History of Education
In modern times, extensive research has been conducted on the history of education, and numerous books have been written on the subject. This research reveals that Islam has made a significant contribution to the history of education. For the first time in recorded history, Islam brought knowledge and education from a limited sphere to a broader, more inclusive realm.
Islam emerged in the first quarter of the 7th century CE. Before Islam, knowledge was confined to an elite circle. However, following the revolution brought about under Islam, history witnessed for the first time the transition of knowledge from the elite to the general public. This revolutionary movement of expanding education is what is referred to as the madrasa system in the history of education.
The Encyclopedia Britannica (1984) includes a detailed 92-page article on the History of Education, prepared by several education experts. In this article, the history of education is divided into several periods. According to it, the first period is termed Primitive Culture. During this early era, the primary objective of education was to familiarize the new generation with tribal traditions and ethics and prepare them accordingly. At that time, the practice of reading and writing was extremely limited. Hence, tribal education was mostly oral, and young individuals were made to memorize teachings to preserve them.
Furthermore, this education was not accessible to the entire tribe but was limited to the elite class. This elite class primarily consisted of two groups: tribal leaders, nobles, and their youth from the upper class, and the priestly class, which assisted people in performing religious rituals and ceremonies. Ordinary individuals were excluded from this educational system (Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. 6, pp. 317-18).
According to this, the second era is referred to as the Classical Culture period, or the ancient historical era. During this time, literacy had significantly increased. However, as far as education was concerned, the general pattern remained largely the same as in the earlier period. Along with informal education, formal education also began to emerge. However, this education remained primarily restricted to the elite and higher castes.
The higher caste or elite class was considered to consist of two groups:
1. The leaders and nobles who were the political heads of tribes or nations and were responsible for governance.
2. The priestly class who performed religious rituals, managed places of worship, and conducted other family or social ceremonies, such as marriages, in accordance with religious principles.
Education was not considered necessary for anyone outside these religious and political elite classes.
In some societies, there is evidence of education for the common people. However, this education was not truly aimed at acquiring knowledge. Rather, it was intended to meet practical societal needs. Its purpose was to ensure that people understood social traditions, so they could remain loyal to the established order and prevent societal disorder. It was primarily focused on teaching the masses how to live under the authority of the upper classes (Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. 6, pp. 319-320).
The third era begins after this, which can truly be considered the era of learning and teaching in the real sense. This era primarily started after the Islamic revolution. The essential condition required for the beginning of this new era was the elimination of discrimination between human beings, and this became possible only after the advent of Islam.
Before Islam, humanity was divided into two classes: the upper class (elite) and the lower class (inferior), or the superior race and the inferior race. For instance, in China, the emperor was called the Son of Heaven. In India, it was believed that certain people belonged to the higher caste, born from the head of Brahma, while others were progressively considered inferior based on being born from his lower body parts. Similar divisions existed in other nations and regions.
It was Islam that first abolished this division and discrimination among human beings. This fact is widely acknowledged by historians. When Islam broke these barriers, it became possible for education to move beyond the exclusive realm of the elite and become accessible to the general public, making it attainable for all humans.
This transformation began with the concept of worship. Before Islam, worship was understood as an act that did not occur directly between God and an individual but was mediated through an intermediary. Because of this division, religious knowledge was considered necessary only for the priest who performed the intermediary role in completing the rituals of worship. This division confined literacy to the priestly class, leaving the general public detached from it.
For the first time, Islam established worship as a direct act between an individual and God. This made reading and writing a personal necessity for every person. After embracing Islam, individuals began to read and memorize the Quran so they could recite it during their daily prayers. The practice of writing and reading also began to preserve prayers and other supplications. Similarly, Islam introduced reforms in other aspects of life, naturally eliminating the division between the elite and the common people.
Among human beings, apparent differences exist—such as differences in colour, abilities, and social status. In ancient times, these differences were interpreted to mean that some people were inherently superior and others inferior. Islam abolished this discriminatory notion and explicitly declared:
“Mankind! We have created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes, so that you might come to know each other. The noblest of you in God’s sight is the one who fears God most. God is all knowing and all-aware.” (Quran, 49:13)
This concept is also expressed in various ways in the Hadith. For example, the Prophet of Islam said:
“I bear witness that all servants (of God) are brothers to one another.” (Sunan Abi Dawood, Hadith No. 1508)
He also said: “All people are the children of Adam, and God created Adam from dust.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 3270)
Similarly, he stated: “Listen, no Arab has superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have superiority over an Arab; neither does a red-skinned person have superiority over a black-skinned person, nor does a black-skinned person have superiority over a red-skinned person—except by piety.” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 23489)
This declaration of human equality was not merely a proclamation but a manifesto for a real, practical revolution. With Allah’s special help, the Prophet of Islam and his companions were given the opportunity not only to announce the principles of human equality and brotherhood but also to establish them practically over vast territories by bringing about a revolution. Researchers generally agree that the first practical system of human equality was established in history through Islam.
In ancient times, knowledge and education were largely confined to the elite due to prevailing inequalities among human beings. When inequality was eradicated and an era of human equality began, the conditions naturally arose for knowledge and education to extend beyond specific groups and spread to all sections of humanity. This is precisely what happened after the Islamic revolution.
Before Islam, the ancient era everywhere was characterized by systems of monarchy. A few individuals enjoyed absolute rulership, while the rest were merely subjects living under their authority. This politically discriminatory system restricted knowledge and education to the elite and rulers, leaving no role for the general population.
Islam, in contrast to this authoritarian system, introduced the concept of democratic consultation (Quran, 42:38) and established it in practice. Historians have acknowledged that the downfall of ancient monarchies was made possible through the Islamic revolution. For example, the French historian Henri Pirenne wrote that if Islam had not dismantled the Byzantine and Sasanian Empires, the era of political autocracy might never have ended.
It is a historical fact that the collapse of the ancient monarchical system and its replacement with an era of democracy or popular governance only became possible after the Islamic revolution. This revolution had various social outcomes in history, one of which was the elimination of the division between the elite and the common people. Naturally, as a result, the practice of reading and writing spread among all of humanity, which had previously been restricted to the elite.
The Encyclopedia Britannica (1984) notes that after the emergence of Islam, there was a large-scale expansion of madrasas (educational institutions). Initially, small educational circles were established. Then, schools (maktabs) began to be integrated as an essential part of every mosque. As the demand grew and these mosque-based maktabs proved insufficient, numerous independent madrasas were established. By the Abbasid period, this development had progressed even further, leading to the establishment of major universities such as Nizamiyah and Mustansiriyah. (Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 6, pp. 332-33)
In summary, before Islam, various superstitions divided human society into higher and lower classes. This division resulted in knowledge being restricted to the upper class, while the lower classes remained in ignorance for thousands of years. The Islamic revolution, which emerged in the 7th century, was the first to dismantle these superstitions. It replaced the societal system based on superstitions with one founded on natural realities. Among the many positive outcomes of this revolution was the dissemination of knowledge from the elite to all segments of society.
The term madrasa has become as integral to the history of education as the word education is to the English language. Today, the internet is considered a global repository of knowledge. If you type the word madrasa on the keyboard of a computer connected to the internet, you will instantly see a wealth of information about madrasas appear on the screen.
