Nizamia Varsity in India
Marks 125th anniversary
By: Mustafa Hashmi
Special to Arab News (K.S.A)
The intenrationally renowend jamia Nizamia in Hyderabad, south India recently celebrated its 125th anniversary. This university has rendered great service for the cause of Islam. During its 125 years of existence, the jamia hs produced 169,000 graduates and scholars. it has also saved several rare medieval Arabic classics for posterity.
However, its plan to build upon its collection of Islamic literature has Officals of the institute have sent out appeals to Indian expatriates in the Gulf states to collect funds as part of a rescue package.
Some of the old alumni of the institute in Riyadh point out that till recently the institute was operating on a shoe-string budget of 300,000 rupees ($8,00) comprising mainly grant-in-aid from the state exucation departemnt and the Osmania University, to which the institute is affiliated.
The amount is not enough even to disburse the employees salary, let alone meet its exucationals needs.
The degrees granted by the institute are recoginzed by the world’s renowned universities, such as Al-Azhar, Ummul Qura, etc. It has published over 600 books, each running into 15 to 18 volumes of not less than 500 pages apiece. What is more-all books are rare medieval Arabic classic hitherto unpublished.
There is hardly a library in the literary world that could claim to possess such manuscripts, a spokesman of the institue told Arab News.
The scientific research and literary contributions of Arab writers have been recognized as land marks in the development of human knowledge. Geographically, the Arab world had become the meeting place of the west by virtue of its accomplishments in materialistic and spiritual sciences, countries.
The wealth of original material and information contained in the manuscript published by the jamia has earned the appreciation of researchers from all over the world.
The books published on various subjects inculude commentaries, biographical dictionaries, canon law, dialectics and digmaencyclopedia, history, literature, meatphysics, mathematics and astronomy and medival sciences.
‘Kunuzul Umma’ of 1567 AD is a the saurus of traditions. While Nazamud Durar of Burhanuddin Al-Biqai is a well known commentary on the holy Qur an wherein the author has critically dealt with the philauthor has critically dealt with the philosophical interpretation of Qur anic verses.
As part of its development plans, Nizamia’s administative body has set up a girls’ Islamic college this year. Besides, 15 religous schools have been started during this period in various districts of Andhra pardesh and other states.
It will be a fitting tribute to the institute during its 125th anniversary if the institute’s authorites could get into an academic exchange program with Imam Muhammad ibnsaud Islamic University for exchange of scholars and publications.
(بحوالہ: عرب نیوز (انگریزی روزنامہ) مورخہ ۲۹؍اکٹوبر ۱۹۹۷ سعودی عرب)
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