An Introduction

A HISTORY OF THE SERVICES OF JAMIA

Man is a chosen being; he is the most eminent of God's creations and his eminence is due to divinely bestowed knowledge which made angels prostrate before him at the time of the creation of universe. The object of a true knowledge is that man should know the creator, the created and his own self, and all that he owes to them respectively. Man can't have complete understanding of his duties towards Allah, towards his fellow beings and towards his own self unless he is initiated into divine law that has been preached by the prophets from time to time in the history of mankind. The importance of the study of the divine law can't be over-emphasized. In accordance with Islamic canons, acquiring of knowledge is a religious duty of every adult Muslim of either sex. Teaching and learning of Islamic sciences, in an Islamic society, is the greatest goal that one can aspire to attain and whose worldly as well as spiritual benefits continue to bear fruits for ever. This is the greatest service a Muslim can aspire to render to his co-religionists as well as humanity at large. This divinely blessed font is never likely to be dried up; this flower blossoms not to wither away but to retain and dispense its fragrance for ever, to enliven the dead hearts with a breath of new life.

According to the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty has taken it upon himself to protect Islam, a religion, he has chosen for the benefit of mankind till the end of time. The reciters of Holy Quran, the scholars and the spiritual preceptors are doing the same as a work of God. They have been doing it in mosques, in seminaries, in Islamic convents and through general preaching of Islam since the early days of Islamic era. In the Indo-Pak sub-continent, the stupendous task of teaching, preaching and preservation of Islam has been done by these Islamic seminaries (Madaris-i-Islamia) with great success, the credit of which can't be denied to them.

Jamia Khair-ul-Madaris (Multan) is one of the renowned and leading Islamic seminaries in the sub-continent. It was founded by a great Islamic scholar, a saint and a great teacher of Islamic learning Hazrat Maulana Khair Muhammad Jalandhari (Blessed be his soul) on 19th of Shawal, 1349 A.H. (9th of March, 1931, A.D.) at Jalandhar (now in Indian Punjab) with the perfect reliance on God and under the patronage of Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi who was a great Islamic revivalist, a sage of his time and the spiritual preceptor of the founder of the Jamia.

Initially, the Jamia had to face many financial problems but gradually, with the grace of God all these were overcome. Thus the Jamia made progress more and more due to the sincerity, hard work and patience of the founder, the teachers and the students of the Jamia and also due to the co-operation of Muslim public of that area. A large number of students acquired the knowledge of religious sciences, the Quran, the Hadith and Arabic for about 18 years over there.

After the emergence of Pakistan, Hazrat Maulana Khair Muhammad migrated to Pakistan and settled in Multan. He revived the Jamia in Multan as it is the most historical city of southern Punjab and the city of saints, too. The founder was asked with insistence to do so by Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ali Jalandhari. And the Jamia was revived at Multan on 22nd of Zul-Qada, 1366 A.H.(18th of October, 1947), apparently, without any material support. Geographically, Multan is situated in the heart of Pakistan and possesses a great historical significance. But the people of not only Multan as a seat of learning, but of the whole southern Punjab were in the past decades, a prey to general ignorance and innovatory rituals practiced in the name of Islam. Under these circumstances, the new Khair-ul-Madaris at Multan proved to be a light house in a stormy night whose light began to spread not only through Punjab but also to the recesses of the whole Islamic world. This institution became the centre of hopes and expectations of Muslim public in general. During the last 75 years, hundreds and thousands of students have drunk deep at this ever-exuberant fountain of Islamic learning. The alumni of this Jamia are serving the cause of Islam within and without the country; a great number of them have established a network of Islamic seminaries throughout Pakistan. Thank Almighty Allah , the contributions of the Jamia's scholar students have brought the name and fame at the top of the list of Islamic Madaris in Pakistan. The light of Islamic learning that has sprung from the Jamia has almost illumined the whole Islamic spheres. Blessed are those who took part, physically, spiritually as well as monetarily, in this work of constant good. And fortunate are those who, tending this rose-garden of Islamic sciences, are earning greater good for the life hereafter.

NOMENCLATURE & PREAMBLE

The Jamia, with the blessings and suggestion of the spiritual preceptor of the founder, Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Blessed be his soul) was named as "Khair-ul-Madaris" with reference to the name of the founder, Maulana Khair Muhammed (B.B.H.S).

The great preceptor of the founder outlined the preamble of the Jamia in the form of his kindly advices as following:

(1)The seminary should be founded not depending on any rich benefactor or officer but on absolute dependence on the mercy and beneficiation of Almighty Allah.

(2)The number of staff members should be left un-determined and open to availability of the institution.

(3)The contribution made by the poor should be deemed more valuable than that made by the rich for the rich, after having contributed some money, await exaggerated appreciation and thanks.