Educational Centres & Institutions
during the Period of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

If we look deeply into Islam, the Holy Qurán and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) we find them sharing knowledge and appreciating those who are knowledgeable. This fact can be known from the first revealed verse of the Qurán which is the first and last source of Islam and has been revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Allah says: اقرأ باسم ربك الذي خلق (Tr.: Read with name of your Lord Who created ----)[1]. We move forward and see the war of Badr, the first war fought between the Muslims and the non-Muslims. In this war the Muslims became victorious and consequently several knowledgeable enemies were captured. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) whom these captives tried to kill did not take revenge from them but left them free for teaching at least ten Muslims how to learn and to write[2]. And instead of the Qurán being full of sentences to provoke knowledge and to promote it, we quote one saying of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who told his followers: اطلبوا العلم ولو بالصين (Tr.: Seek knowledge though you have to travel to China)[3]. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) advised the same at a time when Islam did not reach these areas. It means that he provoked to seek knowledge of each and every thing be it related to the sciences other than the Islamic.

Now it is proved that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was wishing to promote knowledge and to provoke seekers of knowledge of each and every science whether it may be Islamic or non-Islamic. And for this very reason the Muslims in every period of Islam learn the languages and sciences of the non-Muslims and Abbasside period is one of the brilliant periods which preserved the non-Muslim sciences especially Greek and Indians.

After this shot introduction I wish to shed light on the institutions that spread knowledge and provoked the seekers of the knowledge. Let’s know first that there was no separate institution for education because the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was responsible not to recite the Qurán to the Believers but also to teach them as Allah says: يعلّمهم الكتاب والحكمة (Tr.: who has to teach them the Book and the wisdom)[4]. So the institutions or places fixed for preaching Islam were also made for teaching other things to the people. I am telling people because in these institutions there was presence of several non-Muslims especially hypocrites who attended classes only to investigate, disturb, and derail the Believers. And also the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to teach day and night so each and every place of his abode and movement was a kind of educational institutions which I avoid to mention. Here I wish to mention only selected places, sights, and buildings which were made or fixed for sharing and spreading knowledge:

1. Mosque of Abu Bakr: The first institution was the mosque of Abu Bakr al-Siddique where he used to recite the Qurán loudly gathering the boys of the pagans and atheists of Qureish, their women and children to listen to it carefully. It impressed them very much even they imposed him to leave Macca but one of the leaders named Íbn Dughunnah called him back giving him shelter and thus Abu Bakr again started reciting the Qurán in a loud voice which the pagan Arabs could not bear and he had to return the shelter of Ibn Dughunnah to him. This mosque of Abu Bakr did not have any teacher except Abu Bakr who used to recite the Qurán in a voice attracted the Arabs[5].

2. Institute of Daughter of al-Khattab: Fatimah d/o al-Khattab s/o Nufail embraced Islam in very early period of Islam. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) fixed Khubab s/o Irth to teach them the Qur’an. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also managed one more person whose name missed Fatima’s mind[6]. All these three persons alongwith the husband of Fatimah, Saͨid s/o Zaid gathered to learn the Qur’an. Umer also narrated that there were some more people to be gathered there to learn the Qur’an and the basics of Islam[7]. They had some chapters of the Qur’an written by some of the companions of the The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in which they learn and study[8]. It looks from these narrations that the house of Fatimah was not a simple house but it was very similar to the institutions where some people gather to learn and study.

3. Dar-o-Ibn-i-al-Arqam (House of al-Arqam): Let’s know first that Dār in Arabic does not mean simple house but it also means place of any activity like ‘Dār-o-Ibn-i-Kathir’ which is a very famous press, ‘Dār al-Ilm li al-Malain’ which is also a famous press and names like ‘Dār-ul-Uloom’ which are famous for Islamic institutions are numerous in India and abroad. So the Dār-o-Ibn-i-al-Arqam (House of al-Araqam) was the very famous institution for Islamic and other teachings. Here all Muslims including the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) gathered to teach each other. Generally Prophet Muhammad PBUH) was the Principal teachers to teach and train[9] other assistant teachers. After getting trained these teachers were sent to other places or houses to teach the newly Muslims. Later this house was dedicated for teaching Islamic Sciences.

