Educational Reform in the Islamic Seminary of Najaf
Introduction
Preface: Preliminary Discussions
Chapter 1: The Islamic Seminary with regards to the Shi'ite School of
Thought …
Founding Phase
Chapter 2: Origin of the Educational Curriculum in the Islamic
Seminary
Chapter 3: The Methodical Nature of Education in the Islamic Seminary
Chapter 4: Beginnings of Modern Religious Reform
Chapter 5: Educational Reform Undertaken in the Islamic Seminary until
1980
Conclusion
Appendices
INTRODUCTION
The Importance of the Discussion:
The discussion at hand treats one of the more sensitive subjects in
the course of Shi'ite history, namely the educational reforms in the
Islamic Seminary[1] of Najaf[2]. The sensitive nature of this subject
has come about as a result of two fundamental factors:
First, the conservative trend in the educational milieu of Najaf
which, like in all such conventional religious institutions, makes
educational reforms seem as if they restrict the prevailing situation
or curb the sanctified historical heritage in such religious circles.
Secondly, the position of the educational aspect of these reforms in
the religious Islamic institution, and especially in Shi'ite
institutions, where it represents a major yardstick in defining the
leadership of the whole institution, and in turn defining the position
of the religious authority (marjaciyyah) and leadership of the Shi'ite
public; where the religious authority only comes into effect for the
individual who makes his religious expertise and knowledge felt in the
religious institute, possessing a very high level of kn...
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... Beirut 1983).
The technical meaning of the word ħawza has been coined to mean the
science of Islamic studies itself for those studying Islamic studies
as a large group in a single location, and has been translated in
English as 'seminary', such as: the Islamic seminary of Najaf, or of
KarbalÄ, etc… The Islamic Seminary as an institution was first set up
in Najaf more than a thousand years ago by al-Shaykh Muħammad b.
al-Ĥasan al-Ťūsī (whom we will discuss in more detail later).
[2] Najaf: a town in Iraq near Kufa, which is the burial place of Imam
Ali b. Abi Talib, and a large Shi'te town and the centre of their
religious scholars. It is the first of the holy sanctuaries in Iraq,
the rest being Karbala, Kazamayn and Samarra. (al-Munjid fil Lughah
wal AclÄm, p.707, 26th edition, DÄr al-Mashriq, Beirut 1985)
Ibn al-Athīr, in full Izz al-Dīn Abū al-Ḥasan Alī ibn al-Athīr, born May 12, 1160, in what is now Turkey, was an influential Arab historian whose chief work was a history of the world, al-Kāmil fī al-tārīkh (“The Complete History”), starting with the creation of Adam. He also wrote a work titled al-Bāhir, a history of the former Seljuq army officers, called atabegs, who founded dynasties, drawn from his own experience and from that of his father, who held office under the Zangids of Mosul. Ibn al-Athīr spent a scholarly life in Mosul, but often visited Baghdad, and was, for a time, with Saladin’s army in Syria, later living in Aleppo and Damascus, dying in Mosul, Iraq in 1233. Ibn al-Athīr, writing many years after the occurrence of the events that he describes, and long after the city of Jerusalem and be...
In 1961 James Baldwin met Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam movement at the time. Baldwin’s experience within the Christian Church prior to his meeting with Elijah helped him analyze the Nation of Islam. This also allowed him to draw parallels between the Nation of Islam movement and the Christian Church. How James Baldwin understood the way the Christian Church worked, and a close look at the Nation of Islam, brings to light the credibility of organized religions.
Ibn Munqidh, Usama. "From Memoirs." McNeill, William and Marilyn Robinson Waldman. The Islamic World. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1973. 184-206.
Springfield, IL: Charles Thomas Publishers, 2009. Print. Necipoglu, Gulru. Muqarnas, Vol 25: Frontiers of Islamic Art and Architecture.
McCutcheon, Priscilla. “Returning Home to Our Rightful Place: The Nation of Islam and Muhammad Farms,” Elsevier (2013): 61-70 doi: 10.1016/j.geoforum.2013.05.001
Zuhur, Sherifa. Saudi Arabia. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO, 2011. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
“Library." Sunni Islam Origins, Sunni Islam History, Sunni Islam Beliefs. Patheos, 26 Nov. 2013. Web. 28 Nov. 2013. .
He presents the themes and elements of the pre-Islamic society, including its tribal culture, economic culture, religious background, prominence of poetry (how the Qur’an situates itself in relation to the poetry of the “Jahileen”), and discusses gender issues (particularly infanticide of daughters). Moreover, he introduces the connection between Abraham and Muhammad which is identified as the “cornerstone to the Islamic tradition” (84), situating it relative to other monotheistic religions. Through these elements Safi notes that pre-Islamic Arabia shaped the ways in which “Islamic discourses and practices expressed themselves” (53) thus providing the “the context of Islamic practices”
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This stands for “Osama, son of Mohammed, son of Awed, son of Laden”. His birth place is in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the place of his death was in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Osama was raised under a strict Islamic family. He was one of 50 children and was the seventh born. Osama’s father died in a plane crash when he was just 10 years old.
Mecca is also known as Makkah and its full name is Makkah al-Mukkaramah. Mecca is a city in the Hijaz region of western Saudi Arabia. It is known as the holiest site in the Islamic religion. The history of Mecca goes back as early as the fifth century. It was an independent and powerful city in pre-Islamic times. It is the religious center for Islamic people and it houses the Kaaba and the Great Mosque. It is also the birthplace of Muhammad, the first capital of caliphate, and the center of present day mosques. In 630 Muhammad and some of his followers went into the city of Mecca and captured it. Mecca is said to have started one of the most important religions in the world and it brings together the Islamic religion.
In recent modern times, the Islamic faith and culture has been scarred by bad publicity and criticism worldwide concerning terrorism, fanaticism, and the treatment of women. All these issues have existed in most religions throughout time, but the treatment of women is different in which most other cultures and religions have minimized the issues and Islam, under its attempts to also end it, has failed to create a society in which the treatment of women is equal to that of men. The treatment of women, beginning from the time when they are born, to the time of their marriage, to the moment of their death, has not been equal to that of men despite the actions taken to end the injustice.
On the board on Monday morning, there were numbers one through five and they each had a religion written next to them. 1 was Hinduism, 2 was Christianity, 3 was Judaism, 4 was Buddhism, and I was lucky enough to get 5: Islam. Oh, I know so much about Islam culture and their religion, are you kidding? I don’t even know where Islam is. I’m just kidding, it’s not a country. There are many differences between Islam and the United states like our religion, clothes, and food, and becoming a Christian or a Muslim, but Islam is the second largest religion in the world, so it’s important to a lot of people. The followers of Islam are called Muslims. Becoming a Muslim is not an easy process. You must do a long list of tasks. After you become a Muslim you must do everything in your power to try to have a good Muslim lifestyle.
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... completion to the writings of the three holy books of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Islam is a religion that has brought peace, enlightenment, and unity to the faithful. I feel that this book could guide Muslims and non-Muslims in forming clear views on specific Islamic religious issues.