Sample Essay
Emadi (2005) observed that outside fields of knowledge like geography or mathematics are not considered vital to the madrassah curriculum which instead prioritizes piety and knowledge of the Quran through correct recitation of Quranic verse. Teachers were not valued for their educational background or intellectual acuity but rather for being faithful servants of the religion and devoted to the perpetuation of religious commitment and discipline. Emadi (2005) stated that madrassahs today “bear little resemblance to their predecessors” and do little to encourage “innovative thinking and critical discourse” (p. 210), focusing instead on recitation of the Quran or the practice of Muslim rituals.


