Dr. Suhaib Ahmad Khan*
Our country is privileged to have a large number of Madrasas, which play a crucial role in contributing to the national “Education for All” program. Beyond imparting religious education, many Madrasas promote the learning of Arabic, Persian, and Urdu. This vast network provides Moazzins, Imams, Khatibs, Qazis, and Muftis, and has historically produced scholars such as Ulema, judges, teachers, administrators, scientists, and planners. Notable figures like Sher Shah Suri, Abul Fazl, Faizi, Todar Mal, and Fateh Ullah Shirazi are products of Madrasa education.
Madrasa education has benefited not only Muslims but people of various faiths, fostering national integration and cultural synthesis in a pluralistic society. For more than seven centuries, the educational system in Madrasas has effectively met the socio-economic and political needs of the country.
The word Madrasah is derived from the tri-consonantal Semitic root د-ر-س (D-R-S),