Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam

Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Muinul Islam
Established	1896 (1310 Hijri)
Type	Islamic university
Chancellor	Majlis-e-Shura
Rector	Allama Shah Ahmad Shafi
Academic staff	80 (2010)[1]
Students	15,000 (Total 2008[2])
Undergraduates	6,500 (2010)[3]
Postgraduates	1,900(2010)
Location	Hathazari, Chittagong, Bangladesh
Campus	Urban (4.24 Acres)
Website	http://darululum-hathazari.com/

Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Muinul Islam (Bengali: আল্‌-জামিয়াতুল আহ্‌লিয়া দারুল উলূম মুঈনুল ইসলাম (হাটহাজারী মাদ্রাসা)), popularly known as the Hathazari Madrassah or the "Boro Madrassah" ("big school"), is a Kawmi^[4] (Qaumi) educational institution in Hathazari, Chittagong, Bangladesh. Established in 1896 (1310 Hijri), it is the largest and oldest Deobandi madrassah in Bangladesh.^[5][6] It follows the Darul Ulum system introduced by Darul Ulum Deoband, an Islamic School propagating Islam in Indian Subcontinent.

Every year the madrasah jāmiʿah produces hundreds of "ulema".^{[citation needed]}

According to a 2009 National Bureau of Asian Research report:^[7]

"With its impeccable Deobandi credentials, Hathazari madrasa ranks among the top ten madrasas in the subcontinent in terms of its academic standards and reputation."

History

Deobandi movement

Key figures

Qasim Nanotvi · Rashid Gangohi Husain Madani · Mehmud Hasan Shabbir Usmani · Ashraf Ali Thanwi Anwar Kashmiri · Ilyas Kandhlawi Ubaidullah Sindhi · Taqi Usmani

Notable Institutions

Darul Uloom Deoband, India Mazahirul Uloom Saharanpur, India Hathazari Madrassah, Bangladesh Darul-uloom Nadwatul Ulama, India Darul Uloom Karachi, Pakistan Jamia Uloom ul Islamia, Pakistan Jamiah Darul Uloom Zahedan, Iran Darul Uloom London, England Darul Uloom New York, United States Darul Uloom Canada Madrasah In'aamiyyah, South Africa

Movements

Tablighi Jamaat Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Tehreek-e-Khatme Nabuwwat Sipah-e-Sahaba Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Taliban

The second largest Islamic University of the Indian Subcontinent, Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam was first established in 1896 CE. It was moved to its present location in Hathazari, Bangladesh in 1901.^[8] The Jamiah introduces the Islamic education and Reformation movement in this region.^[9] Then the British ruled the education system; the culture and social condition of this region were not favorable with the belief and aqeedah of Muslims. To preserve the religious education and culture of the Muslim, to remove the Shirk- Bid’ah grown in their social life and to recover the Muslim nation from the aggression of foreign culture, the centre of traditional Islamic education Darul Uloom Deoband was established in Indian Subcontinent in 1866 CE.^[10]

For the same purpose, a few famous Ulema of the port-city Chittagong took the decision to establish Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam according to the constitution of world famous Islamic religious education centre Darul Uloom Deoband to save the Muslims of East Bengal from the bondage of foreign tradition and Shirk-Bida’h. To apply this decision, by the order of Hakeemul Ummat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi his favorite disciple and student Shaikul Islam Maulana Habibullah along with Maulana Abdul Wahed , Maulana Sufi Azizur Rahman and Maulana Abdul Hamid establish the madrasah.^[11]

Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam has reached 115 years since establishment by Shaikhul Islam Maulana Habibullah in 1896 CE. The Jamiah has still kept its struggle continuing for the sake of the Muslim Ummah. Centering Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam thousands of madrasahs, mosques, maktabs and prayer houses are established.^[12].

The Hathazari Madrasah became "arguably the most reputable Quomi madrasa in the country."^[8]

Starting in 2004, the Hathazari Madrasa has been at the center of media attention due to allegations that it is a haven for "terrorist" training.^[8] This is the first time in the institution's long history that such allegations have been made against the madrasah itself.^[8]

On February 2010, 40 students were arrested for clashing with police and later released. Students had allegedly snatched a service rifle.^[13]

Organization and administration

The Darul Ulum has divided its education system into six major levels:^{[citation needed]}

• Primary level — Urdu; Persian; Arabic; Nahu-Sarf; Siraat-un-Nabi; Fiqh etc. are taught along with the Mathematics; History; Bangla; English and Geography.
• Secondary level — Higher Arabic Grammar; Arabic Literature; Fiqh; Logics.
• Higher secondary level — higher Fiqh and Usul-e-Fiqh; higher Logic; higher Arabic Literature; higher Economics; higher Philosophy; higher Islam History.
• Graduate level — Hadith; Tafsir; Arabic and Persian poetry; Solar Science.
• Post graduate level — Six major Hadith Books: Bukhari Sharif, Muslim Sharif, Abu Dawd Sharif, Tirmidi Sharif, Nasaee Sharif and Ibn Majah are mainly taught.
• Beyond post graduate level — further study in the field of Islamic Law; Arabic Language and Literature; Higher Hadith Study, Bengali Literature and Islamic Studies.

Network of Schools

The "Boro Madrassah" is one of the three large madrassahs, along with Al-Jamiah Al-Islamiah in Patiya and Jamiatul Uloom Al-Islamia Lalkhan Bazar, that together control over 7000 smaller schools in Bangladesh.^[4][14] The three schools are closely coordinated.^[14]

Publications

This following magazines are being published by Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Muinul Islam.