4. Institution of Mosque of Banu Zuraiq: Just after getting informed with Islam the Ansar tribes sent their men to collect more information about Islam. Consequently Rāfi s/o Malik Ansari came into touch of Islam and embraced it. After returning to Madinah he with the help of the Ansari men built mosque called as ‘Mosque of Banu Zuraiq’ where different Ansaris including those who did not accept Islam gathered, learn Islam, and attended his lectures[10]. Rāfi was one of the kāmils of Islam. Kāmil in that period was a person who was excellent in reading, writing, archery and swimming[11].

5. Institution of Mosque of Quba: Quba is a place on the south of Madinah. When the Muslims especially the weak among them migrated towards Madina they first settled at Quba building a mosque there named behind it ‘Mosque of Quba’. In this mosque Salim the slave of Abu Huzaifah was appointed as an Imam and teacher. He was the excellent scholar of the Qur’an[12]. Once the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) heard him reciting the Qur’an he said: Praise be to Allah Who gave us the scholar like Salim’[13]. He was a brave warrior also. In a war he was made the Commander. He lifted the flag in his left hand when his right hand was cut by the enemy, and when he lost the left hand he took the flag with his armpick and when he fell down he lifted the flag with his mouth[14]. There was a house, owned by Abu Khaithamah, which was made as the Hostel of the Students. Abu Khaithamah was a single person so he dedicated his house for such persons as were single or left their family at Makkah and wished to study the Qur’an and which is why his house was called as ‘Bait-ul-Uzzab’ (The House of the Single Men)[15].

6. Institution of Naqi-ul-Khuzaimat: There was another institution situated at Naqi-ul-Khzaimat which was a green and open valley. Khuzaimah is the name of a green and light gross shining colour. Here Musͨib s/o Umair and Ibn-o-Umm-i-Maktum were teaching the Muslims[16]. It is narrated that they were teaching the Muslims the Qur’an, Islam, and the Jurisprudence”[17]. It became so famous as it deemed the importance of ‘Bait-ul-Madaris’ of the Jews[18].

7. The Masjid-e-Nabawi: The Prophetic Mosque which is known as the Masjid-e-Nabaqwi was the Centre of Islam and religious and educational activities. Just after building the mosque the Prophet built houses for his wives who used to teach the ladies especially. He also fixed a place with the name of Suffa[19] which was the centre of all religious and educational activities. Every time you can find there more than eighty Muslims learning and teaching each other. It was also a training place for the preachers of Islam. Abu Huraira the great name among the compilers of the Hadith and its memorizers stayed here learning and distributing the Prophetic sayings.

8. Moving Schools: Apart from these institutions the Prophet and his followers were moving schools. They used to share knowledge day and night, in their houses, while their travel even they did not forget it at the time of war and death. They thought knowledge as a responsibility which they had to pay even at the price of their lives[20].

Some Basic Things

Before ending the paper I wish to explain some basic things without which the article will remain incomplete.

System of Education & Method of Teaching: The Prophet Muhammad was the Principal of these institutions. He appointed the teachers after their test and interview. It is proved by several examples wherein the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) took interview of the teachers and after their test he appointed them. There was no age-bar. Students of every age were given admission to the school because there were several teachers having several circles. And the students were admitted according to their ability and quality. And when they were educated they got certificate. The students were divided into two groups; border and day students. For borders food and lodging were provided. There were two curricula for the students; basic knowledge and expertise. Some of them got necessary knowledge of Islam and went back to their houses while there were many of them who wished to be expert in the subject of their interest; the commentary of the Qur’an, the Jurisprudence, the Hadith etc. There were two ways of teaching; (1) in the way of interrogation and (2) in way of discussion 

