulers in India tried to abide by this requirement, and were often interested in scholarship themselves. Mahmud of Ghazni was educated, had memorised the Gur'an and was familiar with religious law and traditions. He was a scholar and poet of some repute. A great patron of learning, he invited "any man or woman of remarkable intellectual gifts to adorn his court" (Sufi, 1981:12). His example encouraged his descendants and later rulers, and the promotion of education continued. The Moghuls continued this tradition.
,
153 5.4.1 Content
In many ways, the content of education in India was the same as in the maktabs of Arabia, but the rulers in India during this time were Persian speaking rulers (Zuberi, 1965: 15). Arabic was neither a part of their culture nor essential for running the government and receded in importance. It was learnt only for the fulfilment of religious duties.
Persian was not the mother tongue of the Indian people but it was the language of the court and the government and became a necessary part of education. Gradually,· a synthesis of Persian, Arabic and Indian languages led to the formation of a new language, Urdu. Urdu became the medium of instruction in Muslim education and, at all levels of education, all material used the language.
The Moghul ruler Akbar issued orders regarding schools (Sufi, 1981 :52-53). Every schoolchild had to learn to trace the several forms of the letters of the alphabet. The shape and name of each letter was to be learnt in two days and the joining of letters in a week. Some poetry and prose was to be understood and memorised. Every pupil was expected to study arithmetic, geometry, ethics, agriculture, astronomy, physiognomy, economy, civics, logic and medicine.
The Moghul rulers, in addition, took great care to see to it that their young were properly educated. When their princes were five years old, they were able to read. They were then placed under the guidance of tutors to learn the "liberal and military arts" (Sufi, 1981 :50). Their amusements were designed to teach them refined habits and elegant tastes. Among the subjects studied over a period were Persian, Arabic, Mathematics, Astronomy, Geography, the Gur'an, History, Poetry and Philosophy. ..
154 5.4.2 Method
In maktabs, learning was usually by rote. Letters of the alphabet were copied and memorised. Questioning by teachers and recapitulation was frequent. Corporal punishment, three to ten light strokes, was allowed as was short detention, but excess was frowned upon. Equality was stressed and the orphan received special treatment. There was no school on Fridays and Thursday was either a day off or set aside for revision. There was a holiday during the fasting month and another break during the month of Muharram.
5.4.3 Education under British Rule in India
The system of education continued until the British had taken over control in India. The Rev. William Adam, a missionary educationist, wrote three comprehensive reports on Bengal, dated 1835, 1836 and 1838 (Sufi, 1981 :93). He reported that there were many Muslim private schools. It was considered meritorious to teach and there was no stipulated remuneration. In these schools, children learnt the alphabet and introductory parts of Persian. The schools were attended by Hindus and Muslims. The system continued until occupation by the East India Company in 1797.
5.4.3.1 Changes in Content
Sir Charles Grant, a member of the Court of Directors, recommended that English be introduced gradually. In 1823, a General Committee was formed in Calcutta, which began to set up colleges, first in Calcutta, then in Agra and Delhi (Zuberi, 1965:19). In 1837 Macauley succeeded in getting Persian replaced by English, and in 1849 English became a preferential subject for recruitment to government services. This led to the establishment of schools ., for teaching English (Zuberi, 1965:20-21). 155 5.4.3.2 Religious Education under British Rule
The British system made no provision for religious education, but this deficiency was "made up, to a very great extent, by the maktab system" (Zuberi, 1965:24-25).
With state schools becoming increasingly secular schools, religious education became a private affair and had to be organised by the communities concerned.
5.4.3.3 Responses to Challenges under British Rule
Muslim religious education had to adjust to a situation where it did not have the backing of the ruling group. The previous official languages, Hindi and Persian, were displaced by English.
Various responses to the changed situation were forthcoming. Two of the important ones were the Deoband and the Aligarh, so called after the names of the places where the main centres were established. There were other responses as well, such as the Barelvi and the Ahl-i-Hadith (Rahman, 1981 :41), but it is not relevant to consider all of them in this study, as the madressas that form the subject of this study follow the Deoband school of thought.
5.4.3.3.1 Aligarh
Sir Sayyid Ahmed Khan felt the need to educate Muslims according to modern lines, and established the Aligarh College (later the Aligarh Muslim University) in 1877. It was patterned on the lines of the colleges of Cambridge (Rahman, 1981:56).
156 At Aligarh, science teachers came from Europe, particularly from England. Combined with modern education was an attempt to provide a basis of Islamic knowledge.
Aligarh had some influence in South Africa. Influential people in the Central Islamic Trust had been educated at Aligarh. The C.I.T. was among those who recommended that the madressa change the medium of instruction to English and restructure the syllabus.
At Aligarh, religious education was provided by graduates of Deoband, and for this reason the Deoband school of thought remained very influential.
5.4.3.3.2 The Deoband Darul Uloom
Deoband was "an insignificant place" (Zuberi, 1965:27) and had no school. There was a rising against British rule in 1857, the "mutiny", and it was suppressed. The suppression resulted in the destruction and closure of many madressas, as Muslims were seen as being mainly responsible for the rising. Many maulanas were also killed during and after the rising.
There was concern about religious education and in 1867, ten years after the rising, a school was started under a pomegranate tree near a mosque known as Chhatta Wali north of Delhi. The school was started by Maulana Muhammad Qasim Nanotavi (Holt, 1970:81). The school started "with Mulla Mahmud as 'teacher' and Mahmoodul Hasan, later known as Sheikul Hind, as the only student" (Zuberi, 1965:27). Later, other madressas were opened, but the centre position was always occupied by the darul uloom at Deoband (Zuberi, 1965:27).
157 The influence of Deoband has been immeasurable. It inspired the establishment of many other darul ulooms. These darul ulooms followed the Deoband school of thought. They produced the teachers who were active in teaching in maktabs. The majority of ulema in the Transvaal belong to the Deoband school of thought (Le Roux 1978:63-64). They exercise a powerful influence.
5.4.4 Madressa Education in India after 1947
With the end of British rule in India, education came to be controlled by state government. In many states, English has been replaced by the official language of the state. The system of government schools teaching secular subjects has meant that the maktabs and madressa have concentrated on religious instruction.
Each village, depending on its size, had a maktab. If a village had a school, the lessons of the rnaktab took place in the school, though this depended on the religious affiliation of the village. If the majority were Muslims, the school was used. If there was no school, or if it could not be used, classes were held in or near a mosque. In villages with no mosque, a house or even a room in a house was used (Interview: A. Akhalwaya: 1993).
5.4.4.1 Aims
These maktabs concentrated on religious education. They were devoted to providing a religious culture and the knowledge necessary to satisfy religious requirements (Interview: A. Akhalwaya: 1993)
158 5.4.4.2 Contents
First of all, children were taught the Arabic alphabet and the sounds of the letters (takti). This was followed by a combination of the letters, then words. This led to the reading of the Our'an. The reading of the Our'an was done systematically. First, the last section, beginning with the shortest surahs, was read. Then it was read from the beginning to the end, over a period of years. The completion of the Our'an was an occasion for rejoicing. Short surahs from the Our'an also had to be memorised.'
A similar pattern was followed with Urdu lessons, which began with the alphabet, then continued to words and sentences. There was one major difference. Arabic was taught to be read, not understood, while it was important to understand Urdu.
Once the child was proficient in Urdu, there was a series of Urdu textbooks to be read. These books were arranged in order of numbers, the first book being the primer. From these textbooks, the child was taught religious requirements, precepts and moral stories and some poetry.
5.4.4.3 Method
The books started with simple language and became more complex. At varying stages, different books were introduced. One was "Talimul Islam", which contained information about various aspects of religious duties.
: There is no published material available about madressa education in villages in India, nor is there any published information about early madressa education in Lenasia. The information has therefore been obtained from interviews. The people interviewed were A. Akhalwaya, I. Waja, A.H. Gabru, A. K. Dockrat, S. Pandor and E. Garda. 159 At about the secondary level the "Behesti Zewar" was introduced. This book was enormously influential. Written by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi in the form of answers to questions, it covers a wide range of activities and gives the religious requirements for these activities. It deals with faith, prayer, fasting, birth and death, marriage, cleanliness and purity and many other aspects.
Where there were many classes, these were organised into different ability or age levels, but where there were few classes, or only one class, children were grouped into sections in the same class.
This curriculum was followed by maktabs in India and was transferred naturally to the Transvaal. Parents and teachers had attended maktabs in India and the same system was reproduced in the Transvaal.
5.4.4.4 Teachers
The children were usually taught by a hafez (one who had memorised the Qur'an) or a maulana. What was taught was often influenced by the teacher's course of study.
5.5 EARLY MUSLIM EDUCATION IN THE TRANSVAAL
5.5.1 The First "Indian" Muslims in the Transvaal
No definite date can be given for the arrival of the first Indians in the Transvaal. Different writers suggest different dates. "No official record of the date on which Indians entered the South African Republic" is available (Pillay, 1977:1). A specific reference is in the case of Tayob Hajee Khan Mohammed in 1898 in which the plaintive claimed to have entered the Transvaal in 1883 (Pillay, .. 1977:1). 160 The first law referring to Indians was Ordinance 5 of 1885. This means that there must have been large enough numbers to make the law necessary. They must "have been sufficiently visible to create concern" (Bhana & Brain, 1990:77). It is probable that the first Indians settled in about 1870. A Chamber of Commerce petition in 1874 stated that " ... Hunne handelstasies zullen oft aile grenzen en langs aile groote wegen zijn "(Bhana & Brain, 1990:77).
These references are to Indians generally but in the Transvaal the majority of Indians were Gujerati Muslims (Bhana & Brain, 1990:36-41).
5.5.2 Muslim Religious Institutions in the Transvaal
It is compulsory for Muslims to perform five specified prayers a day, and performing the prayers in congregation is particularly meritorious. When a small community was established, an attempt was made to provide a place for prayers. When the place is temporary, it is termed a "jamaat khana", a place for congregational prayers. When the community seems permanently settled, a mosque may be built. It is important that serious consideration be given to building a mosque, as land used for mosques cannot be used for anything else.
The first Muslims in the Transvaal were not from India, but "Malay" Muslims from the Cape. The "Malays" were instrumental in establishing the first mosques. The first mosque in the Transvaal, according to available information, was the mosque in Kerk Street (Stand 1424) in Johannesburg (Is'haq, 1979:29).
161 The ground for the mosque was acquired in 1870, and prayers were performed in a marquee which was replaced by a tin building. Official documents show that the mosque, the Jooma Masjid, was acquired by a transfer dated 5 April 1888, with the certificate of transfer duty number 3524.
This information was recorded in a copy of the record of transfer duty dated 15 September 1915. A copy of this document was attached to an affidavit by Ahmed Moosa Mia in a case by him and others against the Church Council of the Mohammedan Church - Kerkraad van die Mohamedansche Kerk Gemeente.
Another mosque was built on Stand 227, Ferreirastown. The land was acquired by a transfer certificate dated 18 May 1893. The mosque existed until about 1930. " ... up to about 1930 there was a mosque on the property which was used by members of the Muslim community and regular prayers according to the Muslim faith were held. Indeed the property was a centre of religious activities of the community". Memorandum attached to an affidavit by A.M. Mia, p. 65).
It is likely that these properties were in use well before the date of transfer and the transfer merely legalised an existing situation. A report by the Rand Townships Registrar stated that Stand 227, Ferreirastown, was registered in the name of a white man as trustee because the Mohammedan community could not, under the Gold Law, obtain a stand licence (Report by Rand Townships Registrar in a case by A.M. Mia).
The Hamidia Mosque in Newtown was another important centre. The Hamidia Islamic Society, with OjerAlly as president, was established in July 1906 (Swan, 1985:147). Swan (1985:147) also mentions Maulvi Syed Ahmed Mukhtiar, who taught at the Hamidia Mosque.
162 He also preached at the Surti Mosque (Swan, 1985:30). The Harnidia Society appeared to be active in community affairs and was a driving force behind protests against the government (Bhana & Brain, 1990:152).
It is apparent that there was Islamic activity going on at the turn of the century, and these activities must have included the teaching of religion. Teaching is mentioned only by the way. However, it has been the duty of imams to teach children as well as lead prayers.
5.5.3 Madressas in Johannesburg
The system of organising and teaching in madressas was the same as in India, with times being adjusted to suit local conditions. There is no mention of any change from India. There was movement of children from India to South Africa, and in the opposite direction, and there does not appear to have been any difficulty.
Other madressas began to be established, and in Johannesburg one was established in Hope Chambers and another in Tramway Buildings on Market Street. This madressa was called the Moosa Hassen Madressa, after the founder (lshaq, 1979:32).
5.5.4 The Jamiatul Ulema of the Transvaal
The first Ulema (religiously learned people) in the Transvaal were "Malays" from the Cape. Imam Tayob Japie, Imam Khaliel, Imam Abdul Malik, Imam Ismail and Imam Ismail Japie are mentioned by Is'haq (1979:24-25).
163 These Imams were joined by ulema from India. Maulana Syed Ahmed Mukhtiar has already been mentioned. Among the first ulema to come to the Transvaal were Maulana Tujammal Hussain, Maulana Sham, and Maulana Suliman Italvi (Is'haq, 1979:25). Thereafter, there were Mufti Bisrnilla, Maulana Ikramudeen, Maulana Ismail Italvi, Maulana Mohammed Shah and Maulana Waliullah, as well as Qari Abdus Samad Bhopali, Maulana Ismail Kafleti and Maulana Fateh Mohammed Alipori (Is'haq, 1979:25).
As mentioned earlier, the teaching of children was an important part of a Maulana's duties. They also had to lead congregational prayers.
There was a large enough number of ulema in 1922 in Johannesburg to establish an organisation of ulema, the Jamiat-ul-Ulema (Le Roux, 1978:61). A publication of the Jamiat-ul-Ulema, a prayer manual printed in 1927, is still extant.
The Jamiat-ul-Ulema was inactive for a period and was re-established in 1933 (Le Roux, 1978:62). Since then it has played a leading role in organising madressa education in the Transvaal.
5.5.5 Organisation of Early Madressas
The madressas were established by the community and also funded by it. School buildings, which had often been built by the community, were used after school hours. The teachers, usually ulema from India, were paid by the community.
164 5.5.5.1 Content
The teaching generally followed the pattern indicated in India, and the main trend was repeated:
* a child was first taught the basic Arabic alphabet, the takhti;
* this was followed by a combination of Arabic letters and sounds;
* parts of the Our'an were read, beginning with the short sections at the end. The memorisation of some sections was also begun, as were Urdu alphabet and combinations of letters. Basic Gujerati was also learnt;
* After this, a number of other books were studied in Urdu. These included:
Taalimul Islam: expression of faith, basic rules regarding religious obligations.
Urdu books in sequence: religious rules, moral stories, poems.
Behesti Zewar: in a number of sections, giving detailed Islamic rules. This book was studied by more advanced pupils. Some rules had to be memorised.
Other books, as the pupil advanced, dealing with religious rules, the life of the prophet (P.B.U.H.) moral stories and other aspects.
l65 * At the same time of the Our'an was systematically read until it was completed. Sections were also memorised, and there was also practical teaching of some basic practices such as the way to perform prayers.
5.5.5.2 Method
Classes could have many children. They were divided into different level groups. Each group was given a lesson for the next day and had to move away from the teacher and learn their lesson for the next day. They were tested the next day and a further lesson was given.
An examination was conducted annually, usually by ulema from other madressas in the area or from other areas.
5.5.5.3 Discipline and Punishment
Discipline was strict and the cane was freely used. As work was learnt by repetition, and recited aloud, there was considerable noise.
5.6 CHANGES IN THE ORGANISATION OF MADRESSAS
This practice still prevails in India, but in the Transvaal there were influences that necessitated change. Earlier, Gujerati or Urdu were home languages, but were gradually replaced by English. It became apparent that a radical revision was needed. Two organisations, the Jamiatul Ulema of the Transvaal (J.U.T.) and the Central Islamic Trust (C.I.T.) separately restructured the madressas under their control.
166 The J.U.T. convened a meeting of representatives of madressas in the Transvaal on 11 August 1963, and in 1964 a syllabus was prepared, a "Simplified Educational Syllabus". This was amended and modified in January 1965. (Preamble to 1965 syllabus: "Revised and Simplified Islamic Educational Syllabus for the madaaris of the Transvaal).
This syllabus heralded a drastic change from the traditional madressas. The substance of instruction remained the same, but English was introduced and the organisation was changed. The pattern was based on secular schools. There were structured timetables, with subject teaching and division into periods and teaching by different teachers. There were uniform syllabuses for every aspect and there was supervision, as well as inspection and examinations.
There were later modifications to the syllabuses, but the basic format has remained to the present.
5.7 CONCLUSION
The purpose of madressa education, in any place, has remained constant throughout its history. The madressa has always sought to transmit knowledge of religious requirements so that children have knowledge of their religious duties.
It has been central to madressa education to inculcate requirements of the faith; to teach the formal affirmation of faith which expresses a belief in God, all the prophets, particularly the prophethood of Mohammed (P.B.U.H.) and the Day of Judgment. ,,
167 The madressa has also taught the duties compulsory for a Muslim and the correct manner of fulfilling those duties.
The madressa has, at certain times and in countries with a Muslim government, been regarded as a duty of the state, but from earliest times it has more often been a duty of the parents. Thus a pattern of parental contribution has been established, and parents and the community have considered it a religious duty to provide madressa education.
It is also evident that aim and content have remained fairly constant, but there have been changes in method and the medium of instruction.
The following points can thus be made about madressa education:
* the aims have remained constant; * as the changes in curriculum show, there can be different selections of content; * the content, though, has to be directed towards the aims; * there have been changes in the method; * teachers have played a very prominent role and much is demanded from the teacher in respect of knowledge, attitude and behaviour; * the strict discipline and harsh punishment that was sometimes common in practice has not been in accordance with Islamic values.
The central message would be that changes in method, content and organisation would not conflict with Islamic principles.
,. 168 CHAPTER SIX
CURRENT PRACTICES IN THE MADRESSAS
6.1 INTRODUCTION
Criteria for the evaluation of the madressa were determined in Chapter Two. The actual practices in the madressas studied have to be described and analysed so that the practices can be compared to the criteria.
This chapter is concerned with the study of actual practices in the A.L.M. and the Saaberie Madressa. The practices are described under the same headings as the criteria. The following aspects are considered:
* the context of madressa education, which includes the physical location and the times of operation;
* the aims of madressa education;
* the persons involved: the educator and the educand;
* the method;
* the content;
* educational relations between educator and educand which examines the issues of authority, discipline and punishment. .. 169 The theoretical underpinning, according to Islam, is mentioned first and then the actual practice in the madressa is described. A summary of the important features of each aspect is made.
6.2 TERMINOLOGY AND NOTES
The particular uses of certain terms need to be noted. The meaning of a concept in the madressa context is sometimes different from ordinary usage. "School" or "secular school" refers to the ordinary state school, which in Lenasia has pupils of different religions; the buildings are owned by the state:
* academic spelling differs from that used in the madressas. As the madressas have co-operated, and are interested in the study, their form of spelling is used;
* "teachers" refers to trained educators in the secular school. Educators in the madressa fall into different categories and this will be explained later;
NOTES:
* Sources: Printed sources are scanty. Information has been obtained from the records of madressas, from the writer's personal experiences, and from a series of interviews with the principals.
* As stated earlier, no one is sanctioned to speak on behalf of Islam. There are no bodies who make final rulings which have to be accepted.
" 170 6.3 THE CONTEXT OF MADRESSA EDUCATION
"It is only within a particular social system that a particular system of education has meaning" (Osman in Mohamed et aI., 1989:44).
The religious foundations of madressa education have been discussed and the general theory of Islamic education has also been analysed in Chapter Four. There is one primary point to bear in mind. The madressas being studied do not attempt to fulfil the functions of a complete system of education. Islam does not separate the secular from the religious (Ansari, 1973:Vol 1, 115) nor is there a difference between secular and religious education (Obaid Ullah, 1983:26). However, in this context, a "secular" education is provided by state schools and to ensure that children acquire the required religious knowledge, madressas have been established. The madressas do not attempt to duplicate the work of state schools, but serve as a supplementary form of education.
6.3.1 Physical Location
Madressas are located in places where there is a reasonable concentration of Muslims. Present concentrations are the result of historical and political developments. Most "Indian" Muslims among the Transvaal immigrants were immigrants with a commercial occupation and tended to concentrate where there were trade opportunities. Well before "apartheid" became official government policy, there were restrictive laws against Indians (Bhana and Brain, 1990; Swan, 1985; and others). Lenasia itself came about as a result of the implementation of the Group Areas Act. These legal restrictions, perhaps in addition to normal tendencies which included kinship and friendship, led to Indians being concentrated in certain areas. It became convenient to have madressas in these areas of concentration.
\,
171 As far as premises are concerned, there is no religious requirement governing the location of madressas. Classes can be arranged in any convenient place. The historical development of secular education also contributed to certain practices.
School buildings were provided by the community (Sangaran, 1968:42) and these buildings were then used, after school hours, for madressa classes. This practice of using school premises has continued, though the buildings are now erected by the state.
6.3.1.1 location of Classes: A.l.M.
The A.L.M. uses school premises for junior classes and other classes are conducted in specially built "centres", erected for the purpose. There are three of these centres, with a total of thirty seven classrooms. Transport to these centres is provided by the A.L.M. which hires private buses, though there are children who walk to the madressa or are brought in private cars.
The administrative offices of the A.L.M. and the L.M.A. are in these centres. The centres also have other uses. The main centre in Duck Avenue has a hall which is hired out for weddings. There is also a squash court. Income so derived is utilised for the madressa.
6.3.1.2 location of Classes: Saaberie
The Saaberie Madressa does not use the classes of the state schools. They have opted for a more traditional approach. Teaching takes place either within a mosque itself, the foyer of a mosque or rooms attached to a mosque. Instead of desks that are usual in schools, children sit on the carpeted floor with small wooden desks on which books rest.
\ ,
172 Pupils either walk to the madressa or are transported in mini-buses with fares being paid by the pupils. The madressa now incorporates transport costs into the fees.
At lower levels, boys and girls are in mixed classes at both madressas, but they are separated in the upper classes as Islam does not encourage the mixing of sexes.
6.3.2 , Times of Attendance at Madressa
Children have a limited period of time available for attendance at the madressa. The following table (Table 1) gives comparable times. The figures refer to attendance in hours.
Table 1: TIMES OF ATTENDANCE
ATTENDANCE IN HOURS
SCHOOL SAABERIE A.L.M.
MORNINGS FROM AFTERNOONS FROM.± 14:30 .±. 08:00
Class one 4% 2~ 2Y2 Class two 2~ I 4% 2Y2 I Std one (or class three) 5Y2 I 2~ 2Y2 I Std two (four) 5Y2 2Y2 2Y2 Std three (five) 5Y2 2Y2 2Y2
I Std four (six) 5Y2 I 2Y2 2Y2 I Std five (seven) 5Y2 2~ 2Y2 \ , I 173 Std six (eight) 6Y4 2Y2 2Y2 Std seven (nine) 6Y4 2Y2 2Y2 Std eight (ten) 6Y4 2Y2 2Y2 Std nine (eleven) 6Y4 No class 2Y2 Std ten (twelve) 6Y4 No class 2Y2
The attendance at madressa and the time required for the madressa have a number of implications for the child. These implications are discussed in this chapter in
section 6.9.
The madressa has exerted an influence on school times. When Indian schools in the Transvaal were under the control of the Transvaal Education Department, until 31 March 1967, schools were allowed to end on Fridays at 12:00 to allow pupils to attend the important Friday congregational prayers at 12:30. When they fell under the control of the Department of Education and Culture in the House of Delegates (the name of this department changed with changing political circumstances), school hours were extended on Fridays. This led to strong protests in Lenasia and a compromise was reached which allowed for an extended break to permit pupils to attend prayers. Further -protests in the mid-eighties led to the present arrangement. The school day is extended on Tuesdays and shortened on Fridays (different schools have different arrangements) and the school ends at 12:30 on Fridays.
The time at madressa is less than half the school time and even this decreases at secondary level. The time available is an important factor in designing madressa activities.
, .
174 6.4 AIMS OF ISLAMIC EDUCATION AND MADRESSA EDUCATION
6.4.1 General Aims of Islamic Education
Mohamed (in Mohamed et al. 1989:4-6) explains that Islam regards human beings as being "born in a state of fitrah", that is, the innate inclination to believe and submit to God. At the heart of this fitrah is "the spirit (rDh) " which God breathed into man, qualifying him for the noble status of Khalifa which means vicegerent of God on earth. This implies "the heavy burden of trust (amanah) " is placed on him.
The centre of this burden is worship (ibadah). Without worship the trust of intellect and freedom would be abused, a person would arrogate to himself Lordship instead of recognising the One absolute Lord. As a servant of God, a person has to practise worship.
The aim of Islamic education is, therefore, the actualization of man's fitrah in all its dimensions within a social context. Islamic education is thus concerned with the development of the whole person, body (jism), mind (nafs) and spirit (rDh) - in and for society.
Kinnany (in AI-Afendi et al. 1980:140) further explains that Islamic education must keep the ultimate destiny of human beings in mind, and prepare people for a mode of life that would prepare them to live correctly. "Islamic education is an education in faith and optimism ... guidance on good and perfect conduct, the virtuous life, and salvation in the Hereafter".
\ . 175 Its purpose is to develop in a person a "sense of responsibility to himself, to his community, and to his God". The education must also be "thorough and comprehensive; it is planned to bring about harmony, balance and integrity in a man's life as an individual in the Islamic community".
He further adds that the education is meant to bring about harmony and solidarity in:
* a man's whole being by coordinating the needs of the body, the self, the mind and the will;
* the social environment;
* his relationship with life, nature and the universe.
6.4.2 Aims of the Madressas
The aims that have been mentioned refer to aims in Islamic education in general. The aims in the madressas being studied are rarely expressed in writing. One brief article (Hathurani, 1985:7) considers that the purpose is to build an Islamic character in children. The attributes of an Islamic character are listed as (Hathurani,1985:1):
* tawheed: unqualified and indivisible belief in the Supremacy and Oneness of Allah;
* risalah: belief in the unquestioning authenticity of Rasulallah's (S.A.W.) prophethood;
, .
176 * akhlaaq: whatever we do must be for the sale purpose of pleasing Allah;
* the rights and dues of our fellow men.
In interviews with the principals of the two madressa groups, the aims were stated in more or less similar terms. The aim was considered to be the creation of an Islamic consciousness so that the child could be imbued with faith, perform the required religious duties and lead the life of a good Muslim.
It is important to note that aims are rarely articuiated. Even in the principal's report of the A.L.M. which in some way is an appeal for funds, no aims are expressed. The reason for this failure to express aims could be the assumption that the aims are so obvious to everyone that there is no need to express them. Le Raux (1978:95-96) considers that the madressa is a formal mechanism for the transmission of rules and the internalisation of values.
6.5 THE PERSONS INVOLVED
6.5.1 The Educand
At the time of its revelation, knowledge of Islam had to be transmitted to adults "the Prophet was often questioned on matters of belief and conduct" (Gibbs et al. 1961 :301}). The learner can be any person but in the madressa, the learner is a child, so that the term "educand" would refer to a child, but this does not imply that adults cannot be educands. As the madressa is primarily directed at children, the nature of the child becomes relevant.
, . 177 6.5.1.1 The Nature of the Child
Islam regards a person as being born without sin, who is classed as innocent until the age of puberty (Ansari, 1973:Vol 2, 180) but there is also a tendency to evil on the part of the child. There is always a conflict between piety and wickedness in the human soul (Ansari, 1973:Vol 1, 334).
Saving one's children from the fire of Hell necessitates not only giving formal education on certain religious beliefs and practices but taking all those steps which will make them good in every way (Ansari, 1973:Vol 2, 185).
Islamic education assumes that the child is someone who needs to be protected and guided. The child should be (Ghazzali in a translation by F. Karim, 1986:61 63):
* shown kindness and sympathy;
* treated like one's own;
* taught up to his power of understanding;
* if backward, taught only to the limits of his ability.
The child should keep himself free from impure habits and should be modest and humble.
According to Husain (in Husain and Ashraf, 1979:104) the educand is an impressionable human being whose character is to be moulded and who is to be initiated by the educators into a moral code which is cherished by the society.
178 Ansari (1973: 186) derives from the Qur'an, the following rights of the child:
* the establishment of an atmosphere of love;
* understanding of the child's proper growth;
* protection against all evils: neglect, cruelty and exploitation;
* provision of adequate nutrition, housing, recreation and medical services;
* opportunity for balanced development, according to the Qur'anic code of life;
* provision of the best education available;
* provision of comprehensive moral education;
* provision of spiritual education to make the child truly God-fearing.
The J.U.T. in the "Notes for Ustaaz" (which gives advice to educators) in the syllabus for primary madressa includes some of the ideas given but expresses them as follows:
* parents and guardians have entrusted the child to the educator;
* a fundamental factor in education is love for the child by the tutor;
* it is very important to keep the child's mind at rest and to assist him to adapt himself to the environment of the madressa;
179 * give attention to the character and habits of the child;
* endeavour to improve the comprehension and understanding of the child;
* influence the child to conduct himself according to the Islamic Shariat at all times, especially out of madressa hours;
* improve the morals of pupils by relating suitable material.
The educand in the madressa is a Muslim child. The ages of children in the madressa range from about six to about fifteen, though those who go to nursery school start earlier and those who go to higher classes might be older. The majority start class one in madressa when they start school and continue for seven years till they reach the equivalent of Standard Five. Some carryon after that though there is a sharp drop in numbers. The number of pupils in each madressa and the levels they are in is indicated in Table 2.
There are also students who attend hifz classes, which require the memorisation of the Our'an. These children sometimes attend ordinary madressa classes and sometimes do not. They have to attend classes at ordinary madressa times and for about an hour after morning prayers. Some leave school for a period and complete the course full-time at a darul uloom.
Madressa children are usually expected to dress in conformity with Islamic norms. In practice, this means a "kurta", a long, extended shirt-type garment for boys, and for girls a scarf covering all the hair on the head and a long dress.
180 Children usually begin madressa with some basic Islamic knowledge as parents may already have taught them some prayers and practices, but there are also children who may have no knowledge, and this often includes the children of parents who may have converted to Islam.
Table 2: Pupils 1992
Level A.L.M. Saaberie
Class one 535 39 Class two 518 43 Class three (Std one) 491 40 Class four (Std two) 443 40 Class five (Std three) 396 34 Class six (Std four) 345 39 Class seven (Std five) 244 29 Class eight (Std six) 179 18 I Class nine (Std seven) 122 11 Class ten (Std eight) 83 - . TOTAL 3356 293 I
6.5.2 The Educator
6.5.2.1 Terminology
There may be some confusion about the use of certain terms describing educators. Often the term "educator" and "teacher" are used interchangeably, as the term "educator" has gained currency only recently. In this section though, the term "educator" will be used, unless it is part of a direct quotation.
181 Source: The madressa records and interviews
This is done to distinguish it from the special use of the term "teacher" in the madressa. There are different terms used for educators in the madressa:
* maulana, maulvi, aalim (plural: ulema): persons who have qualified in the study of religion at a darul uloom;
* hafez (plural huffaaz): person who has memorised the Our'an;
* teachers: persons who have qualified at a state, secular, teachers' training college;
* aapa: an unqualified female employed as an educator.
In the madressas, educators are usually ulema (those who have studied in a darul uloorn) or huffaaz (those who have memorised the Qur'an). There is an attempt to have as "many ulema as possible. There are also a number of "teachers", who teach at ordinary schools and are employed on a part-time basis, as well as female educators who constitute the largest number. Some of the females have been to a darul uloom for girls and are known as aalimas. The breakdown of educators is indicated in Table 3.
182 Table 3: Teaching staff 1992
A.L.M. Saaberie
Ulema and huffaaz 41 9 Teachers 8 3 Females (qualified "Aalimas") 5 3 Females (unqualified) 107 1
161 16
6.5.2.2 Teacher Training
Ulema have to qualify at a darul uloom, an institution designed to transmit religious knowledge at a higher level. As a result they have religious knowledge of some depth. The darul ulooms do not usually provide training for educators, though at the darul ulooms in Azaadville and Newcastle students do a very short programme in teaching methodology. At the Madrasah Zakarriya near Lenasia, students do ordinary school courses in the afternoon. Teaching is by qualified teachers from Lenasia and examinations are controlled by Damelin College.
6.5.2.3 Courses at Darul Ulooms
The ulema employed by the madressas have qualified at darul ulooms and have a background of religious education. Most of the darul ulooms follow the trend of the DeobandTheological Seminary in India (Mohamed in Mohamed et al. 1989:18). The teaching staff at the darul ulooms are mainly ulema who have been trained in India and Pakistan at institutions which follow the Deoband school of thought. They have a special reverence for Deoband, "that .., great institution of Islamic learning" (Nadvi in Mohammed et al. 1989:41).
183 Generally the core subjects offered at darul ulooms are:
* Arabic. * Tafsir (Exegesis). * HadTth (also known as Sunnah): the sayings and actions of the Prophet (S.A.W.).
* TawhTd. * Hifz. * Tajweed. * Ethics. * Fiqh: jurisprudence. * History. * Urdu.
Some of the courses have the same terms as madressa subjects, but the levels are completely different.
The ulema have a great influence on the content of madressa education. However, they often received their training in India, and their language of education is Urdu, and this allows teachers at schools to have a greater influence on methodology.
There are also many unqualified females employed as teachers in madressas. In order to ensure that they have adequate religious knowledge, it is compulsory for them to attend a special class on Tuesday mornings where religious education is given.
There is also fairly strict control through supervision. Many of the supervisors are teachers and they provide advice on methodology.
184 6.5.2.4 Attributes Required of an Educator
In Islam, there are strict requirements of the educator who should (AI-Aroosi, 1980:136):
* be well read in Islamic material;
* possess an insight into Islamic beliefs and fundamental judgments;
* be endowed with essential qualities:
have true academic and intellectual capacity, that is have a grounding in the sciences of Islam and be well-read in the culture of Islam;
have the moral ability to be able to educate his pupils in such a way that they will become fully aware of the perfect accord between the educator's words and behaviour.
To this Kinnany (in AI-Afendi et al. 1980:150-15 ~) has added that the educator must:
* try to promote the development of human identity, individuality and accountability;
* study the trends and anticipate the challenges of the future;
* make full use of research methods and modern teaching devices.
185 What is frequently emphasised is that the educator's behaviour is crucial. The teacher is "a model to be emulated" (Husain in Husain et al. 1979:104). It is not only what is taught that matters but what an educator does, the way he conducts himself, his deportment in class and what he does outside the class are all expected to conform to an ideal which his pupils can unhesitatingly accept. Kinnany (in AI-Afendi et al. 1980:167) feels that the worth and the status of the educator should always receive recognition. It has to be the educator who has the privilege and responsibility to formulate the curriculum, plan the procedures, certify student accomplishments and manage and direct educational establishments.
The J.U.T. in "Notes for Ustaaz" (educators) in. the preface to the syllabus for primary madaaris, repeats some of the aspects mentioned:
* the educator should recognise and shoulder with sincerity the responsibility of having the children entrusted to him;
* the educator should understand the pupil and employ the best methods to obtain the child's cooperation;
* the educator should keep the classroom neat and clean and where possible decorate it with educational charts;
* the capabilities of the children should be assessed and a programme planned;
* the educator must present himself in an exemplary manner so that the pupils could emulate him. Children are observant of every act of the Ustaaz and are mindful of what he says.
186 6.6 EDUCATIONAL RELATIONS
Important in educational relations is mutual respect, which is required for both the educator and educand. There is a tradition of caring teachers in Islam. "The personalities of the past whose names are cherished in Muslim history as great teachers have all been men possessed of warmth who attracted learners who learnt more from what they saw and heard than from their lessons. They always even after they left "continued to keep alive in their hearts and minds the memory of the great personality" (Husain in Husain and Ashraf, 1979:106-107).
