Darul Madinah Islamic schooling system

Hazaraun saal nargis apni bay-noori pay roti hay

Bari mushkil say hota hay chaman mayn deedah-wer payda

The above-mentioned couplet was read and written for many great personalities and legends but in current era, virtual picture of this couplet is such a great, scholarly and spiritual personality who is known with the title and name ‘Shaykh-e-Tareeqat, Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat, founder of Dawat-e-Islami, ‘Allamah Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qaadiri Razavi دَامَتْ بَرَكَاتُـهُمُ الْعَالِيَـه’ in the Muslim world. He was born on 26^th Ramadan 1369 AH corresponding to 12^th July 1950 into a Memon family in Karachi, the famous city of Pakistan.

After acquiring his early religious and worldly education, Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat دَامَتْ بَرَكَاتُـهُمُ الْعَالِيَـه, by dint of his deep interest and fondness for Islamic knowledge, started acquiring the treasure of religious knowledge by reading Islamic books and joining the blessed company of the Islamic scholars of Ahl-us-Sunnah. Especially, he benefited from the Mufti-e-A’zam Pakistan, Mufti Muhammad Waqaruddin Qaadiri رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه, Dar-ul-‘Uloom Amjadiyyah, Alamgir Road, Karachi, for 22 years.

Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat دَامَتْ بَرَكَاتُـهُمُ الْعَالِيَـه is a paradigm of ‘knowledge and deeds’, ‘Sunnah-practising man’ and ‘the personality overwhelmed with full of eagerness for calling Muslims to righteousness’. Seeing the bad condition of society and the Muslims sticking to highly non-practicing attitude, he practically initiated his struggle to liberate them from the evil of the non-practicing attitude.

He laid the foundations of Dawat-e-Islami in the month of Zul-Qa’dah 1401 AH corresponding to September 1981. He had a strong eagerness for reforming Ummah. He had been carrying a noble aim with true dedication. It is for this reason that by the mercy of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, Dawat-e-Islami gained overwhelming popularity. Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has blessed Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat دَامَتْ بَرَكَاتُـهُمُ الْعَالِيَـه with many characteristics and qualities. He is a matchless preacher, excellent writer, reciter and writer of Na’at and the great administrator and reformer. Thousands of audio speeches [Bayanaat] of Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat دَامَتْ بَرَكَاتُـهُمُ الْعَالِيَـه reached millions of people and after the launching of Madani Channel, countless viewers watched over 300 video speeches whereas a live question and answer session based on his wisdom-filled pieces of advice, namely ‘Madani Muzakarah’ is watched across the globe with great enthusiasm. Na’tiyah Deewan (Na’at book), namely ‘Wasail-e-Bakhshish’ is worth appreciating and popular amongst people.

In other literary services, Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat دَامَتْ بَرَكَاتُـهُمُ الْعَالِيَـه has authored 19 books and 131 booklets, which have been translated up to 37 international languages and have been published in millions. If we just talk about ‘Faizan-e-Sunnat’, its 14 editions consisting of approx. 288,000 copies have been published with prologue and endorsement of the leading Islamic scholars. Thousands of readers, or rather millions are benefiting from it. Faizan-e-Sunnat has also been translated in English, Bangla, Gujarati, Hindi and Sindhi.

‘Dawat-e-Islami’ is a convincing proof of the administrative capability of Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat دَامَتْ بَرَكَاتُـهُمُ الْعَالِيَـه. In terms of the Tarbiyyat (edification) of an individual and the progress of society, this movement has achieved marvellous and significant milestones. For reforming the societies, Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat دَامَتْ بَرَكَاتُـهُمُ الْعَالِيَـه himself travelled almost all big cities and villages of Pakistan as well as overseas countries like ‘Iraq’, ‘South Africa’, ‘UAE’, ’India’, etc. Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat دَامَتْ بَرَكَاتُـهُمُ الْعَالِيَـه has provided well-trained Islamic preachers for carrying out this noble cause gracefully and they are busy presenting the invitation of Iman (i.e. faith) to the non-Muslims and calling Muslims to righteousness.

