✍️ Saeed Anwar Arariavi
Darul Uloom Waqf Deoband
After Mufti Shumail Sahib's debate in recent days, the topic has once again emerged that there is a need for renewal in the curriculum of Islamic schools. Various articles have been reviewed in this regard, and this saying has become famous in the school circles that the curriculum is quite lengthy and needs to be reconsidered. But the question is, where is the deficiency? And can't competent scholars be produced by studying this curriculum? When your standard of thought goes a little deeper in this regard, you will realize three things, and perhaps this could be the solution to the problem.
(1) If the answer to this question is sought, then this much certainly comes to the fore that there is a need for partial change in the curriculum. Combining ancient Kalam (Islamic theology) and philosophy and issues with modern sciences will be a commendable step. However, complete or most of the curriculum change will result in weakness of ability. Not only this, but reducing the duration of education is even more fatal.
(2) Regarding benefit and utilization, both the teacher and the student have to play their roles well. Therefore, the teachers can be requested to teach each book as a discipline, explain the ancient books with a modern style, recent examples, and new terminologies.
(3) The third thing is that the students who question this curriculum can be asked whether they listened to the lesson carefully? Did they repeat and study it afterwards? Well! The fact is that the students' enthusiasm for hard work, the desire for research and inquiry, and the taste for repetition and study have all faded. Mobile phones have become more dear than books. Obviously, in such a situation, expecting competent scholars will be a cause of trouble.
Therefore, abandoning the blame on the curriculum, everyone should try to fulfill their duty well, then surely this worry will be removed, and the fragrance of knowledge and action, the scent of repetition and study, and the rays of research and investigation will start to emanate in the school environment. May Allah Almighty grant us all the ability to acquire knowledge.