It is necessary for the teacher to be a virtuous person, a man of piety, who considers it his responsibility to train his pupils to be good Muslims. The teacher has to treat students as his own children and teach them according to their capacity. His actions should not belie his words (Ghazzali, translated by Faris, 1970:144).
The educand is expected to keep himself free from impure habits and evil matters and also be modest and humble (AI-Ghazzali, translated by Karim, 1986:55). The student should not exalt himself above the teacher, but should humble himself and "through his service seek reward and honour" (AI-Ghazzali, translated by Faris, 1970:129). Questions should be asked but at the proper time and place. The Islamic moral code, according to Ansari (1973:Vol 2) emphasises obligation or duty rather than rights. Rights mean a claim against someone, while a duty is an obligation on oneself. Others have to answer for their failures, but we have to account for our neglect of a duty.
Islam places great stress on the manner in which religious teaching is done.
"Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious ... " (Our'an
\ \ XVI:125). 187 This would require the exercising of respect and consideration for those being dealt with. People should be addressed gently.
6.6.1 Authority
The question of authority is not dealt with directly in the madressa, but is implicit in the high status accorded to the teacher and the humility expected of the learner. The teacher has to nurture the child, initiate him into doing good and promote desirable knowledge, attitude and behaviour. This implies that the teacher is one who knows; he is an authority. The teacher also has to discourage the wrong and undesirable; he has control over the learner and this places him in authority.
The educator has to "guide the individual and teach him how to distinguish between evil and good, the forbidden and the permissible". But the educand also has freedom to think, to decide for himself and to choose whichever way he shall seek (AI-Afendi in AI-Afendi et al. 1980:8).
There is also a reliance on the knowledge as acquired through revelation. "Islam emphasises this all-important fact of Revelation" (Ansary, 1973:45). The Qur'an has absolute authority. There is thus reliance on an authority.
There is no direct statement about, or any reference to, authority in the madressas. It is, in practice, automatically assumed that the teacher is in authority as well as being an authority.
188 6.6.2 Discipline
Islamic education has to "cultivate and promote individual responsibility. Whoever does good is rewarded for his good deeds and whoever does evil is punished. No one is responsible for the deeds of another (AI-Afendi in AI-Afendi et al. 1980:8).
The principle of discipline is an essential element of life according to Islam.
There are many references to "limits" and human action has to be restrained within those limits. The acts of worship also require that a human being exercises discipline. The compulsory acts, the so-called five pillars, among other actions require a person to:
* express one's faith;
* pray in a specified way at specific times;
* fast at a particular time in a particular way;
* give a fixed percentage of possessions to charity;
* go on pilgrimage if one is able to do so.
These are actions that often require a firm will and the imposition of self-discipline. There are other actions, too, that require that discipline be exercised. The Qur'anic "moral code is based on the emphasis on 'obligation' or 'duty' ... " (Ansari, 1973:Vol 2, V) and the performance of the duty requires a sense of discipline.
It is the madressa's task to create this consciousness of discipline.
" 189 However, to be effective, this discipline has to grow from within rather than be imposed, and the basis for discipline should develop from faith and belief. While punishment is the ultimate consequence, it is only applicable after death. During life, faith is regarded as the controlling factor and through faith not fear "Love should form the basis of following the Law" (Ansary, 1973:Vol 1, 142).
There is no direct reference to discipline, but the practices of the madressa are directed towards instilling a sense of discipline, internal as well as external.
6.6.3 Punishment
Punishment is also central to Islamic belief. The ultimate punishment comes after death, and is eternal. However, until the moment of death, forgiveness is possible. Punishment in Hell and punishment by fire are frequently mentioned in the Qur'an, for example 4:56; 22:19-22 and in many other places.
Other crimes are also punishable, the severity of the punishment depending on the severity with which the crime is viewed.
But forgiveness and mercy are stressed more than punishment and God is very often described as Most Merciful, Most Forgiving (Qur'an, 4:25; 5:74 and others).
With regard to children, punishment is not specifically excluded, but kindness and love receive much more emphasis (Ansary, 1973:Vol 2, 182-186). Ibn Khaldun (1377:417) feels that severe punishment harms children because it promotes bad habits. "If children must be beaten, their educator must not strike them more than three times."
While this may not always be adhered to in practice, in theory corporal punishment is not allowed in the madressas. At the A.L.M. "Guidelines to all teachers" are " given (Annexure 1). 190 These mention the importance of aspects of discipline such as attendance and punctuality {for teachers but by implication for pupils}. Concerning discipline, it mentions that the achievement of discipline must be placed before teaching.
It forbids corporal punishment in very direct terms. "Do not resort to corporal punishment under any circumstances as this is illegal at our institution. Any teacher who resorts to this could have his/her position reviewed on the staff" {Annexure 1}.
6.7 METHOD
On a theoretical basis, the approach is mentioned rather than the actual method. Instead of specific methods, greater attention has been paid to attitudes.
However, methods have been influenced by research and developments. Kinnany {1980:150-151} feels that the educator should study trends and make full use of methods of research and modern techniques.
The general methodology applied in the madressas being studied takes into account the system used in state schools, though there are differences.
6.7.1 Method: A.l.M.
To the level of class seven, school classrooms are usually the venue. Ordinary desks are used. In the centres, the classrooms are also like school classrooms. At schools, care has to be taken that nothing in the class is interfered with and therefore only temporary charts can be used. The classrooms are usually not available when schools have special functions. In terms of agreements with schools, children are allowed to come late to madressa one day a week if they are ,. participating in sports. 191 The senior classes use the centre and the madressas have full control.
6.7.2 Method: Saaberie
These madressas are attached to mosques and either the mosque itself or rooms attached to the mosque are used. Children sit on a carpeted floor, though there are small writing desks.
6.7.3 Methods of Instruction
Different methods are used in the teaching of different subjects. In learning to recite the Our'an, a phonic method is used. Children learn the sounds, and the sounds of the combination of letters.
In other subjects, appropriate methods are used. All aspects of objectives listed in Krathwohl et al. (1970,6-7), the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains are involved. The cognitive domain is involved extensively; the affective domain is involved in the transmission of Islamic values and beliefs. There is also some involvement of the psychomotor domain, although there is no intention to develop physical dexterity or coordination, but rather to see that the actions required in the performance of prayers are correctly carried out. Many of the actions related to worship are required to be done in a particular way, with a special list of activities. The prayers involve standing, bowing, prostrating and sitting. All these have to be done in a specified way.
Notes and textbooks are used. Initially, textbooks prepared elsewhere, particularly in India, were used. There were also translations from Urdu notes used in India. These texts were not always suitable. While ulema approved of the content, the language was often not at the level of the learner. The madressas have started to use textbooks printed by each organisation. The J.U.T. prints textbooks, but \ . recently Saaberie has started using some of the textbooks printed by A.L.M. 192 6.7.4 Testing
The pattern of testing is to a large extent similar in both madressas. Formal tests are set four times a year and reports issued to each pupil. For promotion purposes, in A.L.M. the June and November marks are considered, with the November mark counting two-thirds and the June mark one-third of the total. In Saaberie, the four marks for each term are used for promotion.
In the A.L.M. the tests are set and moderated by the supervisors, not the educators, to ensure that there is a uniform standard and for purposes of control. All classes of a particular level write the same test.
In Saaberie, the tests are set by educators but are similar for all classes of a particular level. Saaberie also has external testing. Examiners appointed by the J.U.T. test Hifz, Quraan (sic) and Duaas orally and submit a report on overall standards to the madressa.
Questions for written tests seem to be mainly in the cognitive domain as characterized by Krathwohl et al (1970: 186-193). The questions go to level three. The questions relating to the psychomotor domain are dealt with mainly in the practicals, though the reservations with regard to the psychomotor domain mentioned earlier should be kept in mind. Oral questions do, to a limited extent, deal with the affective domain.
There is a conscious attempt to reduce failure in the examinations in the madressa. When a learner does badly in the tests for the first two terms, special attention is given to the learner.
, , 193 Sometimes failure is unavoidable, but a child is not kept at the same level for more than two years. According to the principal of A.L.M. educators are constantly reminded that failure in tests is ,a lack of knowledge, not failure as a Muslim. The faith of a learner cannot be quantified, and God judges by faith and by a person's intention.
6.8 CONTENT
Islamic education at primary level recognized the need for "a broad-based curriculum for an all-round growth of the learner in the educational policy laid down by the Caliph Umar" (AI-Aroosi, 1980:128). He included swimming and the equestrian arts in his curriculum.
Education in the maktabs did not always include these subjects, but the education did have a reasonably broad base. The emphasis, though, always remained on providing an elementary knowledge of the religion and encouraging good morals and behaviour.
Content has always been prominent. Certain knowledge was regarded as essential, such as the expression of faith and the proper way of performing prayers. Content could not easily be changed. The Qur'an, as the revealed words of God, could not be tampered with. But there was selection and this made differing curricula possible. For example Ibn Khaldun (1377:422-424) describes different emphases given in different parts of the Muslim world.
This slight variation in selection and ordering is seen in the curricula of the two madressas (Annexures 2 and 3), however, it is also important to note that there is a great deal of similarity. The Islamic conception of knowledge is rooted in Tawhid, the principle that God exists and is One (AI Faruqi et al. 1981:15) .
., 194 He is Creator, Master, Provider, Sustainer, the "ultimate metaphysical cause, purpose and end of everything that is. All objective knowledge is the knowledge of His will, His arrangement, His wisdom".
As God is the ultimate cause, there is no difference between religious and secular knowledge. However, colonialism introduced a change to education. Certain types of knowledge, such as the colonial language and technology, were provided by colonial schools. This knowledge became important for practical reasons, which led to different countries adopting different approaches. In Muslim countries, schools still provided both types of knowledge, but in non-Muslim countries, religious education became the responsibility of the parents and the community.
The madressa is thus not a complete educational system. It provides the education that is considered essential but is not provided by state schools. The madressa's purpose then is to:
* create a belief in Islam and the consciousness of being a Muslim;
* let children become imbued with an Islamic outlook so that every aspect of life will conform to Islamic requirements;
* provide the knowledge that will enable persons to perform prayers and other acts of worship correctly.
6.8.1 Syllabus
The content of madressa education has been organised into syllabuses which are graded according to classes. The syllabuses are in detail but an overview of the work from class one to class seven is provided by Saaberie and from class one to
195 class ten by A.L.M. The overview is part of this chapter and the detailed syllabuses are attached. (Annexure 2 and Annexure 3).
The outline of the syllabus is very brief but this is expanded on in different ways.
A.L.M.: A list of "textbooks used in each class per subject" is given. This details the section of the book to be used. Then there is a schedule of the work for the four terms, divided into sections for each term. This is given for each class.
J.U.T.: First there are letters in English and Urdu from the J.U.T. followed by "Notes for the Ustaaz" (teachers) in English and Urdu. After the overview, there is a page for each class; details for each aspect are given. The "schedule showing distribution of education" which follows this, has the work arranged so that a month-by-month schedule can be followed.
There are also a few other necessary comments on the syllabus:
* spelling is given as written by the madressas. Sometimes spelling by the two madressas differs, for example Diniyaat (A.L.M.) and Deeniyat (Saaberie);
* the terms used for the various subjects could be slightly misleading as they are the same for studies at a much higher level. Examples are:
hifz: usually refers to the memorisation of the whole Our'an. In the madressa, it refers to the memorisation of a very small part of the Our'an .
.. 196 tafseer: usually commentary on and exegesis of the Our' an, a very extensive study. In the madressa, a simple translation of a part of the Our'an.
Another aspect that should be noted is that different terms for similar work are used by the two madressas.
At first glance, these would appear to be different subjects, but examination shows that there is greater similarity than might be apparent.
* Quraan in Saaberie (J.U.T.) includes Tajweed, while A.L.M. considers it a separate subject.
* Diniyaat in Saaberie includes practicals which is a separate subject in A.L.M.
* Writing is a separate subject in Saaberie while A.L.M. includes it with Arabic.
* The terms used to describe subject matter sometimes seem to differ, for example, A.L.M. uses "cleanliness" (in Deenivatl while Saaberie uses "taharaat", but these words have the same meaning. The same aspects may be learnt at different levels and different texts may be used, but if a course is completed, from class one to class seven, the knowledge gained would not be radically different.
The different aspects involve:
Our'an
Initially, the Arabic alphabet is learned which includes the correct pronunciation, followed by punctuation and combinations. After this a reading of the Our'an " 197 begins and is continued till it is completed in class seven. The emphasis is on learning to read the Qur'an fluently and correctly, as an act of worship. Tajweed, the proper pronunciation, is a separate subject in A.L.M.
Hifz
This involves the memorisation of parts of the Qur'an and also of certain prayers (duas) as well as an expression of faith (Kalima). Oral Deeniyat, the memorisation of duas prayers, is regarded as a separate subject by A.L.M.
Arabic/Arabic Tafseer
Saaberie calls the subject Arabic while A.L.M. has it as Arabic Tafseer. In both it involves Arabic writing, the learning of nazms and explanations of the Qur'an. There is some Arabic language learning. The textbooks used are different.
Practicals
A.L.M. has a subject called "practicals" in which the different activities, such as the correct way of washing for prayers and the correct way of performing the prayers are included. There are explanations and there is practice under supervision. In Saaberie, the practicals are incorporated in Diniyaat.
Diniyaat/Oral Deeniyat
A.L.M. has these as two separate subjects while they are considered as one, Deeniyat, by Saaberie. For A.L.M. Deeniyat means learning the basis of Tauheed (belief in the Oneness of Allah), the importance of cleanliness, the pillars of Islam and rules for different practices such as prayers, ablution, burial, marriage and, at higher levels, jurisprudence. ,. 198 In Saaberie, Deeniyat deals with cleanliness and some of the same topics as practicals. A note is added that the rules of ablution and prayers should be taught and, if possible, memorised in conjunction with practicals.
Akhlaaq/Aqaaid (Morals and Aadab/Beliefs)
In A.L.M. the subject deals with the importance of virtues such as truthfulness, honesty and respect. Different topics are dealt with at different levels. From class eight, the subject deals with Tauheed, fate and belief in heaven and hell and the Day of Judgment. Saaberie does not have this as a separate subject but incorporates it in Deeniyat. In Saaberie, Aqaaid is an examination subject, taught from class three. Akhlaaq is a non-examination subject, taught from class five. It involves using moral stories and examples, and centres on discussion.
Hadeeth
This becomes a subject from class eight. Thirty are learnt in class eight and thirty five each in nine and ten. In Saaberie, Sunnahs are taught as a subject from class four, with oral testing.
History
There is a fair amount of similarity. While details of Islamic history are taught, the topics are also used to emphasise certain virtues.
A.L.M. introduced a class eleven in 1993 and a class twelve in 1994. A formal syllabus has not been set out but some topics have been decided. These include:
* comparative religions;
\ . 199 * major economic systems;
* social problems:
- child abuse;
- organ transplants;
- contraception.
There is also a section for "special units" in A.L.M. These include a section for children of newly converted Muslims and another for slow learners. There is a class for the mentally disabled at the Jiswa School for the Mentally Handicapped.
Textbooks
Textbooks were initially a problem. They were used either on an ad hoc basis or sections of different books were used. Some of "these books used language that was not appropriate for the level. Notes were also compiled individually by ulema.
However, the use of textbooks has become more systematic. Specially written books with suitable material have been compiled and printed by both the J.U.T. and the A.L.M.
Evaluation of material
The material used is evaluated. Saaberie does it informally in meetings, while A.L.M. requests written reports from people specifically appointed to do the task.
\ . 200 6.8.2 "Hidden" Curriculum
There are different definitions of the term "hidden curriculum". Hamm (1989:54) defines it as the unexplained, unintended consequences of school activities. Stenhouse (1988:40) explains it as content which may contradict or reinforce the expressed curricular intention but which is not publicly acknowledged. There are other explanations of the term as well, but it is not intended that they be examined.
There are practices in the madressa which are not strictly part of the curriculum but which contribute significantly to the work of the madressa. The practices are not unacknowledged, they are conscious and deliberate, but are not part of the organised curriculum.
Language is possibly the most important. The ulema would prefer Urdu as a language of instruction but it is not used any more. Arabic is the language of Islam, but in the madressa it is not learnt to any great extent as a language of communication although it is used for worship. Values are built into a language (Young, 1981 and others). The acquisition of Arabic terms for use in worship facilitates the understanding of certain practices. The syllabus contains many Arabic terms.
There is also strong persuasion on pupils to dress according to religiously appropriate norms. Islam lays down requirements about dress (Chapter 3).
* males have to be covered from the waist to below the knees;
* females have to be covered from the neck to the ankles with the hair and ears also being covered. Only the face, hands and feet can be uncovered;
Madressa practice takes this into account but is not exactly similar:
\ ,
201 * boys wear a "kurta", a long, shirt-like garment and long trousers. The head covering is a white skullcap or an Arab scarf.
* girls wear long dresses with a "burkha", a head covering that comes over the shoulder. The hair and ears are covered;
Other practices are followed that bring religion constantly to mind. Greetings are in Arabic (Peace be on you and the mercy and blessings of Allah). With reference to the future, the expression "If God wills" in Arabic is used. Thanks are also expressed using God's name.
Most important is the clear assumption by the educators that Islamic beliefs and values are correct. This is most evident among the ulema, but perhaps not as strong among the unqualified "aapas" as some do not always have a strong religious background. These assumptions intangibly assist in creating belief and values.
6.9 MADRESSA ATTENDANCE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILD
The times of attendance at madressa are detailed in section 6.3.3.2. The child is at school and madressa for a combined period of about 6 hours and 45 minutes to 8 hours a day. This obviously makes strong demands on the child.
It has been repeatedly emphasised (particulary in Chapter 2) that educational criteria require that the welfare of the child be the central consideration. If the child's well-being is impaired in any way then the madressa would not be in comformity with the educational criteria which were determined in Chapter 2.
202 It is, therefore, necessary to examine the madressa and its effects on the well being of the child. Two issues are considered here to assess the impact of the madressa. They are:
* the madressa and the intellectual development of the child;
* the madressa and the physical development of the child.
6.9.1 The Madressa and the Intellectual Development of the Child
In this section, academic achievement is regarded as a measure of intellectual development.
Apart from ensuring that attendance at the madressa does not have an adverse effect on the child's academic development, the madressa has to keep another aspect in mind.
According to Islam, knowledge is fard ayn or fard kifayah (Chapter 4). Fard ayn means that it is the duty of every individual to acquire that knowledge. Fard kifayah means that it is the collective duty of the community to ensure that a sufficient number of people acquire the necessary knowledge.
The community has to produce people with the skills needed for the well-being of the community. A community requires doctors, plumbers, electricians and others with the necessary skills. The madressa, as a supplementary form of education, is not designed to provide for fard kifayah requirements, but at the same time, it should not be doing anything that prevents the fulfilment of this duty.
" 203 To assess academic performance of pupils or former pupils of the madressa, three areas have been examined. These are:
* the reading performance of Indian children in primary schools;
* the number of Muslims with matriculation, diplomas or degrees;
* students studying for a medical degree.
6.9.1.1 Reading Performance in Primary Schools
While one study is not conclusive, it does provide some information about an area that has not been explored. It should also be noted that reading performance is crucial to academic performance and a reliable indicator of academic achievement (Carnegie Report, 1962:1; Strang, 1978:4).
The reading performance of Indian children in primary schools was researched in a study undertaken by Gani (1989).
The following figures were given by Gani (1989):
Research population (Standard 2 pupils in Indian Schools): 1821.
Muslims in the research population: 962 (52.8% of the research population)
Muslims attending madressa: 962 (100% of Muslim pupils, 75.2% of pupils attending afternoon classes).
\ .
204 Pupils attending vernacular schools (Muslims, Hindus): 1279 (70.2% of research population) .
The scores given by Gani are:
Mean for all pupils: 31.9
Mean for pupils not attending afternoon classes: 29.05
Mean for pupils attending afternoon classes : 33.17
Gani does not give separate scores for Muslim students, but as pupils attending madressa constitute 75% of those attending afternoon classes, they make a substantial contribution to the score.
The difference in scores, according to Gani (1989: 107), is highly significant.
This means that the score of those who attend madressa is higher than the pupils who do not attend afternoon classes.
Gani (1989:408-410) reaches certain tentative conclusions about those who attend afternoon classes:
* the additional formal instruction may affect reading performance;
* it may create a more positive attitude towards learning;
* the additional demands may discipline pupils towards learning;
\\
205 * it may indicate parents' attitude towards learning.
More detailed study is required, but this study by Gani does suggest that madressa attendance does not necessarily have an adverse effect on academic performance. As Gani (1989:410) concludes: " ... a popular unfounded notion ... exists that attending vernacular classes ... adversely affects scholastic achievement The results of this investigation may dispel such a notion".
6.9.1.2 Degrees, Diplomas and Matriculation
The number of Muslims in the Transvaal with academic achievements is compared to the national figures.
Total population of South Africa 30986 920 Total population of the Transvaal 9491 265 Asian Muslim population of the Transvaal 166 585
TABLE 4 Level of education South Africa Transvaal Muslims Std 10 2 754 970 (8.8%) 29477 (17.7%) Diploma + Std 9 72 239 (0.2%) 531 (0.3%) Diploma + Std 10 672 483 (2.2%) 4136 (2.5%) Degrees 411 251 (1.3%) 4701 (2.8%)
Source: Ms van Niekerk Central Statistical Services 1991 Census .,
206 It is not possible to find out if all the Muslims attended madressa, but from the figures given by Gani (1989) and the survey mentioned in Chapter 1, it is probable that a very high percentage attended madressa.
The percentage of Muslims is higher than the national figure in every case.
These figures suggest that attendance at the madressa does not have an adverse effect on the academic achievement of pupils.
6.9.1.3 Students at Medical School
Among students in Lenasia, as among many other groups, acceptance in a medical school is highly desirable. It is a faculty where admission is restricted and acceptance depends on good academic performance. One group of medical students at the University of the Witwatersrand Medical School was selected at
random to discover the number of former pupils of the madressa in this course. The group examined was the second-year medical group of 1994.
There are 220 students in this group. Of this, 48 (21.8%) are Muslims, and all of them have attended madressa. Included in this group are five students who have memorised the Qur'an. It should be noted that not all the Muslim students are fom the Transvaal. (Information provided by one of the students: N. Gardee).
The proportion of Muslims at medical school is much higher than the proportion of Muslims in the population of the Transvaal.
The conclusion from these figures supports the statement by Gani that attendance at a madressa has a positive effect on academic achievement.
>,
207 6.9.2 The Madressa and the Physical Development of the Child
For the proper development of the child, play and physical activity is necessary. The madressa does not exclude participation in physical activity, play and sports but obviously curtails the time available for it.
The optimum amount of energy that has to be expended by an adult for the maintenance of cardia-vascular health is 6400 kilojoules a day. This means half an-hour's intensive exercise three times a week (Lecture Notes: M. Phil in Sports Medicine: University of Cape Town). These are requirements for an adult. For a child, much less activity is needed for the maintenance of health, but no studies are available about the exact amount of activity needed.
Learners in madressa do have the opportunity to participate in some physical activity. Primary schools in Lenasia have two periods of 30 minutes each week for physical education. This is part of the curriculum. In addition to curricular activities there are other activities. There are inter-house and inter-school competitions in which pupils participate to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the individual.
Children at schools participate in a number of sports. Boys usually participate in athletics, soccer, cricket and volleyball, while girls play netball, softball, athletics. Schools in Lenasia take madressa attendance into account and sports activities are adjusted for this need. The two madressa groups have different positions about pupils' participation in sports activities during madressa time .
.. 208 A.L.M. has an informal agreement with primary schools. Pupils participating in school sports activities are allowed to come late to madressa. This is allowed only on Thursday afternoons and pupils need a letter from the school. For this reason, the Lenasia Primary Schools Sports Association arranges inter-school fixtures for Thursday afternoons.
It is also for the purposes of not interfering with madressa times that the United Cricket Board of South Africa and the South African Rugby Football Union have arranged their development and training programmes for Saturdays.
The Saaberie does not make allowances for sports fixtures and insists that pupils be on time as it feels that the time at madressa is reduced, and that there is adequate time available at school without madressa time being reduced.
Islam is not against sports. There are incidents in the life of the prophet (P.B.U.H.) where he took part in racing and wrestling (Statement by Maulana Kaka). A.L.M. has squash courts adjacent to the main centre's madressa building and pupils are allowed to use the courts.
Thus the madressa does allow for participation in sports at an amateur and social level, but the picture is different at more intense levels of competition.
According to A. Manack, co-ordinator of coaching for the area for the Transvaal Cricket Union, madressa does affect the amount of coaching children can receive. Some promising players do not receive the coaching that would lead to greater development of their talents as they have to attend madressa. Parents often consider the madressa more important than sports.
.. 209 Thus for the purposes of healthy development at an amateur and social level, attendance at the madressa allows for participation in sports. The child's physical development is not harmed by the madressa.
With serious competitive sports at international level or with professional sports, the position is different. Because of the high level of dedication required, the time required for training would not be available for a child who attends the madressa. Someone who intends participating in professional sports successfully will have to leave the madressa in order to have more time available.
6.10 CONCLUSION
The madressa system is influenced by religious requirements, by theoretical principles and by practical considerations. The educational situation can be summarised as follows:
Context: Because of its context, it does not attempt to provide a complete education but concentrates only on religious education. It has to take into account the limited time at its disposal.
Aim: In general, Islamic education is expected to harmonise the needs of the soul, body, mind and will and to establish a relationship with life and nature according to the word of God. However, in its limited function, the madressas aim at guiding and preparing for good conduct, a virtuous life and salvation in the hereafter.
The actions of the madressa then have as aims:
* creation of belief in the supremacy and Oneness of God;
\,
210 * belief in the prophethood of Mohammed (P.B.U.H.);
* providing information about the requirements of the religion;
* preparing pupils to fulfil all religious duties.
While many educators have an understanding of the aims, these aims are not always clearly expressed.
The Educator
There are certain attributes that are desirable in educators:
* they are expected to have knowledge of the subject matter.
* they have to acquire some insight into religion.
* the character of the educator is of the greatest importance.
* the educator should: display exemplary behaviour have sincerity of belief understand pupils, show love and obtain their cooperation use appropriate methods.
211 The Educand
The nature of the educand, as understood in the rnadressa, includes the following:
* the child is sinless but liable to evil as it is impressionable;
* the child needs protection and guidance;
* the child should be treated with kindness and sympathy;
* the child needs to be taught according to its level of understanding;
* love is a fundamental requirement in education.
Discipline Human actions have to be within limits and a person has to acquire the discipline to remain within those limits. It is also important that the discipline comes from within rather than being imposed from without. Education starts with external discipline but aims at self-discipline. Religious education is based essentially on education that teaches present control and sacrifice.
Punishment Punishment has to be seen as a consequence as this is central to the religion. Punishment is avoidable by repentance and forgiveness.
In theory, corporal punishment in the madressa is forbidden but alternatives are not clearly set out.
\ . 212 Authority This issue is not dealt with in any detail, but from the practices, it becomes clear that the following apply:
* there is clearly an authority, as in the religion, the Qur'an and the Sunnah are the final parts of reference;
* the ulema, as knowledgeable in religion, constitutes an authority;
* there are people in authority;
* the system of control is authoritative, with firm control, clear parameters of limits of behaviour and communication.
Content
The content is very strongly linked with religion: it is primarily religious or linked with religion. The following can be said about it:
* it is designed to create or reinforce belief;
* factual knowledge, that is knowledge of the religion and ways of worship, is emphasised;
* there is grading of the content according to level.
\,
213 Method
Method is based to a large extent on the pattern of education in ordinary secular schools, as a result of the contribution by teachers from these schools. The following can be said about method:
* it takes into account the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains; * testing is conducted regularly; * prayers and ways of worship are taught in a practical way; * textbooks are suitable; * a fair amount of memorisation is required; * different methods seem to be applied depending on the content.
The practices are central to the function of the madressa, and form a crucial part of the evaluation of the madressa system. This study assesses whether the practices conform to the following:
* the principles of education established in Chapter Two; * the fundamental requirements of Islam (Chapter Three); * the principles of education in Islam (Chapter Four).
For a complete study, it is also necessary to determine the perceptions of the main participants, the learners and the educators. This is done through an empirical study. In the next chapter, the organisation of the empirical study is discussed.
214 CHAPTER SEVEN
EMPIRICAL STUDY
7.1 INTRODUCTION
The religion of Islam requires a believer to fulfil religious obligations and duties. These duties can be broadly classified into two groups:
.. Duties towards God. These include the expression of faith, the performance of five compulsory prayers a day and fasting during the lunar month of Ramadan. It also includes a pilgrimage to Mecca and the payment of a poor tax by those able to afford it.
Duties towards fellow human beings. These include the practising of honesty and justice, the giving of voluntary charity, and respect and concern for other people.
It is the madressa's task to teach learners to fulfil the duties required of a believer. In its efforts to fulfil this task, the madressa has to:
.. teach belief in the religion;
.. ensure that learners have knowledge of the religion and religious requirements;
encourage learners to put this knowledge into practice;
teach all this in a manner which is educationally justifiable.
" 215 7.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
There is an enormous expenditure of time, labour and cost involved in the madressa system. Due to this and because it claims to be an educational system, it is necessary to assess whether it functions according to educationally sound principles and also whether it fulfils its religious purposes.
To make this assessment, theoretical and empirical investigation is necessary. The educational criteria for the purposes of evaluation were determined in Chapter 2. The religious requirements and values that form the basis of Islam were described in Chapter 3. The practices of the madressa were considered in Chapter 6.
The madressa exists to transmit the requirements of Islam, and the organisers have the expectation that the learners will become good Muslims. It is necessary to know whether these intentions and expectations are shared by the main participants, the learners and the educators. If the educators do not share the aims of the organisers, and do not share the values of the organisers, it is unlikely that the requirements of Islam. It is, therefore, necessary to determine the perceptions and attitudes of the learners and the educators.
7.3 AIM OF THE EMPIRICAL RESEARCH
It is the aim of the empirical study to investigate the behaviour, attitudes perceptions and knowledge of learners and educators in order to establish whether the madressa is successful in achieving what it intends to achieve.
\,
216 7.4 RESEARCH STRATEGY
In order to obtain the information that is required, an empirical study is necessary. The research strategy employed can be termed as "descriptive". According to Best & Kahn (1986:24), descriptive research describes "what is". It involves "describing, recording, analysing and interpreting conditions that exist". Different methods of empirical research have been employed in this empirical study.
7.4.1 Observation
There are complex requirements for scientific observation, and if reliance is placed
on observation, it is necessary to follow the required procedures. However, observation is "at once the most primitive and most refined of modern research techniques" (Mouly, 1970:281).
In this study, observation has only been used for preliminary research, to "survey the phenomenon ... to gain insight into its nature and to permit structuring the field for more controlled investigation later" (Mouly, 1970:282). It has not been used as an independent technique. Any data obtained and assumptions made have been subjected to closer examination by other techniques.
7.4.2 Interviews
.An interview is a direct attempt to obtain information in the form of verbal responses.
"As a research technique, the interview is a conversation carried out with a definite purpose of obtaining certain information" (Mouly, 1970:263).
" 217 According to Sax (1979:233), the interview can be either structured or unstructured.
If it is structured, it means that the interview is standardised. There are fixed questions and the interviewer does not deviate from the standardised questions.
If it is unstructured, it allows for retractions, enlarging upon responses, questioning and other deviations. In the research conducted for this study, semi-structured interviews have been used.
There were predetermined questions but responses were not limited to the questions.
There were explanations, related questions and enlargements. The interviews have been used to obtain clarification on aspects that were not clear. The interview technique has not been used as an independent technique, but rather in conjunction with other techniques such as observation and questionnaires.
7.4.3 Questionnaire
The questionnaire has formed an important part of the empirical study. Though it is termed a "questionnaire" it includes what Best & Kahn (1986:166) term an "opinionnaire". This is a combination of the two requiring the respondents to provide factual information and to express opinions.
The factual information relates to the performance of religious duties. The opinions concern the attitudes towards different aspects of the madressa and the importance assigned to different religious actions and values.
h
218 7.4.4 Questionnaire for Learners and Questionnaire for Educators
Educators and learners are the main actors in the activities of the madressa and it is necessary to determine the perceptions of both groups. Separate questionnaires have therefore been designed for learners and for educators. Two questionnaires were administered, one to learners and one to educators.
7.5 THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE QUESTIONNAIRES
7.5.1 Requirements for a Questionnaire
The aim of a questionnaire is to obtain reliable and valid information in the most efficient way. For this reason, a questionnaire has to be a carefully constructed document that has to be guided by knowledge that has been acquired "by the evidence of rigorous experiment" (Converse and Presser, 1986:5).
A good questionnaire should (Glastonbury and MacKean, 1991 :236; Best and Kahn, 1986:175-176):
* consider the characteristics of the respondents;
* take into account the nature and volume of data which is being gathered;
* be attractive in appearance and neatly arranged;
have clear directions;
ensure that each question deals with a single idea;
\, have objective questions with no leading suggestions. 219 In addition to complying with these criteria, care has been taken to ensure that each question in the questionnaire is relevant to the aim of the questionnaire.
7.5.2 The Concept of Attitude
The empirical research is designed to assess the opinions, beliefs, sentiments, actions and behaviour of respondents. This involves the question of "attitude".
"Attitude" is a complex notion which cannot be directly observed or measured (Raath, 1994:79). Psychologists term it a "construct" (Mueller, 1986:2).
The definition of Allport (1967:8) is, perhaps, regarded as the classical definition: "An attitude is a mental and neural state of readiness, organised through experience, exerting a directive or dynamic influence upon the individual's response to all objects and situations with which it is related".
Other definitions have been attempted, and from a reading of them, Raath (1994:83) has given a synthesis of the characteristics of "attitude":
Attitude:
is an acquired orientation/disposition;
influences behaviour positively or negatively;
causes a readiness to react;
if- is directed towards some matter or object;
,. if- can be stronger or weaker; 220 * is evaluative by nature;
* has a mutual influence upon belief;
* has cognitive, affective and connative components;
* is a long-lasting construct of the human personality.
Raath (1994: 107-108) concludes that "attitude" is a concept that is located at the subconscious level of the personality and is difficult to separate from related beliefs such as values, interests, beliefs and intentions. Together, all these influence a person's behaviour. Attitude is formed through a complex relationship of an individual's personality and also through an interaction with the social and physical environment.
Attitude is not an inborn aspect of the personality, but is formed and acquired through personal experience and social processes and the circumstances in which an individual exists.
The madressa, which occupies much of the learner's time, contributes to the formation of attitudes, which in turn, are components of the personality of learners. The empirical research attempts to assess some of the ways in which learners think, believe, feel and behave.
7.5.3 Scales to be Used for Measurement
There are different procedures for eliciting opinions and the underlying attitudes. Attitudes are then assessed according to rating scales. The most common scales are the Thurstone, Guttman, Semantic Differential and Likert scales.
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22l 7.5.3.1 The Thurstone Scale
In this scale, a large number of statements are submitted to a panel of judges (Best and Kahn, 1986:180). Each of the judges arranges the statements into eleven groups, ranging from one extreme to another, from most favourable to least favourable. A scale value is assigned to each item. The final scale is reduced and consists of about twenty to twenty five items. The questionnaire is then administered, with respondents having to check the items with which they agree. The median value of the items they check quantifies their opinions (Best and Kahn, 1986:180).
While the Thurstone Scale is useful in measuring attitudes, it has not been used in this study as a comparison shows that there is another satisfactory scale, the Likert Scale, which is better suited to the requirements in this study.
7.5.3.2 The Likert Scale
According to this scale, a statement is made and responses are requested on a five-point scale. The five-point scale gives an indication of the intensity of the respondent's feeling from strongly disapprove/disagree to strongly approve/agree. As such it is very useful for the purpose of this study.
According to literature on the subject, the Likert scale is probably the most widely used as a scale to measure attitudes (Dawes, 1972; Rubin, 1983; Behr, 1983).
