Paper short abstract:

In Bangladesh qawmi madrasa system is often viewed as the breeding ground for extreme and conservative Islam. One reason behind holding such a view against this system of education is the stricture it imposes on the individual’s body in relation to the religious learning that it imparts. This paper will explore the relevance of such strictures in the everyday learning context of a rural Bangladeshi qawmi madrasa.

Paper long abstract:

Historically, the qawmi madrasa system (Islamic school of the Deobandi tradition) in Bangladesh, like all Deobandi madrasas in the South Asia, provides religious education for the marginal masses. Since its inception in 1867, the ideological mission of this madrasa has been to train people in a conservative form of Islam that is free from all forms of syncretism. In so doing it has faced a lot of opposition from more popular forms of Islam. Viewed in opposition to these popular Islamic beliefs and practices, the qwami system can be understood as an identity building project based strictly on the Quran and Sunnah (Prophet's way).

Pupils and teachers within the madrasa consider the institution as one of those 'good spaces' where people come to acquire the correct form of knowledge and understanding about Islam. A large part of this knowledge is about manners or, in this case, the approved ways of being Muslim. Part of this knowledge is imparted by the Mawlana (Learned Islamic scholar/leader), who is expected to behave in certain exemplary ways by engaging in 'proper' Islamic practice. But what happens if the Mawlana does not live up to these expectations? By considering the behavior and actions of one such Mawlana, this paper is an attempt to understand the day to day learning context of a qwami madrasa that stresses both the proper fulfillment of the 'approved ways' as opposed to the 'not approved ways', and the recognition of the 'good space' as opposed to the 'not good space'.