In the wake of the recently announced admissions
for MA in Islamic Studies and for Diploma in the Arabic language at Al-Mawrid,
an introduction of the institute is being reproduced here for the benefit
of the readers. (Editor)
HISTORY
Al-Mawrid Institute of Islamic
Sciences strives to introduce a new chapter in Islamic education and research.
Its basic objective is to produce scholars and doctors of Islam who have
the ability to revive the intellectual process initiated by illustrious
Muslim scholars of the past. The fundamental tenet of this intellectual
process is that the interpretation of Islam from its original sources should
be an ongoing process because the element of human error can never be eliminated.
This process should continue so that through reflection and criticism,
inferences and interpretations become more and more refined and scholars
of various eras can make their own contribution in this journey for the
quest of truth. Like flowing water, the torrent of human intellectual advancement
can only remain pure if it is allowed to flow. It will stagnate if not
allowed to take its natural course. No view or interpretation is sacred
if it cannot stand up to criticism. It should not have any value merely
because a certain great scholar or imam presented it. Great scholars are
not immune from error; therefore, it is arguments and reasoning based only
on the original sources of Islam that should be the basis for accepting
or rejecting a point of view.
Today, unfortunately, this approach
so widespread in the early period of Islam, has become alien to Muslim
scholars. The gushing fountains of intellectual thought have given way
to pools of intellectual stagnation. Curtailment of this intellectual process
has not only alienated creative minds from religious scholarship, but has
also given rise to the menace of sectarianism. Muslim intelligentsia all
over the globe cannot become deeply attached to their religion and, therefore,
become morally revived until competent Muslim scholars are produced who
have the ability to break the shackles of this intellectual stagnation
and who have been groomed in a manner that they can face the challenge
of the modern era.
Realizing this void present in Muslim
scholarship, many distinguished scholars of the sub-continent like Shibli,
Farahi, Iqbal, Azad, Islahi and Mawdudi tried to establish institutes of
Islamic education in the past century to institutionalize this intellectual
process. Unfortunately, owing to various reasons, such institutes were
either not able to survive or were forced to abandon their revolutionary
approach. Al-Mawrid Institute of Islamic Sciences is yet another
effort to revive that revolutionary approach. Javed Ahamd Ghamidi (b:1951),
a pupil of the famous exegete of the Qur’an from the subcontinent,
Amin Ahsan Islahi (d:1997), set about grooming some young individuals over
two decades ago in order to build the basic team that could institutionalize
this intellectual process. In 1983, an institute by the name of Al-Mawrid
(literally:
a place to quench one’s thirst) was set up by him and by some committed
individuals who lent support to the institute in every way they could.
As a result of many years of hard work, a small team of scholars has emerged
who have been educated on the above mentioned lines. After being trained
on job, they were able to form the faculty of the institute in 1997 when
the institute took its present shape as formal postgraduate classes on
Islamic Studies were initiated. In 2001, the institute was formally affiliated
to the MA Jinnah University, Karachi.
Ever since its inception, the institute
has been run by a Board of Governors. The Board consists of a group of
devoted businessmen and professionals who are fully committed to the development
of the institute. All affairs of the Board are conducted in a democratic
way: elections for the Chairman and Secretary General are held after every
three years.
MASTER’S PROGRAMME
The institute offers a two-year programme
of Master’s in Islamic Studies for students who have a Bachelor’s degree
in any subject and have done their one-year Diploma in Arabic language
(64 semester credit hours (sch)) offered by the institute or have equivalent
qualifications. The courses are covered in six semesters of four months
each.
Details are as follows:
Major Courses (32 sch)
Minor Courses (4.8 sch)
Half-Minor Courses (2.4 sch)
SUBSIDIARY PROGRAMMES
Besides the Master’s Programme, the institute offers
the following courses as well:
i. Arabic Diploma Course (1 year)
This intensive course which spans
64 semester credit hours in a period of one year aims to teach the Arabic
language to the students through the direct method. After completing this
course, the students are able to:
1. Directly understand Arabic text unmarked with
vowel sounds
2. Write in Arabic
3. Have a basic knowledge of the syntax and morphology
of Arabic
ii. Short Courses
For people who want to know the basics
of their religion, the institute offers various short courses in the evening.
Among them are:
-
Qur’anic Studies
-
Hadith Studies
-
Sirah Studies
-
Introduction to Islam
-
Elementary Spoken Arabic
-
Advanced Spoken Arabic
-
Early Muslim History
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(3 months: 4 days a week)
(3 months: 4 days a week)
(3 months: 3 days a week)
(3 months: 4 days a week)
(3 months: 4 days a week)
(3 months: 4 days a week)
(3 months: 3 days a week)
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iii. Distance Learning Courses
Efforts are underway to facilitate
distance learning from the institute. An ‘Understanding the Qur’an’
–
e-mail course’ is in the offing. It consists of the following modules:
1. Revelation of the Qur’an
2. History of the Qur’an
3. Theme of the Qur’an
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4. Structure of the Qur’an
5. Language of the Qur’an
6. Interpreting the Qur’an
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iv. Instruction for Children
A weekly class for the religious instruction
of children aged 8-15 is regularly held at the institute. The idea is to
infuse the real spirit of Islam in these nation builders of tomorrow.
LIBRARY
The institute has a research library
which has about eight thousand books. It receives about eighty journals
of various periodicity. All source books and texts on Islam have been made
available.