Burroughs (1971 :116) considers that the Likert scale has the advantages of a directness of approach, a graphic rating scale and simplicity. Studies have shown that "in reliability and validity the Likert procedure compares favourably with other seemingly more sophisticated procedures" (Burroughs, 1971:116).
, .
222 In this study, use is made of the Likert scale. There are, however, two variations from the standard Likert scale:
Instead of a five-point scale, a three-point one is also used as some question do not require the intensity to be assessed. Respondents are expected to state whether they approve (agree), are neutral or disapprove (disagree). The intensity of approval/disapproval is not requested.
The other variation refers to the terms used. Instead of approve/disapprove other information is requested, for example, important/not important or interesting/not interesting.
7.5.3.3 Other Scales
There are other scales which are used to measure attitudes but which are not used in this study for different reasons. These include the Semantic Differential, which is used to measure meaning (Best and Kahn, 1986:185). There is also the Guttman Method. In this method, statements which reflect certain attitudes are selected and the respondent has to choose between "yes" and "no" for each statement. This scale does not reflect intensity of feeling.
7.5.3.4 The First Page of the Questionnaire
There are two separate groups of respondents, namely learners and educators. To differentiate clearly between the two groups and to avoid any confusion, paper of a different colour has been used, white being for learners and green for educators.
The madressa has agreed to allow its time to be used for the administration of the questionnaire and the respondents are in effect a "captive" audience. However, a few precautions have been taken to improve motivation and to ensure proper , , responses:
223 the first page has been neatly set out;
* the title explains the aim of the questionnaire;
* the statement that the responses to the questionnaire will help to improve the madressa also implies the aim;
* for learners, there is a statement that the questionnaire is not an examination. There is usually a negative connotation to examinations;
* for both groups, but particularly for educators, there is a strong emphasis on secrecy and confidentiality;
* clear instructions, with an example, are given.
7.6 ANALYSIS OF QUESTIONS IN THE QUESTIONNAIRE
In this section the questions are stated and an explanation given for the questions. The two questionnaires are dealt with separately, first the questionnaire for learners and then the questionnaire for educators.
7.6.1 Questionnaire for Learners
SECTION A. BACKGROUND QUESTIONS
Question 1 The Madressa
The question enquires whether the learners attend Saaberie or A.L.M. There are differences between the two madressas and it is necessary to enquire whether
\ , there is any difference in the perception of learners in the different madressas. 224 Question 2 Location of Madressa
Madressa classes are located in different areas in Lenasia. This question establishes whether there are differences when classes of different areas are considered. As these areas have different socio-economic levels, the question establishes whether differences in socio-economic levels lead to differing perceptions.
Question 3 Boy/Girl
It is necessary to test the perceptions of boys and girls separately. In the Transvaal it is not customary for women to pray at mosques and they usually pray at home. The fact that boys may listen to lectures in mosques means that there is a possible additional influence on boys and it is necessary to discover whether this affects their perceptions.
SECTION B
The questions in this section establish whether the madressa succeeds in influencing learners to perform their religious duties. The duties include duties towards God (prayer and fasting), questions 4 and 5, and duties towards fellow human beings (honesty and concern for other people), questions 6 and 7.
The questions are to be answered on a three-point scale and the options are, "never or very seldom", "sometimes" and "nearly always".
The question is: "I want to find out what effect madressa had on you? How much did it influence you to carry out certain tasks? How regularly do you fulfil certain tasks in practice?" , . 225 (
The questions are in a marginal area between fact and opinion. The way the duty is performed is fact but the influence of the madressa on the performance of the duty is opinion.
SECTION C
Questions 8, 9, 10.
The questions in this section refer to the influence of different agencies - parents, the madressa and peers - in influencing the learner to perform prayers and other religious tasks.
The influences are to be rated on a five-point scale, from little influence to strong influence.
SECTION D
.The questions in this section are designed to obtain information about the learner's perception of the madressa. The questions would also determine whether the time spent in the madressa appears to have made a lasting impression. All responses are to be made on a five-point scale.
Question 11 How important is religion in your life?
According to its aims, the madressa should have made religion the dominant influence in the learner's life.
Question 12 How well does madressa education prepare you to perform all your religious duties? ., 226 Question 13 Do you feel madressa education has made you into a better person?
Terms such as "better" and in the questions which follow, terms such as "worthwhile" and "meaningful" are very subjective but here they are used to gauge the perceptions of learners and these perceptions would be subjective.
Question 14 Do you find the lessons in the madressa meaningful and worthwhile?
Question 15 Do you find the lessons interesting or not?
These questions also determine whether the level of the learner is taken into account.
Question 16 How well are you treated in madressa?
Question 17 Do you think the rules of the madressa are too strict or too lenient?
Question 18 Do you think the punishment in the madressa is fair?
These questions refer to the attributes of an educator and whether the discipline and punishment are practised in a manner that is perceived to be fair.
Question 19 Do the teachers treat everyone with fairness?
Question 20 Do the teachers always tell you the truth?
'I. ;
227 Question 21 Do the teachers treat you in a way that shows concern for your feelings?
These questions refer to the attributes considered desirable in an educator. It is also important for educators to be committed to the values that they teach. These questions determine whether educators, in the perceptions of learners, have a commitment to these important values.
SECTION E
The questions in this section are designed to discover what learners consider more important, duties to God or duties to fellow human beings. Duties to God require worship through prayer, fasting and pilgrimage. Duties to fellow human beings require values and actions such as honesty, justice and charity and concern for others.
As the questions deal with values and actions rather than knowledge, respondents are asked what they would do under certain circumstances rather than what is right. Instead of a direct question, an incident is related or a statement made. The respondent is then given a choice of three options and has to choose one. The respondent is asked what action would be taken. The option offers three choices:
if an action that stresses a duty to God, a form of worship;
if an action that stresses a duty to fellow human beings such as justice, honesty or charity;
if an action that appears to allow for both but does not satisfactorily fulfil either duty.
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228 Question 22 deals with charity and concern for people. The responses from which a choice can be made:
1: places worship above everything else;
2: the correct response, places charity and concern for others first;
3: seems a compromise but does not really show charity and concern.
Question 23 deals with honesty. According to the responses:
1: obviously shows dishonesty;
2: shows honesty and is the correct response;
3: a little difficult as a choice. In a situation where honesty prevails, this might be an acceptable choice. It might be wiser to leave something where it is, so that the loser could find it easily. However, in present circumstances someone is likely to take it, so it is correct to follow the previous option.
Question 24 deals with justice and option 1 is the correct response.
Question 25 deals with honesty. Islam requires that Muslims eat only "halaal" food. ..Halaal" means lawful and refers to the way the animal is slaughtered, but it also means that the food must be lawfully acquired. This means that is has to be honestly obtained.
In the Transvaal, Muslims attach great importance to the correct slaughtering of animals. This question enquires whether honesty is regarded as being equally ,. important. The correct response is option 3. 229 Question 26 deals with concern for people. The correct response is option 1.
7.6.2 Questionnaire for Educators
SECTION A. BACKGROUND QUESTIONS
Question 1: The madressa, Saaberie or A.L.M.
Question 2: The location of the madressa
Question 3: Teaching experience. The choices offered are: First and second year More than two completed years.
This question establishes the level of experience of an educator. It enquires whether perceptions differ according to experience.
Question 4: Do you have any religious education apart from madressa education? The options are:
no education;
* part or completed hifz (memorisation of the Qur'an) and/or part or completed aalim's course. An aalim's course involves the further study of religion in all its aspects.
The question enquires about the level of religious knowledge. The level of knowledge could affect responses. ,. 230 SECTION B
Question 5: Have the aims of teaching in a madressa been made clear to you by a supervisor, the principal or someone in charge?
Question 6: Do you think you know the aims of teaching in a madressa?
It is important that educators have a knowledge of the aims of the activity. Education is likely to be much more purposeful if there is clarity about aims. In madressa, it would be important for educators to be aware of aims, particularly as many educators are part-time educators with no qualifications or training.
SECTION C
The perception of educators is important. These questions enquire about their perception of the adequacy of, and their level of satisfaction with, the following:
Question 7: The syllabus.
This would refer to the content being taught.
Question 8: The behaviour of the learners in the class.
Question 9: Working conditions.
Question 10: Payment received.
\. 231 If there is satisfaction, education is likely to be more successful. Payment is usually determined by economic and other imperatives but it forms an important part of satisfaction with the work, though as mentioned in the chapter "Islam and Education", there is debate about whether or not payment is permissible.
SECTION D
Question 11: Does the madressa succeed in providing knowledge of the religion? This means that the pupils know the requirements and rules of Islam.
Question 12: Does the madressa succeed in making children more religious? This meanspupils perform their prayers and fasts regularly.
Question 13: Does the madressa succeed in making children into better persons? This means that they are more honest and concerned about other people.
Question 14: Does the madressa succeed in making children become good, dedicated Muslims?
These questions test the perceptions of educators regarding the success of the efforts in the madressa. The questions are linked to the aims of the madressa. They give some indication as to whether, in the perception of educators, the aims are being achieved or can be achieved.
\ . 232 SECTION E
These questions are similar to the questions for learners, with some adjustments to make them appropriate for adults. As with learners, the questions are designed to discover which aspect of religious duties is considered important, duties to God or duties to fellow human beings?
Question 15 deals :with charity and concern for people. No 2 is the correct
response.
Question 16 deals with honesty. No 3 is the correct response.
Question 17 deals with concern for people with No 1 being the correct response.
Question 18 is concerned with justice. No 1 is the correct response.
Question 19 deals with honesty. No 2 is the correct answer but with the same proviso that was mentioned with reference to a similar question, question No 23, in the questionnaire for learners.
7.7 ORGANISATION OF THE QUESTIONNAIRES
Questionnaires give quantitative descriptions. According to Smit (1991 :31), the basic assumption is that this quantitative description will provide a reliable and precise typification and description of the behavioural aspects being studied. In order to give dependable information, questionnaires have to conform to requirements of reliability and validity.
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233 7.7.1 Reliability
According to Smit (1991 :31), reliability is, in its broadest sense, the constancy displayed by the same individual in the same test on different occasions. However, no test gives constant results. Factors such as learning, development and practice can influence test results.
In order to increase reliability in a questionnaire, Vockell (1983:31) suggests the following:
the use of technically correct, unambiguous terms;
standardisation of the administration procedures;
alertness to respondent irregularities;
* construction of items of an appropriate level of difficulty;
* making the test long enough to include a good sample of items.
Smit (1991 :46-49) suggests that the questionnaire can be more reliable if the following precautions are taken:
the longer the test, the more reliable it is likely to be, but there are limits to the length of a test. Practical factors and reasons such as boredom and tiredness have to be considered;
tests have to be constructed so that easier items come first;
\ .
234 * the items must not be interdependent. A correct response in one item must not be a prerequisite for a correct answer in another question;
* the element of guessing must be reduced by the way the question is constructed. The choice of true/false allows for guessing while five alternatives allow for a better response;
* if too little time is allowed, there may be guessing as well;
* guessing is also likely if a test is too difficult;
* the person administering the test also plays a determining role. It is important to establish a rapport and to stress honesty of response;
* instructions have to be clear and unambiguous.
7.7.1.1 Measures Taken to Improve Reliability
To ensure that the questionnaires are as reliable as possible, the following measures have been taken:
the questions were discussed with a group of five Standard 4 level pupils, one level lower than the proposed target group of Standard 5 level pupils. The pupils had different levels of ability. It was felt that if the instructions and questions were understood by these pupils, there would not be any difficulties presented to the respondents;
* the tests were administered to ten Standard 4 level pupils;
the questions for educators were also discussed with former educators;
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235 * the tests were arranged so that the easier questions, beginning with straight forward background questions, came first. The most complex questions were left until the end;
* each question was independent. No question depended on the response to a previous question;
* responses were phrased so that guesswork could be reduced. There were no questions that allowed for a true/false response;
* respondents were allowed adequate time to complete the questionnaires. No time-limits were imposed;
* the tests were administered personally by the researcher to ensure consistency in administering the questionnaires. The importance of honesty was emphasised. Anonymity was assured. The researcher also explained the procedure and the questions and was available to answer any questions;
* the promoters of the study and the personnel of the Statistical Consultancy Unit of the Rand Afrikaans University were consulted with regard to the reliability of the questionnaires.
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236 7.7.2 Validity of the Questionnaires
According to Vockell (1983:47) an instrument is valid to the extent that it measures what it is designed to measure. Smit (1991 :52) states that validity requires the instrument to measure what it is used to measure.
Smit (1991 :52-53) also adds that validity is a necessary condition for a measuring instrument to be acceptable. However, it is a fallacy to talk of validity as it were a fixed characteristic. A test is valid or not for the particular purpose for which it is used. Thus a particular test has high or low validity for a particular purpose. The aim of the test determines the type of information to be collected.
In the literature on the subject, four main types of validity are described (Smit, 1991 :69; Vockell, 1983:56-58; Burroughs, 1971 :74-75; Best and Kahn, 1986:156-157). These four types are concurrent validity, predictive validity, content validity and construct validity.
7.7.2.1 Concurrent Validity and Predictive Validity
Concurrent validity refers to the relationship between the results of the test (or questionnaire) being used and another observation, which has already been accepted as valid, of the same behaviour (Smit, 1991 :60). As no other test or observation of the madressa is available, this form of validity cannot be established.
Predictive validity refers to "the usefulness of a test in predicting some future performance" (Best and Kahn, 1986:156). As this study is of a descriptive nature, describing "what is" rather than predicting future outcomes, predictive validity is not relevant to this study.
., 237 7.7.2.2 Content Validity
Content validity refers to the degree to which the test actually measures, or is specifically related to the traits, for which it was designed (Best and Kahn, 1986:155). Content validity gives an indication of the extent to which the items in the questionnaire serve the purpose for which they are intended, that is, to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, behaviour and perceptions of learners and educators involved in the activities of the madressa.
Face validity is one form of content validity and is based on the face value of an item in a questionnaire with regard to the construct to be measured or evaluated.
Content validity refers to specific groups and circumstances. In this study, it must be relevant to the madressa in Lenasia.
Content validity can be established and improved through various methods:
* it can be established by a correlation of two forms of the same test. A high correlation will be an indication of a high content validity;
* it can also be established through item analysis by experts. Unfortunately this form of validation does not offer any quantifiable measure of the degree of validity. Item analysis by experts is, however, a very useful and reliable means of judging content validity.
The following information should be reported to ensure better content validity (Smit, 1991 :57-58):
\ . 238 the sources and criteria used to obtain questions for the questionnaire should be reported;
*" the means of ensuring relevant items (questions) should be reported.
7.7.2.2.1 Measures to Ensure Content Validity
To ensure content validity in the questionnaires, the following procedures have been followed:
*" the basic principles of Islam have been studied and outlined in Chapter 3;
*" the syllabi of both madressa groups have been examined in Chapter 6;
the activities of the madressas have been observed by the researcher;
*" semi-structured interviews have been conducted to obtain information about specific aspects of the madressa;
the questions included in the questionnaire were submitted to the following people for examination and item analysis:
the principals of the two madressa groups;
a member of the Jamiatul Ulema;
the promoter of the study;
the co-promoter of the study;
the Statistical Consultancy Unit of the Rand Afrikaans University. 239 7.7.2.3 Construct Validity
Construct validity refers to the extent to which a test can be interpreted in terms of the underlying psychological constructs (Vockell, 1983:57). It refers to theoretical constructs that are being studied. According to Smit (1991 :72), construct validity has to answer the following questions:
* which psychological or theoretical constructs are measured by the tests?
* how well does the test measure these constructs?
Construct validity is important when an instrument is required to measure an attribute or a construct which an individual is assumed to possess in varying degrees. It is particularly useful when there are no external criteria by which validity may be established (Smit, 1991 :72), The measuring instrument has to be a true reflection of the theoretical construct.
The questionnaires used in this study refer to madressa education. Reference is to education, to the religion of Islam and to religious education in Islam. The central constructs therefore are:
* the extent to which educational principles are applied in madressa instruction;
* the extent to which the principles of the Islamic religion are transferred;
* the extent to which religious education takes place.
240 There are various methods to establish construct validity. Smit (1991 :73-75) lists the intratest method, the intertest method, the method of congruent validity, the method of convergent and discriminating validity, criterion-related studies, the method of internal consistency and the method of factor analysis.
Smit (1991 :75) also suggests that the following information regarding construct validity always be included:
* the correlation between the test and other accepted measurements of the same constructs;
* information about convergent validity and discriminating validity (tests with which there is a high or low degree of correlation);
information concerning homogeneity or internal consistency;
* information about possible group variations such as gender and age;
* the influence of time-limits and speed requirements on performance.
As the questionnaires are based on a theoretical construct, it is also important to discuss the theory on which the construct is based.
As there are no other tests available, it is not possible to apply the first two requirements. As there were no time requirements for respondents to complete the questionnaires, speed and time do not have any influence on performance.
241 7.7.2.3.1 Measures to Ensure Construct Validity
To explain the theoretical basis of the questionnaires, the following procedures have been followed:
,. the concept of education has been examined in Chapter Two and criteria for education determined;
,. the Islamic concept of education has been analysed;
,. the history of madressa education has been described. The madressa is a system of religious education which originated in Arabia. It was introduced into India and brought by Muslim immigrants into South Africa. This showed that the system can change to adapt to different circumstances.
the group variables considered relevant have been included in the questionnaire. These are:
learners: sex, madressa group and location of the madressa;
educators: teaching experience, religious education, madressa group and location of the madressa.
,. The questionnaires were submitted to people with the expertise to evaluate them. These included:
the promoter of the study with expertise in questionnaire design and in the field of education;
the co-promoter, an expert in the field of Islamic studies; 242 the personnel of the Statistical Consultancy Unit of the Rand Afrikaans University;
the principals of the madressas who have detailed knowledge of the syllabus, textbooks and other details of the madressa;
Ulema (religious scholars) who have knowledge of the religion of Islam.
7.8 THE SAMPLE GROUP
7.8.1 The Term "Sample"
The term "sample" refers to "strategies which enable us to select a subgroup from a larger group" (Vockell, 1983:103). Where it is not possible to use the total population, a sample is used but it should be kept in mind that statements based on sample "results are probability statements (Moser and Kalton, 1977:63).
It is necessary for the results of a representative sample to be generalisable for the group of madressas being studied and also to be generalisable for other madressas in the Transvaal.
243 7.8.2 Generalisability for the Madressa Groups
The representative sample is selected from two madressa groups in Lenasia, the Saaberie group and the A.L.M. There are two questionnaires, one for learners and one for educators.
The questionnaire for learners is for administration to all the learners in their seventh year at madressa. Saaberie terms it Class Seven and A.L.M. terms it Class Five. The learners in this class are normally in Standard Five at school and the ages are between twelve and thirteen.
This class tends to be the final year in madressa for most pupils. There is a sharp drop in numbers for both A.L.M. and Saaberie after this level.
As most pupils leave after completing this level, the impressions they have formed by this time are likely to be the final impressions of the madressa. Their feelings and perceptions would have been acquired during seven years of attendance at rnadressa.
Most of the learners do not continue at madressa after this level. As most learners in this group do not continue to attend madressa, they could be regarded as the final products of the madressa. Most children choose to discontinue madressa classes when they reach secondary school.
This group is very important, therefore, since their feelings, perceptions and actions are representative of the extent to which the madressa has succeeded or not succeeded in its efforts.
244 7.8.3 Generalisability for Madressas
Only two madressa groups are being studied, the Saaberie group and the A.L.M. The findings of the groups, though, would be generalisable for most of the madressas in the Transvaal. The reasons for this with regard to the two groups, A.L.M. and Saaberie, are as follows:
A. L.M. This madressa is the largest in Lenasia. Lenasia has the largest Muslim population of Indian descent in the Transvaal. The A.L.M. exercises an influence over a large number of children. There are also eleven madressas outside Lenasia that follow the A.L.M. syllabus and methods.
SAABERIE This madressa group follows the syllabus and methods of the Jamiatul Ulema of the Transvaal (J.U.T). The J.U.T syllabus is followed by madressas in 13 areas in Johannesburg and in 44 other towns in the Transvaal.
These two groups, A.L.M. and J.U.T. (of which Saaberie is a part) cover all the urban areas of the Transvaal where there is a concentration of Muslims. The results obtained in the representative survey of these two groups in Lenasia are therefore generalisable for practically all the madressas in the Transvaal.
7.8.4 The Sample Tested
The questionnaires were administered to learners and educators in the respective madressas.
Learners: All pupils in both Saaberie and A.L.M. at Standard Five level were tested. There was a test for those present and those absent were not tested.
245 Educators: All educators in Saaberie and A.L.M. were tested except:
* those in locations where there are no Standard Five level learners (41);
* those absent at the time of the test (1 4);
* those who did not understand English sufficiently to complete the questionnaires (5).
All educators in Saaberie requested to do so completed the questionnaire. All those in A.L.M. as well, except for two educators who seemed extremely hesitant. As it was thought that their responses might not be candid, these two educators were excluded. Generally, learners and educators were extremely cooperative.
7.8.5 Administration of the Questionnaires
The questionnaires were administered personally by the researcher. The procedure adopted was:
* on arrival at each location the section head was consulted. Permission was obtained to distribute questionnaires to educators and to administer the questionnaire to the learners;
each educator was approached personally by the researcher. The purpose of the questionnaire as part of a study was explained. It was also stated that permission from the relevant authorities had been obtained. Great emphasis was laid on anonymity. The questionnaire was left with the educator and there was an earnest request for honesty. The questionnaires were collected by the researcher after the learners' questionnaires had been completed;
246 *" the learners' questionnaires were administered by the researcher. The purpose was explained as well as the procedure for filling in the various sections. It was emphasized that:
this was not an examination;
honesty was important;
anonymity was assured.
The researcher was available to answer any questions. Learners handed in their questionnaires as they were completed.
247 CHAPTER EIGHT
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF EMPIRICAL RESEARCH
8.1 INTRODUCTION
The procedures involved in the construction of the questionnaires and the assembling of data have been described in Chapter Seven. In this chapter, the findings are systematically reported so that logical deductions can be made and conclusions drawn.
8.1.1 Observation
The researcher has prior knowledge of the madressa as a person who attended the madressa as a pupil, as a member of the community and as someone whose children also attended madressa. This knowledge has been supplemented by careful observation over an extended period. In this study, observation has been used to survey the phenomenon of the madressa, to gain insight and to verify previous knowledge. Observation has not been used as an independent technique and the results of observation are reported under the results of other techniques.
8.1.2 Interviews
Interviews have been used to obtain information and clarify information available from other sources. The interviews have been semi-structured as explained in the previous chapter. The interview has not been used as an independent technique but as a supplement to other sources of information. In this chapter, responses from interviews are given in a summary form after the report of responses to a particular question.
248 The following people were interviewed: Officials of the madressas: Maulana Kaka - Principal: Saaberie Maulana Nanabhay: Principal: A.L.M. Maulana Pandor - Deputy principal: A.L.M. Ahmed Patel: Administrator: Saaberie There were many interviews over an extended period.
learners in the madressas: Fehmida Jogee Naseema Khan Tasneem Badat Zaheda Ahmed Ruwayda Jogee Yunus Saloojee Rashida Ebrahim
These interviews took place over a two-week period, from 9 to 19 May 1994. Other learners did not want their names to be mentioned. Even those whose names are mentioned, did not want statements attributed to them.
Former pupils of the madressa: Naeem Patelia. In Std 10, Lenasia Secondary. On 11 October 1994. Zaheer Sayed. In Std 10, Lenasia Secondary. On 11 October 1994. Haseena Adam. In Std 10, Nirvana Secondary. On 12 October 1994. Ebrahim Moolla. In Std 10, Nirvana Secondary. On 12 October 1994. Hashim Khan. In Std 10, Nirvana Secondary. On 12 October 1994.
Historical information Abdul Hak Akhalwaya 8 August 1991 Ebrahim Garda 19 September 1991 Abdul Hak Gabru 11 March 1992 Ismail Waja 8 August 1990 Abdul Khalek Dockrat 8 October 1992 249 Other Information A. Manack 25 August 1994 Teachers in secular schools
8.1.3 Aims of the Questionnaires
Two questionnaires were administered, one to learners and one to educators. The aims of the respective questionnaires were as follows:
Questionnaire for Learners
The aim of this questionnaire was to determine:
* the efforts of the madressa by assessing how regularly religious duties are performed;
the extent of the influence exerted by the madressa and the influence of parents and peers;
* the perceptions learners have of the madressa and the activities of the madressa;
the relative importance learners assign to various aspects of religious duties.
Questionnaire for Educators
The aim of this questionnaire was to determine:
the knowledge that educators have of the aims of the madressa;
250 * the perceptions that educators have of the madressa. This refers to the syllabus; the behaviour of learners and the working conditions;
* the perceptions that educators have of the success of madressa efforts;
* the relative importance that educators assign to different aspects of religious duties.
8.2 CODING AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE QUESTIONNAIRES
The questionnaires were administered personally by the researcher as described in the previous chapter. After data had been gathered it was submitted to the Statistical Consultancy Unit of the Rand Afrikaans University. This data was then contracted to an outside bureau to be entered into a computer. The data was then checked to see whether it had been correctly entered.
8.3 STATISTICAL REQUIREMENTS
The main statistical requirement for the data collected by the questionnaires was a calculation of the frequency of responses. This frequency is based on the number of respondents choosing each of the particular options available.
Frequency of responses was requested for all questions in the two questionnaires. The frequencies were requested as follows:
For Learners
total frequencies of each option (each cell) of each question;
total frequencies for the correct answer for questions in Section E. 251 For Educators
.. total frequencies for each cell of each question;
.. total frequencies for correct responses in Section E.
In addition to frequencies, calculations were requested to determine significant differences between different groups. The groups considered were: Saaberie and A.L.M Boys and girls (learners only) Educators with: less experience (first and second year); and more experience (two or more years); madressa education only and higher religious education.
8.4 STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES USED
Statistical calculations have been done by the Statistical Consultancy Unit of the Rand Afrikaans University using a computer and appropriate programmes.
The programme used was BMDP Statistical Software. The following sections of the programme have been used:
BMDP 2D DETAILED DATA DESCRIPTION INCLUDING FREQUENCIES
This has been used to obtain frequencies.
BMDP 3D T TESTS HOTELLING T SQUARE MULTIVARIATE STATISTICS FOR GROUPS
252 This has been used to discover the significance of differences between the following groups:
Learners: Saaberie vs A.L.M. All boys vs All girls Educators: Saaberie vs A.L.M. Shorter experience vs longer experience Little education vs more religious education
8.5 PROCEDURE OF ANALYSIS OF QUESTIONNAIRES
Each questionnaire is considered separately, first those of learners and then those questionnaires for the educators. The responses are considered in groups according to the aspects dealt with by the questions.
The following procedure is followed:
* the frequencies (and percentages) are reported;
the implications are analysed;
significant differences between groups are considered.
As the frequencies and the statistical significance of differences have been obtained by computer using statistical methods, some terms of importance in statistical calculations have been included. It is not within the scope of this research to give a detailed account of these statistical terms, and only a brief definition of the terms is given. 253 The terms used for tables and graphs are the mean and the standard deviation and, in addition, for the calculations referring to the statistical significance, the terms F Value, degrees of freedom and P Value (probability).
These terms are briefly defined as follows:
Mean: The "mean" of a distribution of scores is the point on the score scale corresponding to the sum of the scores divided by their number (Blommers & Forsyth, 1977:88). It is often referred to as the "average" and is one of the most important indicators of a central tendency. It divides the distribution into two equal parts, 50% of the score being to the left of the mean and 50% to the right (Bartz, 1979:65).
Standard Deviation (s.d.): This is by far the most important and most widely used index of variability. It makes complete use of the information on variability contained in the data (Slammers & Forsyth, 1977:112). The standard deviation is "merely a statement of a type of average spread among the scores. The larger the standard deviation, the wider the scores are spread out" (Vockell, 1983:68).
F Value: This consists of examining the ratio of two variances to see if the departure from 1.0 is sufficiently large so it is not likely to be a sampling error (Sartz, 1981 :282-283). The F Value is closely linked to "degrees of freedom".
Degrees of Freedom (d.f.): The "concept of degrees of freedom as it applies to a statistic is fundamentally mathematical and is difficult to explain" (Slommers & Forsyth, 1977:339). The "degree of freedom is associated with the number of subjects in the experiment minus one" (VockeII, 1983:224).
254 Probability (P Value): This is the value used to determine the level of significance. Where differences are significant they will be significant at the 1% and 5% levels. Statistical differences are significant only at 1% and 5% levels and not at other percentages (Borg et al. 1993:57 and notes by the Statistical Consultancy Unit). One gets differences at other percentages, but these are not considered significant.
Probability refers to the number of ways the event in question can occur divided by the number of events possible (Bartz, 1981 :138).
8.6 ANALYSIS OF QUESTIONNAIRES
8.6.1 Learners' questionnaires SECTION A: Background Information Question 1 : Which madressa do you attend? The distribution of learners was as follows:
A.LM. 91,7%
Saaberie 22 (8,9%) learners at Standard Five level
A.L.M 226 (91 %) learners at Standard Five level 255 Question 3: The composition of learners according to gender.
This question has been placed above question two as the number of pupils in the madressa and the ratio of boys to girls in each madressa are of relevance to each other.
All learners Saaberie A.L.M.
......
TABLE 5 : DISTRIBUTION OF LEARNERS
All learners Saaberie A.L.M.
Boys 111 (44,8%) 12 (54,5%) 99 (43,8%)
Girls 137 (55,2%) 10 (45,5%) 127 (56,2%)
TOTAL 248 22 226
256 Question 2: Location of Madressa
Saaberie has three madressas in Lenasia, all of which have classes at Standard Five level. A. L.M. has eighteen madressas in Lenasia. Thirteen of these have classes at Standard Five level.
The numbers of learners at Standard Five level at different locations are:
TABLE 6 : LEARNERS AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS
Saaberie A.L.M. Extension 1: 4 Apex: 17 Extension 9: 10 Main Centre: 12 Extension 10: 8 Centre, Ext 5: 50 Greyville: 11 Harmony: 9 Flamingo: 19 Lenasia South Primary 1: 13
Lenasia South Primary 2: 9 Lenasia South Primary 3: 16 Libra: 18 Model: 12 Park: 20 Zodiac: 20 Total: 22 Total: 226
257 Analysis
From the number of learners, it is evident that Saaberie, with 22 learners at Standard Five level compared to the number in A.L.M. (226), is much smaller. This makes A.L.M. important in terms of pupil numbers, but the importance of Saaberie lies in the fact that it is part of a large group of madressas, the madressas following the syllabus of the Jamiatul Ulema of the Transvaal, which has madressas in most of the urban areas of the Transvaal. The distribution of the two groups has been explained in Chapter 1.
There are more girls than boys, but in percentage terms, the difference is not really significant, boys being 45 % of the total and girls being 55 %. The proportion varies from year to year and nothing significant can be read into it.
With regard to locations, the numbers vary considerably. A.L.M. previously had all Standard Five level classes at the Centres, but the high cost of transport led to decentralised classes at different locations. Depending on the area, the numbers vary. The Centre in Extension 5 has two classes of twenty five children in each class, while Harmony, not very far away, has only nine children. The distribution depends on the number of children in the particular area of that level of religious education, and there is no significance in the numbers.
SECTION B Performance of Religious Duties
This section deals with the performance of religious duties.
Statement before Questions Four to Seven: I want to find out what effect the madressa had on you. How did it influence you to carry out certain tasks? How regularly do you fulfil certain tasks in practice?
258 Responses were given by means of a three-point scale:
1. never or very seldom; 2. sometimes; 3. always or nearly always.
The questions 'refer to the following religious duties:
4: pray regularly five times a day;
5: fast during Ramadan;
6: be honest in all your actions;
7: help people in need of help. The frequency of responses is set out in Table 1.
TABLE 7: Performance of Religious Duties
Cases Never Sometimes Always Mean Std Dev. Q4 I Prayers 248 22(8,9%) I 155(62,5%) 71 (28,6%) 2,197 0,5807 Q5 Fasting 248 2(0,8%) I 20(8,1 %1 226(91,1%1 2,903 0,3224 Q6 Honesty 248 7(2,8%) 153(61,7%) 88(35,5%) 2,326 0,5267
Q7 Helping 248 8(3,2%) 143(57,7%1 97(39,1%1 2,358 0,5438
There is a clear difference in the performance of religious duties. Never or very seldom: The duty that is performed the least is prayer (8,9%). Honesty and helping others are about the same (2,8 % and 3,2%). Fasting is the duty that is neglected the least (0,8%).
259 Sometimes: Three of the four duties show about the same consistency. This implies that they are not totally neglected but are not performed with the regularity required by the religion:
prayers 62,5% honesty 61,7% helping others 57,7%
The fourth duty, fasting, has a small percentage who perform it sometimes (8,1%).
Always or nearly always:
The responses here reflect a mirror image of the responses for "never or very seldom". Prayer has the lowest response (28,6%). Honesty and helping others are about the same (35,5% and 39,1%). Fasting is the duty most widely observed (91,1 %). This implies that nearly everyone performs this duty consistently.
There is a big gap between the regular performance of prayers (28,6%) and fasting (91,1 %). Considering that prayers receive more attention in the madressas, this appears somewhat surprising. However, there may be understandable reasons for this phenomenon.
Three such reasons could be:
the self-discipline required. Prayers are spaced out during the day, and other activities have to be interrupted for the prayers to be performed;
260 ,. the sacrifice of time required by prayers, about one-and-a-half hours every day;
,. practical difficulties. The first prayer has to be performed before dawn, which means waking up at about 04:30 in summer. The late evening prayer is at 21 :45 in summer. Some of the prayers are during working hours, the afternoon prayer at about 13:00 and the late afternoon prayer between 16:00 and 17:00.
It may possibly be difficult, because of work requirements, to perform these prayers on time and people may tend to neglect them.
All these reasons could make regular prayers difficult. However, fasting also requires strong self-discipline. Fasting requires that there be no eating or drinking of any sort during hours of daylight. It is usual to wake up early in the morning before fasting starts. There are also extra prayers to be performed during the fasting month and most people perform these extra prayers as well as the normal prayers.
In spite of these difficulties, most people do fast and even small children are eager to fast. The researcher's own experience suggests that respondents are answering truthfully when they claim to fast regularly.
Pupils were asked in interviews the reasons for performing or not performing the duties regularly. The responses from most learners were more or less similar:
Prayer: Pupils admitted to being lazy. Prayers are usually performed by them if there is some pressure to do so. For example, the later afternoon prayer during madressa time is regularly performed.
261 Fasting: This is something most learners have become used to doing. Learners tend to remember the encouragement and praise they receive with regard to fasting. Most important is the sense that everyone is doing it.
In the fasting month of Ramadan, there are special prayers. Over the month, the whole Qur'an is recited during these prayers and these extra prayers take about an hour every night. Yet many people perform these prayers and the mosques are often full. Crowds are also bigger than usual for other prayers.
There could be various reasons to explain the fact that most learners fast. Most people fast. Even those who do not fast or those who cannot fast, because of illness or other reasons, do not usually eat in public. This leads children to believe that all adults are fasting and a good example is set.
Then there is a great deal of positive reinforcement. Children are lavishly praised for fasting. Small children are encouraged by being praised for fasting even if only for a few hours.
The high rate of fasting can perhaps be attributed to the attitude and example of the community and this is supported and encouraged by the madressa. There is co-operation between the madressa and the community.
With the other duties, there is not the same example and co-operation. What the madressa teaches and what the children see in practice are not necessarily the same.
It would seem then that the general atmosphere, the spirit of doing things together and the positive example of adults do much to improve the performance of religious duties.
262 It would be worthwhile for more detailed research to be conducted to establish the reasons for the success of this duty, and the same methods could then be applied to other religious duties.
SECTION C: The Extent of Influence on the Learner
This section assesses the extent of influence exercised on the learner by parents, the madressa and friends. Answers are according to a five-point scale.
