Madrasas teach Sanskrit to understand other religions

HYDERABAD: While madrasas in Uttarakand are planning to introduce Sanskrit as one of the languages, a few Islamic schools here are already teaching students the language.

Sanskrit is a course in the Al Mahadul Asli Al Islami at Shaheennagar in the Old City. “Students pursuing higher courses of comparative studies are taught Sanskrit as they have to study the religious books of other communities,” said rector Moulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani.

The students are also taught Telugu, Persian and English. Mufti Mastan Wali, rector at Jamiat-ul-Mominath, Moghalpura, said they were planning to introduce the language. It is a good language and my teacher, who was from Bihar, always praised it. I learnt Sanskrit through him and we are planning to introduce it in our institution,” he said. Several institutions in the city are planning to introduce the language as the students are from northern states and it would help them in getting jobs, he felt.

Superintendent Mohd Obaidullah of Jamia Nizamia, one of the biggest Islamic seminaries, said, “We have a version of Ramayana written in Sanskrit at our library. People who are pursuing comparative studies at higher Islamic institutions study it. Visitors also can also at the holy book,” he said.