Khalwa as an Islamic educational institution in the Sudan

Abstract

The introduction presents the subject of the thesis - the khalwa as an Islamic educational institution - and outlines the approach to that subject in the thesis. It also gives a brief general introduction to Islamic education so that the khalwa can be seen in that context.

Part I of the thesis presents a history of Islam in the Sudan and the institution of the khalwa until the end of the Funj period. It demonstrates how the unique use of the term khalwa in the Sudan for an Islamic educational institution arose out of Sufism. It presents examples of khalwas during that period in an examination of the khalwas of the Sons of Jabir, Sughayrun, Suwar al-Dhahab and al-Ghubush.

In Part II the development of the khalwa is presented up to the present time. This part examines the khalwas in the Turco- Egyptian period, the period of the Mahdiyya, the Condominium and the present period of National rule. During this time there were certain changes, some temporary and others of a more permanent nature. The Turco-Egyptian period saw the khalwa coming under Government influence in matters of finance, though remaining unchanged in other respects. In the period of the Mahdiyya there were drastic changes in the content of education, but afterwards the khalwa returned to its traditional form. It was in the Condominium period that the Government tried to bring the khalwa within the newly emerging state system of education. Differences in objectives and methods led to the failure of this policy. The National Government, after independence, has also used the khalwa as an instrument of educational policy. There are then detailed examples of individual khalwas during this period. Of great note is the contribution of the khalwas of 'Ali Bitäi at Hamishkorayb as an Islamicising and civilizing agent of social change.

Part III deals with an analysis of the different aspects of the khalwa as an educational institution - its teachers, students, methods of teaching, subjects, programmes of study, discipline, administration and financing.

The conclusion shows that khalwa education has changed very little but that there is scope within the khalwa system for it to continue to make a valuable contribution to Islamic education in the Sudan.