The Social Function and Historical Development of Madrasah in the Muslim World

This paper is focused on the social function and educational philosophy of the madrasah in the Muslim world from the Abbasid to the Ottoman period. Also it aims at supplying pivotal sources for comparative studies with ���Seowon��� of the Joseon dynasty in Korea which was a sanctuary and educational institute based on Confucian tenets. The Korean Seowon is now under preparation to be designated as the World Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. The madrasah in the Muslim world in general means any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious, Muslim or non-Muslims and male or female. As a cultivating center of state elites, the madrasah functioned until the 20th century as a theological seminary and law school. In the contemporary Muslim world, however, it means an Islamic high school in many countries. Another important function of the madrasah is to admit orphans and poor children in order to provide them educational opportunity. Furthermore most madrasahs in non-Arab countries were open to female students who studied and were trained separately from the men. The curriculum of the madrasah mainly consists of teachings of Qur����n, ���ad��th, Tafs��r, Kal��m, Fiqh, Falsafa, and Shar����ah together with such secular subjects as genealogy, treatises of first aid, training of horse-riding, art of war, handwriting and calligraphy, athletics and martial arts. Overall, social life and the madrasah were closely linked. Contrary to the opinion of Bernard Lewis who insists that the madrasah in its classical form appears to date from the 11th century (Bernard Lewis 1993, 190), the first institute of madrasah education was established at ���af�� Hill, where Prophet Muhammad was the teacher and the students were some of his followers. There are many historic madrasahs in Muslim world since the first era of Islamic advent. Established in 859, J��mi�� at al-Qaraw��y��n in Morocco, is considered the oldest university in the world. Al-Azhar Mosque and Madrasah of Cairo in 959 might be the second one. Later it was much more like an organized college with a syllabus and timetable of study, a permanent faculty in receipt of stipends, and funds and facilities for student support (Bernard Lewis 1993, 190-191). The educational system well established in the Muslim world, transmitted to Europe and contributed to the higher educational development. However, after 9-11 western society tends to perceive the madrasah as the breeding ground of radicalism, terrorism and anti-Americanism. The west defines the madrasah as an Islamic religious school, now often Saudi-funded and teaching a most rigid interpretation of Islam, Wahhabism (Melissa Rossi 2008, 185). Madrasahs in the Muslim world, through a long history, have contributed a lot to education as ���schools��� and does not imply a political or religious affiliation, radical or otherwise