The official answer to the question “madrasah - what is it” is as follows: it is an educational institution of Muslims in which teachers and even priests are trained. Sometimes future government employees are trained here. That is, it can be considered an analogue of a higher educational institution in the countries of Europe and America.
Madrasah - what is it? His story
Translated directly from Arabic, this word literally means a place in which someone learns something, learns and learns something. That is, the meaning of the word "madrasah" is "a place to study."
The first educational institution of this type appears during the reign of the Abbasid dynasty. The first mention and answers to the question: "Madrasah - what is it?" - date back only to the 9th century, but in the 13th this phenomenon is already widespread. Such schools mainly studied subjects with a religious bias, including theology and Quranic disciplines. In addition, students were taught the Arabic language necessary for reading the Koran, as well as arithmetic and history. In the 11th century, the school turned into a public institution. The government appointed the teachers who worked there. Perhaps it was precisely because of this that Sunni orthodoxy was actively developing. Gradually, from the institution, which was originally a school, they made a place for training personnel for public service. That is, the madrasah has become a bastion of control over the religious and political life of the state.
Study organization
The main subjects that were studied in the madrasah: medicine, mathematics and law.
These educational institutions were supposed to train officials who were sacredly devoted to the state. This was the reason for the choice of objects, because the madrasah, according to the plan of the authorities, was to become an instrument of control over the political and religious life of society. Classes were held in mosques, which were not of paramount importance for the faithful. School fees and expenses were paid by waqf. Mudarris teachers also received salaries from the state. They recruited assistants with whom they gave lectures for students, organized disputes on religious topics, and also studied literature, which could be useful in the future for students in government posts. Pupils who passed such training became loyal subjects of the state, which provided them not only with housing and supplies for the duration of the training, but also with a scholarship. The 12th century in the history of education in the Arab countries is notable for the fact that at this time educational institutions of a new format, the so-called madrasah-tombs, begin to be built. One room in them was intended for classes, and the other, fenced off, served as the burial place of the founder. This shows that the organization of the madrassah was an honorable occupation, a kind of contribution to the development of the state.
What was studied
Speaking about the madrasah - what is it, we figured out that this is an analogue of a higher educational institution for officials. Accordingly, the studied disciplines were selected taking into account this specialization. Since law schools trained officials and bureaucrats, in addition to fiqh, jurisprudence and a number of other related disciplines were introduced. The Fatimid imams, thanks to their active missionary activity, were able to persuade the Sultan Saladin to open new schools. Since he was a supporter of Sunnism, in new educational institutions, students were brought up in the spirit of this trend and were preparing to take a post in the public service.
That is, the sultan did everything to educate the bureaucrats who shared with him the same religious and political views.
Architectural traditions
The Muslim madrasah is considered one of the masterpieces of architecture, since its design paid the closest attention. The complex of structures included directly a mosque, housing for students, classes and refectory. The main room was aivan - a vaulted hall, divided into three naves by rows of columns. One side was open and led into the main courtyard. The design of the madrasah was given special attention. The buildings that have survived to this day in Istanbul and other cities are striking in their beauty and sophistication.
Cultural and historical significance
The main role of the madrasah as an educational center was not limited to the training of officials loyal to the state. They were of great importance for the spread of Islam both in the East and in the West, having at one time had a great influence on the system of European education. For example, the first educational institution to train bureaucrats for public service was the University of Naples in Italy. In fact, this is a direct borrowing of the experience of Muslims in the training of officials. Europeans quickly adopted this experience.
As a result, almost all European universities were organized according to the model of madrassas. They provided students with scholarships, housing, access to educational materials.
Madrasah today
Educational institutions of this type are not only in Muslim countries. For example, the Muhammadiyah Madrasah operates in Kazan, where students receive a theological education or are preparing to become translators from Arabic. Only Muslims are accepted for study.