During discussions with the scholars (‘Ulama) and students of ‘traditional’ institutions I have noticed that they only ‘regurgitate’ and do not actually quote from their texts. It does look like they quoted but in reality they just repeated age old texts. Thus what they are doing is regurgitating what they have memorized
It means that they have not allowed it to become a part of their persons. What they quoted hasn’t actually become nutritional for them. It has not served as an extremely necessary food for them and they have not internalized that information themselves.
Imagine the number of times we hear these quotes but yet it does not change our lot as it should. How much we quote could be gauged from a single lecture. This can be discerned from only one Friday’s khutbah. In most of these situations what is missing is RELATING and APPLYING – in the real sense of the words. Sadly what is found is merely the reproducing of the verses of the Quran and endless quotes of Ahaadeeth.
Also, at times these quotes are used as a weapon to win an argument. This is why the aim, as I have noticed, is to ‘defeat’ the ‘opponent’ in the arguments rather than winning the addressees (mukhaatabeen) over. This trait is essentially different from the methodology of the one who had “beautiful ideal character” (pbuh). I wonder that those who are expected the most to be open for learning are the most resistant to it. The ones who are supposed to be most humble are hardly ever found saying “I am sorry” or “I was wrong”.
One will quickly hear a Hadeeth quoted at the slightest pretext – to suit only a given situation. Ignoring the Quran and the total teaching of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as well as his “beautiful pattern of conduct”. This is why I feel that our madrassah education system has badly failed. It has helped the students master the art of memorization but not the application of what has been taught.
In many a cases I have noticed that verses from Qur’an and Ahaadeeth are merely blurted out in the same manner as one vomits undigested food. The food that has been chewed very well becomes a part of the human body and is transformed into flesh and blood. It can never be vomited. The same applies to the spiritual food and nutrition which is what Quran is. Sadly for our ulama it has not become the part of the person. It is kept somewhere separately – like fodder and it is quickly thrown out of the mouth to win an argument.
Our focus on memorization and not on truly understanding the Quran has added to our indigestion. Our parents send their children for memorization of the Quran at a very early age basically for the parents' wellbeing in the Hereafter. Here these youngsters get used to the mind-set of memorizing rather than understanding the Quran which becomes set in their psyche for the rest of their lives– proving the adage, “catch them young”. They keep repeating what they have memorized without trying to understand it.
Because of a faulty instructional methodology and system (wherein the aptitude of students is not of much concern and wherein the teachers want their students to become like their teachers and not like those in the mirror) we frequently fall in the holes of our own making. We do not realize it. And it is even graver a situation.
I urge the ulama to rethink these traditions. It is the change which we need.
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