THE
HOWZA
EDUCATION
SYSTEM
from
www.hujjat-workshop.org
A
theology
student
has
three
levels
to go
through
to
become
an
mujtahid
or a
faqih.
These
are as
follows:
I.
Introductory
Level
(muqaddamat)
This
level of
theological
education
concentrates
an
Arabic
grammar,
syntax,
rhetorics
etc., as
well as
some
literature
and
logic.
Theological
seminaries
mostly
teach
general
books in
this
level.
The
reason
for the
emphasis
on
Arabic
is that
the
Quran
and all
the
important
Islamic
books
and the
ahadith
are in
Arabic.
It would
normally
take
seven
years to
complete
this
stage.
The
following
books
are
taught
in this
level in
the
order of
priority:
Jami’ul-Muqaddamat
is in 14
small
volumes,
in Farsi
and
Arabic.
Arabic
grammar,
syntax,
logic,
method
of
reading
and
exercises
in
conjugation
are
taught.
The
objective
of the
course
is to
teach
introductory
Arabic
syntax
to the
student
and to
prepare
him for
learning
the
subsequent
courses.
Books
recently
used for
this
course
are The
New
Arabic,
and
simple
Grammar.
Siuti
explains
Arabic
syntax.
The new
book
used for
this
course
is Al-Qava’id
ul-Assassi
(Basic
Principles).
Mughani
completes
the
grammar
and
syntax
courses
and
teaches
the
student
Arabic
grammar
in
relation
to
literature.
Tahzib
is the
new book
used for
the
course.
Hashieh
teaches
the
student
basic
logic.
The new
book
used in
the
field is
Al-Mantiq
(The
Logic).
Mutaval,
or a
summary
of it,
teaches
rhetorics
and
speech.
The
objective
of the
course
is to
familiarise
the
student
with the
art of
speech
and
rhetoric
and to
enable
him to
understand
the
Quran
and more
difficult
texts.
The new
books
used for
the
course
are
Balaghat
(Eloquence)
or
Javahir
ul-Balagha
(Essence
of
Eloquence).
II.
Inetermediate
Level
(sat’h)
Sat’h
means
superficies,
and is
referred
to
reading
directly
from the
books
and
learning
from
them.
When a
theology
student
completes
the
requirements
of the
introductory
stage,
he is
promoted
to the
intermediate
level.
Here, he
is
taught
Islamic
theology
and
principles
which he
learns
to
reason
out.
It
normally
takes
eight
years to
complete
the
intermediate
level.
Only the
larger
and more
important
theological
seminaries
run the
intermediate
course.
The
following
books
are
taught
in this
level in
order of
priority:
Ma’alem
ul-Usool
teaches
the
student
basic
theology
in a
reasoned
manner.
The new
book
used for
the
purpose
is a
summary
of
Ma’alem.
Qavanin,
authored
by Mirza-e
Qummi,
teaches
theology
in more
depth.
The new
book
used is
Usul
ul-Fiqh.
Lum’ah,
by
Shahid
Thani,
teaches
the
foundations
of
canonical
theology
(ijtihad).
Makasib,
authored
by
Sheikh
Murtadha
Ansari,
teaches
canonical
problems
and
profound
answers
to them
and aims
at
getting
the
student
to
master
the
rules of
Islamic
theology
and its
application.
Rasa’il
teaches
rational
reasons
of
theology
and aims
at
getting
the
student
to
master
the
rational
reasons
of
theology.
Kefayat
ul-Usool,
authored
by Mulla
Mohammad
Kazem
Khurassani,
teaches
theology
and its
principles
as well
as its
problems,
and
establishes
full
mastery
of
theology
and its
problems.
Theology
students
may also
take
selective
courses
at this
level,
in the
following
order of
priority:
Manzuma
teaches
a series
of basic
philosophy
lessons
and is a
prerequisite
for
theology
students
who plan
to read
philosophy.
The
length
of this
course
together
with
isharat
is three
years.
Isharat
teaches
philosophy
and
gnosticism.
Bidayat
ul-Hakama
teaches
a
summary
of
philosophical
titles
and
topics
in one
year.
Nahayat
ul-Hakama
teaches
philosophical
topics
in the
intermediate
level in
two
years.
