History

Importance of Islamic Madrassas in India

Islam and the Arabic language go hand in hand. This is the language of the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah (Hadith) and their interpretation and collection of other Islamic knowledge is available in this language. Allama Ibn Taymiyyah said: “The Arabic language is related to religion. Yes, it is obligatory to know the religion and to understand the Qur’an and Sunnah, and they cannot be understood correctly without the Arabic language. Hence, whatever that is necessary to understand the obligatory duties of Islam, also puts it in the category of wajib (compulsory)”.
When Islam entered this remote area, Indian Muslims understood the importance of Arabic language from day one. They protected the Arabic language in the same way they protected their lives and property. The scholars learned the Arabic language, mastered it and understood its even though it was not their mother tongue in India.

In the 19th century, when the reins of government slipped out of the hands of the Muslims, the biggest problem they faced was the protection and survival of the religion. To solve this problem, they understood a way to protect and survive the religion, and that was to spread the network of religious madrassas across the country, so that the younger generation would be aware of religious education and principles. In this regard, the Ulema rendered selfless service, highlighted the importance of religious and Arabic education and were always ready to make sacrifices. The students were also attracted to study Arabic while they knew very well that after receiving this education, they would not be able to get a job in the government nor would they be able to do well in their lives. On the contrary, the students were well aware that perhaps after receiving this education, they will always suffer from economic hardship.
The religious madrassas that are seen all over India today are in fact the guarantors of the survival of Islam and the Arabic language in India. These madrassas have rendered and continue to render valuable and admirable services in religious terms.

Nadvatul Ulama (Islamic Scholars symposium) Movement

In the late nineteenth century, the Nadvatul Ulama movement, led by the nation’s most distinguished scholars and thinkers, began in the form of a practical manifestation of Darul Uloom. The main purpose of the movement was to develop such a curriculum that acts as a bridge between modern sciences and Islamic & Arabic sciences. This could bridge the gap that is being created between the religious scholars and the modern educated class. The main agenda is to impart knowledge that is beneficial to them in both periods, the old one and the modern one. main object was to end conflicting among the sects and school of thoughts without compromising basic principle of Islam and promote to quality education.
A meeting of the Nadvatul Ulama was convened in 1894 AD with the participation of leading scholars from all walks of life in India. They came together to take stock of the plight of the Muslims and to discuss the evils and defects arising out of the invasion of missionary and Western civilization.
The reform movement of Nadvatul Ulama yielded successful results. Every student of the educational and cultural history of Muslims in India is well aware of these results and according to Arab and Non-Arab scholars; the services of these scholars are famous and noteworthy.
This Darul Uloom of Central India is a monument to the struggle and efforts of the Nadwa-tul-Ulama movement. It is a pioneer of the Darul Uloom Nadwa thought and the curriculum and training system is continuing in the similar manner.

Bhopal

Bhopal was a small Muslim state in central India which was established by Nawab Dost Muhammad Khan in the year 1725. Nawab Sahab was a knowledgeable, tolerant, generous and just man who dealt with his subjects irrespective of their religion and nationality. He also ruled with the attributes of splendour.
In the time of Nawab Hamidullah Khan, before the state of Bhopal was merged into the Indian Union, Islamic law was in force in the state. Dar-ul-Qaza, endowments and religious schools and all the features that distinguish an Islamic state were found. Though Bhopal was a small state, it was world famous for its diverse scientific, literary and cultural features. This state has always been the centre and abode of perfect teachers, world-class scholars, artisans, sages and pious people. It has been a treasure trove of knowledge and practice, its language was a spokesman for growth and guidance, its land is a cradle of teachers and its mosques are a haven for the learners of prophetic sciences. This state has always been a centre of education, teaching and writing in most areas. Since then, scholars and artisans have been coming to the state of Bhopal and illuminating this land with knowledge.

The Royal Era of the State

Nawab Shah Jahan Begum was the founder of the mosque in which Darul Uloom Tajul masajid is located. She ruled from 16 November, 1868 to her death on 16 June, 1901. She was a high spirited woman. During the golden period of her reign, Bhopal was a place of learning and development. Significant progress was made in many respects: the Department of Law was established, the powers of the judiciary were divided, extensive arrangements were made for peace and public safety, and attention was paid to hygiene. She paid special attention to education and made Sulaimaniya School extended upto High School level. She developed Madrasa Jahangiria, opened Madrasa Bilqisiya for orphans and established Shahjahani Press for printing books.
In this era of Shah Jahani, eminent scholars like Maulvi Jamal-ud-Din Khan, bold minister and author of numerous books, Nawab Siddique Hasan Khan Bahadur gathered under the banner of Bhopal state. One of the great names is that of Hussain ibn Muhsin Ansari, a Yemeni imam and teacher & expert of art of hadith. Teachers all over India have benefited from this great scholar of Hadith. The great scholars of the art of Hadith have knelt before him. Similarly, Sheikh Ishaq bin Abdul Rahman bin Hasan bin Shaykh-ul-Islam, the great grandson of Shaykh Saad bin Atiq Najdi and Shaykh-ul-Islam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahab Najdi, two great scholars of Najd, also came to Bhopal and acquired the knowledge of Hadith from them.
With the generous help of Nawab Shah Jahan Begum, many books like “Nail-ul-Awtar”, “Fath-ul-Bayan”, “Tafsir Ibn Kaseer”, “Najl-ul-Abrar”, “Jala-ul-Ain” came into existence. Rare books such as “Hujjatullahil Balighah” and “Fateh al-Bari” (Explanation of Sahih-ul-Bukhari) were compiled which were like ornaments and precious pearls of knowledge.

Architecture of Shah Jahani era

Shah Jahan Begum was ahead of other emperors as she had special interest in construction. Her passion and enthusiasm was in no way inferior to that of Mughal ruler Shah Jahan Badshah Delhi and it will not be wrong to say that Nawab Shah Jahan Begum had inspiration from her homonym as she continued construction throughout Bhopal during her reign.
Some of the buildings built by Nawab Shah Jahan Begum are “Taj Mahal”, “Aali Manzil”, “Benazir”, “Gulshan Alam” and “Noor Mahal” etc. Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum writes that “although the rulers of Bhopal have built many mosques but there are more mosques built by Her Highness herself”, the most magnificent, wide and tallest mosque among these mosques is the Tajul Masajid.

