Dars-e-Nizami

I am an A-level student. I study humanities. All my life, I have been a part of an international system,     authorized by Cambridge University London, and prestigious organizations like British council. Stating my educational status here only intends to invite readers to objectively look at Dars-Nizami from the point of view of a person with modern education, which, most probably, they would not have in the past.

Darse-e-Nizami is a diverse curriculum which strengthens grip over multiple branches of Islamic education. It originated in the sub-continent in the 18^th century. The syllabus was devised by Nizamuddin Sihalvi, after whose name it was titled as Dars-e-Nizami (syllabus by Nizamuddin). It usually stretches from 5-10 years depending on the institution and teaching methodology.

I saw that a plenty of people lack a clear understanding of what Dars-e-Nizami actually means. And the most critical question that appears is: Is it worth it?

In this post, I intend to;

1.     emphasize the importance of Dars-e-Nizami

2.     Highlight and deeply analyze two very important aspects of Dars-e-Nizami.

Needless to explain, Islam has always been stigmatized by the media. Mainly as an outcome of Western propaganda. As a result, many people consider Islamic education to be unnecessary, outdated, undemanding and somewhat easy enough to be dedicated to. This mindset undermines the substantiality of knowledge and disrespects honorable scholars (Who form the back-bone of an of Islamic society).

In addition to this, some misassumptions are thoughtlessly held such as Islamic education opposes modern education and that scholars are uninformed. Islam ,in no sense, refutes legitimate modern education. The largest proof: Most of contemporary science and Math stand upon works done by Muslim scientists, and mathematicians. Conservative notions like these contribute to a dysfunctional and secular society that loses millions of its youngsters at the hands of Westernization- which promotes consumer culture (materialism) and produces mentally disturbed, self-centered individuals.

Dars-e-Nizami covers many areas of human life-Social and personal. From Basic belief system of a Muslim to the highest level of jurisprudence. It includes much of what is mandatory to be learnt by a Muslim and falls under the hadith: “The seeking of knowledge, is obligatory on every Muslim”. A life-long channel of knowledge that clarifies countless misconceptions and rejuvenates Islamic beliefs. The society thrives on its foundations. .All work gathered by great scholars has been backed up with cogent reasoning. Therefore, when the biased lens incorporated by the West begins to dissolve, the true picture of Islamic knowledge appeals the masses.

Also, to forestall one’s mind from being contaminated by subjective and distorted interpretations, it is crucial to dismiss any correlations. For example, all sick people are poor. This is just a correlation since not all poor people are ill, and some sick people are rich. Facades from Western forces, radical feminists, and religion-haters, who appear to be flag-bearers of human rights, spread correlational rumors to mislead people. Correlations never establish causations. They misguide. Just the way you disregard any lay man’s opinion on medical sciences, pay no heed when a completely disconnected person forms an opinion about Islam.

Let us now, talk about two very important aspects of Dars-e-Nizami.

1)    Enhanced understanding of Arabic Language

Dars-e-Nizami revolves around Arabic. People argue that translations would have also served the purpose. But we all know that they are not a holistic representation of the original text. The meaning and concept are usually conveyed. Although, eloquence is compromised. Especially for a language like Arabic, enjoying the title of the most classic literature of all time. For this reason, even if translations are studied regularly, the intensity of words and the rhythm is different than it is in Arabic. Consider the first two ayahs of Surah Asr;

“By, the time”. “Verily, man is in loss”.
This is the translated text. To a speaker of English, it would seem a strong declaration by Allah. However only a person with understanding of Arabic can rightly fathom, how stronger the declaration actually is in Arabic as compared to how it is in English. Now look at the grammatical analysis based on parts of speech from Arabic.

 

How the declaration is emphasized through different parts of speech

·        It is said by Allah, the most sacred speech one can ever witness.

·       Allah swears upon time which is an Arabic tradition (used by Arabs to strengthen their point).

·       A part of speechadded to highlight the veracity of the assertation (translates to undoubtedly).

·       An addedto further empower the text (translates to surely).

I am sure, a translation learner would not have had the same understanding of how strong the point is as a person who would have inferred sense from the original text.

2)    Precision
As much as I value precision in my writing, I consider it equally in my life. One astounding effect of Dars-e-Nizami is that it adds precision. All your concepts, be it practical or theoretical, gradually reshape. This usually results from studying some courses such as Aqaid (Beliefs with their authentic proofs) and Mantiq (logical reasoning). I also found Dars-e-Nizami to facilitate my learning as a student of social sciences. It gave me another eye to visualize the society.

        Lastly, I would address one misleading perception. Many people think Dars-e- Nizami is merely a prolonged study, including 8 years of examination conducted by the official board (Tanzeem-ul-Madaris) that rewards an MA degree. I strongly disagree to such narrow explanation. Learning something at such a great depth and extracting nothing but the degree is a deception to one’s own self

         Learning generates wisdom. Degrees do not

         Let Islam become a part of your existence.

           A student of Dars-e-Nizami.