Levels of student
There are two basic levels: a. sukhteh and b. musta’idd. In most madrasas, one is a sukhteh until having reached or read Mulla Yazdi (on Tahdhib al-mantiq of Imam al-Taftazani), while in some this is until Mulla Jami (on the Kafiya of Ibn al-Hajib.) The term sukhta’idd does exist, a bid’a synthesis between the two! but sukhteh is a real term with Ottoman roots.
Sukhteh: beginner student.
Musta’idd: advanced student.
Mujaz: Someone will full license to teach.
Method of lessons and review
There is method of mutala’a, dars, takrar and mudhakara mentioned in many classical madrasas. In the region in mind here, the term for repetition after the dars is dawr. It has two meanings. The first is review of the dars after the lesson. One should repeat the lesson almost immediately before details are lost from the short term memory. Generally, writing notes is discouraged, though one may scribble a few matters quickly—and there are exceptions to this and some teachers allow recording. Ideally, dawr of the dars would occur with a student, and more ideally one who is on one’s level or higher so they do not struggle with the concepts. However, what is crucial is that one repeats it as it was taught so that it moves from short-term memory to long. One may repeat it to a wall or to a goat, for that matter. Those speaking of takrar would insist the takrar is down soon, and the mudhakara not long after, although the next day or perhaps somewhat later may be acceptable. Some students in Turkish madrasas carry a tablet and record mudhakara sessions, being required to perform no less than seven. Those using the term dawr insist that four to five is a minimum, though seven is a good number. Perhaps a highly intelligent student may suffice with less.
1. Qur’an: Read musḥaf with tajwid, or memorise, according to the sheikh.
Some children do not attend public school at all, but start their education in the ḥujra. They mature more quickly than students that attend public school.
Normal attendance of the ḥujra begins at 11 or 12. If under 10, they usually only memorize Qur’an, and then go home.
Before the public school system, there were other systems. What is currently left of them is that in the ḥujra itself, there is something called ḥunja. Therein, they learn to read and pronounce the Qur’an, and they learn reading and writing in their local language separately. This would include teaching them poems on ‘aqida in Kurdish, etc.
2. Aḥmadī (Arabic vocabulary, matan): around 1,000 words, followed by local language equivalent, written as a poem.
(Optional addition: ) al-Taḥfat al-Saniyya, Sheikh Muḥyi al-din ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd, or Miftāḥ al-Nahw, Sheikh ʿAbd al-Karim al-Mudarris.
Used either for students that are not full-time (summer attendees) or are immature or start before ready for other books. Only a few read it and it is a contemporary addition.
3. al-Bina (matan; sarf (morphology))
The teacher explains the matan rather than reading a commentary with the student. This is not a necessary book in the minhaj. Young students read it because it makes it easier to visualise the tables of tasrif. More mature students can skip this book, starting sarf immediately with al-ʿIzzi.
4. ʿAwamil al-Jurjani (iʿrab of matan and specific commentary orally transmitted and sometimes written (e.g. in Tarkib al-Jurjani known as Tasrif Mulla ʿAli))
Teacher offer iʿrab and students memorise each portion given to them. This is best done one on one, though in some cases a class is possible. Students review the portion they have taken immediately with their classmates (mudhakara) around seven times, or, most importantly, to the point that they review it before forgetting it, and do enough mudhakara that they will not forget it thereafter, and it settles in their memory without having to write it. In the end, they memorise the full iʿrab of al-ʿAwamil.
Some students also study ʿAwāmil al-Birgivi. Clever students have no need for it, and they could do iʿrab of it by themselves.
5. Sharh al-Unmudhaj or al-Hidaya
6. al-Izhar or al-Samadiyya: Some teachers praise al-Samadiyya higher than al-Izhar because al-Samadiyya’s text is like a riddle, requiring the commentary of a teacher. It is more difficult than al-Izhar. The al-Izhar is by no means an easy text though, as it distills the rules of grammar into terse sentences, including al-Birgili’s own tahqiq of certain issues. Further, if al-Izhar is read with the commentaries of al-Ayyub or Atali (Nata’ij al-afkar), it becomes much more difficult, and Nata’ij in particular opens up a number of matters that might be termed the philosophy of grammar. (Al-Samadiyya with Sheikh ‘Abd al-Karim’s commentary is referred to as Jami al-Saghir, going into i’lal of grammar and often giving the tahqiq arrived at through reading Mulla Jami.)