• মাসিক মুঈনুল ইসলাম (Monthly Muinul Islam)
• বার্ষিক আল মুঈন (Yearly Al Muin)

Alleged Militancy

There are allegations that the Madrassah is a training ground for Islamic extremists.^[4][8] While authorities of the school have confirmed that some graduates volunteered for the Afghan jihad during the 1980s, there was no strong evidence to suggest that the school itself was recruiting for the jihad.^[8]

The rector of the school, Maulana Ahmad Shafi—popularily known as "Boro Huzur" (the eldest scholar)^[15]—is also the chairman of a faction of the political party Islami Oikya Jote.^[16] Critics of the party say that membership of IOJ coincides with the Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI, Movement of Islamic Holy War), though a leading Bangladeshi political scientist warns little is actually known about their organization.^[17]

Rector Ahmad is also purported to be the leader of a group called "Hifazat-e-Islam,"^[18] which he claims to be a peaceful organization.^[19] Ahmad and his colleagues state that the group is for protesting the government's decisions to introduce a secular education system. However, there are claims that Hifazat-e-Islam is militant.^[18] A statement from the police mentions that men, suspected to be from Hifazat-e-Islam, fired gunshots and threw homemade bombs on the police, causing injuries to 5 or 6 police constables.^[19] It is unclear whether or not these actions were approved by Ahmad Shafi.^{[citation needed]}

Alumni Scholars

The Jamiah Darul Ulum Moinul Islam has produced a large number of notable scholars. Among them the most famous are:

• Mufti-e-Azam Allama Faizullah
• Faqihul Millat Mufti Abdur Rahman
• Allama Shah Ahmad Shafi
• Allama Azizul Hoque Al-Madani

See also

• Madrasah
• Deobandi
• Darul Uloom Deoband
• Darul Uloom New York
• Al-Jamiah Al-Islamiah Patiya
• Al-Jamiatul Arabiatul Islamiah, Ziri
• Jamia Tawakkulia Renga Madrasah
• Jamiah Darul Uloom Zahedan

References

1. ^ http://www.darululum-hathazari.com
2. ^ http://www.independent-bangladesh.com/200804144372/country/1500-sued-for-hathazari-thana-attack.html
3. ^ http://www.darululum-hathazari.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8:2009-11-22-18-41-17&catid=1:2009-11-22-13-47-02&Itemid=8
4. ^ ^{a b c} "Reality Reminder." Asiantribune.com. New Delhi, 31 October 2005
5. ^ Kabir, Humayun 'Replicating the Deobandi model of Islamic schooling: the case of a Quomi madrasa in a district town of Bangladesh', Contemporary South Asia, 17:4, 415 - 428. .
6. ^ Encyclopaedia Of Bangladesh (Set Of 30 Vols.) By Nagendra Kr. Singh
7. ^ http://www.nbr.org/publications/specialreport/pdf/Preview/PR09_IslamEd.pdf
8. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Ahmad, Mumtaz and Matthew J. Nelson. "Islamic Education in Bangladesh and Pakistan: Trends in Tertiary Institutions." (Preview) NBR Project Report. April 2009. (alternate non-preview version)
9. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=HxOOwy-4J4UC&lpg=PA149&ots=8J-kFvtO4M&dq=Patiya%20Jamiah&pg=PA149#v=onepage&q&f=false
10. ^ http://www.beautifulislam.net/history/deoband_madrasa.htm
11. ^ http://www.darululum-hathazari.com/
12. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=x7hVmN0O-TcC&pg=PA259&lpg=PA259&dq=contribution+of+hathazari+madrasa&source=bl&ots=Dj8RC1Nr2X&sig=j-gdUetRi-lsxIQM8r34dMNTHBM&hl=en&ei=YQf5TdiVE8X00gHhhISVCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CEsQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q&f=false
13. ^ http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=127934
14. ^ ^{a b} Ali Riaz Faithful education: madrassahs in South Asia. Rutgers University Press, 2008
15. ^ http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a917048577
16. ^ Unknown Islamist group flexes its muscles in Ctg, The Daily Star, February 25, 2010.
17. ^ "Bangladesh Today", International Crisis Group, Asia Report 121, October 23, 2006.
18. ^ ^{a b} সক্রিয় হিযবুত তাহ্রীর এবং উগ্র ইসলামী সংগঠনগুলো (Hizbut Tahrir and other Islamic extremists are becoming active), Al-Mamun Khan, The Weekly Saptahik, August 5, 2010.
19. ^ ^{a b} আলেমদের মিছিলে গুলি : চট্টগ্রামে পুলিশি হামলায় মহাসমাবেশ. Amardesh. 2010/02/25.

    (Translation: To summarize the Amardesh story, it states the police action on the procession by Hefajate-Islami. It also includes statements made by Maulana Ahmed who claims his organization (HI) to be a peaceful one, and that they are protesting the government's decisions to introduce secular education system (which they perceive to be hostile against the right-wing islamists). Note that the newspaper mentions this as the statement of Maulana Ahmed and his colleagues. The police's statement is also included, which mentions that militants from the Hefajate-Islam procession also fired gunshots and threw homemade bombs on the police, causing injuries to 5/6 police constables.)

Notes

• http://www.dailynayadiganta.com/2010/02/25/fullnews.asp?News_ID=197426&sec=1

External links

• Darul Ulooms, Jamiyas and Qaumi Madrasahs Worldwide[1]
• The First Online Madrasa (Islamic Academy) In Bangladesh[2]