Maktab

Maktab is a term used in many Muslim-majority regions to denote a traditional place of learning, often an elementary school attached to a mosque or private home. The word comes from Arabic maktab, meaning a place of writing or an office, and is related to the root kataba, “to write.” In various languages the term has taken on slightly different senses, but the core idea is a school focused on literacy and basic religious education.

Historically maktabs were among the first formal educational institutions in Islamic societies. They operated at the local level, supervised by a teacher known as a maktabdar, maulana, or murshid, and were typically small, with a single room. Classes emphasized memorization of the Qur’an and basic literacy, as well as moral instruction.

Curricula varied by region, but common elements included learning the Arabic script, Qur’anic recitation (tajweed in some contexts), arithmetic, and religious studies. Teaching often used slates and chalk, with students practicing script and reciting lessons aloud in unison. Attendance was usually open to boys, and in many places girls attended to some extent as well; local customs shaped access.

In the modern period many maktabs have been superseded by secular or state-supported primary schools, though Qur’anic maktabs and private religious schools continue in many communities. The term persists in some languages to refer to elementary education or to a teacher training institution, while in others it preserves historical or traditional connotations.