Eidgah on the site of Taj-ul-Masajid

We know Tajul-Masajid as it is now but it has a series of interesting events behind it. At that time, when the founder of Darul Uloom, Maulana Muhammad Imran Khan, started building shops in front of the Royal Market for the self-sufficiency of Darul Uloom, no one expected any kind of obstruction. But on 11 February 1958, the municipality issued a sudden notice that whatever construction had been made, has to be demolished, failing to do so will result in that the municipality itself will demolish the shops within 24 hours of the notice. This came as a sudden shock to the Masjid committee and thus the matter took a court turn and surprisingly, a new record came to light. The place where the Tajul masajid and its environs are now, there was an Eidgah here before. The ruler of the time, Shah Jahan Begum, had taken a fatwa from the scholars of the time about this area and according to the fatwa, this area was nominated for mosque exclusively, and no other government structures would be made in the specified area.
Below is a quote from Shah Jahan Begum’s letter which she sent to Qazi Zainul Abidin:
“We approve of the settlement of Shahjahani adjoining the bridge and relocating the Eidgah near the said bridge to another place and constructing official houses at the place where the Eidgah is now located, so it is written to you that you According to Shari’a Sharif, with reference to the books of jurisprudence, in the statement of differences of jurisprudential schools, in the fatwa of the Mufti, elaborate on what is the ruling on the land of Eidgah? Is this land dedicated (Waqf)? And if it has the ruling of Waqf, is it in the particular Hanafi jurisprudence or in all four jurisprudences? According to the narration of this issue, the details of this issue should be written in a correct and clear manner so that a suitable order should be given according to the construction of the mosque at the place of Eidgah.
(reference copy of the official order of Qazi Zainul Aabidin, dated Jamadi-ul-awwal 1287AH, Office of Insha (the private Secretary of Shah Jahan Beghum), duplicate Central Recoard Office Bhopal, dated June 7, 1958 AD).
The answer written by Qazi Zainul Aabidin is also here. It reads;
“Your Excellency ordered me in a letter to clarify according to the true and clear narration of (Hadith), that the land and the house which has the status of an Eidgah and of a mosque, whether it is permissible to build a house in it or not? So my reply is that the land and the Eidgah which is surrounded by walls and has mihrabs and many congregational and Istisqua prayers have been performed in it, is like other mosques in reverence and respect, and in maintaining its sanctity and in all other aspects regarding its use and ownership. It is actually a mosque and a property of Waqf according to the ruling of Islamic Sharia.
So please find here with enclosed the detailed and well-reasoned Fatwa regarding above mentioned Eidgah which is inscribed by me and approved by Mufty Sahab and Moulwi Abdullah and other Islamic scholars: Hope it will help your Highness to make up your mind and to come to a perfect and comprehensive conclusion. Peace be upon you.”
Dated 6 Jamadiul Awwal 1286 AH (reference from Qazi Zainul Aabidin Shah Jahan Begham ) (transcript Central Record Office Bhopal , dated June 8 1958 AD).
“A mosque of red sand stone like the Jama Masjid at Burhanpur will be constructed by us in place of present Eidgah at Shahjahanabad. It has 11 Mihrabs and 3 halls instead of 15 Mihrabs and 5 halls as there in original mosque at Burhanpur. And at the both right and left flanks of the mosque there will be two vertical halls for ladies”
So it was ordered to start collecting the red sandstone and prepare the necessary items for it. The roof of the mosque will be according to the specified pattern and sample you already have.”
It is clear from these records that in the initial order for the construction of the mosque, Her Highness Shahjahan Begum used the word masjid, but an examination of the record proves that the name of the Tajul masajid was used after 1306 AH. With this in mind, it is understood that the name of Juma Masjid which is mentioned in the ancient Khusrau of the Land Records, this entry is dated 1305 AH (1887 AD); the name in the order at the time of laying the foundation stone is registered in the Khasra.
(Copy of the order of Nawab Shah Jahan Begum Sahaba for the year 1304 AH).
Abstract Submission Superintendent of Constructions Objective 21 Safar 1304 AH. Application of Presidents for Writing Order in Preparation Wall which rebuilds both gates from Shahjahani Bridge to Bagicha Abdul Hameed Khan according to the oral government order.
(Transcript Central Record Office Bhopal, dated June 10, 1958 AD).
It was ordered that:
According to this petition, Muhammad Ishaq Khan, the superintendent of construction of the state, should be asked to prepare the wall according to the nature of the construction. Dated 24 Safar 1304 AH.
Pen Secretary Shamsuddin (Oral Mir Munshi Sahab)
Copy of the order of Nawab Shah Jahan Begum Sahaba for the year 1305 AH the above book summaries Case No. 1, Office of the Insha’ah Seasonal Superintendent of State Buildings.
28 Muharram 1305 AH with a written order regarding the construction of the new mosque located at Shahjahani Bridge (transcript of Central Record Office Bhopal, dated June 10, 1958 AD).
It was ordered that:
This petition should be directed to the Superintendent of State Construction to issue the construction work of the Jamia Masjid at Shahjahani Bridge as per the order only.
Dated 28 Muharram 1304 AH (1887 AD) by Abdul Rashid.

Construction arrangements during the reign of Shah Jahan Begum

Begum Sahiba’s residence is located to the south of the Tajul Masajid. The pond that is visible today between the palace and the mosque is actually the pool of the mosque which was built for the ablution of the worshipers, from the north door of the mosque to the pond. Extensive stairs were being built, so that ten thousand people would be able to climb at the same time. This would give a truly breathtaking view, unparalleled on the west bank of the pond. Now the building houses the secretariat of the time.

There is a paved road from Lal Darwaza to Tajul Masajid on the east side. This road actually serves as a strong embankment for the pond and the wastewater of the pond passes under it and goes to Munshi Hussain Khan’s pond where the level is low and it shows how cleverly and competently the palace and the mosque were planned to be preserved. The elevation of the Tajul Masajid is 3.5 feet high from the west road and 3.6 feet high to the east and the northeast corner its height is eight feet. This great difference in elevation is so well placed from the point of view of architecture that the eyes of an architect are amazed. In the rainy season, the mosque and its surroundings, a tunnel has been made in the northeast of the great chair of the mosque for the drainage of water, a beautiful path has been made on this tunnel so that instead of entering the mosque, people can reach the pond for ablution through it.

Craftsmen

Due to Shah Jahan Begum’s interest in architecture, her generosity and appreciation of the artists, descendants of skilled craftsmen from Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and other places, who built Taj Mahal, Jama Masjid Delhi, Lal Qila, Diwan-e-Khas and Diwan-e-Aam came to Bhopal and here they got a chance to show the essence of their architecture expertise.
Just as the Taj Mahal of Agra is due to the masterpiece of architect Shirazi, so is the fortune of Bhopal to find a famous and experienced architect of his time, Allah Dalai who worked on all the palaces, departments and mosques of Bhopal.