Subjects taught in these Institutions: There arises one big question about the subjects taught in these institutions. It’s because it looks generally from these details that only Islamic teachings were given to them including the Qur’an but when we go into deep regarding the subjects taught, graduates came out of these institutions, and teachers appointed in it we find very clearly that these institutions taught their students the following subjects:

1. Basics of Arabic: We mean by basics of Arabic how to read and write in Arabic, Arabic prose & poetry. For this they not only conducted classes but also conducted literary and poetic meetings. The Prophet (PBUH) time and again appreciated the poets and prose-writers who excelled in their field even some poets used this way to seek apologize from him. The long poem named as ‘Qasida-tul-Burdah’ is a living example for it. 

2. Ilm-ul-Ansāb: The thing that got importance among the Arabs was ‘Ansāb’ (Family-tree). The person who was expert in this field was respected among them. It was one of the qualities for a person who was given the title of ‘Allāmah’ (The Oft-Knowing). Keeping this in mind the Prophet (PBUH) himself provoked the Believers to learn this science. He says:

“Know your family-trees so that you can know your blood-relatives. It’s because the blood-relation is a source of love among people, increase in wealth, length in age, and happiness of Allah”[21].

So when any expert of this science entered the mosque they rushed to him to learn from him[22].

3. The Qur’an: As we know that the Qur’an was the main subject among the subjects taught in these institutions. The Qur’an means here ‘Qur’anic Sciences’ because the Muslims were taught how to recite the Qur’an, how to ponder upon it, how to explain its verses, how to solve issues in the light of it, how to take benefits from other sources in understanding the Qur’an etc. 

4. The Hadith: The Hadith is the second source of Islam and it is one of the biggest sources to understand the Qur’an and Islamic teaching because it is the collection of what the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has said including what happened during that period. It is an encyclopaedia of Islam in today’s term. At first the Prophet stopped his companions to write anything other than the Qur’an for the fear of mixing up with the Divine words but when there was no doubt he permitted. Consequently several collections of the Hadith were prepared in that period including the collection of Abu Hurairah who was like glue to the Prophet PBUH). The Muslims gathered at a place called Suffa and took the Hadith from each other.

5. The Jurisprudence: Among the subjects of the study there was jurisprudence. It is narrated:

“The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) sent Musib s/o Umair to teach them ---- the jurisprudence”[23].

About Zainab d/o Abu Salma the Prophet (PBUH) said: She was the most knowledgeable person of Islamic jurisprudence in her period”[24].

6. The Other languages: Among the very popular language taught in these institutions was Arabic for which Muslim and Non-Muslim teachers were appointed. Apart from it they learnt here Hebrew, Greek, Qibti, Persian even they learnt different dialects of Arabic. Salman Farsi’s Persian translation of first chapter of the Qur’an is the example of it. 

Conclusion: It is proved from this very short paper that Islam was the religion of knowledge as well as the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was the best educationist. Through his saying and practice he promoted knowledge as well as he appreciated the experts of each cast and creed.

Bibliography

1.            Al-Qur’an al-Karim (The Qur’an).

2.            Ibn-i-Hajr al-Asqalani: Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, Egypt.

3.            Ibn-i-Hazm al-Undulusi: Jamharatu Ansabil Arab, Egypt.

4.            Ibn-i-Hisham al-Basry: Sirat-u-Ibn-i-Hisham, Egypt.

5.            Sirat-i-Halbiyyah, Egypt.

6.            Al-Bukhari: Sahih al-Bukhari (known as al-Bukhari), Egypt.

7.            Muhammad bin Sad al-Baghdadi: Tabaqat-u-Ibn-i-Sad, Beirut.

8.            Muhammad bin Abdullah al-Hakim: Al-Mustadrak, Hyderabad.

9.            Qazi Athar Mubarakpuri: Khairul Qurun ki Darsgahem aur unka Nizam-e-Talim-o-Tarbiyat, Farid Book Depot, Delhi.