Undoubtedly, the teachers of the Hafez department work the hardest to build Hafez. They are dedicated to the students 24 hours a day and night. Apart from the class time, the two major rest periods – morning and night are also supervised by the students. In the afternoon, when it is sports time, the kindergarten teachers also take care of the students. So that the little children are friendly towards each other.
Almost all Hifzkhanas in the country are residential. Small students leave their parents and stay here. That is why the teachers of Hafez Qur’an Hifz department became their ‘mothers and fathers’. If a couple has two young children together, they struggle to take care of the children, but a teacher from the Hifz department looks after the 20-25 children aged 10-15 under his care as ‘parents’. There is never impatience, not that; But if this happened, he managed himself again.
Most of those who have not studied the Qur’an systematically up to Takmil (Master’s level) in Hafez, teach in the Hafez department. Apart from this, giving adhan in the mosque, teaching tarabi in Ramadan etc. is done temporarily and by relatively few people. Therefore, today’s writing is only about Hifz teacher Hafez Koran.
One such Hifz teacher is Hafez Mahdi Hasan Russell. He has been teaching in the Hifz department for the past four years. Now his workplace is Darus Sunnah Madrasa, Mohammadpur, Magura. I asked him how he was enjoying his service in the Hifz department. Even though he told about ‘Anand’, some regret appeared in his voice. He said, “For the sake of religion and to save myself from sin, I am working in the prison.” Here (Darus Sunnah Madrasah) I am relatively at ease. But the 24-hour routine of the country’s health department is changeable. According to him, Hifz teachers are kind of ‘trapped’ in such a routine.
Hafez Mahdi Hasan’s salary is 10 thousand taka. The salary scale of HIFZ department of the country is usually within 10-12 thousand rupees. There are more, but in very few places.
Those who teach in the Jamaat department in madrasas, can also do other outside jobs, including imamate in mosques. Although their salary is small, they can manage their family fairly with the extra money they earn by doing odd jobs, but the teachers of Hifzkhana do not have that opportunity. It is true that they spend their lives raising other people’s children, but do not give proper time to their own children.
<span style="max-width:100%" class="jwMediaContent jw_media_holder aligncenter" data-align="aligncenter" id="ari-image-jw64192f2be6228" data-ari=""path":"media/2023/03/20/-74f071cbe4b2bd9a06004979b54f32ac.jpg","width":"700","alt":"u09acu09c7u09b2u09beu09dfu09c7u09a4 u09b9u09c1u09b8u09beu0987u09a8","fullscreen":1,"align":"alignfull","viewPort":".featured_image","url":"https://www.banglatribune.com/others/religion/790684/%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%9B%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AB%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE#image-jw64192f2be6228","id":"jw64192f2be6228","caption":"u09acu09c7u09b2u09beu09dfu09c7u09a4 u09b9u09c1u09b8u09beu0987u09a8","wrapCaption":"u09acu09c7u09b2u09beu09dfu09c7u09a4 u09b9u09c1u09b8u09beu0987u09a8“”> In such a situation, it is discussed that either of the two benefits can be given to the teachers of the Hifzkhana. That is, perhaps the introduction of a shift system or an increase in salary. Hafez Mahdi Hasan Russell thinks that the second method is better if it is implemented.
There was no escape from the way Hifz teachers are now mentally trapped if the salary is increased. On the other hand, if the shift system is introduced – in that case, they will get peace both mentally and physically and will be able to spend time with their family, wife and children.
However, Hafez Mahdi Hasan Russell also acknowledged the many advantages of the students of the Hifz department in the conventional method. One of the advantages is that the students stay under the supervision of the same teacher. It improves their academic progress and progress and is also tested. Mainly for the convenience of the students, this method is being followed across the country.
However, this advantage can be retained even if the shift system is introduced. In that case, Hafez Mahdi Hasan’s suggestion is that after introducing the shift system, teachers should be appointed permanently if this facility (keeping students under the supervision of the same teacher) is to be maintained. According to him, if two teachers teach in shift mode instead of one and both of them are permanently appointed and teach in the same Heifz department for six months, then both of them can get an idea about each student equally. He does not see any difficulty in the improvement of students.
But Hafez Mahdi Hasan thinks that the permanent appointment of teachers is quite difficult in the mentality of the authorities of the private Hifz Madrasahs. He said that there are two reasons why teachers are not appointed permanently in the Hifaz department – firstly, they do not get freedom in managing the Hifazkhana. In this case go somewhere else ‘better’ yourself. Secondly, when it comes time to increase the salary at the end of the year, the madrasa authorities hesitate. Even when it comes to raising the salary, they don’t hesitate to fire the teacher who has served for one year. Because, at that salary, they will surely get another new teacher even less than the special field.
If observed, it is seen that the student who should take two years to complete Hifz, takes three years due to change of teachers. This is happening in many madrasahs of the country. Here the authorities seem to look after their own interests rather than the students. That’s why Mahdi Hasan Russell said, ‘To build an ideal Hifz department, the fair rights of both students and teachers must be distributed evenly. That is possible in the shift system.’ But he left it to the discretion of those who were senior in the matter.
Madrasah An-Noor Tahfizul Qur’an Institute in Comilla Sadar. A student’s parent usually has to spend 6 thousand rupees per month to study here. The teacher of the madrasa is Hafez Maulana Abdur Rahman. He gets a salary of 15 thousand rupees. He also almost supported the opinion of Hafez Mahdi Hasan Russell. Apart from board and lodging in the madrasa, he lives somewhat more comfortably than his other Hafez friends with this salary. I asked him – if you had two suitable children and educated them in your madrasa or any such madrasa, then a total of 12 thousand rupees would have been spent on them. So how does this salary work? Then he expressed his disappointment even though he got relatively high salary. He said, it would be better if the salary was a little higher in the market of rising commodity prices. But thanks to Allah, He is serving His Qur’an through me and I consider this (the service of Qur’an) to be the greatest achievement of life.
Author: Media Worker, Teacher, Markazud Dirassah Al Islamiyah, Dhaka
