Teaching of Arabic Language in Pakistani Religious-Madrassas and Universities: Analytical study of curricula and Problemsتعليم اللغة العربية في المدارس والجامعات الدينية الباكستانية دراسة تحليلية للمناهج والمشاكل

Abstract

Religious schools which are known as Madrassas in Pakistan are the most significant centers for the spread of Arabic language in the country, as the essential source to understand Islam and its teachings, which is the very first aim of such institutes, Arabic language is being given utmost focus in Madrassas not only in Pakistan but in the entire Indian subcontinent. The goal of understanding Islam and its teachings cannot be achieved without teaching Arabic language, as it is the key to understanding the Qur’an, Hadith and Islamic and Sharia sciences. Therefore, these Madrassas focus on teaching Arabic language to the students as a first step, and there are thousands of male and female students who are enrolled in these Madrassas and learning Arabic language. These Madrassas usually award certificates in Islamic and Arabic sciences from secondary to Master level and to do so, they use certain curricula in which the most books are either on Arabic language and the rest are in Arabic language. The main curriculum is divided into the following four stages: al-Shahada al-‘Ama, al-Shahada al-Khassa, al-‘Aliya, and al-‘Alamiyya and each stage consists of two years. The general focus in the first two stages is on morphological and grammatical studies, and in the last two stages the focus shifts from language to Islamic and Sharia sciences. Before starting the basic curriculum, which consists of eight years, there are three additional stages called the preparatory stage which generally complete in three years. Based on this division of the curriculum, the student spends eleven years in a Madrassa to obtain master degree in Arabic and Islamic sciences, and study more than a hundred books in the Arabic language. Despite studying Arabic language for four years in al-Shahada al-‘Ama and al-Shahada al-Khassa, alongside studying Arabic Books for another four years in al-‘Aliya, and al-‘Alamiyya, most of them are only able to read only Arabic text, which is, obviously, not the contemporary Arabic text.This study aims at defining the curricula used in Pakistani Madrassas and to find out problems and obstacles that prevent students from mastering in Arabic language as a living and contemporary language despite spending eight years studying Arabic books. It will also suggest certain solutions to overcome these problems.

Keywords: Arabic Language, Teaching, Madaris, Curricula, Problems, Analysis