MAKTAB TEACHER TRAINING COURSE 2014

1. MAKTAB TEACHER TRAINING COURSE 2014 DAY 1 – Overview of Maktab Syllabus Prepared by JamiatulUlama of Victoria

2. History of Maktabs

3. History of Maktabs • Islam has, from its inception, placed a high premium on education and has enjoyed a long and rich intellectual tradition. • Knowledge ('ilm) occupies a significant position within Islam, as evidenced by the more than 800 references to it in the Qur’an.

4. The advent of the Quran in the seventh century was quite revolutionary for the predominantly illiterate Arabian society. The starting of Islamic education was Quran recitation, and the first word was “Iqra” that means “read”. • Thus, education in Islam unequivocally derived its origins from a symbiotic relationship with religious instruction

5. In Makkah • House of Fatima Bint Khattab RA • Darul Arqam • Gorge of Abi Taalib • In Madinah • As-Suffah – dedicated students such as Abu Hurayrah (radiyallaho anho). • Adults (even old people) used to learn. Imam Bukhari RH narrated that “the companions of Rasulullah (sallallaho alayhi wa sallam) used to learn in their old age.”

6. Thus, in this way, Islamic education began. Pious and learned Muslims (mu' allim or mudarris or Muaddib), dedicated to making the teachings of the Quran more accessible to the Islamic community, these places for learning were kuttāb (plural, katātīb) or a maktab (pl. Makaatib). The maktab could be located in a variety of venues: mosques, private homes, shops, tents, or even out in the open. - Although maktab and kuttab mean the same thing in Arabic. In the Arab world kuttab took hold while in the non-Arab Muslim world Maktab was more commonly used.

7. في لسان العرب تأتي الكتاتيب من جمع كلمة الكتاب وهي موضوع تعليم الكتاب.. بينما قال المبرد: المكتب موضع التعليم، والمكتب المعلم، والكتاب الصبيان، قال ومن جعل الموضع الكتاب فقد أخطأ.. وتأتي محصلة التعريفات اللغوية للكتاتيب هو شبه الإجماع على أن المكتب من مواضع التعليم ولكنهم اختلفوا بشأن الكتاب، فبينما يجعله بعضهم من مواضع التعليم، ويعده مرادفا للمكتب، عبر بعض الآخر بالكتاب عن الصبية المتعلمين في المكتب، وعد استعمال الكتاب بمثابة موضع التعليم خطأ.

8. With the widespread desire of the faithful to study the Quran, katātīb/makaatib could be found in virtually every part of the Islamic world by the middle of the eighth century. • The kuttāb/maktab served a vital social function as the only vehicle for formal public instruction for primary-age children and continued so until Western models of education were introduced in the modern period. • Even at present, it has exhibited remarkable durability and continues to be an important means of religious instruction in mauslim countries.

9. Children’s Education • Prisoners of War from the battle of Badr earned freedom by teaching ten Muslim children how to read and write. One of those children was Zaid Bin Thabit RA (Compiler of the Qur’aan) and another child came to his mother crying because the teacher hit him. • Umar Bin Khattab RA returned to Madina from the conquest of Jerusalem on Thursday and he made Friday as a day of rest for children.

10. Ghiyath Bin Shabeeb RH narrated that when he was a child and was studying in a kuttab in Qayrowin (Tunisia), Sufyaan Bin Wahab RA the companion of the Prophet (SallallahoAlayhiWaSallam) used to pass our kuttab and he used to give salaam to us and he was wearing a turban the end of which was behind his back. Abu Qasim Al-Balkhi RH taught 3000 children in his maktab. He used to ride a donkey in his maktab from one end to the other, to oversee the students.

11. Islamic Education of Girls • took place in houses of rulers/wealthy people or Ulama. • In some places arrangements were made for boys to be taught in the morning and for girls in the afternoon.

12. Famous Matab teachers Abu Ali Shaqraan Bin Ali Hamadaani RH (died 168 H) was a jurist in Tunisia and was known as a great worshipper. Asad Bin Al-Furaatconquerer of Sicily, Italy (martyred 213H), was a maktab teacher at the beginning of his career. Hasnoon Ad-Dabbaagh lived in the 3rd century of Islam.

13. Mihriz Bin KhalfIbnAbiRazeen (died 413H ) used to teach children principles of deen, Arabic, Akhlaaq and virtues. Others famous teachers of children were SalihKalbi, Abu Abdur Rahman Salmi, Ma’bad al Juhani, Qays Bin Saad, Ataa Bin AbiRabaah, Al-Kumait Ash-Shaair, Abdul Hameed (scribe of BaniUmayyah), Abu UbaidQasim Bin Salaam, Az-Zuhri, Al-A’amash …..

14. Famous Female Maktab Teachers • The sahaabiyyahShifaaBint Abdullah Al- ‘Adawiyyah • Aabidaa Al-Jujaniyyah (d.348H in Baghdad) • Aaighur Bin Abdullah Turkiyyah(d. 540H in in Daahistaan) • Shams UdDuhaaBint Muhammad Al-Waaidh(d. 583H in Makkah) • Aisha the wife of ShujaaUd Deen Bin Al-Maagh(d. 655H in Damascus), • There are many more mentioned in the book TaraajimAa’laam un Nisaa (Arabic)

15. Finances of Maktabs • Rulers and wealthy well wishers used to oversee the needs of the maktab such as salaries and any needs of students. • These well wishers used to buy fruit for the teachers and honour them by perfuming them on their heads with perfume oils to encourage and motivate them to be devoted to teaching. • Hashim Bin MasroorTameemi was a famous well wisher of maktabs in Tunisia.

16. Subjects taught in maktabs • The main subjects taught in a maktab at the elementary level were • reading the Qur’aan and it’s related sciences such as tajweed and tafseer in a simple manner • fiqh of the most essential worship that is repeatedly performed such as tahaara, salaat, fasting.

17. the second phase was to learn basic Arabic grammar, memorisationof poetry and various Islamic and linguistic sciences in verse form, literature related to ahkaam(shariah rulings) and aadaab (etiquettes) of deen, society and akhlaaq (character).

18. The Arabic language has three terms for education, representing the various dimensions of the educational process as perceived by Islam. • Ta’lim • Tarbiyyah • Ta’deeb

19. Ta'līm - most widely used word for education in a formal sense is from the root 'alima (to know, to be aware, to perceive, to learn), which is used to denote knowledge being sought or imparted through instruction and teaching. • Tarbiyah – from ‘raba’ (to increase, to grow, to rear), implies a state of spiritual and ethical nurturing in accordance with the will of Allah. • Ta’deeb, from ‘aduba’ (to be cultured, refined, well-mannered), suggests a person's development of sound social behavior. ‘Sound’ requires a deeper understanding of the Islamic conception of the human being.