Islamic Education

this scheme, the educational system known as the English Education System was introduced in India. The purpose of this system, as stated by Macaulay himself, was: “So that a generation may arise, which is Indian in birth and English in thought”. This was undoubtedly a significant challenge. The Madrasa Movement arose primarily as a response to this challenge. If we were to describe the goal of the scholars’ educational scheme in light of Macaulay’s statement, it would likely be: “So that a generation may arise, which is Indian in birth and, in thought and ideology, deeply Muslim.” History tells us that Lord Macaulay’s plan did not succeed, while the plan of the Indian scholars (ulama), by the grace of Allah, was successful. As a result, today, Muslims in the Indian subcontinent exist with their full religious identity intact. The storm of Western civilization failed to erase the Muslim identity, and this success is largely due to the efforts of those madrasas established through the sacrifices of the scholars. The Sacrifices of Madrasa Sch olars After declaring India as Dar al-Ta’leem (a land of education), the widespread establishment of religious madrasas across the country over the past 150 years did not happen on its own. It was the result of the silent sacrifices of thousands of scholars (ulama).