Statement before Questions Eight to Ten.
Please indicate what influence each of the following three groups of people had on you in religious matters. In other words, how did each influence you to perform your prayers and fulfil other religious tasks?
TABLE 8: Influence of Parents, Madressa and Friends to Perform Religious Tasks
INFLUENCE
, Cases Little Subtotal Strong Subtotal Mean s.d 3 4 I 1 2 I 1 5 08 4 6 10 40 74 123 197 4,2388 0,8215 I 247 Parents I 1.6% 2.4% 4.0% 16.2% 30,0% 49,8% 79.8% 09 i 248 3 7 10 26 66 146 212 4,3911 0,8748 Madressa I I ! 1.2% 2.8% 4,0% 10,5% 26,6% 58,9% 85.5% 010 248 38 53 91 76 47 34 81 2,9435 1.2520 Friends I I 15.3% 21.4% 36,7% 30,6% 1 19.0 % I 13,7% 32.7%
263 Analysis
It is clear from Table 8 that learners see the madressa as exerting the strongest influence. Only 3 (1,2%) see it as exerting very little influence compared to 212 (85,5%) who see it as exerting very strong influence. If the figures for cells 1 and 2 and 4 and 5 are combined, 10 (4,0%) see it as exerting little influence and 212 (85,5%) as exerting strong influence.
Parents exert almost as strong an influence. For little influence, the responses are 4 (1,6%) compared to 197 (79,8%) for strong influence. The combined cells show 10 (4,0%) for weak influence and 197 (79,8%) for strong influence.
In contrast to this, friends' influence is much less, though friends do exercise some influence. There are 38 (15,3%) responses for very little influence and the combined cells show 91 (36,7%). Very strong influence is exerted on 34 (13,7%) and for the combined cells that show strong influence, the number is 81 (32,7%).
It is clear that learners in the madressa at this level regard the influence of the madressa and of parents as being much stronger than the influence of friends.
The learners responding to the questionnaire are at Standard Five level, about twelve to thirteen years of age. They are on the threshold of adolescence and have not yet developed strong loyalties to friends and are still prepared to report to teachers on the activities of friends. Those a little older, though, are beginning to reach adolescence, and the influence of friends will undoubtedly become much stronger.
264 Till this level though, the two main actors, the madressa and parents, are in an influential position. If they act in co-operation, in word and deed, they can impress desirable values strongly enough to counteract, to some extent, the possible negative influence of friends during their adolescence.
SECTION D
This section has questions on different aspects. For the purpose of analysis, the questions have been arranged into three groups, according to the aspects they address. These groups are:
Group (a) Questions 011, 012, 013, 014, 015 These questions deal with the effects of the madressa and with content and method.
Group (b) Questions 016, 017, 018 These questions deal with discipline and punishment.
Group (c) Questions 019, 020, 021 These questions deal with attributes considered desirable in an educator.
The questions request responses on a five-point scale. Group (a)
Question 011: How important is religion in your life? Question 012: How well does madressa education prepare you to perform all your religious duties?
265 Question 013: Do you feel that madressa education has made you into a better person? Question 014: Do you find the lessons in madressa meaningful and worthwhile? Question 015: Do you find the lessons interesting or not?
TABLE 9 : Different Aspects of Madressa
I' ~ Cases 1 2 3 4 5 Mean s.d ! Qll I Importance 248 1 0 2 35 210 4,2866 0,4568 , of Religion
0,4% 0,8% 14,1% 84,7%
012 Madressa 248 3 3 30 83 129 4,3387 0,8285 prepares
1,2% 1,2% 12,1 % 33,5% 52,0%
013 I Changed 248 3 8 33 73 131 4,2943 0,9032
1:t 1,2% 3,2% 13,3% 29,4% 52,8%
014 Lessons 248 4 5 26 83 130 4,3306 0,8651 meaningful
1,6% 2,0% 10,5% 33,5% 52.4%
1,2% 2,0% 17,7% 29,8% 49,2%
015 ILessons , interesting 248 3 5 4 74 122 4,2379 0,8975
! 1,2% 2,0% 17,7% 29,8% 49,2%
Analysis
As the questions deal with different aspects, each question is analysed separately.
266 Question 011:
Religion is considered by 210 (84,7 %) learners to be extremely important. If this is added to cell 4, which is still important, then 245 (98,8%) consider religion to be important in their lives. Only three learners (1,2%) do not consider religion to be important.
Most learners, when interviewed, were emphatic about the importance of religion. Many stated that it was more important than anything else.
The madressa is not the only agency responsible for this importance of religion, but it does undoubtedly playa leading part. In making religion an important part of the learner's life, the madressa seems to be fulfilling its part successfully, with the parents and the community being involved as well.
Question 012:
The question concerns the extent to which the madressa prepares children to fulfil religious duties.
On the whole the madressa appears to be successful, but not to the same extent that it makes religion an important factor in children's lives. The number of learners who consider that the madressa prepares them very well is 129 (52,O%). Added to the 83 (33,5%) in cell 4, this makes 212 (85,5%). Few learners, 6 (2,4%) in cells 1 and 2, consider that the madressa does not prepare them well to fulfil all religious duties.
The madressa then appears to be preparing learners well to perform religious duties, but there is some room for improvement.
267 Opinions about the madressa expressed in interviews were generally very favourable. Learners did not object to attending the madressa. No one complained about not being able to take part in other activities. The view was that madressa was more important. Learners did not feel it affected them adversely. Some of the learners interviewed excelled in academic work at school and many participated in sports.
Question 013:
This question enquires whether the madressa had made the learner a better person. The responses to this question correlate quite closely with the responses to the previous question. A majority, 131 (52,8%), consider strongly that the madressa has made them better people. Not quite so strongly in cell 4, but still considering that the madressa has made them better, are 73 (29,4%) learners. Together responses four and five make up 204 (82,2%). About a fifth of the learners, 44 (17,8%), are not quite as satisfied, but generally the madressa can be considered to be contributing substantially to making learners better persons.
Questions 014 and 015:
These questions are about lessons in the madressa and whether they are meaningful and interesting.
The responses for these questions correlate fairly closely with the responses for the previous question. For question 13, the number that feels strongly about this is 131 (52,8%).
For question 14, it is 130 (52,4%) who feel strongly. For question 15, 122 (49,2%) feel strongly. The combined responses for cells 4 and 5 are 204 (82,2%), 213 (88,95) and 196 (79,0%) respectively.
268 The numbers that are strongly dissatisfied, cell 1, are 1 (0,4%), 3 (1,2%) and 3 (1,2%) respectively for the three questions. For cells 1 and 2 combined, the respective totals are 11 (4,45), 9 (3,6%) and 8 (3,2%).
There is similarity with responses for question 12. There seems to be some agreement that the lessons are interesting and meaningful. Only a small number of respondents are strongly dissatisfied. However, if cells 1 and 2 are combined with cell 3 which shows partial satisfaction, then just under a fifth feel that there can be improvement. From interviews, it appears that there is perhaps too much emphasis on the transmission of knowledge. This presents some difficulties, particularly for weaker learners. It also appears that the inculcation of knowledge takes precedence over that of values.
Group (b) Questions D16 - D18 This group is concerned with discipline and punishment.
Question 016: How well are you treated in madressa? Question 017: Do you think the rules of the madressa are too strict or too lenient? Question 018: Do you think the punishment in the madressa is fair?
Questions 016 - D18 TABLE 10 : Discipline and Punishment
Cases 1 2 3 4 5 Mean s.d.
016: Treatment 248 12 11 49 73 103 3,9838 1,1092
4.8% 4,4% 19,8% 29,4% 41.5%
017: Strictness 248 22 25 127 41 33 3.1532 1,0650
8.9% 10.1% 51.2% 16,5% 13,3%
018: Punish- 248 25 20 52 74 77 3,6370 1,2746 ment
10,1% 8,1% 21.0% 29,8% 31,0%
269 Analysis These questions deal with discipline and punishment.
Question 016:
As far as the learners' experience of the treatment in madressa is concerned, 103 express strong satisfaction. Adding cells 4 and 5 gives 176 (70,9%). This seems to indicate that most learners are satisfied. Cells 1 and 2 give 23 (9,2%) respondents who are dissatisfied. About a fifth, 49 (19,8%), are partly satisfied. Overall, there is not great dissatisfaction, but there is still a sufficient number to give consideration to this aspect and for an attempt to remove the causes of dissatisfaction. It was not possible in the framework of this enquiry to establish the causes, as different respondents, in interviews, give different reasons. These include the following:
"The work is too difficult for me and I get blamed for not doing it. " "The teacher does not explain properly and I get punished for not knowing it. "
Question 017:
The ideal response, according to religious requirements, for this question is cell 3, and 127 (51,2%) chose this response. Combining cells 1 and 2 indicates that 47 (19,O%) feel that the madressa is too strict.
It can be said then that the majority of learners are satisfied with the discipline. More (29,8%) criticise it for being too lenient than for being too strict (19%).
270 Question D18:
Regarding the fairness of punishment in madressa, the responses show a divided opinion. The largest group, 77 (31,0%) think that the punishment is completely fair. The combined total for cells 4 and 5 shows 151 (60,8%) who think it is fair. Cells 1 and 2 show 45 (18,2%) who do not think it is fair.
The treatment of learners does not appear to be a contentious issue and most learners appear to be satisfied with treatment, discipline and punishment. There are, however, still 9% and 19% who are not happy. As Islam is concerned with the correct ways of behaving, some rules will have to be enforced and there will be some dissatisfaction. What is also surprising is that a considerable number consider the punishment to be too lenient. Further research may also serve to establish whether those who are unhappy with the discipline and punishment are those who are experiencing difficulty with their work.
Group (c) Questions D19 - 021
These questions are concerned with attributes considered desirable in an educator.
Question 019: Does the teacher treat everyone with fairness? Question 020: Do the teachers always tell you the truth? Question 021: Do the teachers treat you in a way that shows concern for your feelings? Questions 019 - D21
, ,
271 TABLE 11 : Attributes of Educators
Cases 1 2 3 4 5 Mean s.d.
019: Fairness 248 32 21 40 49 106 3,7096 1,4196
12.9% 8,5% 16,1 % 19,8% 42,7%
020: Truth 248 8 9 53 66 112 4,0685 1,0490
3,2% 3,6% 21,4% 26,6% 45.2%
I 021: I Feelings 248 13 17 66 73 79 3.7580 1,4301
~ 5,2% 6,9% 26,6% 29,4% 31,9%
Analysis The purpose of these questions is to discover the perceptions that learners have of the attributes shown in practice by educators. The perceptions may not necessarily be correct, but learners are influenced by their perceptions.
Children have differing perceptions of the attributes of educators:
Those who consider strongly that educators treat everyone fairly are the largest
number, 106 (42,7%). With cell 4 added to this, the number becomes 155 (62,5%), those who feel strongly that educators are unfair being 32 (12,9%). Added to cell 2, this becomes 53 (21 A%).
When it comes to always telling the truth, the response is a little more positive. 112 (45,2%) teachers are considered by learners as always telling the truth. Added to cell 4, this becomes 178 (71,8%). The negative aspect is lower.
According to learners, those not telling the truth are 8 (3,2%). When added to cell 2, the number becomes 17 (6,8%).
272 There are negative opinions. Some learners felt that there was favouritism by educators. It is difficult to assess the truth of this perception but it was widespread enough to cause concern. In contrast with these responses, treating learners in a way that shows concern for feelings is rated much lower. Only 79 (31,9%) show concern. Added to cell 4, the number is 15 (61,3%). On the negative side, the number is 30 (12,1 %).
Justice and truth are the cornerstones of Islam and it is important for learners to absorb these values and carry out the practices. It is essential, therefore, that learners see these values put into practice.
The perceptions of learners may not necessarily be a correct reflection, but it is necessary that children perceive educators as being embodiments of these values. For this reason, educators have to understand the importance of learners' perceptions. Also important is the fact that mistakes by educators must be recognised as such and that the objective is to learn to do what is right. This area clearly needs further attention.
SECTION E Actions and Values
The questions in this section deal with values and actions rather than with knowledge. An incident is related or a statement is made. The respondent is then given a choice of three actions. The choices offer:
.. an action that emphasises duty to fellow human beings, such as justice, honesty and charity. This is the correct response;
an action that emphasises duty to God or an action that is religiously wrong. This is the incorrect response;
, ,
273 '* an action that appears to allow for both duty to God and to fellow human beings but does not fulfil either duty properly. This is regarded as the compromise response.
Question E22
You have saved money to go on haj (pilgrimage). As you are getting ready to go, you find out that your neighbour has no money for food and that he and his family have not eaten properly for two days. You want to help your neighbour but you have worked hard and sacrificed many pleasures to save the money. Your great desire in life is to go on haj. What will you do?
I think I will: '* go on haj 1 '* help the neighbour even if it means I can't go on haj 2 i" give the neighbour food for a day, and then go on ha] 3
Question E23
You are about to go into the classroom in madressa. Just inside the doorway, you see a wallet lying on the ground with a lot of money in it. You are alone and no one will see you if you pick it up. What will you do?
I think I will: '* pick up the wallet and keep it 1 * pick up the wallet, try to find the owner, and if I can't find the owner, give it to the teacher 2 * tell someone else to pick it up 3
274 Question E24
In your class, you have a friend whom you like very much. You also have an enemy who is always fighting with you. One day, your friend takes some money from another child's bag. The teacher thinks it is your enemy but asks if you know who took the money. What answer will you give?
I think I will:
* say my friend took the money, although this will mean that she will never talk to me again 1 * blame my enemy 2 say nothing, keep quiet and let the teacher think it is my enemy 3
Question E25
A Muslim is usually careful about the food that he or she eats. Which of the following will you eat?
Meat from an animal that is correctly slaughtered but you are not sure whether it was stolen or not 1 Vegetables that have been obtained dishonestly 2 * Food that has been honestly obtained and if it is meat, it is from animals that have been correctly slaughtered 3
Question E26
You are in a hurry to be in time for prayers. The time for prayers is nearly over. On the way, you see stones and nails on the road. It is likely that someone could be hurt or that there could be damage. What will you do?
275 I think I will:
" remove the nails and stones even if this means I will be late for prayers 1 " carryon to make sure I will not be late for prayers 2 " carryon for prayers but try to come back to remove the stones and nails 3
TABLE 12: Actions and Values
Cases Cell No Correct I Cell Compro- ~ Cell Incorrect Mean s.d. No mise ! No
1022 Charity 248 2 112 3 123 1 13 2,4435 0,5942 Concern
45.2% 49,6% 5.2%
023 248 2 219 3 13 1 16 1.9879 0,3424 Honesty 88.3% I 5.2% 6.5% , 024 Justice 248 1 170 3 62 2 16 1.5645 0,8653
68,5% 25.0% 6,5%
025 248 3 237 2 8 1 3 2.9233 0,3685 . Honesty
95.6% 3.2% 1.2%
026 248 1 51 3 168 2 29 2,4717 0,8143 Concern
20.6% 67,7% 11,7%
Analysis
The responses are different for the different values.
Charity and concern for people (question E22) has 112 (45,2%) correct responses.
The compromise option has the highest number of responses, namely 123
(49,6%).
276 The incorrect response has a low response of 13 (5,2%). The response to the other question involving concern, question E26, differs considerably from question E22. A much smaller number, 51 (20,6%), has chosen the correct response. The compromise is again larger, 168 (67,7%) but the percentage is much higher. The incorrect response is also higher being 29 (11,7%). The reason for this difference between questions 22 and 26 could be that the issues are more clear-cut on question 22. In question 26 the compromise seems an ideal solution as it appears to allow both duties to be fulfilled.
The fact of the matter is that learners expressed a general desire to be honest and to show concern for others. The madressa teaches that prayer is very important. It also teaches that one should show concern for others. When a choice has to be made, the learner is in a dilemma and the compromise is seen as the ideal solution.
It is therefore necessary for the madressa to teach the importance of particular actions. It should also develop the ability of pupils to apply their knowledge to real life situations.
There is a much higher correct response for the questions on honesty. In question E23, the number choosing the correct response is 219 (88,3%). The compromise response is chosen by 13 (5,2%) and the incorrect response by 16 (6,5%). For question E24, which also deals with honesty, the correct response is higher being 237 (95,6%). The compromise response is lower being 8 (3,2%) and the incorrect response is very low at 3 (1,2%). The responses with these questions too could be attributed to the questions. The issues are much clearer in question 26, and even the compromise question can be discerned to be incorrect. This could account for the difference in the responses.
277 In the question on justice, for question E24, the correct responses are 170 (68,5%), the compromise responses 62 (25,0%) and the incorrect responses 16 (6,5%).
According to the responses, honesty is placed first, then justice and then concern for other people.
It is concern for people that shows the smallest number of correct responses. Yet concern for people is a cornerstone of Islam and great emphasis is placed on it.
There are different possible explanations for this lower response rate regarding concern for people. One reason could be that the madressa places greater emphasis on prayer. The madressa does teach the importance of charity, but it may not be highlighted as much as it should be.
Another reason could be that respondents have been required to choose between concern and prayer. If both values are highly rated, the compromise is seen as an ideal solution, although in reality it is not the correct response.
A third reason could be that learners know what is correct according to Islam, but do not understand how to relate the Islamic principles to real-life situations. To rectify this shortcoming in the madressa, the possibility of simulation exercises or hypothetical situations can be considered to help learners in the application of moral judgment.
The feelings expressed by pupils were correct, but the actions were not. One learner, on being asked why she did not take the wallet when no one was watching, replied, "But God is watching".
278 However, similar questions have been posed to educators. The responses of educators compared to the responses of learners could present a clearer picture about the reason for the responses.
In Table 13 the responses of learners to the five questions are combined.
TABLE 13: Combined Responses by Learners for Section E (Questions E22 - E26)
\ I I I NUMBER % : I i I I I i 1 All incorrect 1 0,4 I I I 12 One correct 14 5,7 Mean: 3,1814 l [3 Two correct I 41 16,5 s.d: 1,02 14 98 39,5 I Three correct [5 Four correct 71 28,6 Number of cases: I' 6 I Five correct I 23 I 9,3 248
There is only one response (0,4%) that has all. incorrect. A small. number 23 (9,3%) has all correct. Most respondents, 95 (39,5%), have three correct. A reasonable number, 71 (28,6%), have four correct. The combined figures for three and four correct, total 169 (68,1%). This implies that on balance most learners have learnt to behave correctly according to Islam but there are areas of behaviour that need attention.
SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS
Calculations have been made by the Statistical Consultancy Unit of the Rand Afrikaans University to determine the statistical significance of difference of responses between various groups and subgroups.
279 To detail the results would mean the reproduction of large chunks of statistical calculations. To avoid the repetition of an inordinate amount of statistical calculations, only a few statistics, which show significant differences, are mentioned here.
This does not mean that where there are no significant differences, this fact is not important. This fact is also meaningful. It implies that differences in approach and method between Saaberie and A.L.M. are not an important factor and reasonably similar results are achieved by these different approaches.
Saaberie A.L.M. Boys Girls
Saaberie - A.l.M.
Between Saaberie and A.L.M. there is only one question to which the responses show a significant difference.
This refers to question C8:
What was the influence of parents on you to perform your prayers and fulfil other religious tasks?
280 TABLE 14: Influence of the Madressa
I I Saaberie A.L.M. Little Influence 1 4 (1,8%)
2 1 (4,5%)° 5 (2,2%)
31 9 (40,9%) 31 (13,8%) F. Value - 2,5 I 4 6 (27,3%) 68 (30,2%) D.F. 245
Strong Influence 51 6 (27,3%) 117 (52,0%) Probability 1,26% I Cases I 22 225 Mean I 3,7727 4,2844 s.d. I 0,9223 0,9107
The difference is significant at the 1% level.
Learners in Saaberie assign some influence to parents, but learners in A.L.M. consider that they have been much more strongly influenced by parents. As this is the only significant difference between the two groups, it is difficult to discover the reason for this difference. Saaberie has smaller classes but there is no significant difference for the influence assigned to madressa. No definite conclusions can therefore be reached.
Boys - Girls
There are three questions to which the responses show a significant difference. The questions are:
86 How much did the madressa influence you to be honest? How often are you honest in all your actions?
281 TABLE 15: Influence: Boys - Girls
Boys Girls Never or very 4 (3,6%) 3(2,2%)
I seldom 1
Sometimes 2 80 (72,1%) 73 (53,3%) F. Value 3,28 i j Nearly always 3 27 (24,3%) 61 (44,5%) O.F. 246 I Cases 111 137 Probability 0,1 i Mean 2,2072 2,4234 i s.d. 0,4884 0,586
The responses indicate that honesty is greater among girls than boys. There is an earlier development towards maturity by girls.
Question 016: How well are you treated in madressa? Question 018: Do you think the punishment in the madressa is fair?
282 TABLE 16: Treatment and Punishment: Boys-Girls
Boys Girls Boys Girls , 9 (8,1%) 3 (2,2%) Badly 1 Not 18 (16,2%) 7 (5,1%) treated fair 8 (7,2%) 3 (2,2%) 2 9 (8,1%) 11 (8,0%)
25 (22,5%) 24 3 23 (20,7%) 29 (21,2%) I , (17,5%)
i 28 (25,2%) 45 4 30 (27,0%) 44 (32,1%) (32,8%)
41 (37,0%) 62 Well 5 Com- 31 (28,0%) 46 (33,6%) (45,3%) treated plete- Iy fair I 111 137 Cases 111 137 3,7568 4,1679 Mean 3,4234 3,8102 1,2520 0,9438 s.d. 1,3984 1,1410 -2,95 F. Value -2,40 246 D.F. 246 0,35% Probability 1,72%
While most learners feel that they are not badly treated, more girls feel that they are well treated. Similarly, more girls feel that the punishment is fair. More boys feel that the punishment is too strict.
There are different attitudes towards the treatment and punishment of boys and girls. Although the rules prescribe that there should be no corporal punishment, this rule is not always applied in practice. When corporal punishment is administered, boys are more likely to be punished than girls.
283 At secular schools, until corporal punishment was completely abolished, it was allowed only for boys and not for girls. All this could have led to attitudes which allow for differences between boys and girls.
On the whole, though, there are few significant differences between boys and girls. This lack of differences is also meaningful.
The two madresses are different in size and adopt slightly different approaches, but this lack of difference implies that they achieve substantially the same results.
It also implies that the madressa exerts more influence than lectures in mosques as boys are exposed to these lectures and girls are not. However, it could also be that boys of this age level do not listen to lectures, and the influence of the madressa has a similar impact on both groups.
284 8.6.2 Educators' Questionnaires Section A: Background Information
Question 1: In which madressa do you teach? The distribution of teachers that took part in the research is as follows:
Saaberie 9,7%
A.L.M. 90,3%
Saaberie: 12 (9,7%) A.L.M. : 112 (90,3%)
Question 2: Location of madressa. The number of educators in each location.
Saaberie: Extension 1 : 4 Extension 2 : 6 Extension 10: 2 12
285 A.L.M.: Apex 10 Main Centre 13 Centre : Ext 5 14 Greyville 8 Harmony 7 Flamingo 6 Lenasia South Primary 1 9 Lenasia South Primary 2 8 Lenasia South Primary 3 5 Libra 11 Model 4 Park 11 Zodiac 6
112
The number here takes into account all educators who completed the questionnaire, not only the educators who teach Standard Five level classes. It is obvious that A.L.M. is much larger than Saaberie.
286 Question 3 : How long have you taught in a madressa?
First or second year 25,6%
Two completed years or more 74,4%
First or second year: 31 (25,6%) Two completed years or more: 90 (74,4%)
287 Question 4: Do you have any religious education apart from madressa education?
Madressa Education only 62,6%
Higher Education 37,4%
No religious education apart from madressa: 77 (62,6%) Further religious education: 46 (37,6%)
It appears that most educators have some experience and this is considered desirable, but almost two-thirds do not have further religious education. According to the madressa, it is desirable to have educators with higher education but economic constraints prevent the achievement of this ideal.
Section B: Knowledge of Aims
Question 85: Have the aims of teaching in a madressa been made clear to you by a supervisor, the principal or someone in charge? The options are: 1. Not told at all 2. Told a little 3. Made very clear
288 Question 86: Do you think you know the aims of teaching in a madressa?
The options are: 1. Don't know at all 2. Know a little 3. Know very well
TABLE 17: Aims
I, Cases Not told/ A little Made Mean s.d. Don't clear/Know ! know well
Q5 124 5 (4,0%) 20(16,1%) 99 (79,8%) 2,7580 0,5159 Told aims 06 124 0 24 (19,4%) 100 (80,6%) 2,8064 0,3966 Know aims I
It appears that most educators, 99 (79,8%), feel that they have been informed of the aims and more, 110 (86,6%), feel that they know the aims very well.
There is no educator who does not know the aims and 5 (4,0%) who have not been told a little. Discussions suggest that they could be new educators who have not yet been told. It could also possibly be the ulema, who have extensive religious education and for this reason it could have been assumed that it is not necessary for them to be informed.
This still leaves 20 (16,1%) who have been told a little and a roughly similar number who feel that they know a little. It is necessary that this group receives attention as it is important that educators know the aims well.
289 On the whole it can be stated that most educators feel that they have a good knowledge of aims. In interviews conducted, educators said that the madressa existed to teach learners about religion and religious duties. There was, however, a greater importance assigned to prayers and other acts of worship than to actions that fulfilled other duties.
Section C: Educators' Perceptions
This section deals with the perceptions of educators and their levels of satisfaction with different aspects of the madressa. Questions are preceded by a general question for the section, "Are you satisfied with the following aspects of the madressa?"
Question C7: The syllabus Question C8: Behaviour of the learners in the class Question C9: Working conditions Question C10: Payment received
Responses are requested on a five-point scale ranging from "not satisfied at all" to "completely satisfied".
290 TABLE 18 : Educators' View of the Organisation of Madressa
Cases 1 2 1 - 2 3 4 5 Sub Mean s.e. Swb total tcter
I' 07 Syllabus 124 3 6 s 19 26 70 g6 -'.2419 , .0388
~ 2,4% 4,8% 7.2% 15.3% 21,0% 56,5% 77,5% I: 08 Behaviour 124 17 10 27 39 26 32 58 3.3709 1,3219 ~ 13,7% 8,1% 2~.8% 31,5% 21,0% 25.8% 46,8% I I 09 Conditions 124 8 4 12 23 21 68 89 4.1048 1,2017 i 6.5% 3,2% g,7% , S,S°J{l 16.9% 54,8% 71.7% i I " I Ii 010 Pavment 124 27 11 S8 28 11 47 58 3,3225 1.5749
21,8% 8,9% 30,7% 22,6% 800' 37,9% 46,8% I' ,- '"
The levels of satisfaction fluctuate considerably with the different aspects.
There does not seem to be any great dissatisfaction with the syllabus (the content).
While interviewed, some educators expressed the view that learners were
expected to absorb an excessive amount of factual knowledge, but there was
general satisfaction with the syllabus.
The responses concerning working conditions are about the same as those for the
syllabus. Educators' perceptions though are often coloured to a considerable extent by the particular supervisor with whom they have contact. A more uniform approach by supervisors could lead to a higher level of satisfaction.
The behaviour of learners is the cause of greater dissatisfaction. If cells 1 and 2 are combined, 21,8% are dissatisfied against 46,8% who express satisfaction in a combination of cells 4 and 5.
291 There obviously will be behavioural problems, and the behaviour of learners is also a subject of perennial complaints by educators. From interviews and observation, however, it can be concluded that behaviour is not a serious problem.
The payment received is cause for the greatest dissatisfaction (30,7 %). A few educators had feelings strong enough to add comments. It is generally accepted that the payment should be better but the madressa depends on voluntary payments as it is difficult to exclude a child whose parents claim to be unable to pay the fees. What is surprising about the responses is that 46,8% are satisfied with the pay. The level of dissatisfaction is probably higher among those for whom it is the only source of income, while those who have other sources of income see it as being adequate for 2,5 hours of work five times a week. The madressa
officials state that it would be desirable to increase the pay but that they do the best they can under the circumstances.
There were some strong feelings about the payment received. One educator said, "They should try to live on this salary" but there were others who were satisfied. The difference seemed to relate to the extent to which the educator had other income or not.
Section D: Perceptions of the Success of the Madressa
This section enquires whether, in the perception of educators, the efforts in the madressa are successful or not.
Statement preceding questions in Section D:
Children spend a considerable part of their school lives in madressa. What is your perception of the work of the madressa?
292 Question D11:
Does the madressa succeed in providing knowledge of the religion? This means that the pupils know the requirements and rules of Islam.
The options are: 1. Provides very little knowlege 2. Provides some knowledge 3. Provides satisfactory knowledge
Question D12:
Does the madressa succeed in making children more religious? This means that the pupils perform their prayers and fasts regularly.
Question D13:
Does the madressa succeed in making children better persons? This means that they are more honest and concerned about other people.
Question D14:
Does the madressa succeed in making children become good, dedicated Muslims?
The options for Questions 12, 13, 14: 1. No success 2. Some success 3. Great success
293 TABLE 19: Success of Madressa
Cases 1 2 3 Mean s.d,
011 Knowledge 124 2 19 103 2,8145 0,4299
1,6% 15,3% 83,1%
I, 012 More religious 124 3 84 37 2,2741 0,4994 I 2,4% 67,7% 29,8% 013 Bener persons I 123 6 86 31 2,2032 0,5114 4,9% 69,9% 25,2%
014 Good Muslims 124 8 88 28 2,1612 0,5161 i I I I 6,5% 71,0% 22,6%
Analysis
In the perception of educators, the madressa achieves remarkable success in imparting knowledge of the religion with 103 (83,1%) thinking it achieves great success and 19 (15,3%) thinking it achieves some success. Only 2 (1,6%) think it achieves no success.
The rate of success declines with the other aspects. In the performance of prayers 37 (29,8%) think it achieves great success. In making learners better persons 31 (25,2%) think it achieves great success and only 28 (22,6%) think it achieves great success in making learners good, dedicated Muslims.
Those who think it achieves no success increases with the questions. Only 2 (1,6%) think it does not provide knowledge. In making children more religious, 3 (2,4%) think it achieves no success and 6 (4,9%) think it does not make learners better persons, while 8 (6,5%) think it does not make children good, dedicated Muslims.
294 While the numbers increase with the questions, the total still remains small. This means that the madressa is not seen as failing. Most educators see the madressa as achieving some success. The numbers are, in order of questions from 012 014: 84 (67,7%); 86 (69,9%) and 88 (71,0%).
It is interesting to compare educators' responses in questions 012 and 013 with the responses of learners in questions 84 and 85, as these questions provide different perspectives on the same topic.
TABLE 20: Comparison: Learners - Educators
1 2 3
Q 84 Learners Prayers 8,9% 62,5% 28,6%
Q 012 Educators Prayers 2,4% 67,7% 29,8% I Q 86 Learners Honesty 2,8% 61,7% 35,5%
Q 013 Educators Honesty 4,9% 69,9% 25,2%
According to the table, there is a reasonably close similanty between the perception of educators and the responses of learners regarding the performance of religious duties.
The conclusion then is:
* the madressa achieves great success in transmitting knowledge; * in the performance of religious duties, it achieves great success with about a quarter of its learners and some success with the large majority of learners, between 65% and 70%; * it appears to fail with about 5% of learners.
295 Section E: Actions and Values
This section is similar to Section E in the learners' questionnaire, except that some changes have been made to make it more suitable to adults. The order is not exactly the same. As in the learners' questionnaire, an incident is related or a statement is made and three options are offered. These are:
* an action that stresses duty to fellow human beings, the correct response; * an action that is wrong or places duty to God first. This is the incorrect response; * an action that appears to allow for both, but does not fulfil either. This is termed the compromise response.
Question E15
You have saved money to go on haj (pilgrimage). As you are getting ready to go, you find out that your neighbour has no food and that he and his family have not eaten properly for two days. You want to help your neighbour, but you have worked hard and made many sacrifices to save the money. What will you do?
I think I will:
* go on haj 1 * help the neighbour even if it means I can't go on haj 2 * give the neighbour food for a day and then go on haj 3
Question E16
A Muslim is usually careful about the food that is eaten by him or her. Which of the following will you eat?
296 * Meat from an animal that was correctly slaughtered but you are not sure whether it was honestly acquired or not 1
* Vegetables that have been obtained dishonestly 2
* Food that has been honestly obtained and if it is meat, it is from animals that have been correctly slaughtered 3
Question E17
You are in a hurry as the time for prayers is nearly over. You see nails on the ground and you know someone can get hurt. What will you do?
I think I will:
* remove the nails even if this makes me late for prayers 1 * carryon to make sure I am in time for prayers 2 * carryon for prayers but try to come back to remove the nails 3
Question E18
You are the only witness to an accident. The person who was responsible is your best friend. You also know the other person and do not like her. You are called as a witness. What will you do?
I think I will:
* tell the truth even if it means I will lose my best friend 1 * testify in favour of my friend 2 * refuse to testify and keep quiet 3 297 Question E19 In a supermarket, you see a wallet with a lot of money in it lying on the floor. No one will see you if you pick it up.
What will you do?
I think I will:
* pick up the wallet and keep it 1 * pick up the wallet, try to find the owner and if I can't find the owner, give it to the manager of the supermarket 2 leave the wallet and carryon 3
Questions E15 - E19
TABLE 21 Actions and Values
I Cases Cell Correct Cell Compro- Cell Incorrect Mean s.d. I No No mise No 015 124 2 66 3 54 1 4 2.4032 0,5546 Charity Concern I 53,2% 43,5% 3,2% i I I ; I 016 124 3 123 2 1 2 0 2,9919 I 0,0898 Honesty I I I I 99,2% 0,8% I I 017 124 1 58 3 64 2 2 2,0483 0,9947 Concern I I I I 46,8% 51,6% 1,6% I 018 I 124 1 108 3 13 2 3 1,2338 0,6261 Justice ! I ! l I 87,1% 10.5% 2.4% ! 019 124 2 101 3 23 1 0 2,1854 : 0,3902 Honesty I I 81,5% 18,5%
298 In addition to the frequency of responses for each of the questions, it is also useful to know the frequency of correct and incorrect responses for the section as a whole. This is given in the table below:
TABLE 22: Combined Responses by Educators for Section E
(Questions E15 - E19)
I Number % I I I 1 All incorrect 2 One correct °1 0,8° Mean: 3,6774 3 . Two correct 14 11,3 s.d. : 0,9417 4 Three correct 33 26,6 5 Four correct 52 41,9 No. of cases: 124 6 Five correct 24 19,4
Analysis
According to the responses, honesty came highest with 123 (99,2%) and 101 (81,5%) for the two questions respectively. The incorrect response was °and ° respectively and the compromise response was 1 (0,8%) and 23 (18,5%) respectively.
Justice was second with 108 (87,1 %) correct, 3 (2,4%) incorrect and 13 (10,5%) choosing a compromise.
The two questions dealing with concern for people scored the lowest with 66 (53,2%) and 58 (46,8%) being correct, 4 (3,2%) and 2 (1,6%) being incorrect and 54 (43,5%)and 64 (51,6%) choosing the compromise.
299 Educators were concerned about honesty and other values, but there was also
a feeling that prayers were more important. It was felt that if a learner performed prayers regularly, this would lead to honesty and to other values.
As these responses relate to the responses of learners, a comparison would be informative.
TABLE 23: Comparison: Educators - Learners
Question No Topic Correct (%l Compromise (Ofol Wrong Worship
; E15 53,2 43,5 3,2 i Concern for people
l22 45,2 49,6 5,2
I E17 46.8 51,6 1,6 Concern for people
: l26 20.6 67,7 11,7
87,1 10,5 IE18 2.4 Justice
l24 68.5 25,0 6.5
E16 99.2 0.8 0 Honesty
L25 95.6 3,2 1,2
E19 81.5 18,5 0 Honesty
L23 88,3 5,2 6,5
The table shows a remarkable correlation between responses by educators and learners. For every question educators have a higher percentage of correct responses but it is only for questions E17/L26 that the difference is substantially higher at 46,8% against 20,6%. For every question, educators have a lower percentage of incorrect responses, but again there is a correlation.
