The University of Al-Karaouine or Al-Qarawiyyin (Arabic: جامعة القرويين) (other transliterations of the name include Qarawiyin, Kairouyine, Kairaouine, Qairawiyin, Qaraouyine, Quaraouiyine, Quarawin, and Qaraouiyn) is a university located in Fes, Morocco. Founded in 859, as a religous school, the university is one of the leading spiritual and educational centers of the Muslim world.
Al Karaouine University played a leading role in the cultural and academic relations between the Islamic world and Europe in the middle ages. One of the greatest non-Muslim alumni of the university was the Jewish philosopher and theologian Maimonides (1135-1204), who studied under Abdul Arab Ibn Muwashah. The cartographer Mohammed al-Idrisi (d. 1166), whose maps aided European exploration in the Renaissance is said to have lived in Fes for some time, suggesting that he may have worked or studied at Al Karaouine. The university has produced numerous scholars who have strongly influenced the intellectual and academic history of the Muslim world. Among these are Ibn Rushayd al-Sabti (d. 1321), Mohammed Ibn al-Hajj al-Abdari al-Fasi (d. 1336), Abu Imran al-Fasi (d. 1015), a leading theorist of the Maliki school of Islamic jurisprudence, and Leo Africanus, a renowned traveler and writer.
It was a clear sunny day when a noble family journeyed from Kairouan, Tunisia to Fes in Morocco. It was in the early ninth century and many families chose to migrate to the bustling city in the west. For Mohammed Al-Fihri, a wealthy merchant from Tunisia, Fes was excellent avenue for him to continue the family business.
Both his daughters, Fatima and Mariam were well educated. After inheriting a large amount of money from their father, the girls vowed to spend their entire inheritance for the benefit of their community. Whilst Mariam headed the contstruction of the grand mosque Al-Andalus, Fatima planned on the building of another mosque called Al Karaouine which was said to be the largest in North Africa. It was in the midst of the construction of the mosque that the University of Al-Karaouine ( which is still part of the mosque today) was set up.
The University of Al-Karaouine was highly regarded back then as one of the leading spiritual and educational centers of the Muslim world. Today, the Guinness Book of World Records has recognised it to be the oldest continuously operating institution of higher learning in the world.
Fatima Al-Fihri was certainly a lady of foresightedness for the location of the university within the compounds of the mosque attracted scholars from far and wide. Fes, being the most influential cities in the Muslim world has been renowned for centuries as the centre for religion and culture. The university produced great thinkers such as Abu Al-Abbas al-Zwawi, Abu Madhab Al-Fasi, a leading theorist of the Maliki school of Islamic jurisprudence and Leo Africanus, a renowed traveler and writer.
That was not all, the unviersity played a leading role in cultural and academic relations between the Islamic world and Europe. A renowned Jewish philosopher and theologian Maimonides (Ibn Maimun) studied under Abdul Arab Ibn Muwashah. Apart from that, Ibn al-Arabi Ibn Khaldun and Al-Bitruji (Alpetragius) were all connected with the university either as academicians or as students.
As time went by, the university gained the patronage of politically powerful sultans. It compiled a large selection of manuscripts that are currently kept guarded in the library. Among those manuscripts are volumes from the famous Al-Muwatta of Malik written on gazelle parchment, the Sirat Ibn Ishaq, a copy of the Qur’an given to the university by Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur in 1602, and the original copy of Ibn Khaldun’s book Al-’Ibar.
Alongside the Qur’an and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), other subjects that were also taught were grammar, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, chemistry, history, geography and music. Gradually, a broader range of subjects were introduced in the university particularly natural sciences, physics and foreign languages.
Today, Fatima Al-Fihri is highly respected and looked upon by Moroccan women for her wisdom, perserverances and kind heartedness. It was her personal sacrifice that has made her to be an inspiration to all women. Even today, young Moroccan ladies speak greatly of their foremother who not only brought fame to Fes but has carved a name for being the only Muslimah who has built the oldest university which is still running today.
The Qur’an and the Hadith (teachings of the Prophet) inspires every man and woman to seek knowledge. This unique story of Fatima Al- Fihri has shed some light on the role and contribution of Muslim women to Islamic civilisation- It is this role which will hopefully denounce the narrow-mindedness of the western mind of Muslim women. Fatima has shown to us that even in the early centuries that women who are shrouded with the veil are just as willfull and intelligent as those of us today.
