(26) Article
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Islamic Madrasas—Fortresses of Faith, the Last Wall Against Trials
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All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and blessings and peace be upon the Seal of the Prophets, and upon his family and all his companions.
The Quran has clearly addressed the Muslim Ummah that it is “Ummatan Khairan,” a nation that enjoins good and forbids evil. The meaning of this verse is that when social institutions, educational centers, and religious institutions are strong, the society will be able to stand against corrupt forces.
This is the same teaching that demands us to create collective awareness against oppressive attitudes, insensitivity, and disorder: madrasas, schools, mosques, and religious institutions are not just places of worship—they are cultural, ethical, and academic centers that must be protected from external attacks, internal weaknesses, and mismanagement.
Today, those fortresses of the Muslim Ummah from which the light of knowledge, faith, and character spread—these very madrasas are being attacked. Sometimes in the name of law, sometimes under the guise of terrorism, sometimes in the guise of curriculum, and sometimes by the insensitivity of our own people.
It is an undeniable fact that hostility towards madrasas is actually hostility towards faith, because madrasas are the very lamps that spread the light of knowledge and religion even in the darkness of slavery.
The Quran says:
> "يَرْفَعِ اللّٰهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ"
(Surah Al-Mujadila: 11)
That is, Allah elevates those who believe and those who have been given knowledge to high ranks.
These high ranks are the essence of Islamic madrasas.
Madrasas are the gatherings where:
The words of the Quran descend into souls,
The life of the Prophet ﷺ is molded into character,
And piety ignites the spark of faith in the human heart.
If these institutions did not exist, our faith, our Adhan, and our Quran would not be safe today.
These are the same madrasas that raised the banner of knowledge against the slavery of the British in the subcontinent,
This is the same Darul Uloom Deoband from where the slogan of freedom arose,
This is the same Nadwatul Ulama where the intellectually awakened hearts of the Ummah were prepared,
And these are the thousands of small and large madrasas that did not allow faith to be erased.
Today, madrasas are viewed with suspicion by governments,
Their students are watched, their teachers are watched,
Sometimes financial matters are used as an excuse,
Sometimes surveillance in the name of security,
And sometimes attempts are made to change the curriculum.
All this is actually under one purpose—
To weaken the Islamic identity,
To dry up the sources of faith,
And to cut off the new generation from religion.
The Quran had already warned about such trials:
> "وَلَا يَزَالُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ حَتّٰى يَرُدُّوكُمْ عَنْ دِينِكُمْ إِنِ اسْتَطَاعُوا"
(Al-Baqarah: 217)
That is, these people will continue to fight you until they turn you away from your religion if they are able.
And that is what is happening—
Interference in the curriculum of madrasas,
Calling their graduates terrorists,
And imposing restrictions on their financial resources—
These are all tactics to turn people away from religion.
The sad reality is that some oppression is happening not from the outside, but from within.
Some people in power are not servants of religion,
But have become self-serving in the religious system.
Some madrasas are entangled in nepotism, financial corruption, and sectarian narrow-mindedness.
It seems as if we are extinguishing our own lamp.
The Holy Prophet ﷺ said:
> "إذا ضُيِّعَتِ الأمانةُ فانتظر الساعةَ"
(Bukhari)
That is, when trust is wasted, then wait for the Hour.
The trust of madrasas is knowledge, character, and the hope of the Ummah—
If we sacrifice it for personal gain,
Then future generations will inherit not knowledge, but only darkness.
Today, the trial of media, the trial of wealth, the trial of fame,
And the liberal trial—are spreading everywhere.
In the noise of social media, the voice of knowledge is being suppressed,
And the public is moving away from the scholars.
This is a dangerous turning point where, if the madrasas do not awaken, intellectual slavery will become our new chain.
The Quran says:
> "فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ" (Hud: 112)
That is, stand firm as you have been commanded.
This is the message—
Steadfastness, discipline, reform, and collective awakening.
Today, every madrasa should not only provide education,
But also training,
Every teacher should not only teach, but also build character,
And every student should not only become a scholar but also a leader of the Ummah.
This is the time for practical reform:
Renewal of the curriculum,
Leadership in the field of media,
And constitutional struggle against oppression.
Madrasas are a metaphor for our survival.
An attack on them is actually an attack on the Ummah.
Therefore:
We should protect them,
Reform them,
And expose every deception against them.
The Quran commands:
> "إِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتّٰى يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ"
(Al-Ra'd: 11)
That is, Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change their own condition.
Therefore, changing oneself, correcting one's system,
And standing against oppression is the essence of religion.
“If the madrasa is alive, then the Ummah is alive—
And when the madrasa dies, the breaths of faith also break.”
O Allah! Make our madrasas a fortress of religion and faith,
O Lord! Adorn our teachers with knowledge and piety,
O Allah! Make our students the asset of the Ummah and characterful leaders,
O Lord! Protect us from the negligence of our own and the conspiracies of our enemies,
And grant us the courage that we may not let the banner of truth fall.
Ameen, O Lord of the Worlds.
By: Mahmood ul Bari
Mahmoodulbari342@gmail.com