300 The conclusion to be drawn from this correlation is that learners appear to be influenced by educators. For this reason educators have to be more clearly aware of the emphasis Islam places on honesty, justice and concern for people.
SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS
As for learners, calculations have been made to determine significant differences between groups. The groups concerned are:
Saaberie - A.L.M. First or second year - Two years or more Madressa education only - Higher education
Only the cases where there are significant differences are reported. It needs to be repeated that where there is no significant difference, this is also meaningful. For example, it could mean that educators with experience or no experience make the same contribution to a particular aspect.
Saaberie - A.L.M.
There are two questions where there are significant differences between these groups, questions C1 0 and D12.
Question C1 0 concerns the level of satisfaction with the payment received.
301 TABLE 24: Comparison: Saaberie - A.L.M: Level of Satisfaction
Saaberie A.L.M. Not satisfied 1 1 (8,3%) 26 (23,2%) 2 2 (16,7%) 9 (8,0%) F. Value: 0,80 3 3 (25,0%) 25 (22,3%) O.F. : 122 4 0 11 (9,8%) Completely satisfied 5 6 (50,0%) I 41 (36,6%) Cases 12 112 Probability 4,2% Mean 3,6667 3,2857 s.d. 1,4975 1,5850
The difference is significant at the 5,0% level.
There is dissatisfaction at both, but it is a little lower at Saaberie, and the satisfaction here is also more.
Question 012 asks whether the madressa succeeds in making children more religious.
TABLE 25: Comparison: Saaberie - A.L.M.: Extent of Success
Saaberie A.L.M No success 1 3 (2,7%) F. Value : -2,03 Some success 2 12 (100,0%) 72 (64,3%) O.F. : 122 Great success 3 37 (33,0%) Probability: 4,49% Cases 12 1,2 Mean 2,000 2,3036 s.d. 0,000 0,5171
The difference is signifcant at the 5% level.
302 All educators in Saaberie consider that some success is achieved while there is a greater spread of opinion at A.L.M. No reasons could be discovered to account for this difference.
Educators: First or second year - Two completed years or more
There are three questions where there were significant differences, questions 86, D12, and D14.
Question 86: Do you know the aims of teaching in a madressa?
TABLE 26: Comparison: Experience Aims
-2 years 2 + years Don't know 1
Know a little 2 14 (45,2%) 9 (10,0%) F. Value -3,65 Know well 3 17 (54,8%) 81 (90,0%) D.F. 376 Cases 31 90 Probability: 0,8 % Mean 2,4384 2,9000 s.d. 0,5059 0,3017
The difference is significant at the 1% level.
It seems that educators with experience are much more aware of the aims of teaching in a madressa.
Question D12: Does the madressa succeed in making children more religious?
303 TABLE 27: Comparison: Experience Success of the Madressa
-2 years I 2 + years No success 1 2 (6,4%) I 1 (1,1 %) Some success 2 23 (74,2%) I 58 (64,5%) F.Value -1,97 Great success 3 6 (19,4%) I 31 (34,4%) O.F. 119 Cases 31 I 90 Probability: 5,11 % ! Mean 2,1290 I 2,3333 s.d. 0,4995 I 0,4972
The difference is significant at the 5% level.
Question D14 :
Ooes the madressa succeed in making children good, dedicated Muslims?
TABLE 28: Comparison: Experience: Success of the Madressa -2 years I 2 + years No success 1 4 (12,9%) I 4 (4,4%) Some success 2 24 (77,4%) 61 (67,8%) F. Value -1,97 Great success 3 3 (9,7%) 25 (27,8%) D.F. 119 , Cases 31 90 Probability: 5,11 % Mean 2,1290 I 2,3333 s.d. 0,4995 I 0,4977
The difference is significant at the 5% level.
For both questions 012 and 014, educators with more experience have a more positive view of the madressa. It might possibly be that newer educators have higher expectations.
304 Educators: Level of Education There are two questions that show significant differences. These are questions 87 and D11.
Question 87: Do you think you know the aims of teaching in a madressa?
TABLE 29: Comparison: Education Level: Aims
Madressa Higher Don't know 1 ° ° Know a little 2 19 5 F. Value -2,04 Know well 3 58 41 D.F. 116,4 Cases 77 46 Probability: ° Mean 2,7532 2,8913 s.d. 0,4339 0,3147
The difference is significant at the 5% level.
Question D11: Does the madressa succeed in providing knowledge of the religion?
TABLE 30: Comparison: Education Level: Knowledge of the Religion
Madressa Higher Provides little knowledge 1 3 2 Some knowledge 2 49 9 F. Value 1,92 Satisfactory knowledge 3 25 35 D.F. 121 Cases 77 46 Probability: 5,7% Mean 2,8701 2,7174 s.d. 0,3384 0,5442
The difference is significant at the 5% level.
305 Educators with less education have noticeably less knowledge of aims. Educators with more education also think that the madressa is more successful in providing satisfactory knowledge. Both these views could be the result of expectations held by the two groups.
8.9 SUMMARY
The analysis of each section of questions or each group in a section is summarised, first for learners and then for educators.
Learners
SECTION B: Religious Duties
Most learners appear to perform their religious duties, and fasting has a very high rate of regular performance with about 90% fasting nearly always. About a third of learners claim to perform the other religious duties mentioned, always or nearly always.
The madressa needs to investigate the reasons for the high rate in fasting. If the same encouragement and inducements applied to fasting could be applied to other duties, there is a strong possibility that there could be an increase in the rate of performance.
306 SECTION C: Influence on Learners
The madressa is said to have the strongest influence, with parents also having a strong influence. Friends do not have a very strong influence. The madressa can use this influence effectively to impress desirable values strongly enough, so that they may be able to survive as the influence of friends increases during adolescence.
Section D: This section is divided into three groups.
Group A: The effects of the madressa, content and method
Religion is considered to be very important in the lives of learners. The madressa is also considered to prepare learners fairly well for the performance of religious duties. It has also contributed to making children better persons. It can do a little more in this regard.
Content and method are seen as being quite satisfactory, although here too there can be some improvement.
Group B: Discipline and Punishment
Most learners are satisfied with the treatment and consider the rules and punishment fair and a little too lenient. There are some, between 9% and 19%, who are unhappy. The causes of this need to be clearly established.
307 Learners consider most educators to be truthful, and this means that they set a good example. The fairness of educators is not seen in as strong a light. Concern for people also needs to be emphasised.
SECTION E: Honesty, Justice, and Concern for People
Dishonesty is rejected by most learners. Concern for other people shows the smallest number of correct responses. Justice is higher but not as high as honesty. It is necessary for the madressa to devise means of impressing on learners the importance of justice and concern for people.
Educators' Questionnaires
SECTION B: Knowledge of Aims
Most educators have been informed of the aims and know the aims. There is a small number who have not been informed. It is evidently important that steps be taken to inform all educators.
SECTION C: levels of Satisfaction with the Syllabus, the Behaviour of learners, Working Conditions and Payment Received
There is quite a high level of satisfaction with the syllabus and with working conditions. There is not as much satisfaction with the behaviour of learners. There may be some behaviour problems, but as most learners consider discipline and punishment to be satisfactory, it could be that the problem refers to a small group. It is also interesting that nearly a third of learners consider discipline to be too lenient. Payment is the cause of the greatest dissatisfaction. This is a valid cause for unhappiness but it is not a problem that can be easily solved.
308 Financial constraints cause the problem and it can only be solved if parents are able and willing to pay more for the religious education of their children.
SECTION 0: Perceptions of the Success of Madressa Activities
The madressa is very successful in imparting knowledge of the religion.
In the actual performance of religious duties, with the exception of fasting, it achieves great success with about a quarter of learners and some success with about 65% to 70%. It fails with about 5%.
This is one group of questions where there are significant differences among different groups of educators. Educators with more experience and more education appear to have a more positive opinion of learners.
SECTION E: Honesty, Justice, and Concern for People
The response pattern seems to be a replication of learners' response patterns, with the number of correct responses being higher than that for learners.
There is a high level of honesty. Justice is still high but lower than honesty. Concern for other people is much lower and needs to be given more serious attention.
As justice and concern for other people are the cornerstones of Islam, it is necessary to devise and implement ways of increasing these qualities, both among learners and educators.
The correlation between the responses of educators and learners suggests that educators' attitudes in the madressa have a strong influence on learners.
309 CHAPTER NINE
AN EVALUATION OF CENTRAL ISSUES RELATING TO THE MADRESSA
9.1 INTRODUCTION
9.1.1 The Problem and the Aim of the Study
The madressa, as stated in Chapter 1, is a system of religious instruction that involves a large part of a child's life and contributes to the formation of children who attend it.
There is no outside agency that exercises any supervision or control, and it is thus necessary to enquire whether the activities of the madressa conform with educational criteria. The primary question that concerns this study is: Is the activity in the madressa educationally justifiable?
The madressa is also concerned with the transmission of religious belief and values. It is therefore relevant to consider whether the madressa fulfils its religious purposes.
9.2 ORGANISATION OF THE STUDY
When an educational activity is evaluated, the activity that is examined is, in essence, the activity of teaching and learning. This involves asking the following questions:
Has there been the action of teaching?
310 * Has learning taken place? Is this learning the effect of teaching?
* Did this teaching - learning situation lead to any action?
These are the broad requirements of an educational activity. However, the performance of these activities does not necessarily lead to acceptable educational procedures. There are distinct differences, for example, between training and education. In Chapter 2, education was compared to indoctrination. Although both training and indoctrination have features that are also found in education, there are also important differences between education and these other activities. It is therefore necessary to define what is educationally acceptable and to ensure that madressa activities conform with educational requirements.
The concept of education has been discussed (Chapter 2) and criteria established for each of the components of the structure of the educational situation.
9.3 CRITERIA FOR EDUCATION
The educational structure comprises an educator and a learner. Education is directed towards an aim and uses content and method to achieve that aim. Of great importance in the educational situation are the relations between educator and learner. The educational situation is also shaped by its context of space and time.
There are criteria for each of these aspects of the educational situation. Summarised here are those that are relevant to the context of the madressa.
311 Criteria for Aims in Education
* Aims are dependent on the world-view of the community. In considering the aims, this view of the community is also considered.
* Although they are based on a view of the world, aims should also be compatible with general educational principles.
* Education should prepare a child to lead a life of virtue.
* A life of virtue implies a concern for the good of the person as well as a concern for the good of other people.
* This concern for other people means that learners must develop a moral attitude to all human beings. This would require that actions are based on truth, justice, respect and other moral values.
Criteria for learning Content
The content must be directed towards achieving a specified aim.
The learning material must be graded according to the level of the learner.
Relevant concepts rather than isolated facts have to be acquired.
The knowledge should form the basis of everyday activities.
Criteria for Method
The level of the learner must be taken into account.
312 * The learner's interest has to be aroused so that he/she participates actively.
* There has to be an interest in, and a respect for, each learner.
* The learner has to be able to apply the knowledge that has been acquired to situations that occur in life.
Desirable Attributes in an Educator
The personality, approach and attributes of the educator are the most important factors in education. It is necessary for the educator to have:
love and respect for the child, the subject and the task;
* the empathy to understand the child's situation;
* a belief in the values being taught;
* a commitment to lead a life that shows these values in practice.
The Nature and Needs of the Child
* The child is helpless and needs help to: fulfil its potentialities; give meaning to its world; distinguish between right and wrong.
All the other needs of the child have also to be considered.
313 Criteria for Educational Relations: Authority, Punishment, Discipline
Love, trust and understanding are essential elements in educational relations. Without these, it is not possible for the learner to accept the guidance of the educator.
Authority
* The educator must have knowledge and expertise, as educator and as teacher of the subject.
* There has to be an expectation of correct behaviour.
* Firm control and clear communication about the limits of permissibility are required.
Discipline
* There has to be firm control with clear rules and parameters, and this firmness must be tempered by love.
* There should be "nurturance".
* Discipline should be internalised so that it becomes self-discipline.
This internal discipline should lead to the exercising of self-control because of faith and belief.
314 Punishment
.. Punishment should be fair and humane.
.. There should be a clear demarcation between right and wrong.
.. Punishment should not be vengeful but should be deterrent or reformative.
.. Punishment should be consistent and predictable.
9.4 FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
In the research conducted into the activities of the madressa, the following aspects were investigated:
.. the principles, values and requirements of Islam that the madressa is expected to transmit (Chapter 3);
.. the theoretical foundations of Islamic education on which the activity of the madressa is based (Chapter 4);
.. the actual practices of the madressa (Chapter 6).
The findings have been summarised at the end of each chapter and need not therefore be repeated. On the basis of the research, it can be stated that the activities of the madressa are in conformity with educational criteria. However, the following aspects are discussed in this section as these require further attention:
.. the aim of madressa education;
315 the educator;
'* an aspect of method;
'* discipline and the performance of religious duties.
In addition, the findings on the following aspects are briefly restated:
'* the madressa and indoctrination (Chapter 2);
'* the madressa and the intellectual development of the learner (Chapter 6);
* the madressa and the physical development of the learner (Chapter 6).
There is also a discussion of the following issues relevant to the madressa:
'* importance of the madressa to the community;
'* the madressa and religious education in schools.
9.4.1 The Aims of Madressa Education
Aims are crucial in any activity as they are the foundations on which the entire activity is constructed. They also give form, content and direction to the activity.
According to the criteria for education set out in Chapter 2, and repeated in this chapter, aims in education require that:
* education should prepare a child to lead a life of virtue;
316 .. a life of virtue implies a concern for the good of the person as well as a concern for the good of other people;
.. a concern for other people means that learners must develop a moral attitude to all human beings. This would require that actions be based on truth, justice, respect and other moral values.
According to the principles of Islam (Chapter 3) and the theories of education in Islam (Chapter 4), education should aim at producing a person who lives a life that is pleasing to God. There has to be an actualisation of a person's capacities, but it is important that this actualisation leads to a life of virtue.
A life of virtue in Islam requires the fulfilment of the duties imposed by God. These duties are twofold:
.. duties to God; and
.. duties to fellow human beings.
Duties to God Duties to Fellow Human Beings Prayer five times a day Duties towards other persons, such as duties to a child, duties to parents, duties to a neighbour Fasting during the months of Ramadan The cornerstones of duties towards Paying the poor tax" other people are honesty, justice, concern for other people and respect Going on pilgrimage to Mecca" ("If one has the means)
317 Madressa education is concerned with leading children to perform all the duties required of them. This means that:
* a person should perform individual obligations of worship such as prayer and fasting (duties to God);
* a person should also be concerned with the common good, be truthful and practise charity, honesty, justice and be respectful to others (duties to other people).
The madressa has to teach these values and encourage learners to internalise them and perform the actions that are required. All this has to be done for the pleasure of God, and also because on the Day of Judgment, each person will be held accountable for all actions that are performed.
The aims of madressa education are concerned with individual actions and with moral actions towards other people. The aims of madressa education are, therefore, in conformity with the criteria for aims in education.
9.4.2 Method in Madressa Education
Method in the madressa is in accordance with educational criteria, but there is one aspect that needs further consideration.
According to the criteria stated in Chapter 2, the learner has to acquire the ability to apply the knowledge that has been obtained to situations in everyday life.
Madressa education is not only about knowledge but also about character, and this means that the learner has to apply the knowledge that has been acquired.
318 According to Damon (1988: 144), there must be moral reasoning, but this must go hand in hand with moral habit.
The learner may have a desire to act morally, but in an everyday situation it is not always easy to choose the correct option. It is therefore necessary to learn principles but it is also just as important to learn to apply these principles and choose an action in an everyday situation. Without this ability, moral knowledge remains theoretical knowledge and does not become moral action.
It is important for the madressa to teach children how to apply moral knowledge. In the words of Damon (1988: 151), if moral values are to stick, children's participation in the value dialogue must be encouraged, and this could lead to an ability to apply knowledge to particular situations.
9.4.3 The Educator
If there is one single factor that is crucial in education, it is the educator. The educator influences learners in many direct ways, but there are also many subtle influences that emanate from the educator. It is the educator who transforms the theory into a practical activity, who approves and disapproves and who places emphasis on or glosses over areas of the curriculum. It is the educator who is responsible for establishing the tone of educational relations and for many other aspects of the educational situation. The attributes of the educator are therefore of critical importance.
The criteria for education (Chapter 2) require that an educator has certain attributes. These include the following:
319 ,.. the educator should have love and respect for the child, for the subject and for the task;
* the educator should have the empathy to understand the child's situation;
* there has to be a belief in the values being taught;
* there has to be a commitment to leading a life that shows these values in practice.
The attributes required for an educator in the madressa (Chapter 4) are almost a repetition of these criteria:
* the educator should show love and sympathy for, and understanding of, the pupils;
the educator has to understand the great responsibility that has been undertaken;
* there has to be belief and faith in God;
* exemplary behaviour is required from educators.
According to its theoretical bases, the requirements of the madressa are in conformity with educational criteria, but in practice this is not always the case.
The madressa, for a variety of reasons but mainly because of financial constraints, has to employ a large number of unqualified educators. Sixty three percent of educators have no further religious education apart from madressa education.
320 The influence of educators on learners has been discussed in Chapters 2, 4 and 8. The following table from Chapter 8 (Part of Table 23) is reproduced to stress the influence of educators.
TABLE 31: COMPARISON: EDUCATORS - LEARNERS
~ Topic Question Correct % Compro- Incorrect % , No mise %
Learners Concern L22 45 50 5 (L) for people E15 53 44 3 Educators (E)
L Concern L26 21 68 11 E for people E17 47 52 i 1 L Justice L24 69 25 6 E E18 87 11 , 2 I L Honesty L25 96 3 1 E16 99 1 E 1 0 I L Honesty L23 88 5 I 7 E E19 82 18 I 0
There is a similarity in the pattern of responses.
It is crucial that the madressa has educators who have a good knowledge of the religion and particularly of the spirit of the religion. Educators should also have the attributes that will enable them to transmit this spirit to learners.
It is particularly important that educators be seen as being an embodiment of the values of the religion. They should be seen as living exemplars of the values. One
321 should be aware that learners are particularly sensitive to assumptions and feelings that are unconsciously transmitted.
9.4.4 Discipline
The criteria for discipline require that there be clear rules and firm control. However, external discipline is not adequate. It is important that rules be internalised and that belief leads to the exercising of self-discipline.
Religion is based on discipline. Believers have to set aside personal desires and behave according to the rules of the religion. They also have to make present sacrifices for the sake of future benefit. All religious duties that have to be fulfilled require that discipline be exercised.
The madressa has clear rules. It also teaches the rules of the religion and has the task of teaching discipline so that the learner performs religious duties. The discipline has to be internalised so that the religious duties are performed because of the belief that it is the right action to perform.
The exercising of discipline required by the madressa conforms with educational criteria. However, external discipline has to be transformed into self-discipline if learners are to perform religious duties regularly. Ultimately, the performance of religious duties is a matter of self-discipline.
322 According to the researcher's own experience and from observation and interviews, it is clear that some duties are more scrupulously performed than others. This is confirmed by responses to questions regarding the performance of religious duties. Learners were asked how regularly religious duties are performed. The following table is repeated from Chapter 8 (Table 7):
Nearly Always I Sometimes % Very Seldom % , % I Prayer five times daily 29 62 9 i I Fasting in Ramadan 91 8 1 I I Being honest in all 35 62 3 actions
Helping people in need 39 58 3 I
Approximately a third have indicated that they perform religious duties adequately. However, most pupils (about 60%) fulfil the duties irregularly. Students are aware of the duties and it is a lack of self-discipline that prevents the fulfilment of duties.
This self-discipline can be adequately instilled only if there is complete cooperation between parents and madressa, and if satisfactory practical examples are demonstrated to the pupils. In other words, apart from teaching what is right, parents and educators have to show, by their own example, that they are prepared to do what is right.
323 9.4.5 The Madressa and Indoctrination
In the transmission of moral values, indoctrination is always an issue. The question of the madressa and indoctrination has been examined in Chapter 2. The instruction in the madressa cannot be regarded as indoctrination for the following reasons:
* the inculcation of religious belief is for the good of the child;
* the madressa is merely an instrument, not a beneficiary. The aim is to please God;
* the child is not an object. The welfare of the child is the main concern;
* the method used has to take the nature and the needs of the child into account;
* the child is as important as the educator;
the persons involved in the madressa are altruistic as they work for the child's benefit;
the madressa tries to serve God;
the values taught are discipline, honesty, truth, justice and respect which are not narrow or selfish values but universal values.
324 9.4.6 The Madressa and the Intellectual and Physical Development of the Child
The demands imposed by the madressa on the pupil have been discussed in Chapter 6. It is true that the two and a half hours used for madressa reduces the time available to the learner for other activities.
However, three aspects related to the intellectual development of the child were examined. These were:
* the reading performance of children in primary schools;
* the number of Muslims with academic qualifications;
* students studying towards a medical degree.
The performance in these areas suggests that attendance at the madressa does not have an adverse effect on the child's development. From the available evidence it can be concluded that the madressa has a positive effect on the intellectual development of the child.
The madressa does allow enough time and opportunity for play and physical activity so that the child's physical development is not affected.
It does not allow adequate time for professional sports or for competition on an international level.
325 While it is true that the madressa reduces the time available for other desirable activities, it also removes children from some undesirable activities. Especially when both parents are working, children are often left to unsupervised activities. The madressa ensures that there is adequate supervision and that there is an attempt to improve the moral perceptions of the child.
9.4.7 The Importance of the Madressa for the Community
Two aspects of the community are considered here. In the broader sense, all human beings are regarded as being part of the greater community. In the narrower sense, community refers to the Muslim community.
In this narrower sense, it is important for the community to reproduce its beliefs and values. The community has to find satisfactory means of transferring its beliefs and values to its children.
Apart from the home, there is no other agency designed to lead to the Muslim formation of the child. As mentioned in Chapter 5, the task was initially left entirely to the parents, but this was not a satisfactory method and the madressa evolved for this purpose (Chapter 5).
The home still makes the most important contribution, but today the madressa has become the main agency for transmitting religious knowledge. The home provides models of behaviour, establishes values, sets patterns and supports the work of the madressa, but few parents are able to set aside the time for a systematic transmission of knowledge.
326 The mosque is an important religious agency. Muslims are required to perform five prayers daily, and it is better if these prayers are performed in congregation (Bukhari, Vol 1:351). However, performing the prayers at home also fulfils this duty. In the Transvaal, among "Indian" Muslims, no provision is made for women in the mosque and women perform their prayers at home. For men there are occasional lectures in the mosque, and a special lecture before the Friday prayers, but women are not present and children do not pay much attention to the lectures, as they are directed at adults.
The Tableegh Jamaat also does work to create Islamic consciousness (l,e Roux, 1978:96-103) but this is also directed to adults.
Muslim children would therefore have no agency for the transmission of religious knowledge and values if it were not for the madressa.
Islam also requires that there be people who memorise the Our'an and that there be people who have made a study of the religion (ulema). It is obligatory on a community to produce these categories of people. The institutions that produce these categories are darul ulooms.
There are at present two prominent darul ulooms in the vicinity of Lenasia. One is the Madrasah Zakarriyah in Zakarriyah Park near Lenasia and the other is the Madrasah Arabiya Islamia in Azaadville in Randfontein. The enrolment is as follows: Ulema Huffaaz (Memorising the Our'an) Zakarriyah 108 182 Azaadville 142 87
327 Interviews with students indicated that it was often the home and the primary madressa that inspired them to continue with religious studies.
Without the madressa, the community would find it difficult to fulfil this obligation. The madressa is therefore essential for the reproduction of the Muslim community.
In the broader view, the welfare of all human beings has to be considered. This requires the fulfilment of an important aim of education which is the practising of morality in one's association with other persons.
In Islam a person has duties to other human beings and is accountable to God for a failure to fulfil those duties. "Do such (men) not consider that they will be raised again unto an awful Day ... " (The Holy Our'an, 83:4-5)
The forms of ritual worship may vary according to the religion, but the cornerstones of Islam are universal values. Values such as truth, justice and respect are accepted by all faiths. These values, as explained in Chapter 3, are more important than the ritual forms of worship.
It is the madressa's duty to teach these values and the practice of these values.
9.4.8 The Madressa and Religious Education in Schools
The madressa in Lenasia has, over a period, settled into a fixed pattern, but as with everything else in the country, is likely to have to come to terms with a number of possible challenges.
328 The government is in the process of framing an entirely new education policy (Draft, White Paper, 1994). Although no mention is made directly of religious education, provision is made for additions to the White Paper. It has been made clear that the document does not cover all aspects of education. "Other policy documents will be published" (Draft, White Paper: 7).
There have been discussions on the introduction of religious education as part of education policy. The Centre for Education Policy Development has deliberated on the issue and the National Education and Training Forum (NETF) has accepted certain principles on the basis of which religious education will become part of the education policy. This acceptance by the NETF virtually ensures acceptance by the state. The "ministry will seek the advice of the NETF". (Draft, White Paper: 34).
There is considerable discussion and debate among Muslim organisations about the inclusion of religious education in schools. The J.U.T. is not in favour of this but feels that it might be introduced in spite of opposition. Therefore, it has given a conditional acceptance (Annexure 4). The J.U.T. has also initiated the formation of an organisation to represent all Muslim educational interests.
There are advantages in having religious education in schools. The most important benefit would be with regard to finance. The constant struggle to raise funds would end, but there are also serious disadvantages. The following information about the madressa has to be kept in mind:
* the madressa is not only concerned with knowledge, but also with moral habits. The environment is important in the formation of habits;
* children see religion as more important when it is taught in a separate institution. In school, religious education will become just another subject;
329 * the control the community has will inevitably diminish;
* Muslims will not exert the same effort that they are exerting at present. This will make religion less important;
there are inherent contradictions in the principles laid down by the NETF that could lead to conflict;
the state will always see conflict as being between right and wrong while religion sees it as being between good and evil. The state's definition of right changes according to the majority view while the religious definition depends on the religion and does not change;
* even if there is a weakness in the teaching of the madressa, the mere fact that children come to the madressa creates a religious consciousness.
The issue is still being debated at the time of writing.
9.5 SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
From this detailed investigation it can be seen that the madressa functions according to acceptable educational criteria. It also carries out its religious purpose which is to encourage children to carry out their religious duties and to lead a life which is pleasing to God.
However, there are a few areas that require serious attention. These areas are:
* the attributes of educators;
the regular performance of all religious duties; 330 '* the application of knowledge in practice.
9.5.1 The Attributes of Educators
The importance of educators has been discussed in Chapters 2 and 4.
As stated by Brezinka (1992:203), educators are the most important variable which can be influenced in helping educands acquire the desired psychic state. For this reason, the educator's personality, example and skills are of critical importance.
Islam, too, considers educators to be very important. Ghazzali (1107:21) emphasises the Islamic view of the importance of educators. On the day of resurrection, the learned would say that worshippers had attained piety because of their teachers. These teachers would then be ranked with God's angels. However, if a teacher were to mislead children, the teacher would be bridled with a bit of fire.
It is therefore crucial for the madressa to ensure that educators possess all the required attributes. There are two possibilities open to the madressa:
one possibility is to ensure that the madressa employs only educators who possess the necessary attributes. It would be difficult to follow this option;
* the other possibility is to ensure that educators receive regular and sufficient "in-service" training. This is the more viable option.
331 There may be some difficulties about more intensive training, but it is essential that educators acquire all the necessary attributes if the madressa wants to increase its rate of success.
The rnadressa has to devote regular and close attention to the question of educators.
The ideal would be educators with extensive knowledge of the religion and also a knowledge of educational principles. This does not necessarily imply secular training. It could mean knowledge of Islamic educational principles.
It may be necessary for the madressa itself to organise in-service courses to provide educators with the necessary knowledge.
9.5.2 The Performance of Religious Duties
It is important that there be learning in the madressa, but it is much more important that this learning-teaching activity leads to action. The performance of religious duties has been discussed, and it is evident that there is room for improvement.
The sacrificing of time and effort, and the self-denial needed for the performance of religious duties, will be possible only if learners acquire the self-discipline to make the necessary sacrifices.
. The role of the educators has already been discussed, but the educator alone cannot create the necessary self-discipline in the learner. There is need for a greater involvement by parents.
It is essential for the madressa to create mechanisms to allow for greater parent involvement. To improve the performance of religious duties it is necessary to: 332 '* ensure that there is much more cooperation between educators and parents;
ensure that parents and educators set an example which encourages children.
Fasting, with its 91 % success rate, is an example of the success that can be achieved if everyone provides a positive example and gives much greater positive encouragement and reinforcement. Parents should be made to realise that the responsibility for children's education cannot be transferred completely to the madressa. The encouragement, positive example and actions of parents are of vital importance.
9.5.3 The Application of Knowledge in Practice
There can also be a reappraisal of the learning methods used. It is important to learn values but it is more important to act according to the values which have been learnt. Learners have to apply the principles they have learnt to the concrete situations in life.
The learner has to be encouraged to participate actively. This active participation will not only create greater interest but will also improve decision-making capabilities.
9.6 CONCLUSION
While there is room for improvement in some aspects of the madressa, it needs to be stressed that there is much that is positive as well.
The madressa is concerned with the good of the child in this life and its salvation in what is regarded as the eternal life.
333 It is also concerned with the good of society by the creation of persons who live a life of discipline and morality. In an increasingly hedonistic, rootless and amoral world, the madressa provides a sense of purpose, of self-denial and of morality. It teaches what is right and moral. It tries to implant a sense of duty, of concern and of restraint.
Those who contribute to the madressa are complying with the injunction of the Holy Qur'an:
" there may spring from you a nation who invite to goodness, and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency. Such are they who are successful" (The Holv Qur'an, 37:104).
9.7 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
Very little systematic research has been done on the madressa, and this means that it is an almost unexplored area.
It is a promising development that the Centre for Islamic Studies at the Rand Afrikaans University has arranged with the darul ulooms of Zakarriyah and Azaadville to allow graduates of these institutions to proceed with postgraduate studies. This could encourage much needed research.
The following are some of the many areas that need investigation:
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
* A critical examination of the moral values transmitted by the madressa and the relevance of the values in the life of the pupils.
334 An examination of the aims of the madressa in the light of some of the classical philosophies such as:
respect for persons; utilitarianism; autonomy; and freedom and equality.
* An analysis of the concepts applied in the madressa.
CURRICULUM RESEARCH
Detailed research and analysis of the curriculum of the madressa. It would be particularly useful to establish principles for:
the selection of content in the madressa;
* the development of teaching strategy;
* the diagnosis of strengths and weaknesses of pupils;
* the evaluation of the progress of pupils; and
* the evaluation of the progress of teachers.
HISTORY
* A detailed history of the Muslims in the old Transvaal (which includes Gauteng, Eastern Transvaal, Northern Transvaal and the Northwest Province).
335 * A comprehensive history of madressa education in these areas and in South Africa.
The contribution of Muslims to the development of South Africa.
HUMAN MOVEMENT STUDIES
* The effect of the madressa on the health and physical development of the child.
* The madressa and the problems of participation in sports and cultural and other activities.
GENERAL
.. The development of Muslim private schools, which combine religious and secular education and a comparison of the private schools with the madressa.
* The influence of the madressa on academic achievement.
* The impact of the policies of the new government on traditional religious practices.
.. The Bill of Rights and Muslim beliefs and practices.
A comparison of the relative merits and demerits of the madressa against religious education in schools.
336 ,. Private versus state-funded religious education.
,. An evaluation of Muslim private schools.
,. An evaluation of Muslim tertiary institutions such as darul ulooms.
There is, as can be seen from this short list, a vast area that requires investigation.
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347 ASSOCIATION OF LENASIA MADAABIS GUIDELINES TO ALL TEACHERS ASSALAAMU ALAIKUM,
THE A.L.M. COMMITTEE TAKES THIS OPPORTUNITY OF WELCOMING MEMBERS OF THE ~ .- ~ • • .. - j STAFF TO ANOTHER. YEAR DEVOTED TO THE CAUSE OF DEENI TALEEM.. . MAY .ALLAH ~ .-. ~ ••• J '\, " ...:'. • . TA tALA GRACE. OUR EFFORTS WITH HIS RAHMAH AND GUIDANCE. "_~'. _! ... :i::.. :::..-. ~':'j--.:-~' _ . . .! . . w"HILE A GREAT DEAL IS BEING DONE,. A GREAT D~ HAS TO BE DqNE. ..'1'0 EN- SURE OPTIMUM .USE OF THE LIMITED. TIME AVAILABLE TO US. DURING MADRASAH .. :-~~_ .. :~ .:.'. HOURS,. YOU. ARE ADVISED TO TAKE NOTE OF THE fOLLOWING: ."'; :....'2;'. . -' 1. ATTmIDANCE: A. MEMBERS OF THE STAFF ARE REQUESTED TO ENSURE THAT ATTENDANCE zs > MAINTAINED AT AS HIGH A LEVEL AS POSSIBLE. . .' .-~ . -". . PLEASE DO NOT MAKE MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS DURING MADRASAH HOURS,. >!fOR USE MADRASAH TIME FOR ANYTHING ELSE BUT TEACHING. C. FAR TOO MANY APPLICATIONS ARE BEING MADE FOR LEAVE OF ABSENCE FOR .-: VARIOUS REASONS. PLEASE NOTE THAT NO LEAVE OF ABSENCE WILL BE . , GRANTED, EVEN WITHOUT PAY, EXCEPT FOR THE PERFORMING. OF FARDH HAJ OR FOR COMPASSIONATE REASONS. PLEASE DO NOT APPLY FOR SUCH LEAVE SINCE A REFUSAL MAY CAUSE AN OFFENCE. D. ATTENDANCE AT ~ FUNERALS DURING MADRASAH HOURS WILL ONLY BE ALLOWED IN . ". ."' . . ... THE EVENT OF IT BEING A CLOSE RELATIVE OR IMMEDIATE NEIGHBOUR•.. LEAVE FORMS FOR ALL TTYPS OF LEAVES MUST BE SUBMITTED TlMEEOUSLY.
2. ._PUNCTUALITY: A•. IT IS THE DUTY OF EVERY MEMBER OF THE STAFF TO BE PUNCTUAL. "IT IS . ;. i, l :_~ _ .:» .. -. I' • NOT POSSIBLE FOR US TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN PUNCTUALITY IF WE'OUR$ELVES ~~~ . DO NOT PRACTICE IT.• B. DAILY TIME REGISTERS SHOULD BE FILLED IN BY INSERTING THE CORRECT TIME OF ARRIVAL, AND NOT THE APPROXIMATE TIME. C. A SPECIAL APPEAL IS DIRECTED TOWARDS THOSE STAFF MEMBERS WHO TEA.c;H AT THE VARIOUS SECTIONS AT STATE SCHOOLS TO BE PUNCTUAL. THE SCHOOL.. PREMISES DO NOT BELONG TO US AND THERE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINTS FROM ,THE SCHOOL AUTHORITIES OF THE LACK OF CONTROL EXERCISED AT THESE SEC-. TIONS. D. PLEASE NOTE THE MADRASAH HOURS: MONDAY TO THURSDAY • . . SCHOOL SECTIONS: 2.30 TO 5.00 P.M. CENTRE EXT. 5 2.30 TO 5.00 P.M. CENTRE EXT. 1 2.40 TO 5.10 P.M. .'. FRIDAYS SCHOOL SECTIONS: 2.25 TO 4.45 P.M.