Stone

The stone used in the construction of the Tajul masajid is red sandstone on which carvings can be easily made and whose planks can be cut. The stone of Bhopal and Agra has been used in it. There are very fine carvings on the pillars and nets which the Saudi ambassador was amazed to see and he could not believe that such good carvings could be made by hand. The marble inscriptions inside the mosque are made of mosaic stone.

Expenses

The construction of the Tajul masajid was carried out with a purely religious spirit. Shah Jahan Begum wanted to make it a rare architectural masterpiece of Asia. In this regard, her treasury was always open. She used to spend money on the construction of the mosque with full generosity. According to an estimate, more than Rs 15/16 lakh were spent on it; according to engineers and experts of today, it is equivalent to Rs 70 crore of

Damages caused by abandonment of construction

Regarding the stone used in Tajul Masajid, experts say that if this type of stone is not polished properly, the effects of sun and rain will start to fade within fifty years. Since cement was not a tradition, lime was used in architecture. The cement that was prepared consisted of lime, crushed bricks, Gur, (jiggery) vine nuts and urad lentils, and the same connotation was used for constructing the Tajul Masajid. Although lime was used very carefully in the Tajul Masajid, after the death of Shah Jahan Begum, the work was abruptly halted. The effects of water, cold and hot whether wreaked havoc on the internal strength of the mosque. The weather conditions which were sometimes moist and sometimes dry continued to disperse the surface of the rock due to its chemical speed. Today the whole building is under the influence of this chemical reaction. The officials of Darul Uloom are also paying attention to this. The whole mosque should be cleaned and polished. This beautiful building will be severely damaged if proper care is not administered.

Crystal equipment

Nawab Shah Jahan Begum had ordered for crystal Musallas, (special stone for construction of floor) Spires, Fountains for the Tajul Masajid, and crystal flooring for the women’s section. Sultan Jahan Begum writes: “On its construction, Rs 15 to 16 lakh has been spent, its crystalline floor has been manufactured in a large factory in England for Rs 7 lakh”.
But when the Musallas arrived, which consisted of four pieces and the time came for them to be installed, the scholars strongly disagreed that it would give reflection on the floor, an action that is illegal for praying. Nawab Shah Jahan Begum asked the scholars In this regard, the late Maulana Syed Zulfiqar Ali Naqvi writes in his compilation:
“Praise be to God, the government of Khuld Makan (Heavenly Dwelling) had made glass slabs for the Tajul masajid. I asked the scholars for a fatwa about this and it was said that a fatwa should also be taken from Qazi Sahab. I wrote to Qazi Maulvi Abdullah Kabuli that the official instruction is that he too write a fatwa and send it here. So he wrote the following fatwa (Bhopal’s Qaza-w-ifta, manuscript).
Question: Is it haraam or permissible if the floor of glass or crystal is laid in the corridors and courtyard of the mosque?
Answer: The floor of the mosque is not haram in the mosque but is permissible, for several reasons:
The first is that its prohibition is not mentioned in the Qur’an and Hadith as being used in houses in general, nor in mosques in particular. Hence, there is no prohibition in using these materials, even though the real things are in the view of researchers.
Second reason: It is mentioned in Surah An-Naml that Hazrat Sulaiman (sws) ordered Bilqis (Queen of Saba) to enter the palace which was covered with glass, so he himself explained it to Bilqis. The use of glass in houses was justified because although this story belongs to the Shari’ah of the past, but the rule of the authoritative scholars is that when the stories of the ancients are narrated in the Qur’an and Hadith, they cannot be denied and their abrogation is not our Shari’ah. When glass is generally used in houses it is permissible. In that case, the rule of justification will remain the same in the mosque as long as there is no special evidence in the mosque.
The third reason: In its nearness, it is the same thing that Imam Bukhari has narrated from Ibn Abbas and Hasan Basri in his Sahih. The first is that “صلى ابن عمر رضي الله عنه الثلج” means Hazrat Ibn Umar has prayed on ice. According to Hasan Basri, he was not afraid to offer any prayer in the sentence. The meaning of the sentence is water which becomes like a stone. Some have interpreted the sentence as “ice”. The frozen water is very clear and transparent and the reflection is reflected in it to some extent and the cleanliness and shine of the ice is also evident.
Reason 4: As far as the points of prohibition of prayers are mentioned in the hadiths, such as garbage cans, slaughterhouses, graveyards, walking paths, baths, ostriches, the roof of the Ka’bah, etc., the glass and crystal floor is not specifically included in them, nor is it usually due to all these reasons. It has been proved that the use of (glass) floor in a mosque is not haram, but it is permissible and valid. Now, is it permissible or not? Is it respectful or against? Or are both sides equal? So it was found out that the method of Salaf was not useful for decoration and some hadiths and relics of the Companions about avoiding it have appeared in the books of hadiths and this decoration seems to be a disturbance in humility of heart. It is in the state of literary opposition, it is recommended and dignity is in simplicity.
Here again we find the example of Shah Jahan Begum’s overwhelming respect and reverence to religion Islam that she did not install these slabs though it was not against Shariya ruling but simply because it was against to the simplicity which is admirable in Islam.
Unfortunately, all this equipment was stolen. When the completion of the Tajul masajid was inaugurated in the year 1971 AD, hardly a complete specimen of this slab could be obtained which is preserved in the library of Darul Uloom.

Construction work halted

Construction work was halted after the death of Shah Jahan Begum in 1901. The construction of Tajul Masajid could not be resumed during the reign of Sultan Jahan Begum who was the daughter of Shah Jahan Begum and succeeded her. All architects and artists wanted to resume. They waited for the work to start but time passed and these artists and architects kept saying goodbye to Bhopal in his misery.

Interest of Nawab Hameedullah Khan

When Nawab Hameedullah Khan turned his attention to the construction of an incomplete mosque in 1937 AD, the artisans opposed it. Construction on the same map was not considered appropriate due to continuous wetting and other technical defects in the rain scar on for many years, so it was decided to make light domes of aluminium etc. on both towers and roof domes and fit them in it. Two years later, on September 1939 AD, World War II broke out and the focus shifted from the mosque to the prisoner-of-war camp at Bairagarh.
After the end of the war, activities resumed and Nawab Sahab selected Sarwar Qureshi Sahab Architect to approve the estimates for the completion and also approved the proposal for demolition of the fort wall of Bhopal city and Sarwar Sahab was responsible for both these works. After all the efforts, some work started on the north gate, the recruitment of the courtyard started, there was still a lot of work to be done, the political situation worsened again and the work stopped again.

