In 1986, Maulana Faiz-ur-Rehman Usmani founded an educational institution, Institute of Islamic Sciences, which gives both religious and modern education to every student. Maulana Faiz is very clear in his academic concept. He clearly says that our goal is nothing but to prepare religious scholars.
He makes it clear that the only difference between the Institute of Islamic Sciences and other Madrassahs is that our student is also graduated from Punjab University. That is why we proudly call our scholars ‘Rijal-ul-Asr’ – a well-educated person. They are capable of tackling all the challenges of the present age.
A few weeks ago, some dubious educational boards suddenly came into existence. The representatives of the Ministry of Education are directly active behind this development, however, some other elements are also involved in it. Those who led Madrassah students to militancy 35 years ago are once again trying to infiltrate institutions with a new scheme.
Last week, I asked Maulana Faiz-ur-Rehman Usmani why he did not join these new boards. He replied, “First, we need a degree for our students that testifies to their being religious scholars. And second for their modern education , which we get from Wifaq-ul-Madaris and Punjab University respectively. So we don’t need another board. We are also winning medals from the Federal Board and Punjab University while competing with the mainstream educational institutions of Pakistan.”
What is the purpose of the board, Majma-ul-Uloom-ul-Islamia Pakistan, and how bright is its future? Their administration claimed that the new board would promote modern education with religious studies at madrassha so that students of seminaries could avail the equal opportunity and play their role in the development of society as well.
However, none of its organizers have modern education. The responsibility of the new board is assigned to those who had earlier rejected modern education. This means that the gods of destruction have been assigned the responsibility of “building”.
The history of Jamia Tur Rasheed, which is home to this new board, is enough to disqualify them for any educational reform project. This seminary was established by Rasheed Ahmad Ludhianvi.
I once visited the institute in the early 90s to meet Mufti Abdul Rahim, where he asked, “We heard that you have installed a telephone at your home?” When I confirmed, Mufti Sahib asked for the number so that we could be connected. When I gave phone number in English, Mufti Sahib reluctantly said, “Astagfirullah.” When asked, he said, “It is Haraam.”
Not only that, but newspapers in this institution was also forbidden because it “publish pictures and lies”. Only Quaid-e-Azam’s picture could entered the institution. It is noteworthy that this institution of Mufti Rasheed Ahmed Sahib continued with the help of Mufti Abdul Rahim, Mufti Muhammad and Mufti Abu Lababa.
Today, in the same institution, a man with no beard can enter. Today, the salaries of the wicked in this institution are many times higher than those of the righteous. Today, even the website of this institution is in English. So the question is whether what Mufti Rashid Ahmed was doing was wrong, or what these three are doing wrong?