CENTRES i" -!' 2.25 TO 4.45 P.M. E. STAFF MEMBERS SHOULD BE ON DUTY AT LEAST TEN MINUTES BEFORE THE COM MENCEMENT OF CLASSES. ULEMA STAFF SHOULD REPORT FOR DUTY AT 2.30 P.M: DAILY; THE TIME PRIeR TO THE COMHENCEMENT OF CLASSES SHOULD BE '- .: . FRUITFULLY utILISED ACCORDING TO THE DUTIES ALLOCATED. NOTE: ON FRIDAYS THE FIRST 15 MINUTES WILL BE UTILISED FOR ASSEMBLY, WHEREIN THE BOOK "TEACHINGS OF ISLAM" WILL BE READ, FOLLOWED BY A TALK BY ANY ONE STAFF MEMBER. 3. TRANSPORT: A. TEACHERS WHO ARE ON TRANSPORT DUTY SHotJLD-' ENSURE THAT ARRANGEMENTS ARE CARRIED OUT ACCORDING TO INSTRUCTIONS. B. PLEASE EMPHASISE THAT UNRULY BEHAVIOUR ON THE BUSSES. WILL NOT BE TOL- ERATED. c. TEACHERS WANTING TRANSPORT FROM HOME TO THEIR PLACES OF APPOINTMENTS MUST CONTACT THE VICE PRINCIPAL. 4. DRESSING: A. PLEASE ENSURE THAT CHILDREN ARE DRESSED APPROPRIATELY FOR MADRASAH.'·
TEENAGlfOR BALlGH GIRLS. . .. SHOULD BE ADVICEbTO WEAR LOOSE FITTING CLOTHES THAT CONCEAL THE CONTOURS OF THE BODY. B. TO ENCOURAGE OUR CHILDREN TO WEAR MODEST CLOTHES, MEMBERS OF THE STAFF . . SHOULD SET AN EXAMPLE. WOMEN MEMBERS OF THE STAFF SHOULD BE GARBED IN LOOSE FITTING B~LOW THE KNEE GARMENTS WITH IJAAR OR ALTERNATIVELY A CLOAK, AND THE HAIR AND ARMS SHOULD BE COVERED AT ALL TIMES. MALES SHOULD BE ATTIRED IN A KURTA, LONG TROUSERS AND A TOPEE. 5. PREPARATION OP WORK. A. SCHEMES OF WORK SHOULD BE DATED ACCORDINGLY. B. THE FORECAST SHOULD BE DRAWN UP AS EXPLAINED BY THE PRINCIPAL OR' SUPERVISORS. C. PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE SHOULD BE AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES FOR INSPEC TION BY THE PRINCIPAL OR SUPERVISORS. 6. FUNCTIONS: A. IT IS INCUMBENT ON EVERY MEMBER OF THE STAFF TO ATTEND FUNCTIONS OR B'" GANISEDATHE A.L.M. AS PART OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME. B. PLEASE NOTE THAT NON-ATTENDANCE AT THESE FUNCTIONS WILL BE VIEWED IN A SERIOUS LIGHT. 7. CLASSROOM APPEARANCE: ~. THE FIRST IMPRESSION IS ALWAYS THE LASTING ONE. JUST AS WE FIND OUR SELVES MUCH CONCERNED ABOUT OUR OWN NEATNESS, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE HOUSE WE LIVE IN AND THE CLASSROOM WE TEACH IN SHOULD AND MUST BE IN A PRESENTABLE STATE. IN FACT w~EN A VISITOR VISITS YOUR CLASS HE SHOULD LEAVE THE CLASSROOM HAVING LEARNT AN ITEM OR TWO. B. A WELL DISPLAYED CLASSROOM WITH EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL PROMOTES AN AT MOSPHERE OF LEARNING. .... "". EVERY EFFORT MUST BE MADE TO KEEP THE CLASSROOMS IN A CLEAN AND PRES ENTABLE STATE. D. FURNITURE ETC. SHOULD BE TREATED WITH RESPECT. CARVING NAMES ON FUR NITURE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED AT ALL. E. ONCE EVERY SIX MONTHS, ALL DESKS SHOULD BE SAND PAPERED AND POLISHED. F. ALL CLASSROOMS SHOULD HAVE AN EDUCATIONAL ATMOSPHERE THROUGH THE DIS PLAY OF SUITABLE CHARTS PREPARED BY THE TEACHER. G. ALL PUBLIC AREAS SHOULD BE KEPT CLEAN. H. THE SELLING OF SWEETS ETC. BY TEACHERS IN THEIR CLASSROOMS IS NOT PERMISSIBLE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. 8. FEES: A. THE A.L.M. CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT FEES. B. IT IS THE DUTY OF EVERY TEACHER TO ENSURE THAT FEES IS.PAID ESPECIAL LY IN THE HIGHER CLASSES. c. PLEASE ENSURE THAT THE REQUEST FOR THE PAYMENT OF F~ES IS D9NE AS DIPLOMATICALLY AS POSSIBLE. NO CHILD SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED IN.. FRONT OF THE CLASS. . .' D. WHERE SITUATIONS ARISE THAT ARE NOT MANAGEABLE BY THE TEACHER, THOSE MUST BE REFERRED TO THE OFFICE. THE METHOD OF COLLECTING FEES IS AS FOLLOWS; AS SOON AS PAYEMENT IS RECEIVED A RECIEPT MUST BE ISSUED IMMIEDIAT~ LY.DO ENSURE THAT THE AMOUNT RECEIVED AND THE AMOUNT RECORDED ON. THE RECIEPT IS THE SAME. DUE TO COMPUTER ENTRIES IT IS OF. UTMOST IMPORT ANCE TO RECORD THE PUPIL NUMBER ON THE RECIEPT AT ALL TIMES. THE MONIES RECEIVED MUST BE HANDED OVER TO THE FEE COLLECTER ON THE DAY SPECIFIED SY 'HIM. TOO OFTEN THE FEE COLLECTER IS TOLD THAT THE MONEY IS LEFT BEHIND AT HOME. THIS CAUSES UNPLEASANTNESS. THE FEE SCHEDULE MUST BE KEPT IN ORDER AT ALL TIMES TO BE CHEKED BY THE SUPERVISORS. COURTESY. EVERY ACT OF OUR NOBLE NABI (SAW) WAS BASED ON COURTESY AND FRIENDLI NESS. L. OUR CHILDREN SHOULD BE TAUGHT COURTESY AS A WAY OF LIFE THROUGH EXAM PLE. THIS COURTEOUS ATTITUDE SHOULD PREVAIL BOTH IN cLAss WITH THE CHILDREN AS WELL AS WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE STAFF AND WITH THE PAR- ENTS IN GENERAL. 10. EQUIPMENT AND TEACHING METHODS. A. ' NOT ENOUGH USE IS MADE OF THE CHALKBOARD'. INSPECTIONS HAVE' SHOWN THAT THERE IS SOME RELUCTANCE TO USE THE CF.ALKBOARD. THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE REMEDIED . . ' . - B. THERE IS TREMENDOUS LACK IN THE USE' OF CHARTS TO HELP CONSOLIDATE A LESSON. CHARTS HELP TO EMPHASI ZE THE SPOKEN WORD. ;. , FAR TOO MANY' MEMBERS OF THE STAFF ARE STILL "DELIVERING" LESSONS WHILE BEING COMFORTABLY SEATED. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO DELIVER ALES- . ~ : SON FROM THE COMFORTS OF ONES CHAIR. THIS MATTER IS PERPETUALLY RAISED, AND STAFF MEMBERS WHO STILL PRACTICE THIS ARE ASKED TO CHANGE THEIR HABITS. c. THERE HAVE BEEN OCCASIONS WHERE TEACHERS HAVE NOT TAKEN THE TROUBLE '. . . TO PREPARE A LESSON. THE WORST TYPE OF LESSON IS THE ONE ~~ERE THE ~ TEACHER MERELY READS OUT NOTES TO THE CHILDREN. 11. TUTORIAL CLASSES: A. THESE C~~SES ~E HELD T~, HELP OUR 'TEACHING PROGRAMME AND ARE OF BENEFIT TO THE TEACHER. " '. B. ATTENDANCE TO THESE CLASSES IS ESSENTIAL. TEACHERS"WHO ARE ABSENT . . .. ARE FROM.- .. 'CLASSES . r ., ....REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A-LEAVE FORM.' FREQUENT AND UNEX- PLAINED ABSENTEEISM' WiLL RESULT' IN THE REVIEWING OF THE TEACHERS PO- SITION ON THE MADRASAH STAFF. . .r. • ._ C. ALL BUT ALL TEACHERS;' NEW AND OLD, FROM SUB A TO CLASS FIVE ARE RE- QUIRED TO ATTEND THE TUESDAY TUTORIALS WITH PUNCTUALITY. A PROGRAMME~ ".! ~.1. . WILL BE OUTLINEhON THE FIRST TUTORIAL CLASS TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY" THE 19TH JANUARY 1993. THOSE REQUIRING TRANSPORT ON TUESDAYS SHOULD CONTACT THE VICE PRINCIPAL. 12. ISLAMIC AWARENESS. A. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE ISLA.l.1IC DATE BE WRITTEN ON THE BOARD EVERY 0" .:"; DAY AND THE CHILDREN'S ATTENTION DRAWN TO THIS, AND THAT THIS BE DONE BOTH IN ARABIC AND ENGLISH.eg.TODAY IS THE 8TH RAJAB 1413 A.H.) " . B. TH~ CHILDREN SHOULD BE TAUGHT TO WRITE THEIR FIRST NAMES AT LEAST IN ARABIC. ~ , c. EXTRA MLJRAL ACTIVITIES BE ARRANGED. IF IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO DO THIS A!TER HOURS, THEN THE CONCEPT OF DEBATES, DISCUSSIONS, SPEECH'MAKING BE INTRODUCED DURING LESSONS ESPECIALLY IN THE SENIOR SECTIONS. it3. DISCIPLINE: A. THIS IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE AS NO EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME CAN ACHIEVE ANY DEGREE OF SUCCESS WITHOUT DISCIPLINE. IN FACT ACHIEVING OF DIS CIPLINE IN OUR CLASS MUST BE PLACED BEFORE TEACHING. B. TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN DISCIPLINE IN CLASS OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING: Bi ENSURE THAT EACH AND EVERY PUPIL IS ATTENTIVE TO THE LESSON WHILE YOU ARE DELIVERING IT. Bii ENSURE THAT NO PUPIL LEAVES THE CLASSROOM WHILE THE LESSON IS BEING DELIVERED .. IF A PUPIL REQUIRES TO LEAVE THE CLASSROOM, THIS MUST BE DONE }.FTER THE LESSON WITH YOUR PERMISSION. ... Biii DO NOT ALLOW EATING IN THE CLASS AS THIS CAUSES THE MIND TO BE IN-ATTENTIVE. Biv SEAT THE PUPILS IN A MANNER WHEREBY YOU ARE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE EN TIRE CLASS AT ONCE. DO NOT RESORT TO CORPORAL PUNISHMENT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES AS THIS IS ILLEGAL AT OUR INSTITUTION. ANY TEACHER WHO RESORTS TO THIS COULD HAVE HIS/HER POSITION REVIEWED ON THE STAFF.SHOULD THERE BE A NEED FOR SUCH AN ACTION DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT THE PRINCIPAL OR SUPERVISOR CONCERNED. 14. LITTER: A. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE CLASSROOM AS WELL AS THE SURROUNDING AREA BE KEPT NEAT, CLEAN AND TIDY, AS THIS HABIT OF ORDERLINESS, IF CORRECTLY INCULCATED, GOES A LONG WAY WITH THE PUPIL. B. TO ENSURE THAT.: LITTER DRILL IS CARRIED OUT ON A REGULAR BASIS A SCHEDULE SHOULD BE DRAWN UP AND PUT INTO OPERATION. SPECIMEN: WEEK DATE CI.ASS 1 12.3 TO 16.3 3 2 19.3 TO 23.3 4&5
15. SELF PREPARATION: A. THE SUCCESS STORY OF ANY LESSON TOTALLY DEPENDS ON THE PREPAREDNESS AND CONFIDENCE OF THE TEACHER. B. A GREAT DEAL HAS BEEN DISCUSSED FROM TIME TO TIME ON THE SUBJECT OF PUNCTUALITY, REPORTING AND DISMISSAL TIMES BUT ONE ASPECT WHICH NEEDS FURTHER ATTENTION IS THE ABIDANCE TO THE "TIME TABLE". THE WORD IT SELF IS SELF-EXPLANATORY. EVERY SUBJECT AND ITS TEACHER MUST ADHERE TO THE TIMETABLE - BY MOVING ONTO THE NEXT SUBJECT OR THE NEXT CLASS WHEN THE TIME EXPIRES. BY NOT RESPECTING YOUR TIME SCHEDULE YOU ARE NOT ONLY UPSETTING YOUR PROGRAMME BUT THE PROGRAMME OF THE NEXT SUB JECT TEACHER, AS WELL. 17. LATE COMERS: A. THIS IS ONE ILLNESS THAT, PERHAPS WE WILL HAVE TO LIVE WITH. BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS CONTROL IT AND MINIMISE IT TO AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL.' B. ANY PUPIL ENTERING THE CLASS LATE MUST BE ABLE TO FURNISH A GOOD REA SON FOR DOING·soi·IF, NOT, THEN THE H.O.S. OR THE' OFFICE SHOULD BE NOTIFIED WITHOUT DELAY. c. FREQUENT LATE-COMERS MUST BE REPORTED TO THE OFFICE TIMEOUSLY. D. LATE-COMERS ARE A COMMON CAUSE FOR THE DISRUPTION OF A'· LESSON ~ WE AS TEACHERS SHOULD ALSO SET. AN EXAMPLE •. 18. CONCLUSION:
DEDICATE YOURSELF TO THE SERVICE OF ALLAH'S DEEN f WITI{~I'NCER!TY, AND
'. _.'.- " AWAIT YOUR TRUE REWARD IN THE HEREAFTER - THIS IS YOUR KEY TO SUCCESS IN BOTH THE WORLDS .
.. ~.. . THE ABOVE ISSUES HAVE BEEN RAISED IN THE SPIRIT OF HOPING TO IMPROVE THE IMPARTING OF DEENI TAALEEM. MAY ALLAH SUBHANAHu'WA:TA'ALA GUIDE US' ALONG THE CORRECT PATH .. :
ON BEHALF OF THE ASSOCIATION, WE TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY~OF 'THANKING YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS IN THE CAUSE. OF ISLAM.
SHOULD YOU WISH TO DISCUS~.ANY OF THE ABOVE MATTERS OR FURTHER ISSUES .. -. RELATING TO MADRASAH MATTERS YOU MAY CONTACT THE PRINCIPAL DURING THE OFFICE HOURS AT ANY OF THE FOLLOWING TELEPHONE NUMBERS. 854-3082'OR 854-2486•.- .
SHUKRAN. WAS SALAAM
OF LENASIA MADAARIS. SYLLABUS:
A.L.M i .',"\i" It(.·JYLLA8US A7 A GtAIOCE T TITT {{ft' ISS QURAAN TA]WEEV 1I1FZ ORAt' VEENIYAAT IIISTORY ARAB1~ AKHLAQI HAVEETH PRACTI VEENIYMT TAFSEER AQAA'lO CAts Info~~-l-;~~- \ The entire al-l , 5"-Su;~hs --r-15 Ouas Wi16 Factors on 'f 3 Prop-h~ts 5 Quranic_... _-,Ver1 -_.6 Topics!...... -- .. -r-··-·-----la. Wudhu phabet wi th rect pronoun- and meanings meanings Tauheed Istin- and 2 Ahadeeth I and Akh 1aq lb. Toil et.& . ONE j Fa tha , Ka sra • dation of al , of 2 Surahs I Je , Cleanl ines Nabi (SAW) 2 Nazam . II eating Oamah Sukoon phabet I Pillars of Islamic Month . .abits. s1eep I Islam. I Ilnq/Qreet1nQS From Tanween 4 RUli~ of ; 4 Su~ahs and i 12 D~as wit l' a; M·t of faitp 3 Prop~ets Lughatul-Islam 10 Topics ~oilet habits TWO Tashdeed upto Tajweed. ; meanmq of meamnqs , b. I Revision of I Application I Surah Intro from N.B. For Hadee th 1 girls only EIGHT Ifirst 10 Juz of all rules I Yaseen upto No.3Q Alhadiyato of Holy Qur. I I only. I . ~6£~ ~5ge 1 N.B. For L.OI,.'VII I Surah Mulk. girls only NINE IAlhadiyato from page 25 ...... _ ...... lupto 35. hrort I'" v. I u'""r~g1 ,---s only Alhadiyato ~catlon or Surah page 1 upto 44 1[t' -ules Waaqiah ~'£';~l "·'·-:---~'-"C"·""-·""';t <..~,,_.,~ t "') 5S QURAAN TA.!WEEV HIFZ ORAL VEENIYAAT HISTORY ARABIC AKHLAQ/ HAVEETH PRACTl VEENIYMT TAFSEER AQAA'IV CALS Info;~i ~ Pro;h~ts' Qura~-i~ ver1r-6-To~i~~"--"-r'-'- The entire al- co;-I ,,,-,5 Surahs.- i 15 Duas Wi16 Factors on 3 , 5 .- Wudhu phabet with rect pronoun-J and meanings meanings ,Tauheed Istin- and 2 Ahadeeth and Akhlaq I b. Toilet.& ' ONE J Fatha, Kasra, ciation of al , of 2 Surahs ja, Cleanl ines Nabi (SAW) 2 Nazam I eating : Damah Sukoon phabet Pillars of Islamic Month ~ I ab i ts , sleep I Islam. Ii nc/nreeti nqs I from Tanween 4 Rules of I 4 Surahs and; 12 Ouas wit1 a, ,Art of fait~ 3 Prophets ,Lughatul-ISlam 10 Topics O il et habi ts TWO Tashdeed upto Tajweed. I meaning of meanings. b. Q"ual of Alllh~nd Nabi (SA B/l Lesson 1 Akhlaq udhu, Salaat- . waqf and fi na1 2 Surahs. C. Wudhu 1n some de- . 1 Magrieb. ly Quranic ~ d. Salaah tail. to Lesson 4 ~ Rpr; tiltion First and 2nd 4 Rules of j 4 Surahs and 8 Duas wit~ 4 Attri. of From evil ILughatul-Islam 5 Attri. of Istinja Wudhu THREE Juz of the tajweed, 4 A1 meaning of 2 meanings I Allah, l st in.ia ways, birth B/l L 5 Allah. Fajr and Asr Holy Quraan phabets of ap 2 Surahs Compl. Wudhu of Rasool up- esson 5 topics of Salaah. plio of rulesj 'I' c:ondi. of sa- to Hijrah in Ito Lesson 8 Akhlaq 'laah P. timpc, nnint ferm From 3rd upto 4 Rules of 4 Surahs and 9 Duas with 15 Pillars in ~ From Hijrah LughCltul-Islam 11 Topics Wudhu, Ghusa\ FOUR 6th Juz of tajweed in meaning of meanings detail,tayamu upto demise. 8/1 Lesson 9 on Akhlaq. Zuhr/Esha Holy Quraan. detai 1. 2 Surahs ghusal & sala Salaah ah. Si)l comp to lesson 14 I , ! i _--L 1 _._ I I I ! From Juz 7 up 8 Rules of 4 Surahs and II Duas with I From types of From Jahili ahLUghatul-Islam!16 Topics on Azaan 5 daily to 18. tajweed. eer. meaning of 2 meanings. najasat upto upto Hijrah BI1 Lesson 15 Akhlaq. salaahs. FIVE Sijdah, Tila rules of Surahs Zabah, Til ara in detail. to Lesson 20 wat. Tayammum WaQf. complete. From Juz 19 Rules of Raa Death/burial From arrival Lughatul-Islam Sa1aah Jumah 4 Surahs and 12 Duas with I A11 aspects ofI. Md' Mudood Waqf. upto 30. meaning of 2 meanings. Salaah upto in e ma B/2 lesson 1 Eidain Salaa SIX Aqeeqah. Rules tul , Janazah Complete. to Lesson 4 Ghus, MayY,KafF Surahs. for women. i Rev. of the Mudood and II.Surahs and 11 Duas and Saum, Zakaat, Khulafe-Rashi-ILUghatul-Islam SaJatul Juma I i i & Eidain with SEVEN entire Quraan 1 I J.,'"P' .a D J? I,.. r- r- 1"\ '" t:. stopping sign$ and complete me, lOi ngs salatul Jana twice compo tajweed! Revision. za, I) Salah I I detaiLl Kha 1if) Ito lesson 9 lahllC: m.:lv ((.:Ii' Appl ication Surah I 59 Duas and II' Revision of I EIGHT first 10 Juz of all rules Yaseen Imeanings Iof Holy Qur. only. I IRevision of I c:.llr'ah Mulk. I 72 Duas and NINE I 2nd 10 Juz of Imeanings. i Holy Quraan. I I 1 Revision of I. I "t.; • l. : ., "" ,,~! ("t1 ...... h : Comnlpte 80 ..lE1\'.·,. ·BOOKS·· ·USED " ·IN· . ·EACH ', ·CLASS· ··PER .. '~~~ECT CLASS QUR'AAN TAJWEED HIFZ ORAL'" DEENIYAAT HISTORY ARABIC AQA'ID URDU ------:------,,--- .._--- DEENIYAAT .. TAFSEER AKHLAQ. HADEETH,-'-----._ I";~z '~nmah Child~~-~n~r Arabi:~-;~p~r:~-Not:fl-Urdu-;;:biC Towards Duas in the Child's -- I ------.- Reading ONE I 1ife of a intra to to Is 1am Urdu Class for teachers \ Class 1 and Qur. Part 1 I Musl im Islam Pt. 1 Part 1 \ 1 and 2 2 Towards Read I Duas in thel Child's Child's intrr' Arabic- I' i Arabic- ing Quraan ! Juz . Prepared note~ TWO i life of a I tntro to to Islam Urdu Class I urdu Part Two Asrrnah I Muslim. Islam Pt. 2 Part 2 I 1 and 2 I for teachers I Class 1 & 2 Quraan Simplified Duas in the , Our Beloved I Lughatul Prepa red note TIlREE Juz life of a Deenlyaat Nabi (SAW) I 5 Juz Rules of Islam Ammah Muslim. 3 &4 Class 3 &4 I for teachers Tajweed Book 1 Ouas in the Quraan Simpl ified Deeniyaat Our Beloved Lughatul I Prepared notel FOUR Juz rules of 30 Juz life of a Nabi (SAW) Islam Anmah 3 & 4 for teachers 1 Tajweed Musl tm, Class 3 &4 Beok 2 Prepa red Simpl ified Juz Duas in the Oeeniyaat Seeratun Lughatul FIVE Quraan notes for life of a class Nabi Islam 30 Juz rules of Ammah teachers Tajweed Muslim. 5 Book 1 Book 1 Seeratun Quraan Simpl ified Duas in the Deeniyaat Lughatul Prepa red Juz SIX 1ife of a class Nabi Islam no tcs for 30 Juz rules of Tajweed Anvnah Mus lim. 6 Book 2 Book 2 I teachers. Quraan Simplified J Duas in the Deeniyaat Khulafa-e- Lughatul- i I I I Prepared ,SEVEN 30 rules of I uz life of a I 0 hi d Islam I cl ass I'as 1 een notes for I Juz ' tajweed I Anrnah Musl im 7 .. Book 2 teachers I • Duas in the Kitabut- MuhaMmad (SA\~j Notes on ' Surah I f' Taharah I 100 I Aqa 'id Al hadiyyatu i EIGHT Quraan I I life of • Kitabul: The final 11 Surahs I 30 Juz I Vaseen \ Muslim Salaah I messenger. ILughatul-rslam Book Ahaadeeth Linnisa I hv Or ~h~n Book 2 M' h d ( \100 Ahaadeeth II II I a~a SAW1 : Alhadiyyatu I NINE I Quraan I i I Duas in the Notes on I u Notes on Aqa 'id by I I I I Surah . , The f i nal I maam Linnisa I. I' l tf'e of a Nikah and 6 urahs Book 2 N.awa~/l i ': . S I i" : 30 Juz 'Mulk \ Muslim. Talaaq ! ~~s6;~g&han !Lug/Islam Bk 2~ ~ :I Ii Quraan I;! Surah !I Duas in the Notes onI The Glorious Notes onI' I'a. Ana'ir! Bk 3 !100 Ahaadeeth ~ Alhadiyyatu TEN I 30 Juz I i Waaqi 'ah I 1ife of a 1. Economics, Khilafat by 6 Surahs b. T.:q)eed t. : by Imaam Linni . ? .1,,-,;,.;"1 I... .., ... ,.Illlnllc:;lilm thp 4 lmaams ,NilWilWi '_it ...... ~_ (,.i p DISTRIBUTION OF WORK OVER FOUR TERMS.~ CLASS ONE. ------J.l.t..~ NO. SUBJECTS FIRST TERM SECOND TERM TIIIRV TERM FOURTH TERM I - I. QURMN The alphabet with Fatha The alphabet with Fatha and The alphabet with Kasrah and Intro to tanween Kasrah. Ohammah on sukoon. Revision. Lesson 1 to 9 Lesson 10 to 26 Lesson 27 to 37 Lesson 38 to 40. 2. HIFZ a. Surah Fa t iha a. Suratul Ikhlaas with mean. a. Suratul Kauthar a. Suratul Asr. b. Consolidation. I b. Meaning of Surah Fatiha I b. Consolidation b. Suratul Naas c. Revision. I a. Ta'awwuz Meaning a. Kalimah shahada/meaning 1. Kalimah tamjeed/meaning sneezing/reply dua - mean 3. ORAL DEENIYAA b. Tasmiya, salaam/reply b. sleeping/awakening meaning 2. Toilet duas meaning c. Kalimah tayibag/meaning c. Oua on thanking/meaning 3. Oua after Yawning consolidation/revision 1I d. Eating dua/meaning d. Oua before wudhu . - TAI·/HEED a. The oneness of Allah Allah Ta'ala is all seeing Allah Ta'ala is all loving Consolidation / revision Allah Ta'ala is all knowing/ Allah Ta'ala is all hearing Five pillars of Islam 4. I TAHARAH I OEENIYMT Istinja Istinja cleanliness of body Cleanliness of clothes &home Saayidina Adam (AS) Nabi Nooh (AS) Nabi Yusuf (AS) The gateway of Revision 5. HISTORY Islam. Nabi Yusuf (AS) Nabi Muhammad (SAW) Conso1idat ion - I Truthful ness Love, Kindness Respect Revision 6. AKHLAQ Honesty Shari n9 Obedience Consoliation -, i 7. ARABIC ,I 8. PRACTICALS Wudhu Wudhu Eating habits Greeting habits Toilet habits Sleeping habits Revision/consoldiation - . ' .. .. . ~ - , I, .~ tL/ fit " 1 'f•• DISTRIBUTION OF WORK' OVER FOUR TERMS CLASS TWO " .. ' '... -' SUBJECTS FIRST TERM SECOND TERM I THIRD TERM FOURTH TERM Revision I a. Tanween a. open letters a. Huroof MUQati-aat 1 QURAAN • i Juz b. Tashdeed Long Kasrah .b. Inverted b. WaQf Quranic recitation Proper c. Open letters Al if. Ohanmah-e-Madd c.Madd c. lesson 19 to 24 long fatha. Intrn to Baoarah , \ a. Revision all pre. work a. Surah Quraish a. Rev. of previous work a. Revision 2 HIFZ b. Surah Al Feel b. Surah Nasr. d. Revision b. Suratul Lahab b. Consolidation c. Meaning of Suratul Asr c. Meaninq of Surah Kauthar A. Klm. T/heed meaning a. Kalimah Radde Kufr I a. Imaane Mujmal/meaning B. When congrat. C. before b. When loss occurs : b. Imaane MUfasal/meaning a. Revision ORAL anything D. Thana/Mean c. Good news Azaan with meaning b. Consolidation 3. DEENIYAAT I c. E. After Wudhu d. Tas bihat of salaah I a. Art. of faith b. Angels i a. Allahs Mess. b. Day of ~ a. The provider b. The pro c. Books d. Toilet Habit1 jidg. c. Qual. of Alla c. The living d. Posture a. Revision 4 DEENIYAAT e. Cleanliness at home .d. Cleanliness at Madressah! of Sa1. Names × b. Consolidation TAUHEED Wudhu method. When of salaah. f. Eating Habits e. wudhu breaks. I a. Ibrahim A.S. Lesson 1 Moosa A.S. lesson 4 Birth of Rasoo1 (SAW) a. Revision a. 5 HISTORY I b. Ibrahim A.S. Lesson 2 Isa A.S. Lesson 5 b. Stay in Makkah b. Consolidation I r: Monc;a A.S .I pc:c:nn 1 Tc:.l A ~ I PC:<:nn 6 : c. Stav in Madina Dem;c;p ! a. Duties of a Muslim a. Promises I a. Care for orphans a. Honesty 6 AKHLAQ b. Helpfullness b. Forgiveness . b. Respect for Elders I b. Revision c. Story on above j c. Moral story on above I c. Work with hands no shame c. Conso1 idation i ~ Lesson One with Arabic Lesson two with Arabic Lesson t~ree and I four with Arab it 7 ARABIC Writing Writting Revision and Writting. I Consol tda t ion, I I I I - .s a. Method of visiting the a. Method of Wudhu ; a. 3 rakaats Fard of a. Revision toilet. ~lagrib salaah b. Consolidation I ! b. Method of wudhu I b. 3 rakaats fard of Magrib. b. Z rakaats sunnat Of Magri I I ...._-\ : I .~_._--'~__~"_ ~~_'.__ _~'..~_ ~~_" ,. _• .,~ .•,~~.. = ..__ ...... __'...... '-"...."" ....-..d VIS IRI UU 'I~'..? OF _WORK OVER FOUR TERMS ( CU\S~r'·:_T_H_R_E_E _ ...... -l,o:-. '!.i' . " . . . , , . '. " SUBJECTS FIRST TERM I I SECOND TERM I THIRD TERI1 FOURTH TERM I a. ~~~iR!9?·Of"'JuZ Awwa1 a. 2nd ha1f of juz Awwa 1, a. a. ?nd Juz 3rd Juz . 1 QURAAN b. Huroofe Tafheem-ru1e., b. The rule of Izhaar Ib. Mutaharrik/Saakin b. Madd-Muttasi1/Munfasil TAJWEEO c. Huroofe Tarqeeq c. Open and close letters Tanween application only Application only d. The rule of Ghunnah App1icatio~ only Ic. e. Ikhfa. I a. Revision Fateha/I~hlaas a. Revision of Previous work a. Revision of previous wor~ a. Rev. of all previous :Kauthar/Naas/L&hab 2 HIFZ work. b. Surah Fa laq b. Suratu1 Kaafiroon b. Aaya tu1 Ku rs i b. Consolidation c. Meaning of Nasr c. Su ra tu1 Maoon Ie. Mean. of surah Lahab Fajr azran. Revision la. Rev i s ion of previ ous work t. Rev. of previous work a. Rev. 0 previous work ORAL Tashahhud: dua after azaa . Durood e Ebrahim b. meaning of tashahud. J DEENIYAAT lb. " C. Dua while making wudhu C. Dua mathoorah C. Dua after drinking milk Dua after sa1aah I meaning la. Istinja/forbldden acts !a. Faraaidh of Wudhu Makroohaat In Wudhu I Ia. regarding toilet. Terms in Salaah DEENIYAAT lb. Sunan of Wudhu b. Nawaaqis of Wudhu 4 b. Wudhu in detail Ie. Mustahabbat C. When wudhu is necessary Revision and I d. Salaah condo times forbic. consolidation ! la. Evil ways b. B/o/Rasulla. Warqah bin Naufal a. Attempts to bring M. 'back C. Childhood d. Journey to b. 1st Mus. C. Early Musl im b. Boycott C. Year of Revision 5 HISTORY Syria d. Open call/Religion sorrow. d. Journey to e. Meaning e. Threat/cru/bri/Hlj abba Taif. e. Mera~ Consolidation f. In the cave If. P1 ed./p/to/ki 1 Rasul I I Respect of Holy Quraan la. Good Neighbour I a. No personal revenge Revision 6 AKHLAQ & TAUHEED I Tauheed/the Just lb. Knower of the Unseen : b. The all Powerful/forgivin and I C. The obedient Pupil ~ c. Truth at every cost I Consolidation : Revision , Revision t to 4 I Revision 3 to 6 Revision 4 to 7 , 7 ARABIC I a. Lesson 5 I A. lesson 7 A. Lesson 8 and ! I Consolidation b. Lesson 6 I, ! I Istinja Wudhu Fa j r Salaah Asr Sa1aah 8 PRACTICALS Complete Complete : Complete Complete ,: , I I - 1i,'-41 t~;::! DISTRIBUTION OF WORK OVER FOUR TERMS (CLASS FOUR ) .~ I I I : .. ", -,- SUBJECTS FIRST TERM SECOND TERM THIRD TERM FOURTH TERM QURMN 3 to 4!Juz of the Quraan 14~ to 6 Juz of the Quraan ~ to 7; Juz of the Quraan '7~ to 9Juz of the Quraan 1. The rule of Laam of Allah t. The comp1e~ TAJWEED rule of Izhar The rule of Idgham Revision of Tajweed 2. The rule of Raa complete and consolidation a. Rev. of all previous work I a. Rev. of all previous work a. Rev. of all prevo work Revision 2 HIFZ b. Surah Humazah b. Surah Takathur b. Surah Zilzaal l-r~ and c. Meaning of Quraish I c. Surah Qariah c. Meaning of ~~) Consolidation a. Rev. of all previous work I a. Rev. of all previous wor~ a. Rev. of all prevo work 1 a. Morning Evening DU0 upto Oua after Salaam upto page 14. Reply to II upto page 17. Expressin Azaan and lqaamah love. Reply Revision and 3 ORAL DEENIYAAT b. Oua-e-Qunoot c. Iqaama I b. Dua for ea~'ing el.c;~~f3r. Consolidation Oua for f'ast tno lb. On seeina naw mnnn c. Duas enterlnqri~ll~ Mno:.i. Islam - Muslim - Rasulullah ia. Faraidh of Salaah b. GhU1' a. The tayammum complete OJ, a. 2nd term The first pillar of Islam 'II compl. c. Salaah chart' b. A few sunan of Sa1aah b. Factors that break S 4 DEENIYAAT a. Cl. 3 work relating wudhu d. Definition e. Waajibaat c. 4th-5th Pillars of Salaah b. Conditions of Salaah f. Imaan Mumio Quraan C. Revision Tauheed c. Times of Salaah ' 19. 2nd -3rd Pillars of Islam Islam. d. Consolidation theory IFrom the pledge of Aqabah the l From "Exnu1sion of Jews" From "the first Haj" Revision and Consoli- HISTORY 5 battle of Uhad and Mischief upto upto elation. of Ouraish. Deputation Lesson 21 Death and Burial Lesson 26 Revision Lesson t to 8 Revision 5 to 9 Revision 8 to 11 Revision ARABIC 6 a. Lesson 9 ! a. Lesson 10 ~ a. Lesson 12 and b. Lesson t t : b. lesson 13 Conso1 idation I ------'------ 7 ------:------r------a. Dressing clothes I a. Success a. Kindness to animals a. A model neighbour I 8 AI Detail method of performing Detail method of perform- ! Zuhr salaah Esha salaah 9 PRACTICAL I wudhu. ;",.. rh,t r '" ~J DISTRIBUTION 'OF WORK OVER FOUR TERMS ( CLAfPi' Fl VE . SUBJECTS FIRST TERM . 