Completion of Tajul Masajid

from very beginning Maulana Muhammad Imran Khan Nadwi Azhari had been thinking of completion of the Tajul Masajid. Maulana had said many times that he was sincere in his intention but success depended on the will of God.

From the establishment of Darul Uloom to the completion of the Tajul masajid campaign

From the time Maulana Imran Khan took over the care and supervision of the Tajul masajid, he kept in view the original plan and due to some circumstances when he could not use the lands and buildings outside the mosque for educational purposes, he continued to build, renovate and modify the arched galleries and corridors of the spacious mosque in such a way that on one hand the beauty of this magnificent Islamic monument would not be affected and on the other hand it would provide all the necessary space for Darul Uloom Tajul masajid. He kept up the good work, and let the attendees have as many facilities as possible for gathering (special for Ijtema).

Works that was completed before actual reconstruction of Tajul Masajid

Pool
This pool is of 50×50 square feet and it is surrounded by a solid platform of seven and a half feet wide, the depth of the pool is up to 4 feet, it was completed just before the beginning of third annual gathering in 1951 by the free service of dedicated Muslims and by a sum of few thousands of rupees.
A crystal fountain has been installed in the middle of the cistern which has increased its splendor. Shah Jahan Begum had ordered crystal bricks for this cistern but due to her death and stoppage of work all the equipment was stolen. Therefore, this pool was built of ordinary bricks, and now there is no fountain.

Stone Musallas (place of prayer)
75% of the courtyard had been left uncompleted with deep pits. Despite the efforts to fill them taken up by Nawab Hameedullah Khan, still more than half of the courtyard remained unfinished. After the establishment of Darul Uloom, the pits were filled and covered with red sandstone. Further work was done for its closure and half the yard was ready before the completion campaign.

Formation of Rooms
The long courtyard of the mosque was surrounded by a 12 feet wide arched gallery on the north and east, while the gallery in the south was incomplete. All the constructed galleries were converted into rooms. 85 large and 116 windows have been installed and 100 skylights and 41 name plates have been fixed and since then these rooms are being used for various works of Darul Uloom such as, guest house, Darul Uloom Office, Dining hall and boarding rooms, where around 220 boys can stay, as well as store rooms.

Completion of flooring
The floors of the spacious hall of the mosque, the east hallway and the northwest hallway were not complete. Some portions of the floor were incomplete and in some places, the floor was not erected at all. Initiatives were taken to complete the hall spanning an area of length 200 feet and width of 12 feet.

Stairs
There were only three steps in front of the three gates for access to the mosque, but now permanent stairs have been set up in front of all the gates of the mosque. Also for the women, stairs have been constructed in the north and south of the mosque for entrance into the courtyard and mosque.

Bathrooms and Washrooms
Five washrooms and bathrooms were constructed for the women’s mosque adjoining the mosque on the south side and four bathrooms and five washrooms were constructed on the same side of the mosque for external use i.e. dormitory etc.

Kitchen
Since there is a dormitory in Darul Uloom and a large number of students, there was a need to have a kitchen for their meals and breakfast. Hence two kitchens were built outside the mosque on the south side.

Minarets of the Mosque
The incomplete minarets of this unfinished mosque were also high and low. In this connection, the northern minaret was raised about 40 feet, parallel to the southern minaret. The diameter of the minarets is 25 feet.

Roofs of the mosque
The construction of the mosque was halted in 1901. This unfinished mosque was left on its own and faced the brunt of heavy rains, sunlight and wind. How severely they damaged the mosque walls, roofs and minarets are unexplainable and how the water seeped into the walls and doors is understandable. However, works have been done to some extent to maintain the roof of the mosque, its rooms and hallways. Roofs were laid at some places while at other places; plastering was done on the roofs.

Mosque courtyard
The courtyard of the mosque was uneven, unlevelled and unusable. To make the courtyard even surfaced, hundreds of trucks of debris were used to fill in and many pious devotees participated in this mammoth task.

Electric Lighting
Electrical fitting in this vast mosque was not an easy task but by the grace of God that work was done to a large extent in the inner area of the mosque, courtyard of the mosque, newly constructed rooms (including store, office, dining hall, residences, libraries, etc.). The women’s mosque was completed in phases. Hence the total power line required for the whole mosque is 3000 feet.

Water management
Earlier, water was available for Taj-ul-Masjid from the Hamidia school line. But it was not sufficient enough for the needs of the mosque. Now, by the grace of God, a wider line has been connected to the main line without the participation of others and water is provided to a large extent as per the requirement. In this regard, pipes of different sizes have been used for supplying water in all parts of the mosque.
All of these works were completed by 1960 AD. Some other important works completed before 1971 AD, the year after which the construction work started properly were:

• The floor of a long corridor of the women’s mosque on the north side was completed.
• A marble staircase was built in front of the central altar.
• Strong staircases were erected in front of the remaining arches.
• In the courtyard of the mosque, iron pillars were erected for temporary shade and iron nets were drawn so that sackcloth etc. could be placed on them during the gathering.

Beginning of new efforts for construction

Maulana’s longing and desire to complete the Taj-ul-Masjid used to linger in his heart from the very first day, so whenever the opportunity arose, something was being built, as has just been stated in the previous lines.