THE FACULTY
A team of committed teachers provides
instruction to the students; curriculum development and course evaluation
are done regularly to improve the existing syllabi. Besides imparting education,
teachers are urged to become role models so that they may effectively influence
the character and personality of the students.
FINANCES
It is basically the Board of Governors
which provides funds and finances to run the institute. People who find
themselves in agreement with the objectives of the institute are welcome
to join hands with this team. They can contribute in the development of
the institute by:
1. Introducing the institute to their circle
of friends
2. Sponsoring a student
3. Contributing funds for library books
4. Sponsoring Research Projects on Qur’anic Studies,
Hadith
Studies and Bible Studies
FUTURE PROJECTS
The institute plans to undertake the
following projects in the near future subject to the availability of funds:
1. Construction of an auditorium
2. Addition of new teaching staff
3. Provision of a Hostel
SISTER ORGANIZATIONS
The institute draws heavy support
from some sister concerns and organizations, which help the institute in
creating public awareness on the issue of religious education and on spreading
its basic message. They are:
1. Daru’l Ishraq
Contact Person: Dr Agha Tariq Sajjad
(Director Marketing)
Email: ishraq@understanding-islam.com
Daru’l Ishraq is a centre for
Islamic communications. Its aim is to communicate and disseminate the essence
of Islam in the light of its primary sources. Besides publishing books
and recording cassettes and CDs on various issues of Islam, it has the
following three affiliates:
i. Monthly ‘Ishraq’
Contact Person: Manzur-ul-Hasan (Deputy
Editor)
Email: ishraq@understanding-islam.com
Ishraq, a monthly Urdu journal, strives
to enlighten the mind and invigorate the heart. It aspires to do away with
the menace of sectarianism and present Islam on the basis of the Qur’an
and
Sunnah
only.
ii. Monthly ‘Renaissance’ (http://www.Renaissance.com.pk)
Contact Person: Shehzad Saleem (Editor)
Email: ssaleem@lhr.paknet.com.pk
The basic objective of this monthly
English journal is to promote and patronize the work of scholars who have
taken up the daunting task of carrying out original research within the
ambit of the Qur’an and Sunnah.
iii. WebSite ‘Understanding Islam’ (http://www.understanding-islam.com)
Contact Person: Moiz Amjad (Editor)
Email: learner@understanding-islam.com
This site is an attempt to separate
the sacred from the profane in a time when human interpretations have become
Divine words incarnate. It is a movement to go back to the original sources
and to root out intellectual stagnation.
2. Danish Sara
Contact Person: Dr Muhammad Farooq
Khan (President)
Email: drfarooqkhan@yahoo.com
Danish Sara is a socio-political think
tank that was established in 1997 to try to reconstruct the moral fibre
of the society and to reform its public institutions. The basic aim of
this forum is to develop an atmosphere of awareness on national issues
and basic human values.
3. Mus‘ab Public School (www.musab-welfare.50megs.com)
Contact Person: Muhammad Ishaq (Principal)
Email: musab@understanding-islam.com
Founded in 1994, the underlying object
in the establishment of this school is that the doctors, engineers, lawyers,
politicians, scholars and educationists that this institution will produce
not only turn out to be highly competent in areas of their choice but also
be good, diligent and honest Muslims.
_____________
We pray that Al-Mawrid prove
to be a centre of excellence to which people can turn from the far off
frontiers of this Ummah to quench their thirst for knowledge and
spiritual guidance. In its essence, it is a unique venture for the revival
of faith and for the reformation of the Ummah. We hope that it usher
in a new era of intellectual revolution in the Ummah and lay the
foundations of a new world of knowledge and wisdom.
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
1. Javed Ahmad Ghamidi: Dean of Academics,
Al-Mawrid Institute of Islamic Sciences __ Founder President
2. Muhammad Rashid Farooqi: Director,
Sheikh Wilayat Ahmad & Sons, Karachi ___ Chairman
3. Shakeel-ur-Rehman: Director, Snowhite
Dry Cleaning Industries, Karachi. ___ Secretary General
4. Muhammad Anees Mufti: CEO, Metals
& Crucibles, Lahore ___ Secretary Finance
5. Parvez Hashmy: Chairman, Product
Services (pvt) Limited, Lahore
6. Altaf Mahmood Chaudhry: Director,
Altaf & Company, Lahore
7. Dr Muhammad Farooq Khan: Psychiatrist,
Mardan.
8. Nasir Usman Kalia: Director, K
B Sarkar (pvt) Ltd, Karachi.
9. S M Saeed Allahwala: Director,
Kohinoor Chemical Industries Ltd, Karachi.
10. Muhammad Nisaar: Director, Bilal Enterprises,
Karachi
11. Shehzad Alam: Chief Executive,
Unitech Electronics (pvt) Ltd & Faculty Member, IBA Punjab University,
Lahore.
12. Mukhtar Ali: Manager Purchase,
Kakasian Feeds (Pvt) Ltd, Karachi
13. Dr Muhammad Agha Tariq Sajjad:
Managing Editor, Ishraq, Lahore
14. Muhammad Hanif: Director, H.M
Hanif & Co., Karachi
15. Muhammad Ali Durrani: President
Wise Education Society, Lahore
16. Muhammad Saleem Safi: Bureau Chief,
NNI, Peshawar
17. Muhammad Yunus Zindani: Proprietor,
Swiss Gold, Karachi
18. Mrs Tariq Rahman: Chairperson,
Executive Committee, Fatimah Memorial Hospital, Lahore
19. Shahzad Asghar: Director, Style
Textiles, Lahore
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