Skip to main content

Madrasa Chaharbagh

"Islam is also connected to politics. A religious student cannot be indifferent to the world or politics or find them alien. But we, the schools, do not have our own political program. All students inform themselves about political events and sometimes, if necessary, we take a stand."

It is morning in Isfahan, the old Persian capital, just under five hours' drive south of Tehran. Abdoll Amir Khattat is sitting in the sunshine on a bench in the courtyard of the 400-year-old Chaharbagh School. He is wearing a white turban, a sand-colored robe that fits perfectly and a transparent black cloak over it. According to Muslim belief, the Prophet Mohammed also dressed like this. Abdoll Amir Khattat is the head of the Chaharbagh School. 

"This building has characteristics that distinguish our school from others, such as the traditional architecture and the way the tiles on the walls were worked. The tiles are symbols of spiritual content. The characters you can see on them represent suras from the Koran, there are also prayers and the holy names of God."

Text: Jörg-Christian Schillmöller / DLF

The religious school is an oasis in the city center. The four wings of the main building consist of a ground floor and a first floor and enclose a square courtyard where large plane trees provide shade. Each facade consists of arcades in the shape of a pointed arch, and behind each arcade is a classroom or living room with a small terrace. The color of the mosaics on the walls is blue, along with yellow, green and red. Abdoll Amir Khattat radiates calm, and every now and then a smile flashes across his face. His title is "Hodschatoleslam", which means "proof of Islam".

"Islam has its own definition of politics that does not exist in other religions. I want to explain that to you. We believe that Islam is capable of ensuring both the spiritual and worldly happiness of people. And the rules of Islam are also a guide for our spiritual and material development.”

It is not easy for foreign reporters to visit a religious school. One reason for the appointment is mentioned in many conversations: the Islamic Republic is worried about its reputation in the world. Students and teachers therefore make time for the editor and the photographer. They want to explain exactly what they think and show us how they live. There are moments of closeness and warmth as well as moments of alienation and incomprehension. Nuclear talks, Israel, the Holocaust - no topic is taboo. The visit began at 10:30 a.m. sharp with tea in the headmaster's office. Shoes are left outside.

Inside the small, white-painted room, portraits of the religious leaders hang, we sit on the carpet, there is also a laptop there, and during the interviews the headmaster's cell phone beeps regularly. The mood is still distant, the first conversations are formal. Mahdi Safari takes the floor. He has been studying here for 14 years and teaches Arabic, the language of the Koran. "From our point of view, Arabic is the perfect language, especially when it comes to interpreting the Koran. Even today, a scientist can still interpret something new in the Koran and interpret things differently. This shows the great potential of the Arabic language."

Next, Seyyed Hossein Qafele Bashi will answer our questions: He comes from Qom, one of the holy cities of the Shiites - and he is brand new at the school here in Isfahan. Hossein initially studied mathematics, while his brothers were already Talabeh, religious students. Because of his uncle, Hossein then decided to follow this path too.

"The way our uncle lived influenced all of us. How he behaved, who he associated with, that also influenced us. After his death, his robe was brought to us, and my big brother was allowed to wear it. That was very impressive." When asked why he came from Qom to Isfahan, Hossein replied: That was fate's will. Everyone in the room smiles when headmaster Khattat adds: Well, his father wasn't entirely uninvolved either. Everyday life in Islam: Hossein explains how he spends a day at the religious school. For breakfast there is bread, cheese, honey, jam, eggs and ash, a hearty vegetable soup. But the day starts much earlier.

"I usually get up at around 4:30 a.m. and go to morning prayer. After that we discuss a little, then there is a break. We have lessons from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Then we study a little, until the midday prayer and lunch. After that we have another break, and then another lesson until 6 p.m. Later we read again and prepare and review our material. Then there is another prayer, dinner, and then it's bedtime."

250 students live here, he reports, the youngest are 15 years old. The course takes place in Isfahan, but anyone who wants to can supplement their knowledge in Qom or Najaf in Iraq. According to the headmaster, the school finances itself through donations and gifts. There are dozens of religious schools in Isfahan alone. They play an important role in the Islamic Republic, as the next generation of clerics are trained here. The official line is that all schools accept the religious leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, as their spiritual leader.

Text: Jörg-Christian Schillmöller / DLF