Impression of superficial education at madrasas is due to ignorance, says Mufti Taqi Usmani

Renowned religious scholar Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani on Sunday said that people unfamiliar with the system of religious madrasas fell prey to propaganda, and the examination system of the Wifaqul Madaris Al-Arabia, the madrasa board of the Deobandi school of thought, was based on transparency and self-accountability.

He was speaking to a delegation of journalists and academics at the Darul Uloom Karachi. Wifaqul Madaris Al-Arabia spokesperson Maulana Talha Rehmani and examination committee member Maulana Rahat Hashmi were also present on the occasion.

Usmani said some people gave opinions about the education system of madrasas without seeing, observing and understanding it closely. “We ask and invite them to come and see the system of madrasas and then form an opinion,” the religious scholar added.

He said that if after that, someone found any room for improvement in the affairs of the madrasas, they should inform the administration of the madrasas about their views. According to Usmani, there was an impression in some circles that superficial education was provided in religious seminaries. He added that such an impression was based on ignorance.

Madrasas have been imparting not only religious education but also modern sciences and specialisation in important topics, including jurisprudence and hadith, he said. The religious scholar informed the media persons that he had prepared a draft bill on Waqf properties on the request of the National Assembly speaker and sent it the relevant quarters.

He said he was now waiting to see when the government would fulfil its promise regarding the bill. Later, Rehmani and Hashmi gave a guided tour of the seminary to the journalists who witnessed the paper checking and marking system of the madrasa.