The Efforts of Sheikh "Mohamed Bay Belalem in Clarif ying the Role of Islamic Madras ahs in Algeria through his Book" the Greatest Journey"

Abstract

It is of wisdom and fairness that Islamic scholars and reformers give the traditional Quranic
schools or what is known as Madrasahs, with all that they represent of Islamic rituals, the
importance they deserve and correct the stereotypical image that is linked to them. Therefore, I
try throughout this work, and based on the efforts of Sheikh Bay Belalem in clarifying the
subject of Madrasahs particularly in his book entitled the Greatest Journey, to shed light on
some issues related to this topic as follow:
In the introduction, I try to show the traditional perception and the wrong preconceived view
on Madrasahs and the necessity of correcting this false perception. Therefore, the first chapter
is dedicated to linguistic and idiomatic definitions of Madrasahs, especially the idiomatic aspect on which many judgments and perceptions are based. In the second chapter, I attempt to tackle
two subjects; the history and the origin of the existence of Madrasahs in Algeria and their roots
in the Islamic history of this country with all the circumstances and requirements of this
existence. The third chapter is focused upon religious and social role that Madrasahs play in
Algeria in order to preserve religious, national and social components of this nation. As for the
fourth chapter, it is devoted to what Sheikh Bay considers as necessary in order for Madrasahs
to maintain their positions and religious tasks that they undertake. Finally, the conclusion
includes some important findings and recommendations to correct the stereotypes about
Madrasahs, as it also includes the correct approach that Sheikh Bay adopts in his view about
Madrasahs, and that is what a Muslim should take throughout his life