• Jamiat Admin
• September 19, 2026

Ulama Emphasize the Establishment of Maktabs, Religious Training, and the Preservation of Islamic Identity

Mumbai: September 18 (Press Release): In the present era, in order to instill the importance of religion and faith among the younger generation, provide children and youth with a strong intellectual and moral foundation through religious education, acquaint the new generation with the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah at an appropriate age and provide them with an Islamic environment, develop a useful, principled and responsible generation for society, strengthen the maktab system, and arrange quality religious education in every locality and neighborhood, a religious education awareness campaign is being conducted throughout the state under the guidance of Maulana Hafiz Muhammad Nadeem Siddiqui, President of Jamiat Ulama Maharashtra.

As part of this initiative, meetings and discussions were held recently with Ulama, Imams of mosques, maktab teachers, mosque administrators and prominent members of the community in various areas of Mumbai, particularly Andheri, Jogeshwari, Goregaon, Malad and Malvani, Cheetah Camp, Mankhurd, Govandi, Chembur, Kurla and other areas. Detailed discussions were held on the importance of religious education, the need for religious maktabs, the Islamic upbringing of children, and ways to keep the new generation connected with religious and moral values.

The Ulama particularly emphasized that, in the present era, the education and upbringing of children and youth should not be limited to modern or secular education alone. Rather, it is the collective responsibility of parents, Imams, teachers and society to develop in them an understanding of the Holy Qur’an, regularity in offering prayers, knowledge of basic beliefs, essential religious rulings, the Seerah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Islamic manners and morals, and religious awareness.

On this occasion, representatives of the local Jamiats, including Mufti Azad Qasmi, Maulana Zahid Qasmi, Maulana Ashfaq Qasmi (Cheetah Camp), Qari Muhammad Ayub Qasmi (Vice President, Jamiat Ulama Maharashtra), Maulana Wajahat Athar Qasmi (President, Jamiat Ulama Andheri), Maulana Rizwan Qasmi (General Secretary, Jamiat Ulama Malvani), Maulana Naushad Siddiqui and others, stated in their addresses that the religious maktab is an important means of strengthening the religious foundation of the new generation. Maktabs should be established in an organized manner in every neighborhood, every mosque and every Muslim locality so that children can be introduced from an early age to the Holy Qur’an, supplications, prayer, basic Islamic beliefs and the essential religious rulings required in everyday life.

They said that if children remain connected with the mosque and maktab in their neighborhood, their connection with a religious environment and the mosque, as well as their sense of Islamic identity, will become stronger. The Ulama urged parents to understand that the religious upbringing of children is not solely the responsibility of madrasa or maktab teachers; the home environment is also a fundamental center of upbringing. Parents should, alongside their children’s academic routine, also monitor their prayers, Qur’an recitation, religious study, morals and character, and Islamic manners, while providing them with good company and a righteous environment.

During the religious education awareness campaign, emphasis was also placed on the need to strengthen, organize and improve the quality of the maktab system. For this purpose, it is essential to train teachers, improve the curriculum, ensure regular attendance of students, and maintain continuous communication with parents and guardians. Imams and teachers should impart religious education with love, wisdom and good character, taking into consideration the psychology, age and intellectual capacity of children, so that they develop an affinity for religion and do not perceive education as a burden. For this purpose, mosques, maktabs, Ulama, parents and responsible members of society will have to work together through effective planning.

During the campaign, the need for religious education for adults, along with children, was also highlighted. Just as it is necessary to establish maktabs for children, appropriate arrangements should also be made for women and adult men to learn the Holy Qur’an, prayer, Islamic beliefs and essential religious rulings, because women play a fundamental role in the formation of a religious and righteous family.

On behalf of Jamiat Ulama Maharashtra, Maulana Arshad Qasmi and Hafiz Ruhullah, who are visiting various areas of Mumbai and its suburbs, are appealing to the public to formulate proper plans for the promotion of religious education in their respective areas, establish maktabs adjacent to mosques or at suitable locations, connect children with maktabs, encourage teachers, and make efforts to extend the maktab system to all the children of the neighborhood rather than limiting it to just a few children.