Proposed construction of North Corridor

In the meeting of the Executive Council on December 10 in 1966 AD, a proposal was made by the Director of Darul Uloom for the construction of the North Hall of the Tajul masajid. A committee consisting of the members of the Executive Council was approved to consider all matters and formulate appropriate proposals. It was decided that the committee should start working trusting on the help of God after considering all aspects of the matter and in consultation with the architects as required, as well as obtaining building permission and making appropriate arrangements for the provision of funds. It has been decided that at present this committee should start its work with the amount set aside by a well-wisher for this purpose. Appropriate measures should be taken for the remaining expenses and the committee should keep on presenting its performance report in the Executive Council. The members of the committee were as follows: “Maulana Muhammad Imran Khan Sahab, Maulana Syed Hashmat Ali Sahab, Abdul Hameed Khan Sahab Overseer, Maulana Syed Manzoor Hussain Sahab Soroush, Mr. Abdul Rauf Khan Sahab, Mr. Iftikhar Sahab”.
It was discussed about north Corridor. The deterioration of the roof and its constant dilapidation was a cause of great worry and anxiety. Experts, especially Abdul Hameed Sahab Overseer, who was also a member of the Executive council and an architect, was extremely concerned regarding the condition of the roof.
The late Maulana says, “In the beginning of October 1967 AD, when Hazrat Sahab addressed me for the first time, he said, Maulvi Sahab! Why don’t you pay attention to the Taj-ul-masajid? So I asked, “What can I do?” Who would dare to do what the rulers of the state could not do these days? He said, “Only men of courage do these things. If you dare you can do. So, why do you lose courage”?
The same thing was written by the late Maulana in the Executive council on August 12 in 1969 AD:
The construction and completion of Tajul Masajid was undoubtedly our goal, but due to our poor condition, we were aspiring as well as longing, but something happened that after years of silence, Hazrat Shah Mohammad Yaqub Sahab Mujaddidi Al-Aali said without any context that O Maulvi Sahab! How long will these mosques remain lying like this? Why not build it? I was caught in confusion, the concern was how to avoid Hazrat Sahab’s gesture? And on the other hand, how to head this campaign.
The late Maulana added: “The thought of Tajul Masajid was always with me people did not donate in the name of building a mosque. However, people used to donate for Darul Uloom because Darul Uloom had been running for 20 years. Darul Uloom was running smoothly on this donation of the people but if I asked for donations for the Tajul masajid, people would say Maulvi Sahab! All the works of the world can be done but task of the mosque cannot be done, so what is the use of donating for the construction of what cannot be done? What use will two or four, five thousand of rupees be of use to the mosque? It requires millions of Rupees.
When the late Maulana told this to Mr. Inamullah Makki, a resident of Bhopal, living in Canada, while appealing for donations, at first he could not believe it. He said that it was impossible but assurance was given to him that the work had already being done for the mosque and it needed donations.
All this situation was also reported to Hazrat Sahab. He listened to all the things with great attention and said that you should leave Bhopal and India, then you should go out somewhere and bring one lakh two lakh donations in the beginning. The people of Bhopal are very disappointed. Then you will look that how Allah Almighty opens his treasures. He said that I asked Hazrat Sahab that for many days the idea had been coming to my mind that I should go abroad. There are also people who knew me.

Construction Plan of Tajul Masajid

When it was decided that the campaign for the completion of the mosque should be started, a detailed plan was made and from the point of view of construction and completion, the most important and priority tasks were selected which were as follows, along with their estimated expenditure-

This was followed by the preparation of pamphlets and papers for the fundraising campaign, which was soon prepared by Prof. Masood-ur-Rehman with his natural diligence and care.

Other buildings in Darul Uloom compound

The details of the construction of the inner mosque are mentioned previously. Darul Uloom, in view of Maulana’s genius and his high status, not only acquired land around the Tajul masajid but also built a huge commercial complex to finance Darul Uloom forever.

Construction of shops

The completion of the Tajul Masajid was in full swing. The people of Bhopal and the people of India were participating in the construction work with great fanfare. The long-standing issue of the land of Darul Uloom was resolved in the month of December 1974 AD and Darul Uloom took possession of vast tracts of land. The government promised to allow the construction of shops in phases. Many works had been done for the completion of Tajul masajid. Then Maulana and the members of the Executive council were of the opinion that the construction of shops should be started immediately. Otherwise, change in government will lead to change of circumstances and new problems will arise, so the effort to get permission to build shops began. When the issue of supply of capital arose, Maulana was of the opinion that the people of Bhopal have donated generously for the cause of the masjid, and many pending works are still remaining, hence for the construction of shops, a different source of funds has to be obtained.

In Maulana’s opinion, a sum of money (Rs. 56,000) which was collected for fighting a court case in the year 1952 AD, was largely safe and could be used. The other amount was Rs. 4,85,751 in the account of the land sold by Waqf Colonel Iqbal Muhammad Khan. The work should begin by taking a loan and the loan installments should be paid from the income of shops so that the loan of this waqf can be repaid as soon as possible.

For the above reasons and especially because the income from the shops will help in the construction work of the mosque, an endless series of construction shops started. At the same time the construction work of the mosque has continued but the shops and other construction works picked up pace. The actual work of the roof stopped and other works continued, then on the occasion of Maulana Syed Sulaiman Nadwi Seminar in 1985 AD, the proposal to build Sulaiman Hall in his memory was passed and the attention was diverted towards it. The roof work could not be completed under the observation of Maulana and Maulana Manzoor Soroush Sahab because of technical reasons. Some experts were of the opinion that another roof of RCC should be installed on the existing roof to minimise the risk of breaking the stone rocks. The second opinion was that all the debris should be scraped off the rocks and the roof of RCC should be put on these rocks. Due to these reasons, the work got delayed and was finally completed in 1998 AD under the tenure of Professor Maulana Mohammed Hassan Khan Sahab.

On February 10, 1975 AD, Late Maulana Mohammed Imran Khan Sahab presented this memorandum in the meeting of the Executive Council- “As the esteemed members of the Executive Council Dar-ul-Uloom Taj-ul-Masjid Bhopal are aware that by the grace of the Almighty, Darul Uloom Tajul masajid Bhopal has been taken over and it has also been decided that construction of buildings on these plots will be allowed step by step. InshaAllah, the first building will be constructed on this plot which is Hamidia Road. In the east, ie, the place which is located in the east of the southern square of the Tajul masajid, according to a cursory estimate, about thirty to forty excellent spacious shops will be built. This is a huge construction project and will require millions of rupees. It is not possible for Darul Uloom to get interest bearing loans from banks etc. for this work. Darul Uloom itself does not have any big capital. It is also inappropriate to get general donations for this work as construction work in the mosque is running parallely. The requirement is millions of rupees which can only be met by whole hearted donations.

