Islamic Education

INTRODUCTION The first time I visited a large madrasa (Islamic seminary), I was struck by its presence, and spontaneously uttered, “Madinat al-‘Ilm,” which means “city of knowledge.” Every madrasa is essentially a city of knowledge, with only the distinction being that some are larger cities while others are smaller. During the early period of Islam, when Muslims spread across various countries, they established such cities of knowledge wherever they went. This was a new chapter in history. In ancient times, l arge structures were generally built either as massive temples, palaces, forts, or tombs. The concept of educational institutions, in the modern sense, did not exist in ancient times. A Western scholar has rightly noted that the idea of universal education and hundred percent literacy was introduced to history for the first time by Muslims. Where did this intellectual inclination among Muslims come from? It was directly a result of the Quran. If the Quran is read with an open mind, it becomes evident that the Quran emphasizes knowledge, education, and learning more than anything else. It can be stated without exaggeration that the Quran was the first book to break knowledge out of a restricted sphere and introduce humanity to the concept of mass education.