'SECOND '. TERM - I THIRD TERM . FOURTH TERM Juz 9 to 111 (3 Juz) Juz 11~ to 14 (3Juz) Juz 14 to 17 ~ (3 Juz) Juz 1n to 19 QURAAN " 1 a. Definitions The three rule of Meem The rule of Qalqalah (3 Juz) TAJWEED b. The 4 rule of noon sakin Saakin Certain basic rules of Waqf Revision and . Tanween Consolidation a. Rev. of all prevo work a. Rev. of all prevo work a. Rev. of all prevo work a. Revision b. Surah A<1diyaat b. Meaning of Falaq b. Baqarah closi nq , b. Consolidation 2 HIFZ c. Surah Qadr c. Surah Baqarah opening ve~ c. Meaning Surah Kaafiroon I Revision Revision I Revision Revision.when ent I ORAL a. Thana Salatul Janazah a. Seei"g evil~ 1a. Dua whe" board'"g a veh' ering Qabrastaan. 3 DEENIYAAT b. Dua -e-janazah b. seein~ sOm#.one smiling. b. Dua after drinking water a. Oua when visiting the ill I c. Dua-e-janazah girl/boy c. dua w~n.Jooking .:.. [lllrro, (' ntl~ whpn wp~ ...;nn h Qpv "r.nn<:.nlirliltif)n , I a. Najasat and its types la. Wudhu complete a. Masah on khuffain a. Some major sins 4 DEENIYMT b. Types of wa ter lb. Ghusal complete b. Natural acts of cleanlin b. use of gold/silver etc c. Istinja complete Jc. Tayammum complete . c. Halaal Haraam foods c • Revision d. Met. of cleansing najasa d. Zabah d. Consolidation I a. From Jahil'ya/b'rth Rasuj a. From early muslims a. Hijrat to Abyssina a. Revision and 5 HISTORY b. upto Warqah bin Naufal b. Upto Hazrat Umar RA upto Hijrat to Madina Consolidation acceptance of Islam i Revision Lesson 8 to 14 New Lesson 12 to 16 I Revision 16 to 18 Revision I Lesson 19 and 6 ARABIC a. Lesson 15 I a. Lesson 17 ; a. b. Lesson 16 ,: b. Lesson 18 . : b. Lesson 20 Consolidation ; I : Azaan and Iqamah - Fajr I Zuhr Salaah i Magrib salaah complete Sajdah Tilawah and 7 PRACTICALS I Azaan I complete Asr Salaah i Esha Salaah complete Tayammum i i a. Respect of Holy Quraan a. Backbiting : a. Teasing a. Good habltS I 8 b. Some major sins b. Slander i b. Neighbour and Sharing b. Punctual i ty MORAL &MOAB c. Obedience c. Greed : c. Honesty c. Respect for property d. Wastefullness d. Forgiveness ; d. Importance of salaah d. Dressing e. Good manners I I j I ".1:# ~... DISTRIBUTION OF WORK OVER FOUR TERMS (CLASS SIX -. .. '. I SUBJECTS FIRST TERM SECOND TERM ! THIRD TERM FOURTH TERM 1 QURAAN 22~ Juz 20 to Juz 27~ to 25 Juz 25 to 27~ Juz 27~ to 30 TAJWEED a. Revision of all previous a. Madde Muttasi1/Munfasi1 a. Revision Revision and 2 b. Complete rule of Raa b. Rules of Waqf Complete b. Muqat'aat Consolidation I a. Rev. of all prevo work I a. Revision I a. i Revision a. Meaning of Surah 3 HIFZ Ma'oon. b. Surah A1-A1aq b. Surah Inshirah b. Bayyinah I C. Surah Duha ! I b. Rev. c. Consolida i .I a. Rev. of all prevo work I a. Due when matters in one~ .•• Qurbani Dua a. Dua looking mirror 4 ORAL . b. Dua before going to bed. I b. Dua when a dog barks. b. Isaale sawaab b. Revision DEENIYAAT C. When ent./1eaving home . c~ Dua ~hen fire breaks au • d. Aqeeqah I a. Zanah Dua . . c. Dua after drinking milk C. Consolidation a. Death and Burial a. Sa1aah introduction I a. All nafl sa1aah a. Some rules concern 5 DEENIYAAT b. complete b. Definition up to factors lb. Qurbani women that break sa1aah ! C. Aqeeqah b. Revision C. Consolid i : I a. Revision a. From the first expulsion a. From the battle of Mouta a. Revision 6 I HISTORY b.' From arrival in Madina ! of Jews upto Umrah upto Dua made at Taa'if b. Consolidation I , uoto the battle of Uhad : Revision Less. 15 to 20! Revision Less. 18/19/20 (81) Revision 1 to 3 Revision ARABIC 7 a. Lesson 1 i Less. 1 (B2) a. Lesson 4 and i Consolidation I (book 2) ~ a. Less. 2 b. Less 3 8 a. Saiaatu1 Janazah a. Sa1atul Jumah Khutab ; a. Salatul Eidain Khutab_. a. Ghusal mayyit PRACTICALS -- b. Kafan I ; i I DISTRIBI~:;JUN OF WORK OVER FOUR TERr~s ( CLA~{;ti> SEVEN ) . J~z QURAAN From Juz 1 upto 15 From Juz 16 upto 30 Juz From Juz 1 upto 15 Juz From 16 upto 30Juz Revision Revision Revision Revision REVISION. REVISION a.' Revision all prevo work Madd leen and Madd 2 TAJWEED Rev/Consolidation b. Tyoes of Madd laazims RULES OF: ...... :..a.:; - 11 - ( .. c:::L:A..:;L...... ~ I App l tce t ion of all rule Lessons 14, 15 and 16 I la. Rev. of all prev , work a. Rev. of all surahs ! a. Rev. of Aayatul kursi Meaning of surah Naa . 3 HIFZ f ; total 2 rukus lb. .Yaseen (1 Ruku) Yaseen Ib. Rev. opening/closing and Humazah. I verses of BaQarah Rev/Consu1idatinn Rev. of all previous work IRev. of all previous work IRev. of all previous work a. Dua when return ORAL a. Dua Istikharah I a., Model Duas Ia. Dua at sunset ning from journey 4 I DEENIYAAT I'b. Leaving a meeting. . Rev/consolidation I • b. When seeing ,} person dUO c BilL f.1rp~_ d. At t tme 1m I I ,I 'I Saum - From types of fast From laylatul Qadr and I Zakaah - continue. I 5 DEENIYAAT : Haj - The 5 days of upto I'tikaaf Zakaah upto whom zakaah ! schedule of Zakaah. Haj in- Haj upto acts prohibi ! I may be glven . tro. uoto Prenarat.inns wi t"hnllt" Thr.1.>m ROll/r HazratAbu Bak r (RA) Hazrat Umar (RA) Hazrat Uthman (RA) HISTORY I I Hazrat Al i .'\RA) 6 I From early life upto attach~ From the persian empire upto From early life upto wives From assasination of I I ment to Rasulu11ah (SAW) : children and habits. Hazrat Hazrat Ali (RA) to Sa I all aspect of achievement Rev/cnncnl;~'+;nn I Ali int"rn Moot" nf Judop h.>h, 1 ~. Revision Lesson 5 a. Revision 5 to 7 7 I ARABIC to Revision lesson to 4 ~. Lesson 6 and 7 b. lesson 8 and 9 and consolidation • Lesson 5 I 8 I PRACTICALS I Daily Five Sa1aah Jumah and Eid Salaah Salaatu1 Janaazah Ghusa1 Mayyit kafn Including ~_hutabs. and Burial SYLLABUS: J.U.T , . 4' I, l' '~'.' \ ~ \ .; :j":~:",_( ..,~!;\'7-"'i": >'I!~~i)"~ilj~") ,;:. "l;ij'lJ:·~~'.l': ~,.., . :·":~.~'i\llt";.'~· " " Urdu, History,Hifz and Writing h a v e been .,~ \:?:t)'-: M\;;-:-, 1~ ~. ,,\~~ evenly spread over the period so that no un ...... ?~~~t ~.,...~ warranted pressure be exerted on the already tired minds of the pupil. A schedule showing the quarterly distribution of education,which will regulate the amount of daily tution, has also been drawn up. This is accompanied by a time table which shows the sequence of the daily lessons. The need of an Islamic Educational Syllabus for the Madaaris of the Transvaal If this course be properly imple has Alhamdulillah been filled by the programme mented, Insha Allah at the end of the seventh set out by the Jamiatul Ulama of Transvaal. year, the child at the age of 12-13, should That the syllabus has been successful ~ shown know the recitation of the Qur'aan Majeed by the large number of Madrasahs that have quite fluently with Tajweed. The child should co-operated and implemented the syllabus and also know the essential masaa'il of Tahaarat have Alhamdulillah shown extremely goo d (cleanliness), all types of Salaat (Namaaz), results. Sowm (Rozah), Zakaat, Haj and should also be able to perform these Ibadaat. He should also This present reprint of the syllabus have basic knowI edg e of Islamic History. is the sa~e one originally prepared in 1964. It was revised in 1965 and now some minor ad Regular inspections of tile Madaaris justments have been made in consultation with by the Jamiatul Ulama will Inslla Allah be be the staffs of various Madrasahs and people neficial and assist in producing good results. who are keenly interested in the education of the Muslim children. Any constructive and practical su ggestions are welcome, and should be addre This syllabus is drawn up on an ave ssed to the Secretary of the Talimi Board. rage 145 minutes daily session, six times a weck,which equals to 541 hours and 1,0 minutes JMllATUL ULAMA TRANSVAAL, in a 220 day Madrasah year. excluding all P. O. BCX I, JOHANNESBURG. school and religious holidays. The seven sub Scpternber,1967. jects, namely, Qur1aan Diniyaat, Arabic, Jumaad Ath Thani,1387. ------.- ...._----_. --- J'~'-~ii-m"'m"lil""i!'''i,,,~,,,,~,,u='':;~'i'''''~'''=''~lii''~'';''';''-;';""~"';".~ ~.~"'~''''~'';''-;;~~''';.''';''; ~.;.: ~~~I"~~=;.;:;.:;M;.=;:;.:;:;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;~;;E~S:CDmlI::m1l •...>44.,'t. I"'t'nw·X&{iv...."...r"'+;:.....-fj'.tETWe"P'S7&D N:::!t:.W;tJAll.., .."¥'ahis'fWW,,,,-,.' tP;:;P;A:Xi\J-." '...... f¢le*(~4O!!!!!'hf!m"b'~v: ii' 2»446'&'.. ••_ _ ..;.-:..=.:_:MSez::_~';..;...... 'l~.Y~~_ ~a!!--.MfifFF AWV.' '!"*'*6'" MMS4'¥'P4'd4&AiSi NOTES FOR USTAAZ * Progress depends on the education of.mankind. The * Asses capabilities of children and form groups object of education is (.·:·.t~f.,.:·\·:.~.~i\k) that man then base a programme of their education. learns what hp knows not. * Children should be taught in a manner that will * The childs capability to become a good Huslim develop in them the ability to learn and to un should be cultivated by correct education iI Il d derstand. proper upbringing. * Pupils in Class I should first be taught to read it The parents and guardians have entrusted the the word ALLAH (:U"J!) • child to you for his Islamic education, therefore recognise and shoulder your responsibility with sincerety. * Prefer to teach in Urdu and Gujrati because of the great number of Arabic words of the Qur'aan and Hadith that aru cornman to these three lang * A fundamental factor in education is love for the uages. Other languages may however be freely eh ild by his tutor. Understand ycu r pup i I .md used where tllese will satisfactorily convey mea employ such methods as are best in obtaining co nings. operation from the child. Very important too is to keep the childs mind at rest and to a:;:;i-'!.: him to adapt himself to the environment of the mad '" In teaching Arabic preference should be given to rassah. material from the Qur'aan and Hadith over matter [rom story books. Keep the class room ncu t and clean and where russ * l)i~;courage illie decorate with educational charts. students Lrom reading literature that '" may corrupt their minds and morals. it A constant check must be kept on the cleanliness Classes 4, 5, 6 & 7 should be directed to study of the children and their Qur'aans, k i Ljdl,s and '" the English translation of Talimul Islam - parts books. I, 2, 3 & 4 respectively. ~_~~L:::>~,.:)W.0~~~~~.)_~ ,----=-======::::;r=====;::i== r::.-~-:JI1 rTZ1}'t··z'*e'r~··-'t"" ,."""'",,,, .. ,,,,., ..,,,.,,,,,,,,,,,,,.,..,,,,...... '1'... ,\ ~l...> .,h---:.~ , .., I ..:.WI, ...... y ..-I .J"I, c!I .,., ~ 1 6 J,I -...-.. ..:.w;c:'''''~~ "'4J ..:.,l...-b .; ..,.. L:-.:. 0»- "1 • t.- ""-"-' v'''''''[; ...... i~U 7 History Lessons. J,I ___ Urdu Khuskhati Three Kalimahs. 1 P".t nnn rv 1\ Stories from Oihl:! . T.,h""r,,' p I ~ L _ _ v nil,'" '.., 'Teachings of Islam' . Part One ~"...... , ..,J ~ vt-.I • d--! 0 ..:.L..J I, ...... ,l...> \0 .;,..",1 ...... U IS s..,I i~U .,...r", ~ ";,-0, V<~ v'''''''[; ...... J,I '"--- ~.c- l • ..:.w~ ~ rh-: 2 7 ..i--r.l. .w. J c::.,..L....; .\ S' t rl>-: r'" ...... Five Kalimahs. J"" 2 Urdu Khushkhati Iman Mujmal and 15 History Lessons. Practical Wudhu Urdu ka Ka'idah Part One Mufassal. One Aavat, Stories from Arabic Nazm .... nf I.I~~ ' Primary Complete Urdu Nazrn Yassarnal Our'aan v .." v ...... ,.~ rart J wo ~ ..; JL..;.:...a.f, J" TI .;.-....:.,.... J",' J.,.JJI i_ ; I ..:.L..J' J ...... ,w 10 .~. ~ v<~ ~ 'w .,...r." J,I -.l, i ...... U l! J-,)I vi,..; '>-~J ..,.WI iott- l...> ~ ~'L.. 1 8 ""w; c::.,..L....; .. 'U.J. ~J,J.J C,J Lo.. t:- ...... v-' P-' i..>...£U IS J-',' rl>-: J ..,I Practical Namaaz. Our'aan: 3 Urdu Khuskhati From Suratul Feel. 15 History Lessons. Part Two. Thana, Tashabhud, Urdu ka Ka'idah Arabic Nazm Three Juz with Revision of al/ Surahs Stories from O"ih, 1 " J!;J;JI i'J- ; I ..:.L....J IJ ...... ,w T· >l.-t ; L...; .; lL4 """ l..;J ..; J.- ...... :t-' r>L.-)" ~ ~jl J:...... 10 - ..,.t:...J1 i'J- L..; ..:.W ~ c: OJ L-.; ..,A.tl.> ..:-..oUI J vUI r:- ~11'r-"""! v'".J 2 9 ~rJ"JJJI ~jlt'..:...... l..1 10 '( t'Lo.. t:- oll wI From Surah Zilzaal. 30 History Lessons. Azaan, Duaa after 4 Stories from Azaan. lqarnah. Talimul Islam 15 Arabic sentences & Our'aan, 11 Juz Daily Lesson Revision of al/ Surahs .~ P"rt nnp s, T. '1 r:; A /I •• _ ,/1A v' .~,iI :J uallY rxamaaz. translation Tajweed ..,..CJI w ..,..-JI i_ jl VO-:J<::"L....a ;;~. r--"f \JI.~' ~ .:... l..;J J< r"--'- ~ ..; J")' 10 ..;.>- ...... J.---:.. t.rJ, --r.. 1 C:OJL...;~ 3 ..:.w; ..,olL...... ; ...... "Ljl.;.jl.; [,..,-' ~ .;.. .. JJ' .:JI.,...JJI ;:W-L. r"--'- • r-:,...J v I".J From Surah Ad Dhoha Hamare Nabi. Practical Jum'ah. Eid. 5 Urdu ki Pehli. Daily Lesson One Ruku Qiraa'at Stories from Tayammum. Janaazah. Miftahul Our'aan Our'aan (Complete) I", ' f'I, 'T, n .., •••._ _ u ...... , u ...... u_ ":10 v '.'0' IUUda aner l'Jamaaz. u, \ ..t; • I ajweed "-'~ ~ .JJI ~,.-!<",I 1;..... ~ ..,..r J- ....L..JI i_ ;1 \TA_" w L- ..; ,;;--I." 4 11 ....:.:--. l..:l.-..I ~ ..ul~, ~ 1;..... ) \ ...... , J ~ LIJI vJ'J .;,L...1... I,;~ ..,.J J-- -~ ..,u '/1 ;Jr- J I ..,.,L..J ,;,<.J 5 12 ~W-.J ..,.l:..J I i, L:. ~ JJI~, ~ L..... l , T ,}'; ~: ~.'J - r- fJ .. v'.)J I c: L:-.J. .... ~ t:- ,J" From Suratul Aa'ia. ayyidina Uthman RA. Deen ki Baate. 7 Daily Lesson ayyidina Ali RA. • Miftahul Our'aan Qur'aan Revision " nf "II C:;"r"h. Behp.shti 7n..,or .A._ l:aCII/lIG~ D~ ., 01 ':.':lm ... & 4 -- ·~i.~lJl ~\...a:> ....:) L..'T~L....u ~ \s'~~:> ~\.;:) pu~J,c\ vV- ~. ~ HISTORY ~):; ARABIC L}~ URDU .P">\ VINIYAAT ...::.J~':> QUR'AAN I..:)'~ - WRITING HIFZ School Age Clu - - .,. - I _._.-...- .- ....- ... . -_ ...... -...-_..~.~_ ... -_.. -- ..:.:..\6:) \~ti'':J \,- t;:, ....:;.....>W diG.:> ~S-~L.t.Jj~->',.y~~ I.:)'y.l\\:,~ .....u:. t; Fivp cl..-Wi 1..::.J,;1vb Da i IV Two Ka I imas 1 6 1 Lesson Hi stor V lessons Blackboard lessons Oibla - Tahaarat Yassa rna I Qur'aan ,~oilllO'l~U\:~ •d§ G) ~A,"~~ ~~ ~ ':-:.~(..;>~S':.\.S;~~ <":"'\~'\:.J~."r;J;l; I---:;'j.>-' yo' ....::..J \." t>:l."..J \j' \. .~\.. ---.3. .? ..->-,.>-"""-,.>,)1.),1 ~~ ~~ . Da i IV 5 Ka! ima 3 Surats Ten Arnbic words and Yassa rna I Our'aan Z 7 Z Lesson Iman Mu~mal and Practical Wudu Mutassa . History lessons Arabic Nazm Urdu letters. End. - '"~ - Y';0~L~1; . ~..A;. .i->- -' .l,... \:;'(..9.:>-" ~.:Ji.\.:.~ .•1<..> - .>,p. ~ • rJ S':'\" ~Lf"' ....kO\i.. .)..,...... \j L.:;..>W \., Jl:}.j Ib rK -.P:?./ C'-,_J Ja..:.>Y.?- Practical Namaaz Sanaa- Tashahhud 1 8 3 Dai IV Upto Fifteen Urdu Kaidah Our'aan 4 Juz . Lesson Surah AI Feel Durood - Doaa History lessons Arabic Nazm Part I and 2 Doa Qunoot. .- .. v' /,. -7, .l.~JrdB-~.r \. ..o;L...).l\~ - M:;,.., S;;>J\ ,:-...">'~L.~.J~'.u~ ... J I" LS l' f--,~ .~.:;. '("~.>b\ J I.'~ \\ '..J>:?5'<.:.)'\) \. ,pA) .. ~\\~ ~" \:S".. J'))\=i'...,.,...... \; ....:..>w,~Jf.>\:; y. r .....: ...... \:i \ - \ til. \;0 G» 10 Arabic Sentences Urdu ki Pehl i-End 9 . Azaan - Iqamah Z 4 Dai IV Up to Twenty 10 Ahaadith with Ta I imu I Islam Our 'aan II Juz Lesson Surah Z i I zaal History lessons Trans I at IOn Part I. - End Practical five (Up to 15 Juz) One Urdu Nazm da i Iy Namaaz ~"","'J,...... ,:l\~~ \.,-,,,,,.,~~.> ~ JaJ'i.)~1,; - ..-rJ2 . l:X-J..:.F-. ~W J>'~..»>.U~ 'J.i'0~ fJ:\s.'>.(..l..":l~1; - )c ...i~ ·J>}...S0~ L.~. ,.~...-' r ... J.t\ rLi'd..J1r( J)\..:)\-.:J\ rLA.., Deen i Ta lim Da i Iy Part I i-End Practical - Juma 3 10 5 Upto Sur'ah " Lesson Eid-Janaza Namaaz Qur'aan Khatam Ad Doha Hamaare Nabi Miftahul Our'aan Ta I imu I islam Tayammum - Atter One Ruku Kira'at End Part I Part II - End Namaaz Doaa (Complete) ~\; ~o-L.kx.-> ~W rJ."...... JL)~ ~:i- ~ .JJ.:> \'.9:> 0'yJ\rli.. t;..l.ls-.J.;'~k~2 ~'.l£'J Da I Iy Hamaare Rasool 4 11 6 Lesson ,. End Mittahul Our'aan Decn ki Baate Revision Part i I Upto page 164 -~~lSd~ . ~~ o~..).JJ-'\. ~;L..,., o~ ~1..-..RJ\r'"\" lA..o ~ .. 0 .. . ~fi .JJ::> ...... 1r).b .. ~ol..D::>- ~ :::d.£0~ r /, ).Y-) , Dai Iy 5 12 ' 7 Toloo e Islam Miftahui Our'aan Deen ki Baate Revision Lesson Part I & 2 Part III End . __ .._. "".,_ ..,_.__...0...-----____...;:~.~.•.;:;-;;:-;;.:~::...;:-;.:-::•.:..-==-:...;-::;.:..:-=.-~-!::.;.....l.~.--.....--...... ;.....-- ...... _'"":'~ .....-_.....i ..._------CH I LO ' SAGE 6 YEARS '.!.' HISTORY. ...~~~~~} Five Basic History Lessons PR/Nrw CARDS Correct pronounciation of each Arabic letter J. The Ambiya - Pious servants of Allah Makhaarij of Arabic Alphabet 2. The first Nabi - Hazrat Adam A.S. Phonet l c Dri II 3. The last Nab; - Hazrat Muhammad S.A.W. Y~SS~RN~l OUR\~~N : 4. Our Nab; - Hazrat Muhammad S.A.W. 5. Our Nab! '5 S.A.W. parents 1st Term 5 pages Complete Alphabet Revision 2nd Term 4 1/2 pages Recognition ot two and ihree !etter joint words DINIYI\AT. 3rd Term 3 1/2 pages To learn diacritical marks Zabar (Fatha), Zer (Kasreh) , * TAWHLEO : Pesh (Dhamma), and how to Allah is one Allah has no partner pronounce the words Allah alone is wodhy of lbaadar - Allah 4th Term 3 pages Practice of two and three has no parents - Allah was not created combined words and revision. * THE IMPORTANCE OF TAHAARAT Writing of the Arabic Alphabet Musl ims and Paaki Blackboard lessuns Allahs love for Paak people Paaki is half of the faith ARABiC & URDU. Istinja and cleanl iness * THE KA'BA AND QIBLAH Two Arabic Nazms * ISLAMIC MORALS Two Urdu Nazms H/FZ. Ka! ima e Tayyebah and Shahaadat '- ."', ~.\'.'r•• ".~ '.' '.r·".~_, ,. ~" " · '.~" ·- · ' ..·".'.· I·,•• "".!··."""'"'.: "... ~.• ,•.• "', "l~ - • ·.. d."'\_""'''''''''!~' - ...... """'vV' "',U,II,'hJ t t "'X"Y7T*W"rW" ....----. (2, I ]G\j~9 SSV12 "'"!G'J~t,.;~S I SSVl:J f-NSV~OVV'J ""'lO' (:\ ., ~,>..:~L cL..:::&~.~~ f e>l., CLASS 1 \)-\b EVULE SHOWING QUARTERLY DISTRIBUTION OF EVUCATION -- - , .. -- ..... 4th TERM 3rd TERM 2nd TERM 1st TERM ->I..u-.. L:)~ c.3, .)~'> y"'-jJ J~.;S( ~;~.;.J ~ ~'.J.~,? t..:>y,," &-. 0I~) [Jl. I,$.J-W c<;...i..::: Dec. Nov. Oct. Sept. Aug. JUly June May ApI" i I March Feb. Jan. [XTENT SUBJECT TIME l.~\~, -~~\J ~~\:; ~L;' ~~I'1 ~; ~....0 ~ ,~·1. '.> :iJ \t;- .. J,.;. \.9' LJpto page I 7 Upto page 14 Upto page iO 1/2 Upto page 6 i6 Pages YASSARNAL QUR'AAN 60Mlns. _~_. · ___ '0_. I ~ ...Jn~ iO m i nut e s B rea k ------.s '" ,---,:-.;.., \' -:, S::. .. _~ ~_~.P'- '-?.:?" _)~.~\."...,.~ "'\..:....:l, .>, I '-~\.~v;.:.. -..v- \.~l-~-!...~~\,-::' .....<:.AI W·• I ~'('! I BltlckbUdrd Lessons Arabic Alphabet ArabiC Alphabet ALPHABETS - 30 ~.~~~~1 ~ , -~.';) ..J:i., ),.).) 1_ ~\ ~J.,J:...... ci ~ • Llr •s-.J. \ .~(" .5)-"-> \ .' J ~ . ..." .. ".>,., \ .._(I ." ., ;.; .V- Revision One Urdu NaLm - One Arabic Na..:rr One Urdu Nazm One Arabic Nazm Four t~a7.ms ARAB C & URDU - ~y. )..J,) .,~\\"':'.\) t .:t,',; \"15~t-,;. .l....'~ ~ 1...::..I~\"(1)\:; Cl t·,.> ,':'\;) u'.l·}G J;:,i u:(~'.1 \j' ReviSion Two History lessons Two History lessons One History lesson 5 Historv I<..:::;ons HISTORy 20 Mins. ,- L yl.)!l'?'; ....,\ _':':".A'.il.~A:>.~(~ --.:.:-~,\~r..::.>}v1> _l_ '.~=---~ ",'. ,\.-':'J::> -- I. '1 Islamic Aadaab Meaning 01 Oiblah Importance of Tahaarat I TawheE:d 4 Subjects DINIYAAT .. _. u·._. ____. ._--- c..uci':'(" ~ ~_). ....:~ t:...u I;;..) .....~.... I>,. . ~- )",--"'" ))---i-.... ;-_-=" ,".... ~."'" .. \:S' Writing Separate Arab i c Letters Da i IY Lesson WRITING 10 Mins. --_. .-.::...-,).>lv----:.:, .!._Js' ~):> cL-.J<' d".:> h.u. ~\. Ka lima e Shahaadat Kalema E; Tayyebah Two Ka I i mas HI FZ 10 Mi ns , ._ . ~ ~ ~ .' ... lD>~, U-:-~.. (' $ I~~. J. rJ,~• // ~ ~./; ~ ." - ~ $'~ ...... L.;~- • ~ ~ -ir: o~, ~$ ...., -r:«, e.~-,.-:;:~ ~ \ ~ L:.--,";e ..L- yJ.:;1 .!- '--",0;:. <-;..>l;;Jr I ~~~ ~ ~ ~,.>.>~. 0"t3l:-'( L:~ ~""..J.JI (!/~ Vc.rJ.h" ~!.JJ--1 CHILds AGE 7 YEARS HISTORY. I. Rasulullah's SA'tJ. hirth place.• The City of Mecca Mukarramah. YASSARNAL OUR'AAN. Part 2 38 pages. 2. 3. Rasulullah's SAW. stay in Mecca. <1. Ra 5 u I u I I a h '5 ~A.W. H i j rat. 1st Term 8 pages To understand Jazm and joining of words 5. last ten years in Madina. The City of Madinb Munawwarah. 2nd Term iO pages To learn Tanween - Two Zabar, 6. two Zer, h/(l Pesh, Khara Zabar, 7. Resu I u I i ah S.A~~. passes avldy at Mad i na , Khara Zer etc. and how to read them correctly. 8. The first male to accep1' Isiam -Hazrat Abu E 3rcJ Term 13 pages Lesson on Tashdeed and pro 9. The first lady to become a ~usl irn - Hazret nounciation at the Musharldad I Blackboard Lesson: Dri' f of Yassnrnal Qur'aan lessons and Urdu letters. D1NIYA.AT. 'f Pr ect ica I Wudhu ARABIC. ~ UROU. Two Arabic Nazms Two Urdu Nazms * Faraa' id of Wudhu * Names of five dai Iy Namaaz HIFl. * Islamic Aedaab (Mora!s) - I. Third, Fourth ant Fifth Kajima. * Islamic Months. 2. Iman A r-.luJma l and Iman e t'-lufassal. 3. Surah AI Fatiha, Surah An Naas, Surah AI Fa;eq Revision. , ,~_. , , ~"" ,. . - ., ,,~' -_...... _...... ¥;;P, , ,_t.,~ ,:.h.,~ ..:t't~ .. •.. 'k'_ ....:• ... _ 4 _1... •. ,1.,_...... il, .. $1 - -'" ~ s" .. -".';' - Pa~ticular Notes attention should be paid to correct ~ u::- e-Y "":';"""",.J-> t:.,.-J tJ,J-'J~ ~cJ1/.>k ~ L... c!-c.Y"<.:) 011I?u:.0.>- :..Ji.;.7 (I) ~\)w.....d reading and pronounci.atiion of letters wizen $ ...,.,...... " ••,?, memorising the Surahe , r: The lIis tory lessons u::Y~ cf.>',; J Ic.f:t.r e... ~}~/J./; r.i'. I.Ve:~~._0e-r.:' t..J L"" (y) should be given in as much detail as possible The Ustaz must prepare his lessons in advance. ~:'j-~L _ I --- '('.t.:~ SCHOOL CLASS Std. I ISA!i Cl/\SS 3 HISTORY, CHILDS AGE 8 fEARS -, '* The bui Iding ot the II The Mt.;haajiree'1 'AAN MAJEED. Kaba 4 .luz with corr'act pronouncidtion and The Ansaar II The Arabs before Islam * Ruies of Tajweed II Our Nabis SAW tribe II The Sahaabah 15t Term 3/4 Juz ll- Fi,st Wahi (r-eve l a l i on ) II Ghazwa (bart i e) 2nd Term Juz * Revelation of the Qur'aan '* Tawraat 3rd Term 1/2 Juz * Hijrat to Madlf1 RUles or Tajweed should be taught in the da; Iy Qur'aan lesson so that the pupil gets used to Ti laawat (recitation) wi1h DIN i YAA r. Tajweed. Two Rak'auts procTfcal Namaaz 1\!1'C. '>I Takbser * Qiyaam Two Arabic Nazms Ruku Qawmah Revis ion * * * Sajdah * .lalsah Qa'idah Tasleern :)lJ • '* '* II Thana Tashahhud Urd~ Kdidah parts one and Twa * (Primary Urdu Reader) * Durood * DUi3a )f Q:,Jnoot '>I Tesbeehaa r 'st Term Part one complete 3rd Term Part two complete HIFZ. Sureh AI Lahab Sur ah Af KawThur One Urdu Naim Surah An Nasr Surah AI f¥ia'oon Revision Surah AI Kafirun Surah Ai Quraish Surah AI Feel , .44. _-.14" C.'~ •• _"'Qe,::c,~li' ..),~..,'.':~..~..Jllt:'M'A)f!l},r,•.'!I"\a:.,.( ,t~.'t'~~.,~,i,.(~»:~j!i: ...... ~t. ,tt'.'.l1 !'.!, ~I '\'" Cl'!tHzUl .. « _ .. ~.--,6J. --,~ • ••• •• ,.' ....~ •• ,''"'''''~ t••• _":·?!',.·."";~~L,""'I'~';.i.{,1,,.•~,I:"j.!t;« ~,h:l',t~":- 'f(~ ;~~,t':l~":':·.'~ ::,.~::. ~!;"'~~'~'~:;_:': >?j;~ ,of .. • SCHEDULE SHOWING QUARTERLY DISTRIBUTION OF EVUCATlvl'l ~""'~~L.O~U.J'~LS~~'..J\",.I...u (l."~" ~~ ----'v--' I:I -- . TERM 3rd TERM 2nd TERM I it TF:1M 4th \ ., "... J :..LQ...o 0.,.,....-P.... ~) ~.:> '.~.)l .J',;.)( '~ -.:.:...... JI j,"J~ ~..:?" J.- ~.Y,\ r.::)'. <.~),; tS.J~ Dec. .. No~~.r Oct. Sept. AUQ. Ju Iy June May Apri I March Feb. Jan. EXTENT SUBJeCT TIME ~ , ~..>->.- '. c' "~fi"l." rJ t~ ~ .. ~I:: w' r>r; r \;. w· r-~.J I ...... >--:?-\:i ?oj t$. ('.A ':».- r<" ~0\~ ~~ .»::> Upto 4 Juz . end of 4th ... uz Upto 4th Juz Rukll 4 Upto 2nd JU7. Ruku 13 1st Juz upto Ruku 13 With Makhaar'ij. QUR'AAN 40 Mins. ~ \ .. l ,)~::> .~~'--?.?~ ~ ---??---» -~~?..9"" ~~ f Revision One Arabic Nazm - One Arabic Nazm - Two Nazms ARABIC , ~ \ ,,'~u"':").• l;'~ ....:;.)W'..9L~).j"!J~ ,,),}.:> -..::..>W '" c.f')\J b --:;..JW J ..J\;. t> --.:;..) "S0 ;f):; ~'r. Revision 5 History lessons 5 History lessons 5 History lessons 15 Histor~y iessons HISTORY 20 Mins . .:.v~"" ~\.c..)£t; ~ - ,):J.:> ~ ~J,FJ)\i~.P >-Ls:. .:> -' ')'> -~ ...... =.Jy.!i "":> - <-:-1 )\~:l.-u.>I ~~;:, Duaa e Qunoot Practical 2 Rak'aat Tr.anea-Tashahhud-Durood-Duaa Doaas ot Namaaz Revision 4 islamic Aadaab Namaaz 2 RakatS Namaaz OINIYAAT 2 Islamic Aadaab 10 Islamic Aadaab Islamic Aadaab b ID M i nut e s B rea k ~. J:....:..,. l- •• • J. --":~ ...... ul,;,,.J Yr J)\ ~'U'>."" J)l u ..>-\; )J:::' If>,.»-.JJ ~..J1~::>'~ - f;;;" "> '.>-. b .,'),») ~<;-,c, One Urdu Ka I da Part 1 Urdu Kalda Parts ~.::» URDU 45 MI nr.. ReviSion Nezrn Urdu Kaida Part 2 1/2 Page dally 1&2. Olle Nazm ! ~~~.~..lUi>S'~~",:>..>'d...:-;';:JJ L~.~\";-,.1 ~~ ~)o Writing of de II Y Urdu "essor. Oai IY iesson viR I 'ING 10M i r.s . . -_.- ---_.~--_.~- \".\oJ)l ;Jy...o ~)i.h>:',....., \:Jy.UIiiJ ,..... 'i)'(n ;;.IY'.... ~~ '---~J_~ ..);):> j,sJI.,>-"" vA.:JI ...... ""....IJ,-:...... - ...... , < \ .. ~ ---!'--:"" J~ Rev I s Ion 5urdh Surah Sur,,!,: Surah Sur-an Surah Surah Seven Surahs H:FZ I Fee' Qura,sh Maoon j Kowsa~ K I, run is M:ns. a Nas:- i.ahab- - Notc(; te(l(~ilhla t';hml the 2 Rak t aat.c pract.i.ca L Namaan, the c laee <-;.:.)I.J--;·J~~j- ··~'I~L ,C...