7. Risalas in wad’ and isti’ara (two each, reading at least one)
Each of these sciences has two books that are frequently taught. Some read both.
Regarding isti’ara, Mulla Bakhtiyar mentioned that were one to study Sheikh ‘Abd al-Karim al-Mudarris’ text, one could read Abu Bakr al-Mir Rustumi’s text and understand it without a teacher, while the opposite is not true. Further, he recommended that one read al-Mir Rustumi’s text as muta’ala while being taught Sheikh ‘Abd al-Karim’s text.
8. Tasrif Mulla ‘Ali with hashiyas of Qaradaghi and Qizilji (reading at least most of Qaradaghi)
It is best and part of the original minhaj to read Mulla ’Ali with both hashiyas. Ista’ara appears—being part of balagha and ‘ilm al-bayan. In general, the wisdom in bringing a text in isti’ara forward in the minhaj is to enable students to understand isti’arat that are used. Sheikh Mahmud, one of the core teachers in Biyara, reads Qaradaghi only, but reads it entirely aside for a few places.
9. al-Sayyuti on Alfiyya Ibn Malik and / or Mulla Jami on Kafiyyat Ibn al-Hajib: In the past, both were minhaj, some reading one first, some the other. Mulla Bakhtiyar recommends reading al-Sayyuti first, which provides a grounding to understand Mulla Jami. He also recommends not reading the hawashi of Mulla Jami until after one has read mantiq. It is not only that mantiq is required to understand ‘Abd al-Ghafur and al-Siyyalkuti, but also that the hawashi offer something different than Mulla Jami. Mulla Jami’s ibara has its own tadqiq and benefits, and one can focus on grammar. The hawashi go into many logical matters (that are of benefit and interest to some.) Sheikh ‘Abd al-Salam al-Tawghawzi takes the position that one can read one and suffice from reading the other. In one case, he decided which a student should read based on whether they intended to memorise the Alfiyya, such that if they did not, then he would recommend Mulla Jami.
Later in his studies, Sheikh 'Abd al-Karim who was studying at that time with al-'Allama al-Qaradaghi, decided to return the the science of grammar, reading al-Farida of al-Suyyut.
Mantiq
10. Miftah of Sheikh ‘Abd al-Karim or Isaghuji
The more common text is Miftah.
11. Mughni al-Tullab
Sheikh Bakhtiyar draws from Mughni al-Tullab and other texts in his teaching of Miftah such that Mughni al-Tullab is not needed.
Other optional books read by some around this level: Mulla Fenari or Qawl Ahmet.
12. Mulla ‘Abd Allah Yazdi on Tahdhib al-Mantiq
13. Sharh al-Shamsiyya with Jurjani and Siyyalkuti on Jurjani or Burhan al-Galenbevi
This is sometimes delayed until one has read some of the other core books in the minhaj, then one returns to it. Sometimes it is considered that one or one’s teacher chooses between it and al-Siyyalkuti on al-Shamsiyya.
Two keys to the Core Books: Maqulat and Munazara
14. Risalat al-Adab of al-Galenbevi
The text itself is considered easy, but it is usually taught with al-Pinjwini which makes it more challenging.
15. al-Maqulat: al-Maqalat fi al-Maqulat and / or Badr al-’Ulat
One may read both, starting with al-Maqalat of Sheikh ‘Abd al-Karim. Some (e.g. Sheikh Hayman) read Badr al-’Ulat starting with their own simple commentary on the matan. Mulla Ikram and others see these two sciences and their books as the gateway to the longer core books. Sheikh ‘Abd al-Karim al-Mudarris read Hidayat al-Hikma with (‘Abd al-Ghafur) al-Lari. Many of the shuyukh of the region can still teach it, but they state that it is the maqulat that are needed to advance to ’aqa’id.