Al-Azhar University: The second oldest university of the world is very famous and reputed even today which is Al-Azhar University. This university was founded by shia muslims but later turned into a sunni school in middle ages. Founded in 975, it was one of the most celebrated centres of knowledge.
The university is situated in Cairo, Egypt. In Arabic, Al-Azhar means most shining or most flourishing. Like The University of Al Karaounine, Al-Azhar University was also connected to a mosque which was founded in 969 AD. The studies begin in Al-Azhar University in the October of 975 when Chief Justice Abul Hasan Ali ibn Al-No'man started teaching the book "Al-Ikhtisar". The university is run by a Supreme Council forming general policy, headed by a Grand Imam, known as "Sheikh Al-Azhar." It is still a renowned university of the world and famous for various faculties of higher education.
Ez-Zitouna University (جامعة الزيتونة) is located in Montfleury, Tunis. It is claimed to be the oldest teaching establishment in the Arab World, since the Ez-Zitouna madrassa was founded in 737 C.E. (120 A.H) as the teaching arm of the Olive-Tree Mosque (Djemaa ez-Zitouna) and has been in continuous existence since then.
Famous alumni include the scholar Abdul-Rahman Ibn Khaldun, the encyclopedaist Ahmad Ibn Youssef Ibn Ahmad Ibn Abubaker Tifashi, the trade unionist and writer Tahar Haddad, the politician and writer Abdelaziz Thaabi, the Tunisian national poet Aboul-Qacem Echebbi and the Judge and scholar M.T Ben Achour.
Following Tunisia’s Independence, the modern Zitouna University was established on April 26, 1956. This was succeeded by the Zitouna Faculty of Shari’a and Theology on March 1st 1961 which became one of the components of the Tunisian University.
The present-day institution has some 1200 students and 90 faculty, divided between two associated institutes , the Higher Institute of Theology and the Higher Institute of Islamic Civilisation in Tunis and a Research Institution, the Center of Islamic Studies (مركز الدراسات الإسلامية بالقيرو) in Kairouan.
Lessons in the Higher Institute of Theology began in the academic year 1988/89. It awards:
1. Bachelor degree in the shari'a and Islamic thought In Islamic Sciences.
2. Master in Islamic Sciences
3. Ph.D. in Islamic Sciences
4. Superior Technician in Applied Multimedia on Islamic Arts.
5. Superior Technician in Arts of Islamic Heritage.
The Higher Institute of Islamic Civilisation has some 300 students and 40 researchers. It awards
1. National diploma of the first cycle in Islamic studies (D.E.U.P.C)
2. National diploma of Masters in the Islamic studies
The House of Knowledge (Arabic: دار الحكمة, Dar Al-Hekma) was an ancient university in the Fatimid Caliphate (today's Egypt), built in 1004 as a library until the Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah converted it to a university for the state in the same year.
Al-Nizamiyya of Baghdad (Arabic,المدرسة النظامية )was an early Islamic university, arguably the first ever[1], established in July of 1091, when Nizam al-Mulk appointed the 33-year-old Al-Ghazali as a professor of the school. Offering free education, it has been hailed as the "largest university of the Medieval world".
Ibn Tumart, founder of the Berber Almohad dynasty, reputedly attended the school and studied under al-Ghazali - although some have questioned whether his claims of being charged by al-Ghazali to avenge the burning of his books in Morocco may be an apocryphal tale.
al-Mulk's son-in-law Mughatil ibn Bakri was also employed by the university.
Persian poet Sa'di studied at the university from 1195 until 1226, when he set out on a thirty-year journey. In 1116, Muhammad al-Shahrastani taught at the University. In 1096, when al-Ghazali left the University, it housed 300 students. In the 1170s, statesman Beha Ud-Din taught at the University, before he moved on to teach in Mosul.
Mustansiriya School (Arabic,المدرسة المستنصرية) is one of the oldest Islamic universities (see Madrasah) in the world, established in 1233 by the Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir, based in Iraq. Its building, a beautiful 13th century Abbasid structure on the left bank of the tigris river, survived the Mongul invasion, and has been restored, it remains one of the main attractions in Baghdad, it's close to the Saray souq, the Baghdadi museum, the Mutanabbi Street, the Abbasid Palace and caliph's street.
After the fall of Khilafah, we the today's generation of Muslims have lost what we had during the golden age of Islam. Indeed our material progress will not achieve the ultimate standard untill we return to khilafah.
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