Chapter 12 : Examinations in Darul-Uloom Deoband.

Examinations in Darul-Uloom Deoband.

From its initiation, the examination system in Deoband was rigorous for both written and oral examinations. In the oral examinations, students were not given any prior information about possible topics and the examiner’s questions required immediate responses, allowing no time for the student to think or reflect – however, entrance examinations were made easier in some respects. Written examination questions, like the oral examinations, were not consigned to specific sections of the book and the only information that was announced was the date and time of the examination.

The question papers were securely printed and all information remained strictly confidential from students. The students would be given three questions based on what they had covered in the text. There were no hypothetical questions set, and neither was there a selection of ten or twelve questions that a student could choose from to secure a high mark for even a third of the paper. Only if this examining style was possible (like the practice of colleges and universities), then there would probably be no student left unsuccessful. In the examination hall there was a strict invigilation process to ensure the students could not receive any help or support. It is a shame that other madaris-e arabia are not so vigilant and strict, and for that reason there are many shortcomings in the Arabic education. The teachers and examiners of Darul-Uloom Deoband would also participate in oral and written examinations at other madraris and they were given guidelines not to use any strict practice that they used in Darul-Uloom Deoband. As a result, when students of Darul-Uloom Deoband enrolled into any institute (for Molvi Fadhil or Molvi Alim courses) or took examinations in their English language studies, they would receive outstanding results in comparison to their peers and there are many examples of this.

When I enrolled into Darul-Uloom, Janab Haji Aabid Hussayn sahib marhoom was the Mohtamim (Principal). After some time, Janab Munshi Fadhl Haq Sahib Marhoom was appointed the Mohtamim and the above mentioned Hadhrat Haji Sahib was given the responsibility as the Sadr Mohtamim (Chief Principal) and member of Majilise Shu’ra (consultative council). Thereafter, Molana Mohammad Muneer Sahib Nanowtwi RA became the Mohtamim, followed by Molana Hafiz Ahmad Sahib (guided son of Hadhrat Molana Mohammad Qasim Sahib Nanowtwi RA in approximately 1317 Hijri (1928). He became the Mohtamim because of some events that took place and he remained in that role during his lifetime until 1347 Hijri (1928), and Darul-Uloom Deoband made exceptional advancements during his leadership.

In the year I started Deoband, the residents of Deoband would support students with food provisions. Some residents arranged for two daily meals for up to one, two or more students. This was the arrangement in the early years and very few cash stipends were given for meals. Later however, some problems arose so Darul-Uloom saw it necessary to give out cash stipends for meals to all students. Later provisions were made for a kitchen in Darul-Uloom and this new arrangement meant there no longer remained a need for residents to provide meals or the necessity to give cash stipends to students.

During the early period, Darul-Uloom also arranged our meals; my provision came from Molana Hafiz Ahmad Sahib’s home (guided son of Hadhrat Molana Mohammad Qasim Sahib Nanowtwi RA), my elder brother’s provision was from Shaykhul Hind RA’s home and my brother Saeed Ahmad’s was from another home. During the majority of my stay in Deoband, my meal provision remained under the charge of Molana Hafiz Ahmad Sahib (guided Son of Hadhrat Molana Mohammad Qasim Sahib Nanowtwi RA). Jazahumullah Khayral jaza.

 The meal allocation system allowed the student to be completely free to absorb himself in his studies. In contrast, the cash stipends for meals or own food arrangements wasted a great deal of time.  I was dispassionate and inattentive towards my studies in the early days, however, as time passed and the more my studies progressed, alhumdulillah my natural inclination towards it increased and my devotion for knowledge deepened. There were no longer any harsh restrictions placed upon me, yet I personally began to dislike play and pastimes and found little time for it.

At first, my main interest was in mantiq (logic) and philosophy and thereafter in ilmul-adab (The science of philology). I memorised qasaid upon qasaid (poems) and passages upon passages of Muqamaat Hareeri (The Assemblies of Al-Hariri), Diwane Mutanabbi and Sab’a Muallaqa (The Seven Suspended Odes). Thereafter, my interest and devotion for ilmul-Hadaeeth deepened and the prior two interests lessened. The remaining duration of my student days were spent absorbed in ilmul-Hadeeth.

Since the early days, there were three pass grades: eighteen, nineteen and twenty. A high-level pass mark was twenty, the average level pass mark was nineteen and a low-level pass mark was eighteen. Any student who scored lower than eighteen fell below the awarding pass mark boundaries had failed their examination. On the other hand, a student of exceptional ability could receive marks above twenty and was classed as outstanding. In those days, I would score twenty-one, twenty-two and twenty-three marks in my kitabs- ahumdulillah. Later the madrasah committee changed this ruling regarding pass marks because of educational and examination requirements: the changes meant that the lower level pass mark was now forty, the average level pass mark was forty-five marks and a high-level pass mark was fifty. Following this change, I would score fifty-one, fifty-two and fifty-three marks and in Sadra I achieved up to seventy-five marks walhumduliah.

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The next chapter to be uploaded will be based on Shaykhul Islam's (Quddus sirruhu) journey to Madinah Munawwarah inshaAllah.