Madrasas have always been considered fortresses of religion, centers of sincerity, and manifestations of morality. Not only is the teaching of the Quran and Hadith imparted here, but character building, humility, hospitality, and good conduct are also taught. These were the very qualities that kept madrasas alive in the hearts of the people. But when moral decay raises its head in these very centers, it becomes not just a deficiency but a dangerous deviation—a deviation that silently breaks hearts and weakens the path of religion.
We have also seen the time when a madrasa was not only a center of knowledge but also a garden of love. When the guardians of the students came, the administrators would welcome them as if a dear guest had arrived. Smiles on their faces, gentleness in their tones, and warmth in their demeanor—all this created an atmosphere where the visitor felt like a part of the system. When they returned, there was love for the madrasa in their hearts and praise on their lips, and this praise became a silent means of promoting religion.
But today…
It is with regret that I must say that a strange kind of insensitivity and immorality has taken root in many new and some old madrasas.
Now, if you turn to a madrasa—whether you are a scholar or an ordinary Muslim—in most places you will feel as if you are standing at a stranger's door where no smile welcomes you, no one says "Assalamu Alaikum" from the heart. You arrive tired from afar, but no one will feel your fatigue, nor will they ask for a glass of water—
Tea has now become a thing of dreams and fantasies; neither is there the means from one's own pocket, nor is one cup available from the madrasa's general donation—this insensitivity has reached the point where hospitality has become merely a chapter in books, not a part of practice. It is not just a lack of hospitality, but the harshness of tones, the indifference of demeanor, and the bitterness of conversation tear the heart apart. It feels as if you have entered not an academic institution but a cold office where there are no humans, only formal faces.
And then this scene changes completely…when a wealthy person, someone who gives a "big donation," comes to the door! Then the same faces light up, the same tongues become soft, the same people display such cheerfulness, humility, and flattery that one is amazed. It is as if the standard of respect is now not knowledge, piety, and sincerity but the depth of one's pocket! This double standard is not just a moral weakness but a canker that is hollowing out the soul of the madrasas from within. It is a wound that is not visible but leaves a very deep impact.
If someone wants to know the truth, they should go to a madrasa as a stranger—neither introduce themselves nor reveal their financial status—then see how they are treated. This is the touchstone where many claims fall apart. This immorality is no longer an individual problem but is becoming a general attitude. And if it is not remedied, the day is not far off when the people's respect, reverence, and love for the madrasas, which was once their capital, will no longer remain.
However, a ray of hope still remains. Even today, there are some madrasas where the fragrance of the ancestors is felt, where the administrators give respect to everyone who comes, where a smile is considered charity, and where even a glass of water is offered with love. These are the institutions that are truly serving the religion and attracting people's hearts.
The need of the hour is that we stop and think, review our attitudes, and decide in which direction we are taking the madrasas. Will we make them merely centers for collecting donations?
Or will we truly make them cradles of morality, love, and sincerity?
Remember! The greatness of a madrasa does not lie in its building, its funds, or its system…but in the respect one receives at its door, the love one feels inside, and the morality of its administrators.
If morality is alive…then the madrasa is alive. And if morality dies…then only the building remains.
Poems:
He who came empty-handed, found emptiness
The wealthy came, and every face was open
With knowledge, if there is no morality alive anywhere
Such a madrasa then is just a building
By: Mahmood ul Bari
mahmoodulbari342@gmail.com