Friday, December 31, 2010

Islamic Schools in South Asia

There are more than 50,000 Islamic Schools currently operating in Pakistan. It is estimated that one to two million children are enrolled in Islamic Schools. There has been considerable intellectual disagreement about the linkages of Islamic Schools to conflict in Pakistan.

These Islamic Schools provide the education of Islam, learning, memorizing and the teaching of Quran Recitation with very economical boarding facilities. That’s why most of the lower class of the country prefer to admit their children in these schools.

In India, there are around 30,000 operating Islamic Schools. The majority of these schools follow the Hanfi school of thought. The religious establishment forms part of the mainly two large divisions within the country, namely the Deobandis, who dominate in numbers (of whom the Darul Uloom Deoband constitutes one of the biggest Islamic Schools in the world) and the barelvis, who also make up a sizeable portion (sufi orientated).

Some notable establishments include: Jamia Ashrafia, Mubarakpur which is one the largest learning centres for the Barelvis. Darul Uloom Deoband which is the largest, and is considered by many to be the most renowned Islamic School in Asia, is located at Saharanpur district, Uttar Pradesh. The HR ministry of Government of India, has recently declared that a Central Madrasa Board would be setup.

This will enhance the education system of Madrasas in India. Though the madrasas impart Qur’anic education mainly, efforts are on to include Mathematics, Computers and Science in the curriculum.

Impact of Education on Society


A society is a body of individuals of a species, generally seen as a community or a group. Human societies are characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals that share a distinctive culture or institutions. The behavior of the people is a major constituent in building up a society, more is the education of the people, better will be the society.

At the advent of Islam education was one of the major points of emphasis. Holy Prophet (PBUH) punctuated the importance of education, for the betterment of the society and to improve the living standard of the people. At that time the concept of an Islamic School was incurred.

Other than modern and scientific values, Ethical education plays vital role in building up a good society where people can help each other. Before the advent of scientific education Muslim students were taught Quran Recitation, Calligraphy, arts, dawah and other such subjects. The base of Islamic studies is Qur’an, hadith and Sunnat.

Civilization perceives education as an essential tool to maintain a normal civilization. Learning is a passive process, something that someone else does to you, instead of something you do for yourself. A child attends school with the intention of learning something new, to broaden his intellectual ability. He gets awareness about the societies as a school is itself a society where children from different background, nature, tradition and religion come and work as a group.

Education brings patience and ethics, the most important factors in building a peaceful and healthy society.

History of Islamic Education

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 Islam's most revered book, the Qur’an. The importance of education is repeatedly emphasized in the Quran with frequent injunctions, such as "God will exalt those of you who believe and those who have knowledge to high degrees" (58:11), "O my Lord! Increase me in knowledge" (20:114), and "As God has taught him, so let him write" (2:282). Such verses provide a forceful stimulus for the Islamic community to strive for education and learning.

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”. Arab society had enjoyed a rich oral tradition, but the Quran was considered the word of God and needed to be organically interacted with by means of reading and reciting its words. Hence, reading and writing for the purpose of accessing the full blessings of the Quran was an aspiration for most Muslims. Thus, education in Islam unequivocally derived its origins from a symbiotic relationship with religious instruction.

Thus, in this way, Islamic education began. Pious and learned Muslims (mu' allim or mudarris), dedicated to making the teachings of the Quran more accessible to the Islamic community through islamic school, taught the faithful in what came to be known as the kuttāb (plural, katātīb). The kuttāb could be located in a variety of venues: mosques, private homes, shops, tents, or even out in the open. Historians are uncertain as to when the katātīb were first established, but with the widespread desire of the faithful to study the Quran, katātīb could be found in virtually every part of the Islamic empire by the middle of the eighth century. The kuttāb 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 many Islamic countries.

During the golden age of the Islamic empire (usually defined as a period between the tenth and thirteenth centuries), when western Europe was intellectually backward and stagnant, Islamic scholarship flourished with an impressive openness to the rational sciences, art, and even literature. It was during this period that the Islamic world made most of its contributions to the scientific and artistic world. Ironically, Islamic scholars preserved much of the knowledge of the Greeks that had been prohibited by the Christian world. Other outstanding contributions were made in areas of chemistry, botany, physics, mineralogy, mathematics, and astronomy, as many Muslim thinkers regarded scientific truths as tools for accessing religious truth.