On 26 December 1972 AD, Executive Council Dar-ul-Uloom Taj-ul-Masjid called a committee for construction of shops on the land cover of Taj-ul-Masjid. The committee took a loan of Rs. 5 lakhs from the committee of waqf Muhammadia Bari with an annual payment of Rs. 50,000 per annum. It may be that the proceeds from the construction of the building will initially be used to pay off the entire installment of the loan (excluding the maintenance and building needs of the building costs). It may not be wrong to expect that even if thirty shops are built, they are expected to earn an annual income of about Rs. 72,000 of which, God willing, it will be possible to pay at least Rs. 50,000 as the annual installments. In this way, the entire loan will be repaid in 10 years, God Willing. There is also a strong possibility that this debt will be paid off before its due time, as only the Darul Uloom Tajul masajid Bhopal has the right to benefit from the income of the Waqf Agriculture Muhammadiya Bari. If the said money is spent on construction shops, it will ultimately benefit Darul Uloom in one way or another. The real capital of Waqf-e-Zaraat-e-Muhammadiyah will also be preserved and when Dar-ul-Uloom repays the loan of Waqf-e-Zaraat-e-Muhammadiyah, a separate immovable property will be acquired for Waqf-e-Zaraat-e-Muhammadiyah. With the proceeds of the property, it will be possible to meet the needs of Darul Uloom and Tajul masajid. In this way, the project will be safe, profitable and viable in every way , God willing. If the Executive Council also agrees with this plan, then the administration of Waqf Agriculture Committee will make a request to get a loan from Muhammadiyah Bari”.

The above proposal was unanimously approved and it was decided to take action for obtaining an annual loan of Rs. 5,00,000 from Waqf Zaraat Mohammadia Bari for the construction of surrounding areas of Tajul masajid. The annual instalment of Rs. 50,000 was set.

Permission to build shops and start work

As soon as the land was acquired, the process of getting permission for construction of shops was started. There were various difficulties and troubles in this permission but due to the high position of Maulana and his sincerity, all the difficulties vanished easily.

On June 18 1975 AD, Mr. MN Buch, the Administrator, Municipal Corporation and the Commissioner, Town and Country Planning, was applied for permission for regular construction with the map. After several alterations, the map was finally approved.

Mr. Fakhr-ud-Din Ali Ahmed, President of the Republic of India, laid the foundation stone for the construction of these shops on October 22, 1975 AD. But even after that, many problems and difficulties continued to occur due to which work could not start before March 1976 AD.

Permission to build the upper part of the shops

As a result of continuous efforts, the approval for the construction of the upper floor was received from the government and the municipal corporation in May 1978 AD. At that time, Amir Darul Uloom was on a fundraising visit to England. Acting Amir Darul Uloom Maulana Syed Manzoor Hussain Sahab Soroush and Officials and members of the Executive Council, despite the lack of funds, were trying to build the upper floor as soon as possible, otherwise the permission would be put on hold again as a result of political revolutions and changes of state government. An interesting and detailed memoir of this series has been presented at the meeting held on December 25, 1978 AD:

“Honorable members of Executive Council Dar-ul-Uloom Tajul masajid Bhopal have been informed from time to time about the situation and events related to the construction of Taj Market. Distinguished members will remember how we got permission to build both floors of this building. Later, the construction permission of the upper floor was cancelled and it was verbally advised not to start the construction of the southern block of the lower floor. It was decided in the meeting of Executive Council held on May 5, 1978 AD that the floor of the southern block should be started. Permission for construction of this block has not been revoked so the construction of this block should be done immediately. So when it was completed, the issue of permission for construction of the upper floor was brought before the present government. Finally, by the grace of God, the floor was constructed in May 1978 AD. The construction of the upper floor was approved by the government, but it was also necessary to get permission from the municipal corporation to restore the rules. Amir Darul Uloom had left for England and after his departure Official permission was also obtained from the Municipal Corporation.

Permission for construction was obtained but the question was how to manage the construction costs. The loan of Rs. 500,000 obtained for the construction of Taj Market had been spent on the construction of the ground floor. There was no money that was enough to cover the cost of building the upper floor (which was expected to be around 500,000). On the one hand, there were these difficulties and on the other hand, it was necessary to build the upper floor as soon as possible. Otherwise, God willing, if this opportunity was missed or a revolution (a change of state government) took place, and then the construction work of the upper floor would be delayed indefinitely. One of the problems was that due to the absence of Amir Darul Uloom, the management who was carrying out the work of Darul Uloom in Bhopal was reluctant to take any major steps. But above all hesitations, the claim that the construction of the upper floor should be completed in any case was a priority and main objective of Darul Uloom Tajul masajid.

Thus, spending Darul Uloom’s money on the construction of property and spacious Tajul masajid was in accordance with the Darul Uloom Tajul Masajid Manual. Therefore, the Acting Director of Darul Uloom consulted the members of the Emirate (Executive committee) of Darul Uloom who were present in Bhopal and it was decided that the amount required for the construction of the Upper Taj Market should be borrowed from the total fund of Darul Uloom. It should be spent and its account should be kept separately.

Construction of shops in the direction of Sultania Road

The construction work of the shops on stall road (Thaile wali sadak) was completed in 1980 AD. It was agreed in the lease agreement with the Government of Madhya Pradesh that the shops would be constructed on the stall road in the first phase. After its completion, Sultania Road (Royal Market) Shops will be constructed on the other side of the road. Therefore, when the work on the other side was completed, the process of starting the work on the other side was initiated. A memorandum was presented to the Executive Council on January 12, 1981 AD.

‘According to the agreement reached on the land of the enclosed Tajul masajid, first to build shops on the side of the road located on the south side of the Tajul masajid on the ground side and then on the south side of the said square on the side of the Royal Market on Sultania Road. It was decided to build shops in front. Praise be to God, the shops on the side of the stall road are almost complete and the upper floor has also been built. Under the agreement, there is a need to build shops on Sultania Road. For the construction of Taj Market, construction work was carried out by obtaining loan money from the total fund of Darul Uloom. Similarly, shops should be constructed on Sultania Road’.

There were many difficulties and obstacles in the construction of shops in this part but due to the prayers of the late Maulana, the efforts of him and his colleagues, all the problems were solved. The elaboration of construction of shops in the Executive Council on May 5 1977 AD, is mentioned:

“Maulana Sahab briefed the audience on the difficulties encountered in the construction of shops on the south Sultania Road in the vicinity of Tajul masajid Bhopal and the manner in which those difficulties were resolved”.

The proceedings of the Majlis Emirate (Executive committee) were also ratified in the same meeting in which one of the proceedings was related to these shops:

“With regard to the shops being constructed on Sultania Road, south of the Tajul masajid within the premises of the Tajul masajid, the construction work should be started immediately after the concerning matters have been decided on May 5, 1977 AD”.

How should shops be rented?

Everything was done with the approval of Executive Council and Executive Committee in accordance with all the rules so that there would be no wrong or illegal transactions. This was Maulana’s style and disciplinary way of working. From time to time details of tenants and tenants were presented in Executive Council meetings. Therefore, the following details were presented in the Executive council of December 28, 1981 AD:

‘It was decided that in connection with the tenancy of the shops being constructed on Sultania Road, Rs. 15,000 per shop as security deposit and Rs. 5,000 per shop for completion of construction should be obtained from the tenants in advance. Monthly rent for the shops varied from Rs. 800 to 1000.

