4.1.2 SILENT FEATURES OF DEOBAND MOVEMENT

This great education-movement surpassed others for the following features, namely:

• Balance among different Islamic Educational Concepts in the South Asia
• Preservation of Religious Knowledge
• Education in practical arts and crafts
• Monetary and administrative aspects
• Patriotism
• Character building
• Other teaching institutions
• Authorship services

I) Islamic Educational Concepts in the South Asia

The different eminent and well reputed Islamic educational institutions in the Sub-continent had their own separate and distinct entities on account of variation in their respective views regarding works of philosophy and logic; religious branches of knowledge and scholastic philosophy. A successful struggle was put forth to strike a balance in all these three aspects of knowledge and science. As a result, the Deoband represented the collective and overall educational tradition of the Muslims.

II) Preservation of Religious Knowledge

The basic object of this movement was the preservation of the Islamic religious knowledge and sciences. The movement proved a timely and complete success. It becomes the centre of gravity for the Muslims of the World with regard to the spread of the Islamic religious sciences. Resultantly, thousands of graduates from this Academy spread all over the world, disseminated the knowledge of religious sciences and thus exterminated secularism and rooted out undesirable religious innovations. (Bidat)

III) Education in practical arts and crafts

The Deoband started importing training in different arts and crafts. They taught the science of medicine in particular. They also thought the arts of calligraphy, book-binding and weaving cloth. In this way the Academy teaching programmes assumed a universal character. It had in focus the economic and financial problems of the students in particular and of the Muslims in general.

IV) Monetary and administrative aspects

The Deoband enjoyed complete internal autonomy on account of its nongovernmental policy. The contributory contact's with the general public (Muslims) made it known far and wide. Moreover, the simple life style of its students and teachers drew them close to the people. It facilitated mass- training of the people. The administrative affairs were run in line with the Islamic Principle of mutual consultation. In other words, the Head of the Academy ran it in accordance with the decisions taken by the Consultative Body.

V) Patriotism

The boundless spirit of independence was always a characteristic of this movement because of the great sacrificial zeal to be found in its leaders. That is why the Deoband Ulama played a vital role in the struggle for the independence of the Sub-continent.

VI) Character building

The Deoband Ulama also did a great deal in raising the level of morality and character building. That is why a God fearing environment always existed In Deoband alongside learning and teaching of arts and sciences there.

VII) Other teaching institutions

In south Asia many other academies were setup like Mazahir-ul-Uloom, Saharanpur, Madrissa Faiz-e-Aam, Kanpur and Madrissa Ashrafia, Muradabad. All these institutions followed in the foot steps of Deoband. Even today, many academies work on the lines defined by Deoband. It makes no differ ce whether they follow it directly or otherwise. In other words, a regular system for establishment of academies evolved which helped in the revival/renaissance of the Muslim educational system. Now a days opening of Islamic Educational Institutes and Universities at public, private and even at sectarian level has become sort of established tradition.

VIII) Authorship services

In addition to their teaching and preaching services, the Deoband Ulama did much in the field of writing. They contributed so much in the fields of explanation of the Holy Quran;

the science of Hadith; Jurisprudence; mysticism; Arabic languages and literature; History and the Life-History (seerat) of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him).that undoubtedly they are the pioneers for the whole world in all these fields.