Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله has divinely promised preservation of Deen in its pristine form, until the day of Qiyamah.
They intend to extinguish the light of Allah تبارك وتعالى with their mouths, (this will never happen) Allah تبارك وتعالى will certainly complete His light even though the Kuffar dislike it.
Explaining ‘…Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله will certainly complete His light’, Allamah Fakhrudeen Razi رحمه الله quotes Tafsir Kashaf, “Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله will complete His Deen and allow it to reach the end (of time).”
In Surah Hijr Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله mentions,
Verily We have revealed The Remembrance and we will definitely protect it.
This promise of preservation has many manifestations. Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله has fulfilled this promise by means of various individuals and establishments throughout the glorious history of Islam. However, one of the most significant method of the preservation of Deen is undoubtedly the Madrasahs.
Through the Madrasahs, the knowledge of Deen is passed down by means of Isnaad; a pristine, uninterrupted chain which connects us with the Nabi of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم and Sahabah رضي الله عنهم. This is exclusive to the religion of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. No other religion can lay claim to having anything even remotely close to Isnaad. The Madrasahs are the institutes largely responsible for the preservation and transmission of this Isnaad. It is for this reason that the Madrasahs play a crucial role in Deen, and the value of our Madrasahs can never be exaggerated.
A Refreshing Reminder
Below is an excerpt from a lecture in which an Alim beautifully explains the role of Deeni Institutes in the preservation of Islam.
“Over the past three hundred or so years, the Madrasahs have done countless favours upon Islam in the Indian subcontinent. During this period there has been no superpower, ruler or department supporting them. Rather these Madrasahs are run with the donations of the poor and laymen. Despite this, they have persevered, and preserved Deen for more than three hundred years.
Today, if we have Sajdah marks on our foreheads, beards on our faces, and love for Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم in our hearts, then it is owed to these Madrasahs. Otherwise, wherever Madaris were wiped out, Deen quickly vanished from there.
For example, in the beginning of the last century communism reared its head. Communists had taken control of roughly half the world. They gained control over Samarqand, Bukhara, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan etc. In eastern Europe they controlled Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, the Balkan Countries and Albania. Madrasahs were shut down in all these places and as a result, Islam in these places became, and still is, nearly non-existent.
Imagine not being able to find a reciter of the Kalimah in the land of Imam Bukhari رحمه الله! There remained merely a few who understood basic Islam in the lands of the erudite Ulama of Hadith and Fiqh رحمهم الله in central Asia. The catalyst for this was their (communist powers) destroying the Madrasahs first, and then every classroom of Deeni education. As long as these Madrasahs remain, Islam will remain alive.
Therefore, do not regard the Madrasahs to be insignificant. Rather, understand that they are the soul of Islam. Assist and expand them with moral and monetary support. And make a concerted effort that not only the children of the poor, rather, even the children of the wealthy study Deen.
A larger number of children come to our institutes to be nurtured rather than to merely study. Despite this, Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله creates such men from them who serve the Deen.
Let us ponder for a while. The children that have come to study in our city (or country) are not from our city/country, rather they come from faraway places. Where are our children? Why do our children not study Deen? Is the upkeep of the divine inheritance and structures of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم a responsibility of the poor and foreigners only? Is it not the responsibility of the wealthy?
I recall, about five years ago, Yaqub Tabani from Pakistan, the owner of airline company AeroAsia, hosted a Jalsah in a huge hall. In it he gathered all the elites. These objections were being raised from journalist that ‘Ulama cannot be leaders’, ‘Ulama don’t know Science’, ‘Ulama don’t know English’, ‘Ulama are not computer literate’ and so on.
In response, I said that there is a gathering of hundreds of elite people of Karachi here. Raise your hands if from this gathering anybody’s child is becoming an Aalim. There was pin drop silence. Then I mentioned, “You complain to us, but ask yourselves; Is the structure and system of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم not your responsibility?
Have you ever sat and pondered? You spend billions of dollars to promote the academic curriculum of Lord Macaulay[1] but for the curriculum of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم in this country you do nothing. The institutes of Deeni Ilm run on the basis of Charity and Zakaat. You have handed over the entire system of the curriculum of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم to the disadvantaged! It is the sheer favour of Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله that today the Azaans in your Masajid, Imaamat, your Salaah, Janazaahs, Nikahs and various other aspects of Deen are still preserved. This is because children who qualify at Madrasahs are doing the work of Deen. Otherwise, you have buried your Deen. You have done nothing (to preserve the Deen) and yet you still raise objections against the Ulama!?” [end of excerpt]
[1] Thomas Babington Macaulay (25 October 1800 – 28 December 1859) was a British historian, poet and Whig politician. He played a substantial role in determining India’s (at the time a British colony) education policy. He founded missionary schools, changed the medium of education from Persian to English, promoted the training of English-speaking Indians as teachers and implemented an all-round Westernised, secular curriculum.
In conclusion
Despite Deeni institutes holding this pivotal position in our lives, we do not afford them their due importance. Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله forbid, at times we even despise and look down on them and their folk. Whereas we treat secular education as a matter of life and death, and consider its institutes as gold mines. We purposely remain daft as brushes over the fact that the founding fathers of the secular education system had evil intentions and objectives in formulating and introducing secular syllabi. Exactly as Lord Macaulay had an ulterior motive; indoctrination of Indians to tie them to subordinate positions in the EIC (East India Company), and cultural transmission amongst educated Indians. In short, he thrust upon Indians an inferiority complex, which compelled them to cast away their tradition, language and heritage, and adopt the shameless, evil and pathetic Western value system. This is the modus operandi of the entire secular/Western education system globally.
How sad it is that in this regard we have become the purport of the verse of Quran,
He (Musa عليه السلام)said are you taking in exchange that which is inferior and in turn giving up what is superior?
The need for introspection is, now, greater than ever. In this age wherein basic human values are nearly extinct, and humanity has blurred the lines between human and beast, the greatest need is for human beings. Can anyone deny that, at the absolute bare minimum, our Madrasahs and Deeni institutes produce these humans? Humans who, in the rat race of everyone building their own empires, generously consider the under privileged individuals and communities. Humans who selflessly devote themselves for those youngsters whose own parents won’t lend them an ear. Humans who will sacrifice their own family time for seniors who’ve been abandoned by their own flesh and blood. Humans who don’t look at personal gain when assisting even the wealthiest. Drug addicts, marital issues, conflicts, family disputes and the list goes on. The reassuring voice in the lives of the agitated. The lighthouse for those lost at sea. The hand on the shoulder of those unsure. The supportive pillar for the lonely. The pick-me-up for the sad and depressed. These humans are the fruits of our Deeni institutes. This is the thread which holds the fabric of our societies together. Whether we choose to accept it or remain obtuse, our Madrasahs are the lifeblood of our existence.