-,'-::U'r..S~:..tI..;;..ll.G (I}"" 1,\ '0'; .,.. (,:Cv.~.,•..iLt,::.; •.'-~"': .... •,•./ 15- -e ,/'•.> \~\ . ..A..Jc..) ilJIOULd u Ltso br, taughtrthe names of Sa Laat, N7.~mbe11 Df r -'" ~ I -», Rak "aat.e and the Tasbeehaat: of Ruku and Sa.jdah, o::y~'..:. c.(C',}.'f'.•'&jJS' ~~ Parttcular atterltion should be paid to correct reading and pronounci.atn.on 01' uorde when memorising Surahe . c.lG:-i.-~)~..J,;.e;-'~.).J/0~Ir:j~.r::~\.~L-.cOSr..:.)~lJl~<-f...J..:r-:~ (1') Histopy leeeons should be exp lai.ned tn detail. The $/, s ••• ", -".,,~. Uet.az rnust?pa1'e Le380ns ,:/1 advance )RASAH CLASS 4 SCHOOL CLASS STD. 2 CHILds AGE 9 YEARS HI STORY. * The Arabs and idOl worship * Farewe II Haj ,lUR' AAN M/\J EEO. II Juz - Juz 5 to Juz 15 * Rasu I u II ah SA.W an eterna i , * Khulafa e Rashideen mercy Rasulul lah SAW. Aunts and Duties of a Khal itah :st Term 3 1/4 Juz * * Uncles who accepted Is:am 2nd Term .3 1/4 Juz * Propa~ation at Islam by * The spread ot Islam 3rd Term .3 J uz Rasulullah SAW. during the Khi latat 4th Term I 1/2 Juz It Boycott of Banu Hashim * Hadhrat Abu Bakr RA. RevIsion It Journey to Ta'if * Hadhrat Omar RA. " Me'raaJ " Hadhrat Otnman RA. HiFZ. If Hadhrat 1\.1 iRA. 6 Surans * The first battle Surah AI Humazah Surah AI Qaari 'ah Surah AI Asr Surah AI Aadiyaat ARABIC. Surah At Takaathur Surah Az Zi Ilaal 10 Ahaad i th at Ri:lSu i u I I ah SAW. 10 Arabic Sentences URDU. Urdu and EGgl ish translatio:1 Urdu ki Pehl i Complete To l t mu I islam Part I CCr.l;Jiete DINIYAf,T. It Five fardh Namaaz With Sunan and WaaJibBat I, Arr i c r es or fa i th 6. The last divine Book It Azaan 2. vlha t does Islam teach 1. Method of per rorm i nq Nemaa z .. Doaa after Azaan ~, 'rour crea ror 8. Benetits ot Nnmaaz * Iqamah 4. Creation at the univ8rse 9. Actions and Recitation in prayers 5, Prophethood '0. Jama'at and MusJld. ~.} ~~J~~1 .' ... ••••11II -T "ttJihH'tltti.ttCP'Pi1Ian f 11' a,:I"WIUP"PfH '~g"i"r ' " liU\f~li~r.:W;Bl:l~'$~i7,1r"l \~i:;~~;#. '(il.~;:,.i\lf1~~~'T<~~\'Mil~~d';!L~iJi'J(~s:\lf.ii H;~~Mbt1.F~~,~:~~I~'r.t~,,',l/{jiii~¢liit?i~;'~~~;~;l'JI~~li1,\/'.'JW<')#.t~~,i~ ' ~<~f\" ';I.¥'t:<.~ ~;-:tl ." V"1'/", ,~11/ i'f.' '!(f,::~ :li11;~"t;Y,,~1Ml~f'FI ~f'l!:"'l~~~ tI", < :~l:;'rj,'" ":;i.'1'.f~~~~f~"N-~~If·r~j~~~,,,·· ·,t,!~ ..o"w.~in"",;I'I"··'i'·Tl,;1t.,i;\li:···.:".~~,,, i ,'.; ,'; .' . ',' .' , .• ',' .. ~ ".', " '.'I,,;'!.,II.~',~~'j.~., •.~t',.~.,':.I\ ", '".' ".":. ; "\'·{'""'·\·"'·""~"'i.tl"".·,.1\'i}",',·, t > '" ~~:.YJ.lt'l~;\.: .t""'t·~,.11,·X.",,,(I~;>'I'} 11~')1 :," ,-' :',' ' c" ". '~'''''~I'''\~rl,.'".\:.i' ,.•~.:t.; •..". '•. '.' "." I'.', ' '. ':.; ' • .',',,', .,<;"" ••\~r: :.:" ..,'\ ,,~,'f:;·,I'i,':t"'i"'~~:':':/'I·~':;:'~J"~·\~;;'''';·'', ..,.... .t.,. '. '!', SCHEVULE SHOWl NG QUARTERLY' VI STR I BUTI ON 'OF EVUCATION' ,~_I:>,J.. -:". ,:...... ".:.'~,,..'.. :....L.''1 ,.. -t • S;~ ,.'"..,~:I·.'I·.:,,'.\\" '''~!:.....:"14~~}, "1~'~\;~i?:~V'l~>:.',.,'" ,',,>"'1:/~';';i':'"~I~'".. "'~(~io',t{.. id,; ~l'''':~:'::•. ?"'.':', .•..I;'.' .,. ' :?-c..:> ""--'C.A.> .J.)..JlA _ ....:..~I...c.o.>·1 " •.•• ~,". '. CLASS 4 7YL~J:> ·rE.R~·r-~ P ~ Ifr' 4th'· r: 3rd-1ERM I 2r1'd - I 1st TERM ..)\..u:.o ~~.fl ~.> ~.~; \"~ ~ ~"Jx .Y~\ (:'~L. ~~~ '.,,: I kJl I /.jJ1 I I I l:J.i? I & I I I 0'....>,.) I . Dec;" Nov. Oct. Sept. Aug. July June May Ap r l I March Feb. Jan. EXTENT SUBJeCT TIME '~;-~f>\; r~ ~j.->.-\; ~~\j' ~\j' O:*,",~-vl';>,1 It;, w . \C' A rh . \I 't' ,<:.".1;, /I .. _ ~A-II ~~~.. . ~r'l> II Juz fl Juz QUR'AAN 45 Mi ns , Upto end of 15th Up to 14th Juz Ruku 12 upto Juz I: Ruku 8 upto Juz 8 Ruku 3 I 1/2 page da i Iy I " I I I' .J1.:,J;.l\-O:~"...... ~\!~\ii~ j:. \(;;J\ ;;J~ ~\;;...._""" • ..~, i'J_-- ~ • _~ ~~.; ... ,':' n=> '",- . J :>-t..4! 'i ~\' . Surah AI Aadiyaat Surah AI Kaariah Surah AI Humaza h Surah Az Zi Izaal Surnh At Takaathur Surah AI Asr 6 Surahs HIFZ I ~, Mi ns. Revision ! I _ 10 Minutes 8 rea k ~ .;,.,.... i.oD\, ~ '. I , .... , ,., ...- 1 . -- ~);:> '" ,. ~""k.;~J11J.....:; ~ ,)::0J.,»1 rv,·>}..J!' l..:. ~ r(" fV" ~>,,;L..> "\(;~' \L~.J,·),)\ -.:.....:.. \"0 1/3 Page da i 1Y .9.» One Urdu ki Pehli & Tal imul Islam Part J End Urdu ki Pehl i Complete ..:.~.'I".."""'.{. URDU 35 Mins. Revision Nazm ...wlj.J> Talimul Islam '\:~';;1""~'\!.>b.\ ~~~? . ...::...:;. },.> l...... - \. < I· ...:.:~ ,.\;>. , . ~.''" • .l' -.> 1,.1 ~'.,)l>l~~' • b?:~ h.:. <:.~l..:~ ....::.:~..>b., l:..-:::' . I<>::.:-<.:J:? 10 Arabic Sentences ~~ ARABIC I Hadith -I Sentenc~ 3 Ahadith-3 Sentences 3 Ahadith-3 Sentences 3 Ahadith-3 Sentences 10 Ahadith - ~[ans'l I .: .t , ~ -..:.:..A~:; \~ ~ L:.,.c,,) \:; y --..::.>\...:; \'0'J\; "( ~l~':; \.)(.~~·:.k 't --.::..> W l:"";l; 't --::>I~;.' 'JL'';{.J \:; y. ;.c.. r.. ( .J I.J 2 History lessons 6 History iessons 6 History lessons 6 History lessons 20 History lessons HI STORY 30 Mins. l..:,-..::"l9I- ..:.,'.:,1 . .il<'.l,\{.c;, fL.>L('...... ~.::,.l?l. u'~~ v ---.:.:.->\-;.- ':J -' t..:..~~ r J,,:, .1...:... ~<-: .",CI...... ::.-,b 5 Fardh Namaaz .' -.:;, Azaan - Iqamah DINIYAAT 5 Fardh Namaaz with Sunan & Waajibaat Doaa Atter Azaan Azaan->qamah-Doaa ~,~ ;).J ,---"!.5" Jd.::..(, '-7..-: ...... ')) ..:) L~~...u r- /.. ~ 6 Ll~t/'},.,.:;!Jc:;.. ~/;~: ~~~<>:/k.,.cCcJ...u:'~ (/:t':-~Y::::-.J..>e.-,I~~.1)'-'::l.:-(iY~I~.c~":Av1JlcJ~u:)r ~(J) ::_)~) i:!(;' (y) : : ,...... ~ -\ --,-.:. ...... ~. .. )<" /lJ1, - I - • (r <.tj~:,'~ o.::Z'..J ,,:-JI{,.... -(..J ,.A7.JJ;~'1'J.' .)!/~l..<~· '//', d.- (.,I ~ ,,:"'J~ ) a::UZUUiil_U===CIIiGC".P.:t'4L..'RiJ""»IRFwa::::z:tU!eOU!JWw\DiSf9sz::z::::t2~---,-"~,""'~-C,,,"""~··--T.14'.. iEAJ l!S f:S:;_-.,,- .~._.- ~_.~._-.....,.,4'.'~- ..~ -- .-~~~ ~' C>I~:; HASAH CLASS 5 SCHOOL CLASS STD. 3 HISTORY. CHILds AGE 10 YEARS Hamaare Nabi Complete ~ Birth and chi Idhood ~ 13 years in Mecca 10 years in Madina UR'AAN MAJEED. 15 Juz Juz 16 ·to 30 With Tajweed * As a Youth * * Travels & Business * Battles Prophethood * The Jews of Madina * The passing away of 1st Term 5 Juz 10 Makhaar i j If The Christians of Najran * Ra sui u II ah SAW. 2nd Term 5 Juz 7 Makhaarij 3rd Term 3 Juz Rules of Meem Saakin URDU. Deeni Tal im part 2 complete 4th Term 2 Juz Rules of Noon &Meem Mushaddad Talimul Islam part 2 complete (for boys) Beheshti Zewar part I (pages 31 to 62 for girls) i I FZ. 4 Surahs and one Ruku Qira'at * The basis of Islam Suruh AI Qadr Surah Ad Duha * Beliefs of Musl ims * Farishtah (malaa'ikah) Suruh At Teen .1, Surah Alam Nashrah * Allah's Kitaabs * Rasool and Nabi I\RA8IC. Miftahul Qur'aan Part one. * Description of the day of Oiyaamah Life after death Basu c GroZlmma r : * Noun, Pronoun,. Verb,Past, Present, Future * Conditions of Namaaz Vocabulary: ~ Ghusl Qur'aanic words and sentences * Najaasat Azaan Iqamah * Istinjah Thana Tashahhud Durood Sharee f * Types of water Dada e Qunoot * Method of Wudhu Janazah Doaas * Things that make Ghusal Waajib Qur I aan ic Doae s * Tayammum 12 Surahs Rules concerning Mizoor *x Things that brook Wudhu )INIYAAT. x r~ules of ma ki nq f'.1a~iJh on l ee lher socks * Masah on bandage Practical Taydmmum Pructical Jum'a Namaaz Practical Jana'a Namaaz Practical Eid Namaaz DOdas tor Namauz ... .u~, . . Q'; ~~~::.._------~------"'__111__-" .... •" I, I PI •. "'. UP" " • _. '6-'-•..::ii. ~ ~--)\...... u r/lo.t::_~ Z; I _~. -<~~ JbL.cL-<..>S}.u...... ,...e6.' _· .... ·· .... v ...... _ _ ••. -- .... _.-_. ~------.. ------. - _.._--- - ~ . - 11th TEr~M 3rd TERM 2nd TERM 1st TERM . )~ ":"I~'" ~, ~..> ~jJ ..)~.;...s\ ~ ~ ~;)y. t:Jy; &- J!..x,' (,:-,l. <.5....-'.;9 l..$.,R eXTENT SUBJECT THIE Dec. Nov. Oct. Sept. Aug. July June May Apri I March Feb. Jan. .)~~,<..:.>9.>.>-'~ .. r-:)''.>' f~~.)..;.~ ~\; r..)~ ~~ ~ . r- .. "- . ~~I:l ~~\;. To.... \:.e \. Yo •-'-"\.",. r-:"'<.:J.i •(?\.;l . 1& W..~r--".. 0~'\" ~("t> Complete Qur'aan .. r ... RUles 0+ Meem Saakin 7 Makhaar i ~ 10 Makhaarij 15 Juz ' QUR'AAN 45 1'1 j n s , Noon & Meem Mushaddad Upto end ot 28th JuZ Upto end 0 25·~h Juz Upto end ot 20~h Juz RUles ot Tajweed , .• - /-S} ....».» ~\..:.;Ayty.J ..' ~..,Ql\ ...... -r~~'~.>,...... ~l i:....,.... • .)..uiJl 'j~ r0~ ~ --i!... ,..... \" x., ~lt;, Surah Surah Surah Surah I Ruku HIFZ ReviSIon One Ruku Oira'Clt Ad Duha Alam Nashrah At Teen AI Qadr 4 Surahs 15 Mlns. ; 10 M i nut e s B rea k ~ .....!:....,.;. I· ".ll~. ~ .J:.a'/or .co\;.).J .. f~.)'L;l\~ ';\VJ .. ~~> Y.>.\"}...... lJ. .. 0_.....> ~~ ;i-.i>\;' ~ ." ~- J:» ';) to ~\;.~ ~£h·J,\~~)~ ~\"c Ta I i mu IISI am Part 2 ~ k.P ~.ol;-,-, ~\1 t!.i.o ~jy.' • ~ ~V) Ceeni Tal im Deeni Talim Part 2 Deeni Ta: 1m Part 2 URDU pJ 35 Mlns. 4/J" " ReVision ~~ Pages 39 to end Pages 2 to 38 Tal imul Islam - 2 Beheshtl Zewar Part I ~'\l .... Beheshti Zewar - I Pages 31 to 62 - 1/3 Dai Iy JJt:l 2/3 Paqes dai Iy ~....:,,'j-,.... ~~ ~ .-Jy> ~~~ ~ \j' ~ ~..o \:; ~ \:; ....!-l..o J.,\ 0~..2Qj\ rlu.. ReVISion Pages 451048 Paoes 30 to 42 PageS 15 to 29 Pages I to 14 Mittahul Qur'aan ARABiC Y..? Part I I i /2 Paces weekly c~ r~('v ~, Pri:lctlcal Practical Doaas ,tor Practical Practical Practical Namaaz .. ,\....:,..,:> I Ion DINIYAflT '-- .... Lid NarTIudl Jdf)i:llCl Nurnaal i:l t t e r Nemae z Jum'a Numuaz Tevammum and Tilyamrnurn. ,,---"y-~~\J,JbS ~c...:.~ ~v>'- ....:.>1;;)) ~ .....:,,'.;.,..1 ~,. ~\:S"" Writing of da i I Y Arabic lessons Da II Y lessons WRITiNG 10 MI ns . I .. e.tc,;;l(p)h..::.>~~4':-'.J ~})cCj(;..u' ~ ..~~... ~L..0-r.;U0'.,)-,I(.ll-jJ)~·;' L::)~:'-' Notes Alonq with Talimul Islam and Beheshti ZewarJ the class should also be taught the Faraa l i dh, Waajibaat, Nufsidaat ~1':"6l • it. PO au w :as ,aw; _I ,-o4 "'f__!.L .i,,'.~( t=t'ao., .•.,'j ,.. ~-_. i" ~ ,,£ '"" ., • ;----=.-~ _·--,-,.. c•••••••,= ~~ ,~ ADRASAH CLASS 6 SCHOOL CLASS STD. 4 HISTORY. CHILDS AGE II YEARS Hamaare Rasool complete * Prophethood * The prohibition of wine * Friends & Enemies * The battle of the Trench * The migration of Musl ims * Rasu I uI I ah 's WI I etters 10 OUR'AAN MAJEED. to Abyssinia non Musl im Rulers Revision of complete Our'aan Meraj * The battle of Mowta * Mecca conquered Tajweed * Attempt to assassinate * Rasulul Jah ~. * Rasulul lah's SAW habits (a) Noon Saakin and Tanween * Hijrat * The battle of Hunain (b) Rules of letters Laam and Raa * The battle of Badr * The battle of Tabook The battle of Uhud * Haj (c) Madd * I ARABIC. URDU. Miftahul Qur'aan - Part 2 28 pages Deen ki Baate for Boys Beheshti Zawar part I & 2 for Girls Grammar Demonstrative pro nouns Relative pro nouns Adjectives * Tahaarat * Namaaz of Tawbah Prepositions * Remaining rules of fs1inja * Times of Namaaz Adjectival Construction * Remaining rules of Ghusal * The Oiblah Possessive Construction * Remaining rules of Wudhu * Ecl ipse Namaaz Nominal Sentences * Arkaan of NamiJdz' * Jama'at Verbal Sentences * Mufsidaat e Namaaz * Significance of Jama'at (Things that inval idate Namaz) l]t the Musjid * Su nnar and Na f i I Namaaz * Haiz and Istihaazah Ni faas I'/RITING. * Namaaz of 1st i kharah * * Witr Namaaz * Tahaarat from Najaasat * Taraweeh * Sin Writing of dally Arabic lesson If Qala Namaaz * Kufr and Shirk Notes on Rules of Tajweed * Sijdah Sahu bidaat Notes on History lesson * Sijdah Ti laawat * Death * Sick persons Namaaz * Ghusal of the dead * The Travellers Namaaz * Method of Kafan ._n _ -- __ n • --.- ---- n """llf ,. "--.' f ~ ".. i*i & -y-, ,59M{"" $ h (-, "\)%;;'°.;".14'" SCHEDULE SHOWING QUARTERLY DISTRIBUTION OF EDUCATION ~\)~L.?L..~S:;I.)..ii-,,~.u~~ CLASS 6 1..-",,",.;>Lw...~..J'::> - rtl~M- 4th -,>rd TERM 2nd TE-RM 1st fERM ~ ..) ..u..o.. ~~....o .:», -»r"".> .haJJ ...>'.;§ ~ ~ ~\)~ <.:J7: & J>~,1 0')'" (5.,.:>"'; LS....~ Dec. Nov. Oct. Sept. Aug. Juiy June May Apri i March Feb. Jan. EXTENT SUBJECT TUIE ...... -- -- _.- ". .... --_..- .._.- - .- _7~-:~~ .. - .._. ---- _.._.- -- .,)..A~\.} . ..lA..).$.'.:>' - F~' - ~.Y!'-Yt" F\;" '''>-'(~..lS.~ - ,.~,'f ('-t' d\....uc..:.>y.).;.~ - Soy" f-I:i ~Y{ - \~.JP ~ ,\ ...... :.,)"I."":"::' -' ... c..>Y ~'f. Camp ere Qu,- I aan End o t 24 th Juz End at 16Th JUZ End at 8th Juz - RUles Rev j s IOn QUR'AAN 30 ~11 ns . r~u,es 01 Mac.Jd RUles ot Madd RUles at Laam & Raa of Noon Saak r n & Iznw m TaJweed ~t:; ~03:>~~~'rw.-o I ~ .J.:>::> VrJ A.~ \..- Ir' .i.".., \.;. ~I; '---?.r ~~ Miftahul ~urlaan ARABIC 30 MtOlS RevISion Page 28\ Up to page 24 Upto page 14 Upto page 6 Part 2 - 8 Pages 10 M i nut e s B rea k ~ ~l' I \'11'\; l0'::i.a ~£u.,s-jJ I ,)~:> \.'1 • l~ ~ \j' BOYS \~ \:; P..o . \:; ~ J!...O...a 153 ~tr<..-~~S""~.;> 10 Pages II to 50 ~~ 1 c.' i (,4 Pages 106 to 152 Pages 58 i05 Deen ki Baate RevIsion :.14 p age d a I j l .~ coL~ '7r" d..:,.J 1;-,,) Upto page 164 Y URDU ;):;') 40 1-1, r,s _LA ;'.0 t ~J,I'J.....:>.::>- '1'1 \; '1\ •.., ~ ~ '1' 4,0 \j' ~ \,- ....!.:..-Q..a _0'>:> ~.> ~du~3J .J-,.::> , 'I j, 0 \:; ...l..-i...a p,:> GIRLS y-,\:"-"'~ .J>!' .. " 61 ..•• ::.J~ Pages 37 to 60 Part 2 - Pages 1"0 to 36 Part i Pages 63 to 78 t ,) ()(, Part 2 Pages I 1"0 9 Beheshti Zewar ~ ~ \/~ Re" Is Ion 1/3 p age d a i I Y eL;...l' ....s .... Part I and 2 '1'1 L-IIA;-a ~ l; I;:; • "'>9::> . ,,'- tl.£l t· ~ ~ li' ~ V'\ ,; ~ JY"'.J~.J~ ~f. 88 Pages 62 to 87 Pages 32 to 6/ Pages 5 TO 31 Hamaare Rasool HIS roRY .. ..J~. 50 M;nc, f~ev IS 10'1 to 96 t ,/2 P age d a I I Y ,--'~ u-o 'It' d..:.-' \..i..:1.1 ~ t.)..d.,Jed--":-0'W.? cL.J 1..:."... ~.J....:.,.>t;-,) ~i' t:.YJ ~\::S~ Writing of da i I Y Arabic iesson da i I Y lesson WR:TING i 0 Mills' " " -. J . u"::'r"/• c!-~- , ~ J"' <::J V"",> t;?I o:('/ :;::::;.» -..§'0l;:-.cC;;u ~(...;>~-,f Jf(0~~/t:'~ • '!.;' ~.lJa,. J.::d~ ~..J~/~~~ ~~l..~,.;u:f-,.cC'~~~- u~(p~::'~~l.;>r:,:, z,'-:::lr~J,JJi' Z:>~.f,"'~{,:"Y;<",::->f' d.:"(.J.ii~ J"(;)~. ~&;-Y;~f L -? J yC c . s •-• ~ • -. .. r (;, I. • " I: /,:Jic. ~~,., ~.L. r~ '0-~tSL~/ .»../'...>,,'0::'0AjeJ.,,;' .::.r";dL' k:;~~-,- ·c..::...,l.L.;,..~~~I~ ~'!"~...JL; <~ ·r~J~<.r'"~~...>.;>(l"') e.. t::)'.-/..11 - - I'L .d- y:/",;,:,'~d.··:0r7'!t'%:.J,...rJ7X V(JJ-,JJ/~l-<.(.AJ;"LJ1- u~~ 7~!~~ ~.c-tr..)wj!x:..:hftp..:? ~.J!!Plf ';0'''" '10,':' '.•,.', .••,.,,'; -:.•"._~ ,...._ .... ~ ••;,.•• _ ...... "....,_•• ,.,.~'~:.' •• .. ~1.H,'f.'" .,~'fIiIt{l'. "..,~....,..... ~; ..... ~.... ',"." .. i .?:. :, r...r:"" ...... ·.""'..,,·,," .:~~ . I tiP, ,," , "~'C' ;~ -...::.-. 'V MADHASAH CLASS 7 SCHOOL CLASS STD. 5 CHILD'S AGE 12 YEARS URDU. QUR'AAN MAJEED. Deen ki Baate complete - for Boys Revision of complete Qur1aan Beheshti Zewar parts 3 &4 - for Girls Tajweed Rules of Waqf Sifaat Mutazaddah * Namaaz of the sick Sifaat Gher Mutazaddah If Namaaz of Istikharah * Namaaz of Khawf (fear) Sifaat Muhassanah * Namaaz of Qatl * Namaaz of Jum'a * Significance of Jum'a ARABIC. * The Jum'a Khutba Miftahul Qur'aan part two - 36 pages * The Eid Namaaz * Janazah Namaaz Excercises * Dafn(burial) Qur'aanic Ayats on * ROZllh (fasting) * Rozah during Ramadaan Imaan - Allah - Rasool - Holy Books * Qaza Roz,Jh Farishtah - Taqdeer - Qiyaamat - Islam * Naf i I Rozah * Ka f farah Salaat - Zakaat - Haj - Sawm - Prohibitions * I 'tikaaf during Ramadaan Commandments If Sadaqah e Fitr ){ Zakaat ){ Ourbani * Aqiqah HISTORY. * Haj (pi Igrimage) * Haj e Badl * Ziyaarat of AI Madinah ){ Nikaah (marriage) * Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq R.A. ){ Talaq (divorce) * Iddat (period of waiting) * Khi lafat of Hazrat Omar Farooq R.A. * Transactions & Deal ings * Trust * Wasiyyat ...... ,.. - - - __ , mm _e' .-.~ --~., Wi *.@pr•._,l, ( , w+ ~,,- ,C' ffffj.i'---- T"·-- £, Nth'· t .... " ",oJ ~ I ~.\ "/ '';; ':}-':'::o:" r ','••.: .~ _w __'" ....'."_. --'.)- .- _...... WEEKLV TIME TABLE CLASS I ,') .\\..,., WEEKLY TIME TABLE CLASS 2 \,..,.',; \:;' ':".;.,') ~, ': ... ,. .::... I· I. .. I. ;.< I, .':... e 1· I _~ ~ '. ..~ ...,;.I 'f. 10 ... :. ..» ,.: t, ' ,,'.•:.< /. . -.. ._;.4 V. I _:_:.. \. " .... \. PERIODS '. ". PERIODS 10 i --" v: 60 Mi n s , Mins. 30 Mins. 20 Mins. 10 Mins. 10 Mins. 60 Mills. Mins.1 30 Mins. 20 Mins.1 10 MillS. 10 Mi ns.' ~-,/\':f' I·' \ .. '.... t ••} .'~ .2. r .. I' ....: I 0'>:- I'~ ,::~,\:s ..r.~. Yassarnal \".l/ .,' I..:"\;::' ) .:,. ,.I.),' ""' ...... ), . I MONDAY Qur'uan Arabic Wr' it i ng Hi f l MONDAY Urdu Arabi~ Writ(nq B 6 Hit z $." ",. .k:... TUESDAY to II II TUESDAY ~ " ...:,:, R " " II R " " " " (toJo.i ;f)t' oj .\J .+ ,I:; WEDNESDAY \ History WEDNESDAY J, H:story " ,! E " "" " '. " " " -.to E ,::.1 '.;o..? » • -.:;.J.\",-:- 1: ITHURSDAY • ~r " A " " " " THURSDAY " i. A " " " " ! \~ .:» ':J~-::- ...... ) :')\.:~ , .\ "':":1' -;', IFRIDAY ~l Oiniyaat FRIDAY I " " " " " i " Dinlvaat " " ) K K I ~ ...... 1'-;;" - ... ".t· ., SArURDAY :J SA TURDA y".:''' .I " " " " " '1.. " ---.I! - - " " " " . j \:,. WEEKLV TIME TABLE CLASS 3 ~~ ( ,.\--'J (tJEEKLY TIME TABLE CLASS 4 :'.' \) '\ ;>' -. - -- - ~"------, ,. , , I. .. I , , .~ :.. l~ ., \',~ ,II I. ',. \.~ , I.;) : \",-:- PERIODS ,'. 10 " , 10 ., r: .. \. i PERIODS I iJOMIn'; 20 Mins. Mins. tI'j rJ1 i ns . 10 Mins. I') Mins. 4'5 MillS. I ') Mins. I Mins _M!'.1~ 3Q~,lns, '0 1'.1, ns . I :-...... - e-...... = - 37 .._, '. I \ . ~". . . 1"\ '.', ..: "I .~ \::~ " " \ -:~:. " .' .....' .\, i .. ---~' ... MONDAY Ou,-'arln Ardb 1 C Urdu l'Ir I t I no Hi f z " MONDAY Our'aan Hi 17 Urdu ArabiC wr'I~~_1 B I B \'"' .. ,- 1· , TUESDAY , " " " " " TUESDA'( " " I " " " I ,., R R i .. \;' I , " " \'ImNf:: SO.II, Y H,s t ory I HIS~O:V I " " " " WEDNESDAy " " " " I E E .. ~ ...\ ..-, J1IlJf~~;[)A y " " " " rHUHSDAY II II II II " A I " ._,,--- I A I , ': ..... I I \ ...... , .. FRDAY " Dinlyaa t " " FR'DAY II D:n'yad t I K " " " -----" .' ..... K ..';'.-.. ." •• 1 5ArURDAY " " " " " SATURDAY " " II " " - - - ... 1 WEEKLY TIME TABLE CLASS 5 u ...... G..~~..J ... WEEKLV TIME TABLE CLASS 6 L""''>Lu ~..J'> ~ t- WEEKLY TIME TABLE CLASS 5 ~':.;~ <-...... l:..~'-'>-.J ..., wEEKLY TI ME~~BLE r CLASS 6 C"'" .>'--'" "'-?'.J J I ..!,..:..J. ~I' f'~ .....J:....;... /0 ~'('~ ~~A .....!:....;... '(: ~I' 1 ~"r: ~f. ~r. ~f. ~\. PERIODS 10 PERIODS 10 45 Mins.. 15 Mins. Mins 35 Mins. 30 Mins. 10 Mins. 30 Mins. 30 Mins. Mins. 40 Mins. 30 Mins. 10M ins . .. - .. --=-== . === .- . - ID.o: ~. l}.? ~cr' 0\~ ~ ~\:.S" ~ LJ.Y J.»\ ../.'t. tJ..r .3'»\ 'f..J\j MONDAY Qur'aan Hi f z Urdu Arab ic Wr it i ng MONDAY Qur1aan Arabic Urdu History i ~J.!1~L B B , Wr:. $..0 $;.-, . TUESDAY TUESDAY " " R " " " " " R " " " tb,.A.~ s'.lt iw)\j' WEDNESDAY History WEDNESDAY 11 " " E " " " " E " " ~~ ...;;>~ THURSDAY THURSDAY " " A " " " " " A " " " .A~.> ~ ..::. ~).~ FRIDAY " Diniyaat FRIDAY " K " " " " K """ ~ ~ SATURDAY SATURDAY .- " " " "" " " " " " WEEKLY T1ME TABLE CLASS 7 -rL~J'>. • ~..."., .J ::;... .J -"" ,-- -" -'.I • ~l· I"': \ .. ,lf~_ cr: L~.-JL:; 6!.... d...... :..:..-JY!.- 0 ("y cJ.j·~1 ~,I. .i:('l.Jij o"Jy.Jr ~\'! --...... 0 'f. --.L:.. 1". ~'f. ~l' - ..(.. r PER 10DS 10 30 Mi ns. 30 Mi ns. Mins 40 Mins. 30 Mi ns . 10 Mi ns , V·~L;.Y;-<..;;J.-'-,,~~J.-I-/' '~·;c.Yllv c-=.:.>.L'l-.!~I;..,J ~p ~I d~ ~.? ~W U,:'.J L .r::__ ~ ~ -''>.1\ f....I t' MONDAY Qur'aan Arabic Urdu History Writinq B ,. ~ These timetables are for the convenience of the ustaaz. TUESDAY " " R " " " .,,~ If conditions in his madrassah require any changes he may make suitable adjustments. WEDNESDAY " " " " " E -.;;.J\~ Tf IURSD/\ Y 11 " -- , A " " " ~ FRIDAY " " " " " K ~ ·SATURDAY I " " " " " '~l.l!ti~ ',' MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED BY THE JAMIATOL ULAMA, TRANSVAAL AND NATAL, TO THE CENTRE FOR EDOCATION POLICY DEVELOPHENT'S MEETING ON RELIGION IN EDOCATION. 1 THE JANIATUL ULANA. (COUNCIL OF MUSLIM THEOLOGIANS) The Jamiatul Ulama, Transvaal, hereinafter referred to in thi s Memorandum as "the JAMI AT" is 2. Counc i I of Musl i m Theologians. It is a body which looks after the interest of the Muslim Community in all spheres of life. The JAMIAT is actively involved, inter- alia, in the social, welfare, religious, educational and other spheres of life. It is an authoritative body and its deliberations, decisions and pr-'onClllnCelTlent= are genet--all y r'egar--ded by musl i ms as binding. 2 INVOLVEMENT IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION. 2.1. The JAMIAT is actively involved in imparting religious education to both ~dults and children. It presently ~dministers more than 100 madaris (schools for the imparting of religious education) throughout the Transvaal, Natal, part of the Free State and NOt--ther-n Cape. 2.2. The JAMIAT has helped in the establishment of certain MUSLIM SCHOOLS, which schools have been formed to imp2rt education with an Islamic ethos in an Islamic atmosphere. These MUSLIM SCHOOLS have b:=:'2n fo,--med 4:0 imp2r·t -both secul s-r and 151 ti:'"i C ~nowledge, with a'suitable balance, based on integrated time ~able. Both these aspects complement each other and the JAMIAT is promoting this concept. 2.3. Ulama (Jurists) who are members at th~ JAMIAT serve en the 0::ecLlti\e=.~t i4.1-;.5. ( h5=(jci.::~tion of j-jusli::-, Schools) ,a co-or-dina:in9 bod v to vihom most 1'1uslirr: s c hooLs. ~'re ~ffili'"·ted. 3. RELIGION IN EDUCATION. 3.1. The JAMIAT acknowledges th~t religion plays a very significant role in the lives of the people. Whilst the JAMIAT concedes that the State has a major responsibility in providing religious education, it believes that imparting such knowledge is the pr'imar-y ,..-;;:·sponsibility of p eron t s in general, and religious institutions in particular. [2] 3.2. Islam is a complete ~ay of life and needs both the factual and spiritual aspects of Islamic education to be provided for. The factual side needs to have proper syllabi, teachers and examination. Whereas the spiritual aspects needs to be provided for by competent persons. The limited time available in the formal school time table ~ill not be able to provide for this need. 3.3. To this end, the JAHIAT has, over a period of time, developed an infra-structure ~hich is second to none, and which caters for this need. It has trained educators, who are all highly skilled in their 3.4. While the JAHIAT is of the opinion that religious education should be provided for by the respective community organisations, if it is felt by most interested parties that religion in education must be introduced then, the JAMIAT believes that it should be subject to strict controls by e~perts in various spheres, to ensure: 3.4.1. That there is no indoctrination of students. This is of paramount importance; 3.4.2. That the educators are highly qualified, and that they be under the direct control and supervision of religious institutions, like the JAMIAT in the case of Muslim educators. 3.4.3. -That the children be subject to continuous assessment by such authoritative religious bodies; 3.4.4. that the curriculum be-devised by and be subject to the approval of such authoritative bodies; 3.4.5. that religion is not used to confuse young and innocent children in their formative years; 3.~.6. that the school time do not affect the e~isting afternoon religious schools. ~ 3.4.7. it is based on the "PARTICULARISTIC MODEL" in that the individual ~ill have the right to study his o~n religion only, subject to the controls which have already been mentioned above. (3] 4 GENERAL It is the view of the JAMIAT that, if religion is to be introduced in education, then it must be conf~ned to the following principles: 4.1.1. it should not cause confusion in the child during its learning process. 4.1.2. result in intolerance; 4.1.3. have the effect of dividing and fragmenting the people of South Africa; 4.1.4. give rise to ridicule and be counter productive; ..•~ 4.1.5. se~ve as a catalyst to disrespect, or lose respect for the value of the diverse cultural and religious traditions of all our people. In addition the following principles should be followed: 4.1.6. that the young child should be introduced only to his or her. own religion in the formative years by teachers of his/her own religious group. In this way, one will prevent confusion between what is taught at home and at religious schools, on t.he other hand, and what the child learns at school, on the other. 4.1.7. as soon as the child attains maturity and is capable of determining right from wrong, he or she may then be int~oduc~d to the core moral values of different religions by teachers of his/her religious group so as to enable him/her to understand and appreciate and ~espect religious differences. 5 The JAHIAT is of the view that the entire concept of RELIGION IN EDUCATION is a matter which must be thoroughly debated, bearing in mind that people may be sensitive to accept the religious teachings and beliefs of others. 5.1. The JAMIAT is prepared to assist wherever necessary and extends an invitation to all concerned to discuss this aspect from the Islamic view point. The JAHIAT is at all times available to assist and co operate with the authorities in this regard. JAHIATUL OLAHA - TRANSVAAL JOHANNESBURG 24 Hay 1994. 20 HAY 1994.