It was decided that if any owner makes a reasonable donation for the construction of these shops which are being constructed on Sultania Road, a reasonable discount can be given in the amount of their security deposit. In the same way, the Executive Committee held its meeting on March 8, 1982 and laid down some rules regarding the tenancy of shops. It was ratified in the meeting of Executive Council held on December 28, 1982 AD. The details are as follows:

For the tenancy of shops, it was decided that applications were called for by placing advertisements in Urdu, Hindi and English newspapers. Executive Committee considered these requests. Mr. Abdul Rauf Khan Sahab (Owner Ahad Brothers) gave his full support in this work with his valuable advice. Executive Committee considered the list of applications and selected fifty to sixty moderate, credible and prestigious aspirants. A letter was sent to the selected people stating that the general conditions of tenancy must be complied with’.

Construction of Sulaiman Hall

A seminar was held at Darul Uloom on the centenary of Allama Syed Sulaiman Nadwi, ie, “Bazm Sulaiman”, on 4th to 6th December 1985 AD. The proposals passed in this seminar. And the most important proposal which was related to Darul Uloom was to build a library in memory of Syed Sulaiman Sahab.

Because Maulana was a practical man and he was the one who invited this seminar, he felt his responsibility in following the recommendations passed in the seminar. He executed the projects well before his death, and the work of Suleiman Hall Library was completed according to plan.

Construction of modern accommodation

In view of the development and expansion of the education system of Darul Uloom Tajul masajid and the growing number of students, the need was felt to build a new boarding house. The need for such a dormitory was suggested at a meeting of the Executive Council held on April 19, 2015 AD. The proposal was approved to build a new residence for students that will be equipped with modern resources and necessary facilities for the students. The new residence building was to be built on the bank of the pond to the north adjacent to the mosque in Darul Uloom. The foundation stone of this project was laid on January 22, 2017 AD by the hands of the late Director Peer Saeed Mian Mujaddidi. The building has been mapped in such a way that the building has two floors in a deep pit in the enclosed Darul Uloom so that despite being a grand three-storey building, it may not block the view of the red sandstones of the mosque from the west side.

The building has been constructed on an area of 71,315 square feet. On each floor, a modern style room for warden, sufficient washrooms and a large hall with all facilities for students has been created. The building is beautifully designed with wooden windows, exquisite flooring and eye-pleasing architecture which gives an appealing look of the building. Upon completion of this building, around 600 students will be able to live comfortably with all the facilities. The estimated cost of completion of this project is around Rs. 8 crores.

Acquisition of ancient DPI space

The Baghiya and DPI offices to the west of the Tajul Masajid were requested from the government in amicable talks, as this was originally the property of Jahangiria Madrasa in the time of Shah Jahan Begum where the students used to stay. But when the issue was finalized, the government refused to provide the requested space as well as Obeidia school. This led to discussions and finally upon consultation, it was decided that whatever land is being provided, should be taken and efforts should be continued for the remaining land.

An excellent plan of Mr. Ibrahim Qureshi Ex-Chairman of Minority commission was that if all the Muslim institutions were shifted to the same campus then the danger of police and paramilitary forces staying there would be averted and all the Muslim institutions would come together in one place.

He was very quick-witted, intelligent and genuinely sympathetic to the problems of the Muslims. Instead of favouring the government and the party, he was in favor of the affairs of the Muslims.

Eventually the vacant land of DPI and its dilapidated fifteen rooms with cement sheets were acquired by Darul Uloom. The remaining major buildings were given to the Waqf Board, Mutawlli Committee and Hajj Committee, thus all the offices of the Muslims were established in one place.

South and north grounds around the Tajul Masajid

There is a field in the south of Taj-ul-Masjid with an area of 12 acres. Similarly, there is a field in the north with an area of 2 acres. Darul Uloom had acquired these grounds after fighting a dispute with the government spanning 25 years. The land was eventually given on a lease of 30 years on a rent basis, which expired in the year 2004 AD and has been renewed hence with. Darul Uloom has built shops in the southern ground which are a source of income. On the upper floors of these shops, assembly halls have been built for carrying out meetings and other official purposes. The whole of Darul Uloom is well covered with a boundary wall. As for the northern ground, a boarding has been made for the students.

There is also a ground on the west side of Darul Uloom which is adjacent to the mosque and was acquired from the government in 1997 AD. This ground which is of 1.5 acres has been used to create a dormitory for the students. This dorm is equipped with an indoor games room for students’ recreation. In this way, Darul Uloom Tajul masajid has become a vast religious seminary dedicated for students’ welfare.

Important Conferences

Working Committee Meeting of All India Unani Medicine Conference (March 1974 AD)

One of the signs of the greatness of knowledge of the muslims of India is their expertise in the field of sciences and medicine. Over the passage of time, the importance of these core subjects began fading. The revival of these was initiated by The All India Medical Unani Conference which conducted meetings in Bhopal. Due to the centrality of the Tajul masajid in Bhopal, it was ideal that the conference must happen at the grand mosque. The proposal was presented to Maulana Sahab and he happily welcomed the idea. The meeting was presided over by the eminent Hakim Abdul Hameed Sahab Mutawali Hamdard (Waqf) of the subcontinent. The meeting on the promotion of Unani medicine was also presided over by Hakim Abdul Hameed Sahab on March 17, 1974 AD.

Probably for the first time all the doctors of India gathered in this conference. The traces of practice of ancient medicine can still be found in Bhopal. The conference was a huge success; doctors from all over India participated in it. The participants passed an important resolution that the government of Madhya Pradesh should strive for the promotion of Unani medicine and should include it in mainstream treatment practices. The participants appreciated the good management of Darul Uloom and thanked for organizing this conference and congratulated on its success. It is the blessing of this conference that the number of Unani hospitals is higher in Madhya Pradesh than anywhere else in India. Also, Unani doctors and physicians are actively present in all government hospitals of MP. The conference would not have been possible without the sincere efforts of Maulana Salman Khan who ensured that the gathering was a success.