Core or Main Books
I. ‘Aqa’id wa kalam
16. Sharh al-’Aqa’id (w muta’ala of hawashi, especially al-Khayyali and al-Siyyalkuti, sometimes reading one or both)
The original manhaj was to start with al-Taftazani, not to introduce ‘aqa’id either through Jawahir al-Kalam of al-Jaza’iri nor al-Bajuri on Jawharat al-tawhid. All or most teachers can teach al-Khayyali and al-Siyyalkuti which are considered minhaj, and even if not set as teaching texts, their hawashi are in the madrasas and often used or encouraged to be used in mutala’a.
Optional Books: Taqrib al-Maram Sharh Tahdhib al-kalam (the commentary of Sheikh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Sanandaji al-Kurdistani), al-Altaf al-Ilahiyya (a full, independent work on metaphysical kalam by the Sufi and great scholar al-Sheikh Baqir al-Baliki), Sharh Jalal al-din al-Dawwani ‘ala al-’Aqa’id al-’Adudiyya (the text of 'Adud al-din al-Iji).
II. Balagha
17. al-Mutawwal or Mukhtasar al-Ma’ani
Al-Mutawwal can take three years, and with hawashi much more, and hawashi can be very confusing. But many teachers can still teach al-Mutawwal. Al-Mukhtasar is considered necessary, so if students read Aqsa al-Amani of Sheikh Zakariya al-Ansari, they are required to read al-Mukhtasar thereafter. (Several teachers of previous generations have commentaries on Aqsa al-Amani.)
III. Usul al-fiqh
18. Jam’ al-Jawami’ (with al-Mahalli)
Some say that Lubb al-Wusul is a muqaddima for Jam’ al-Jawami’. Several teachers praise Shirbini on Jam’ al-Jawami’, but at least Mahalli should be read, and some believe that reading Shirbini in the dars is best done after completing the minhaj so that it does not significantly slow down the completion of the minhaj. This is considered the last core book, as not all read al-Burhan (mentioned below.)
IV. Mantiq II
Repeated from above: Burhan al-Galenbevi
Summary
1. Qur’an
2. Aḥmadī (Arabic vocabulary, matan)
Sarf and Nahw
3. al-Bina (matan; sarf (morphology))
4. ʿAwamil al-Jurjani (with i’rab of matan)
5. Sharh al-Unmudhaj or al-Hidaya
6. al-Izhar or al-Samadiyya
7-10. Risalas in wad’ and isti’ara (two each, reading at least one)
11. Tasrif Mulla ‘Ali with hashiyas of Qaradaghi and Qizilji (reading at least most of Qaradaghi)
12-13. al-Sayyuti on Alfiyya Ibn Malik and / or Mulla Jami on Kafiyyat Ibn al-Hajib
Mantiq
14. Miftah of Sheikh ‘Abd al-Karim or Isaghuji
15. Mughni al-Tullab
16. Mulla ‘Abd Allah Yazdi on Tahdhib al-Mantiq
17. Sharh al-Shamsiyya with Jurjani and Siyyalkuti on Jurjani or Burhan al-Galenbevi
Two keys to the Core Books: Maqulat and Munazara
18. Risalat al-Adab of al-Galenbevi
19-20. al-Maqulat: al-Maqalat and / or Badr al-’Ulat
Core or Main Books
I. ‘Aqa’id wa kalam
21. Sharh al-’Aqa’id (w muta’ala of hawashi, especially al-Khayyali and al-Siyyalkuti, sometimes reading one or both)
Optional books: Taqrib al-Maram, al-Altaf al-Ilahiyya, Sharh Jalal al-din al-Dawwani ‘ala al-’Aqa’id al-’Adudiyya.
II. Balagha
22. al-Mutawwal or Mukhtasar al-Ma’ani (the latter more commonly)
III. Usul al-fiqh
23. Jam’ al-Jawami’ (with al-Mahalli)
IV. Mantiq II
Repeated from above: Burhan al-Galenbevi