The Role of the Islamic Seminary (Ḥawzah ʿIlmīyah) of Qom in Education during the Last Century

Extended Abstract
 
Introduction and Objectives: Throughout the history of Islamic civilization, there are few examples of the institutional separation of religious sciences from worldly sciences. For centuries, religious educational centers were responsible for teaching a wide range of disciplines, including transmitted, rational, and empirical sciences. In Iran, Islamic seminaries and religious schools played a central role in both general and higher education, and many great scholars were simultaneously authorities in religion and diverse sciences.
However, beginning in the late Qajar period and especially during the Pahlavi era, a gradual process of separating religion from the official education system emerged, with Western-oriented educational models replacing traditional ones. While this transformation expanded modern education, it weakened the role of religion and religious values in the education system.
Against this backdrop, the Islamic Seminary (ḥawzah ʿilmīyah) of Qom, as the most important Shiʿi scholarly center, has consistently sought to preserve and redefine its historical and civilizational role in education. Examining this role is crucial, as education is one of the primary arenas for the realization of religious education and the transmission of Islamic values to new generations. This study aims to provide a comprehensive, analytical account of the Qom Islamic Seminary’s role in Iranian education over the past century and to explain its evolution across different historical periods. The research seeks to show how this role shifted from scattered, individual-based activities to structured and institutionalized interactions, and what challenges and achievements accompanied this transformation.
Method: This study is descriptive–analytical in methodology and based on documentary and historical research. Data were collected through examination of official documents, memoranda of understanding, institutional reports, legal enactments, written works, memoirs, and analyses related to the interaction between the Qom Islamic Seminary and the Ministry of Education.
Using a historical–analytical method, the evolution of the Islamic seminary’s role in education during the last century was examined in five distinct periods. This periodization was based on institutional milestones, structural changes, and policy developments. In the descriptive stage, the most important actions, institutions, influential figures, and joint programs between the Qom Islamic seminary and education were identified and reported. In the analytical stage, the level of impact, degree of institutionalization, and overall orientation of these interactions were evaluated. Data analysis employed qualitative and comparative methods, aiming not merely to report events but to extract dominant patterns, upward or downward trends, and persistent challenges. This method enabled a broad picture of the Qom Islamic seminary’s evolving role and its current position in Iran’s education system.
Results: The findings of this study indicate that the role of this Seminary in education during the last century can be explained in five main periods:

Pre-Revolution Period: The seminary’s role was scattered and individual-based, largely in reaction to the expansion of secular education. Toward the end of this period, however, figures such as Martyrs Beheshti, Bahonar, and Motahhari contributed to more effective cooperation, including the authorship of textbooks and the establishment of modern religious schools.
Post-Revolution to 2006: This was a period of value convergence and efforts to Islamize education. Islamic Seminary scholars became more involved in revising curricula, shaping educational structures, and participating in decision-making bodies, though institutional coherence was still incomplete.
2006 Onwards – Formation of the Cooperation Headquarters: The establishment of the Headquarters for Cooperation between Islamic Seminaries and the Ministry of Education marked a turning point in institutionalizing interactions. Cooperation expanded through specialized committees, agreements, conferences, and joint programs in human resources, research, textbook writing, and educational activities.
Period of Relative Consolidation: Efforts were made to institutionalize cooperation at provincial and national levels.
2016 to Present: This period has been characterized by expanded policymaking and broad implementation of joint strategic programs.

Discussion and Conclusion: The historical analysis shows that the seminary’s role in education has followed a gradual, largely upward trajectory. The Seminary of Qom has evolved from a reactive and limited actor into an institutional player that influences policymaking, planning, and the implementation of educational activities. The establishment of the Cooperation Headquarters and the drafting of strategic documents are among the most significant achievements of this process.
Nevertheless, the findings reveal a considerable gap between the current state and the desired level of interaction. Challenges such as limited executive capacity, institutional inconsistencies, managerial changes, and underutilization of the seminary’s scholarly and research potential have hindered the full realization of objectives.
Therefore, strengthening institutional prerequisites, activating the seminary’s latent capacities, training specialized human resources aligned with the education system’s needs, and addressing structural and cultural barriers are essential to enhancing the seminary’s role in education. Achieving these goals can deepen Islamic education and improve the quality of Iran’s education system.
Acknowledgements: The author expresses gratitude to all scholars, researchers, and administrators of the Islamic Seminary (Ḥawzah ʿIlmīyah) of Qom and the Ministry of Education for their documents, experiences, and insights, which contributed to this study.
Conflict of Interest: The author declares that there is no personal or organizational conflict of interest in conducting or publishing this research.