Question
In western countries, Maktabs coincide their holidays with the school holidays so that parents and children can have time together and can go on family trips. However some of these holidays coincide with Easter and Christmas; the rationale being that during other times in the year, children are at school and if they are not given a holiday during the Christmas and Easter period, they don't attend maktab as they are using these school holidays to go away with their families. This is true in the majority of cases. However, some parents do see the value of Islamic education & they will send their children to Madrassah during the kuffar's "religious" holidays. My issue with this approach is that by granting holidays during kuffaar festivities, we are impliedly indoctrinating innocent children into according value to other religion's festivals. Ulama, however, protest to the contrary stating that if the right tarbiyah is provided, the children will not be indoctrinated in to this way of thinking. This ignores the fact that children are highly impressionable and do imbibe subtle messages. In addition, schools provide 6 weeks' holiday once a year and these holidays are unrelated to major religious festivities. Maktabs could give 2 or 3 weeks off during this period. In light of the above, what's The Majlis's view of giving children time off from maktab during Easter & Christmas?
Answer
The real issue is that the Deen has become a hobby or a pastime activity for most Muslims, even for today's 'ulama' who are not genuine Ulama. They are morons and signs of Qiyaamah. Besides the many stupid kuffaar holidays, even the holidays of the Madaaris are excessive. Holidays and true Taalibeen of Ilm are two opposites which really cannot exist together.
The genuine seeker of Ilm does not know what holidays are. The Madaaris have also become like secular institutions with the primary goal being the dunya, not the Aakhirat. The lessons in Madaaris should continue during all kuffaar holidays. Ilm must not be made the handmaid of kuffaar holidays. Whoever attends the Madrasah during the holidays will gain. Whoever is absent will be the loser.
The concern of the Asaatizah should be to impart Ilm to those who are keen in their pursuit. Those who subject the Ilm of the Deen to mundane demands should be ignored. The Madrasah should cultivate the ethos of Ghaar-e-Hira, not that of kuffaar secular institutions as is the case with almost all the Deeni institutions of the age. The glut of holidays, especially kuffaar holidays, is destructive for the Students of Deen. In fact, true students of the Deen should be fully engrossed with their kutub even during the official Madaaris holidays.
- Source
- themajlis.co.za
- Published in
- The Majlis Vol 24 No 11
- PDF page
- 8
Appears under ILM AND HOLIDAYS (approximate).