The Role of Madrasa in Religious Understanding

and individual discipleship. These two currents have been a permanent feature of Islamic history since its earliest period. The first educational institution established during this period was known as Suffah. The first teacher of this Suffah Madrasa was none other than the Prophet Muhammad himself, and its students were known as the Ashab alSuffah (Companions of Suffah). Abu Hurairah, one of the most prominent narrators of Hadith, was a student of this Madrasa. This institution can be seen as the seed of Islamic education. Over time, it grew into a mighty tree, with its branches and leaves spreading across nearly the entire inhabited world. The second, and arguably larger, current of this educational stream was in the form of individual discipleship. Every knowledgeable individual was a member of this great caravan of education. The earliest example of this can be found among the Companions of the Prophet. Almost all the leading Companions dedicated themselves to becoming centers of learning for people on a daily basis. This education was conducted on the principle of individual discipleship. After this, the tradition of individual teaching continued generation after generation. The Tabi‘in (followers of the Companions) gained knowledge from the Companions, and the Tabi‘ Tabi‘in (followers of the followers) were taught by the Tabi‘in. This pattern was followed by all groups of Islamic scholars. The majority of Hadith scholars, jurists, exegetes, commentators, theologians, historians of Islam, imams, and Islamic scholars, as well as many righteous