THE CONTINUITY OF RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE
Through religious madrasas, Muslims have gained numerous benefits, one of which is the continuity or preservation of religious knowledge. It is directly or indirectly due to these madrasas that the transmission of religious knowledge has continued generation after generation in the Indian subcontinent, which is essential for the perpetual survival of any community. To understand this, I will present an anecdotal example.
In 1994, I traveled to Spain (Andalusia). It has been commonly believed that when Muslims’ 800-year political rule in Spain ended, the Muslim population there also ceased to exist. Either the Muslims were killed, or they fled the country. However, after my visit to Spain, I realized that this perception is not accurate.
In reality, after the fall of political power in 1492, thousands of Muslims remained in Spain. The tragedy was not the complete disappearance of Muslims from Spain; rather, it was the breakdown of the continuity of religious education in the generations that followed.
As is well known, during Muslim rule in Spain, knowledge flourished extensively, but all of this was under government sponsorship. Education, teaching, and the propagation of Islam were entirely state-supported. This effort expanded to such an extent that it is said that during that time, nearly 100% of Spain’s Muslims were literate. However, with the fall of the Muslim government and the end of its educational patronage, the entire educational system also collapsed.
As a result, the continuity of religious knowledge was severed in subsequent Muslim generations in Spain. This disconnection persisted for generations until the people lost their religious identity. They became so assimilated into the local society that they even forgot that their ancestors had once been Muslims.
In the 19th century, when Muslim rule ended in India, a similar threat arose for the Muslim generations here. In India as well, education and teaching were primarily conducted under government sponsorship. With the fall of Muslim rule, this external patronage nearly disappeared. However, at this critical juncture, God raised Islamic scholars who devised a plan to run the system of religious education with the support of the general Muslim population, independent of government aid. By the special grace of God, this plan succeeded, and over time, a vast network of small and large madrasas spread across the country.
The success of this educational initiative ensured that India was spared from experiencing a situation like Spain’s. It is well known that Muslims in this country are living with their full religious identity intact. Their religious life has become so robust that despite the recurring storms of various kinds, none have posed a threat to their faith. As an English saying goes, the Muslims of this country have proven to be “the big bird of the storm” on every occasion.
Much of the credit for this goes to the educational system established by the scholars—the system of madrasas, which continues to educate Muslim generations and preserve their religious identity.
