Islamic Education

the unfamiliar religion as opposed to the commonly practiced and widely accepted version. Without doubt, this is the most difficult mission under the sky. In such a journey, one must walk alone. It is easier to cross mountains and oceans than to carry forward a path based on unfamiliar religion. By the grace of God, I remained steadfast on this most difficult mission, despite every kind of obstacle and unfavourable condition. Until finally, the atmosphere began to change. To witness this outcome, I had to undergo a long and testing wait of nearly 40 years, until the launch of the Al-Risala monthly in 1976. And such waiting would not have been possible without complete trust in God. A Non-Political Empire The educational scheme introduced by Lord Macaulay aimed to assimilate the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent into English culture. If, at that time, the scholars of India had reacted by inciting a storm of protests against Lord Macaulay, throwing bombs at the British Viceroy, or setting English schools and colleges on fire, it would have achieved nothing. On the contrary, such negative actions might have further exacerbated the destruction of Muslims, as witnessed in the aftermath of the violent events of 1857. Instead, the Islamic scholars devised a counter-educational plan against Lord Macaulay’s scheme. Quietly and systematically, they began establishing madrasas across the country.