|
||
Definition: A madrasah is any school for the advanced study of Islamic law, or shari'a. Very often, madrasas teach a fundamentalist brand of Islamic law and nothing else - especially those madrasas which are financed by Saudia Arabia, Yemen, Pakistan and other Islamic governments which are dedicated to a limited vision of Islam.
In such schools, young boys spend hours upon hours doing nothing but chanting verses of the Qur'an in Arabic - a language which is, for them, either a foreign language or a dialect of Arabic which they may understand but which is more complicated and archaic than what they normally use. Recitation is done loudly and quickly, often while rocking back and forth - the result is a sort of trance. Rarely are other subjects taught, but when they are the classes are more a form of indoctrination than pedagogy.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: madrassah, madrassas
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
What is Islam?
What is Islam? What do Muslims believe? Where did Islam come from? What is jihad? Find the answers to these questions and more in our Islam FAQ.