The Arabic language has three terms for education, representing the various dimensions of the educational process as perceived by Islam. The most widely used word for education in a formal sense is ta'līm, 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 the root raba (to increase, to grow, to rear), implies a state of spiritual and ethical nurturing in accordance with the will of God. Ta'dīb, from the root aduba (to be cultured, refined, well-mannered), suggests a person's development of sound social behavior. What is meant by sound requires a deeper understanding of the Islamic conception of the human being.

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Thursday, December 2, 2010

Islamic Art

 Islamic Art

Can't find the perfect gift for the perfect occasion? Want to gift someone a gift which is unique, original and artistic yet affordable? Well look no further. Islamic Art is the solution you are looking for. Islamic Art has been in the market longer than you might think. Such art ensures a creative outlet for artists while allowing them to remain in certain Islamic limits. That is, if you have apprehensions about art that does not care for Islamic restrictions such as drawing or painting of faces, then Islamic art is a huge market for you.
Options Available and the Variety you can enjoy
There are several options available for you to choose from. You can choose from oil paintings with beautiful scenic paints well spread over canvases of your choice. You can choose from wall hangings and decoration pieces. You can even choose from a wide variety of Islamic Calligraphic art pieces available in the market.
Islamic Historical Art
There is a huge collection of Islamic art depicting historical places in their paintings and work. There are even works of art containing pictures painted richly in oil paints over a piece of canvas as per your size requirements, of the Holy Journey or the Holy House, for instance. Such paintings not only add to your collection, and not only serve to decorate your house in an Islamic way, adding to the class an elegance of your drawing room or hall, but it also brings to your home a certain level of peace.
Imagine the feelings of contentment an Islamic painting of the Holy Journey brings to your home with the whole of your family eating at one table under this hanging, the two images resonating a feeling of the oneness preached by Islam. Imagine the standing you'll have among your friends and family as they walk into your home and feel the presence of a certain kind of blessing in your house - a blessing which serves to contribute to making your house a home.
Decoration Pieces
Islamic Art does not restrict you in many ways. Therefore, you can enjoy this type of art in different shapes and sizes, such as a candle holder or a key chain holder which doubles as decoration piece, what with the Islamic Calligraphy engraved or painted all over it!
Customization
What is best is that you can buy any piece of Islamic Art and get it customized as per your preferences and requirements, without much hassle and without much cost, usually. For instance, you can choose a beautiful scenery painted in oil over a large piece of canvas and you can get it framed according to your taste and requirements. That is, you can even get it framed in a border which has calligraphic art carved all over it.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Islamic Finance

Islamic banking is a system consistent with the principles of Islamic (Sharia) law and its practical application through the development of Islamic economics. According to CIMB Group Holdings, Islamic finance is regarded as the fastest growing segment of the global financial system - sales of Islamic bonds may rise by 24 percent to a staggering $25 billion in 2010.
Back in 2007, a London-based business school launched the world's first Executive MBA offering a specialism in Islamic Finance in association with DIFC.
The Executive MBA is a dynamic and flexible two year part-time programme. For students wishing to reach the pinnacle of global business, this elite, internationally-focused course will allow them to tailor their skills and learning around their job. The course offers three alternative specialisations - Islamic Finance, Energy and General Management.
London business schools, focus on increasing the impact students can have in their current organisation as well as providing tools to help explore their options in alternative roles and industries.
As you'd expect from institutions with such strong links to the City of London, there are strong informal networks forged via LinkedIn and Facebook, ensuring students are kept firmly in the picture with current market trends - like the evolution of Islamic Finance.
The Executive MBA (EMBA) is based at the DIFC Centre of Excellence. The DIFC ensures its partners are of the highest calibre.
DIFC established the Centre of Excellence to provide resources for finance and business professionals, which will enable them to update their skills and competencies, and enhance their understanding of wider global financial links to Islamic Finance.
Located in the heart of London's financial district, Cass Business School is a leading provider of business and management education.
Our MBA is recognised globally as a market leader with specialisms in areas such as Islamic Finance. We have the widest portfolio of Specialist Masters programmes (MSc) in Europe and our Undergraduate School is one of the best in the UK. Ranked in the UK's top 10 business and management research schools, means we attract leading PhD students.