Assfar
is a
descriptive
course
of
philosophical
topics
at the
advanced
level,
taught
in three
years.
Sharh-e
Tajrid
teaches
natural
sciences
and
divinities
as
viewed
by
orators
and aims
to teach
the
theology
student
the
arguments
in two
years.
Maqamat-e
Hariri
and
Maqamat-e
Hamedani
familiarise
theology
students
with
Arabic
literature.
Each
would
take two
and a
half
years
but
Mu’alaqat-e
Sab’a
may also
be read
together
with one
of them.
III.
Advanced
Level
(kharij)
Having
mastered
the
lower
courses
and
understood
the
narrations
and
hadiths,
the
theology
student
enters
the
advanced
level
with the
permission
of his
teachers
and upon
sitting
some
kind of
examination.
This
level,
in fact,
is the
stage of
research
for a
theology
student,
leading
him
ultimately
to
become
an
Islamic
jurisprudent
or
theologian.
(marja’
taqlid)
themselves.
On this
level,
the
teacher
discusses
the
opinions
of the
important
Islamic
canonists
and
those of
his own
and
allows
his
students
to enter
debates
with
him.
This
stage of
theological
education
may go
on for
as long
as
needed
for the
theology
student
to
acquire
the
power of
interpreting
theological
issues ,
and form
his own
opinion
and
judgement
about
them.
Nevertheless
the
students
may
leave
from
theological
seminaries
at any
stage
they
wish.
Only a
smaller
number
continue
their
theological
education
to
become
scholars
and a
larger
number
drop out
after
completing
one or
two
stages.
No
certificates
of
graduation
are
issued
by the
seminaries.
However,
when a
theology
student
becomes
a
scholar,
his
teacher
or
teachers
issue a
certificate
at his
request
which
authorises
him to
use his
own
judgement
concerning
theological
issues.
Ijtihad)
means
the
power to
refer to
the four
sources
of
reason,
the
Quran,
Tradition,
Concensus
and
Wisdom,
and
interpret
the
theological
issues
on their
basis.
Topics
As
explained
before,
topics
of study
in
theological
seminaries
consist
of
Arabic
literature,
principles
of
theology,
theology
and
rational
sciences
which
include
logic,
arguments
and
philosophy.
The
first
three
are more
in
demand
than the
last in
which
works by
Islamic
philosophers
such as
Mulla
Sadra
and
Mulla
Haadi
Sabzevari
are
taught.
In the
advanced
level,
other
courses
are also
taught.
These
include:
Rijal,
which is
a
research
into
biographies
of
hadith
tellers.
Diraya,
which
discusses
the
documents
on the
basis of
which
hadiths
are
told,
and the
course
through
which a
document
is
traced
back to
the
original
text.
History
of
Islam,
Ethics,
Interpretations,
astronomy
are
other
courses
taught.
Moreover,
studies
of
sociology,
psychology,
English
or other
foreign
languages
have
become
more
common
in the
past few
years.
Characteristics
of
Theological
Education
Education
in
theological
seminaries
has
certain
characteristics
which
distinguish
it from
modern
education.
The most
important
of those
is that
neither
the
period
of
education,
nor the
manner
of
graduation
is
pre-planned
and
compulsory.
The
theology
student
chooses
his own
teacher
ever
since he
begins
his
theological
education
and
continues
to study
with the
same
teacher
as long
as he
himself
deems
fit.
Moreover,
in the
absence
of a
system
of
issuing
graduation
certificates,
theology
students
are free
to take
their
courses
at their
own
pace.
The same
freedom
is
apparent
in
teaching.
A
theology
student
who has
been
studying
for a
few
years,
has the
right to
enter
debates
with his
teacher
and take
fault
with his
statements.
To
prepare
for
lessons,
theology
students
usually
consult
various
theology
books
and go
through
the
opinions
of
theological
authorities.
Upon
receiving
a
lesson,
they
debate
the
lessons
among
themselves
in order
to
master
essence
of the
lessons.
This
method
of
studying
helps
theology
students
to
develop
in
debating
and
discussions.
They
gain
more
skills
by
preaching
to the
public,
usually
to earn
an
income.
