TRUE CITIZENS
A distinct quality of religious madrasas is that they aim to create true citizens for the country. True citizens are those who live according to moral principles and human values. Society needs such people, as no society can truly flourish without them. However, in today’s India, there are no institutions dedicated to creating these true citizens. The educational systems at schools, colleges, and universities are largely secular and only prepare individuals to meet their economic and material needs. Moral education is not included among their objectives.
In this context, the system of religious madrasas stands out as a unique structure focused on fulfilling the goal of moral development. The primary aim of these madrasas is to impart Islamic teachings to their students, from elementary stages to advanced levels at the dar al-uloom (higher Islamic educational institutions). This objective is based on the guidance of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who said, “I have been sent to complete the nobility of character” (Muwatta Imam Malik, Hadith No. 3357). He also said, “The most perfect of the believers in faith are those who have the best character” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 7402). Thus, the perfection of faith is closely tied to moral excellence.
In religious madrasas, young students receive comprehensive moral and spiritual training. Throughout their education, they are taught principles of ethics and humanity. The entire atmosphere of the madrasa fosters such values, which the lives of the Prophet and his Companions presented as role models. Consequently, madrasas serve as institutions that practically provide the nation with true citizens and better human beings.
Here I will give a few examples to explain this. Once I went to madrasa in established in the Himachal Pradesh by an Aalim (Islamic scholar) from Deoband. Many Hindu communities resided around this madrasa, and initially, some Hindus were apprehensive about the presence of the madrasa, fearing it might bring trouble to them. However, after experiencing the madrasa’s positive and peaceful environment over time, their fears dissipated.
As an example, a fire broke out in a Hindu neighbourhood close to the madrassa one night. As soon as the students learned of it, they rushed without any hesitation to help extinguish the fire, providing assistance without any prejudice. The local Hindus were deeply moved by this selfless act and developed a new level of respect for the madrasa and its students.
After these events and experiences, the misunderstandings of the Hindus were dispelled. They began to consider the madrassa as a blessing for themselves, to the extent that even now, if Hindus had any personal disputes to resolve, they would go to the madrassa people because they had full trust in them.
Similarly, once I went to another madrassa and found a garden there. At that time, a Hindu gardener was taking care of this garden. When I met him, he told me that when I first arrived, I was afraid that the madrassa people might damage the garden’s yield, but that thought proved wrong. The madrassa people were such that if a branch broke and fell on the ground, they would not even pick it up. They would leave it untouched. This example can be found in many places, where religious madrassas are playing a role in maintaining peace, which can serve as an exemplary model for the world.
