The Role of the Institute

 

The Role of the Institute

Madrasah is an Arabic word meaning school, or place of learning. It is a tradition that started very early on in Islam, in fact with the Prophet (saw) himself, because of the special emphasis placed on acquiring knowledge. There is the hadith “I have been dispatched as a teacher”. Our current madrasah has evolved from the fine tradition that our forefathers started in our country and continued later on, in most cases unchanged in terms of its methodology and content. The challenge of educating our children is a more daunting one now in that the space, environment and values are not only at variance with our own, but also often promote enticing counter-culture values. While Islamic education should and, in most cases does begin at home, it is formally and systematically conducted through the Madrasah system. Thus the Madrassah plays a major role in developing and entrenching the Islamic identity of our children and shaping their ideas.