For reforming an individual, Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat دَامَتْ بَرَكَاتُـهُمُ الْعَالِيَـه has also introduced a booklet, namely ‘Naik Kaam’^[1] (virtuous deeds) containing daily, weekly, monthly and yearly questions. Through filling it out daily, Islamic brothers and sisters can gradually overcome their drawbacks and develop good qualities in their personalities. Those who have improved themselves through this booklet are in millions. In Pakistan and abroad, for reforming Islamic brothers, approximately 1282 weekly Ijtima’aat are held and more or less 175000 Islamic brothers attend these Islamic Ijtima’aat. 10288 weekly Ijtima’aat of Islamic sisters are held and on an average 325000 Islamic sisters attend these Ijtima’aat. Countless devotees of the Prophet with strong eagerness for learning and teaching Islamic knowledge travel in Pakistan and abroad with 3-day, 12-day, 1-month and 12-month Qafilahs.

Probably in 1397 AH corresponding to 1977, he became Mureed in the Sufi spiritual order of Qadiriyyah Razawiyyah from the Khalifah (i.e. successor) of A’la Hadrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan, ‘Maulana Ziyauddin Ahmad Qaadiri Madani رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه’. He دَامَتْ بَرَكَاتُـهُمُ الْعَالِيَـه also gained Khilafat of many Sufi orders including Qadiriyyah from the blessed son of ‘Allamah Maulana Ziyauddin Ahmad Qaadiri Madani ‘Maulana Hafiz Fazl-ur-Rahman Qaadiri Madani’, his Khalifah ‘Maulana ‘Abdus Salam Qaadiri Razavi’ and other many blessed Islamic scholars and Mashaaikh. People become Mureed at the hand of Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat دَامَتْ بَرَكَاتُـهُمُ الْعَالِيَـه in the Sufi spiritual order of Qadiriyyah Razawiyyah. Currently, he has millions of Mureeds (disciples) and Talibs from all around the world.

For individual and collective reform, Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat دَامَتْ بَرَكَاتُـهُمُ الْعَالِيَـه has established 107 departments of Dawat-e-Islami. For example:

Jami’aat-ul-Madinah: 757 Jami’aat-ul-Madinah for imparting worldly and Islamic education to approximately 65548 students (boys and girls).

Al-Madina-tul-‘Ilmiyyah (an Islamic research centre): Al-Madina-tul-‘Ilmiyyah has produced over 500 books and booklets.

Maktaba-tul-Madinah (a publishing department): Maktaba-tul-Madinah publishes remarkable books and booklets in millions at a low price.

Mahnamah Faizan-e-Madinah: This is a monthly magazine with informative and interesting topics that caters to the needs of different social classes.

Dar-ul-Ifta Ahl-e-Sunnat and Majlis Tahqeeqat-e-Shar’iyyah: Dar-ul-Ifta Ahl-e-Sunnat and Majlis Tahqeeqat-e-Shar’iyyah provide a timely solution to Shar’i issues and matters which are faced by people on a daily basis.

Majlis IT: IT Majlis has introduced 20 websites and 28 applications of the different departments of Dawat-e-Islami. Users of these websites and applications are increasing day by day.

Dar-ul-Madinah (Islamic schooling system): For delivering education and good upbringing to children, Dar-ul-Madinah has 38 branches in Pakistan and 6 branches in India, UK and USA. The UK based educational department ‘Ofsted’ (The Office for Standards in Education) and USA based educational institution ‘Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division’ have issued licences to Dar-ul-Madinah Islamic schooling system.

Madani Channel: (Pure Islamic channel of the Muslim world) Madani Channel has been making history by broadcasting pure Islamic transmission to 80% regions of the world in three languages (Urdu, English and Bangla) through 6 satellites.

Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat دَامَتْ بَرَكَاتُـهُمُ الْعَالِيَـه did not confine the administrative matters to himself but rather, he chose incredibly intelligent, well-experienced and those who put up an excellent performance in their departments, and included them in Markazi Majlis-e-Shura and handed over the administrative system of Dawat-e-Islami to this Shura board. The grand Islamic services of Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat shine like the sun which are being acknowledged and appreciated worldwide.