Seventh All India Conference on Islamic Studies conference (September 9-11, 1974 AD)

The Islamic Studies Conference was established at the Muslim University of Aligarh in 1958 AD. Since then, its meetings have been held every two years. All the three meetings were held in Aligarh in 1958, 1960 and in 1962 AD. The fourth meeting was held in Hyderabad at the invitation of Osmania University in the year 1964 AD. The fifth meeting was held at Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi in 1968 AD. The sixth meeting was held at Dar-ul-Musnafeen Azamgarh in 1969 AD. After that, the next conference was scheduled to happen at Darul Uloom Nadwa-tul-ulama Lucknow but it got prolonged due to one reason or the other. Finally, the conference happened in 1974 AD in Bhopal at the insistence and on the recommendation of Maulana Abu Al-Hassan Ali Mian Sahab. It was a matter of great pride and esteem that such a distinguished conference happened at Darul Uloom Bhopal. The late Maulana showered his hospitality for the success of the three-day conference on 9, 10 and 11 September, 1974 AD.

The conference was attended by 55 scholars and intellectuals. The President of the Conference Prof. Abdul Aleem Sahab could not attend the conference due to ill health. Maulana Syed Abu Al Hassan Ali Nadwi inaugurated the conference and Maulana Muhammad Imran Khan Sahab Nadwi delivered the keynote address. The audience was very impressed with the presence of such distinguished personalities.

In this three-day meeting, a total of 27 articles were read (10 in English, 9 in Urdu, 6 in Arabic and 2 in Persian languages). The closing session was held on September 11, 1974 AD. Prof. Syed Maqbool Ahmed Sahab, Secretary General of the Conference, thanked Maulana Ali Mian and all the delegates associated with the conference. For Maulana Imran Sahab, he showered adulations, appraisal and admired his mettle for organising such a grand conference successfully. He praised his efforts to great length which are in fact, a praise and tribute to all the scholars community. His words of praise are as follows-

“Sir Syed Ahmed’s proposal was to establish a Madrasa and it started as a Madrasa-tul-Uloom. But in 1920 AD, the turn of events was such that the madrasa was given a University status. The place was famous for the muslims of India as it was the center for learning Islamic philosophy, theology and Arabic language and literature. I see the same practice being followed today in this Darul Uloom, Tajul masajid. If the efforts of Maulana (Mohammad Imran Khan) are persistent, that day is not far when this Darul Uloom of Tajul Masajid will be one of the greatest seminaries of the world. The greatness of Darul Uloom Bhopal will be a source of happiness for all of India and a source of pride for the Muslims. It is not wrong for me to think that Maulana Imran Khan Sahab Nadwi is ‘Shah Jahan the Second’ but also the ‘Sir Syed’ of this time, and this honour is gained by very few. We are just the academicians who are busy with teaching and learning but the real hard work is to carry out the construction work and bring it to completion. Yes, we have held three sessions of this conference in Aligarh and we have a good idea of the number of administrative difficulties, hardships and worries that come in the way. But in view of all these difficulties, when we see the good management, style and success of conferences like these, appraise and admiration for the organiser is natural. The credit for this successful conference undoubtedly goes to Maulana Muhammad Imran Khan for his well-known abilities.

At the end of the meeting, Maulana Syed Abu Al-Hassan Ali Nadwi expressed his happiness and satisfaction over the success of the meeting.

Dr. Masood-ur-Rehman Sahab Nadwi was instrumental in making this meeting a success. He preserved the proceedings of this seminar through the special issue of the 7th All India Islamic Studies Conference, which has now become a scholarly document.

Bazm-e-Sulaimani Centenary Birthday of Allama Syed Suleiman Nadwi (Dated 4-6 September 1985 AD)

This seminar, which is attributed to Allama Syed Sulaiman Nadwi, was the last in a series of seminars and conferences on the occasion of his centenary. This meeting was also a three-day meeting which started on September 4 and ended on September 6. Allama Syed Sulaiman Nadwi is one of the few figures in the Eastern history of literature, religion and wisdom whose scholarly, literary, religious and national services have not been hindered by the veil of contemporaneity nor has his appreciation diminished since time immemorial. At the same time, the warmth of devotion, love and gratitude increased, and the echo of his sincere enthusiasm was heard on the occasion of the first centenary of his birth, not only in the subcontinent but also in France. Celebrations were organized for the profound remembrance of Dr. Muhammad Hameedullah Sahab (who was very much influenced by Syed Sahab). Many ceremonies were held in Pakistan in this regard. Meetings and gatherings were attended by people of Mediterranean descent, as well as a beautiful program on French state television about the scholarly and literary achievements of the late Allama was aired.

The series of these evnts began in India from ALigarh Muslim University’s Urdu Department . Hence on 25 November 1983 AD, a two-day gathering was organized. After this, Bihar Academy conducted a three-day event starting 3rd December 1984 AD in Patna, Bihar. The third link to this chain of series was held at Urdu Ghar, Delhi on 9-10 March, 1985 AD, titled ‘kul-hind-anjuman-e-Tarqqi-e-Urdu’.

The three-day Bazm-e-Sulaimani organized by Darul Uloom Tajul masajid Bhopal from 4-6 September 1985 AD was a scholarly and literary celebration on the centenary anniversary of Allama. It was held at the invitation of late Maulana Muhammad Imran Khan Sahab Nadwi, a disciple of Allama. His Excellency Amr Musa (Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to India) was the Special Guest, His Excellency Syed Hashim Ali (Vice Chancellor Muslim University Aligarh) inaugurated the Bazm and Mr. Syed Sabahuddin Abdul Rahman Nazim Dar Al-Musnafin presented the keynote address.

The event was originally organized by the Ulema to pay homage to the unforgettable scholarly, literary, religious and national services of the late Allama, but the full representation of other sections of scholars and schools of thought was its hallmark. Fifty able writers wrote invaluable essays that were presented in the gathering, mostly devoted to the study of the works of the late scholar.

A splendid exhibition was also organized on this auspicious occasion which was organized by the famous lecturer of Saifia College Prof. Abdul Qawi Dasnavi. The inauguration was attended by the patron saint of Mujaddidiyya Monastery and later Director of Darul Uloom Maulana Muhammad Saeed Sahab Mujaddidi. His writings, letters and fatwas, court decisions and the writings of other scholars on them were collected and the views of famous scholars and politicians about them were displayed in the form of beautiful colour books.

The seminar was attended by scholars from Darul Musnafin Azamgarh, Darul Uloom Nadwa-tul-Ulama Lucknow, Muslim University Aligarh, Jamia Millia Islamia Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, Bhopal University and other academic centers of Bhopal.

The sessions of the articles started on 4 September 1985 AD after the Zuhr prayers. Two sessions were organized each day and a total of five sessions took place over these three days. A total of 30 articles were supposed to be read but intense discussions and debates took away most of the time and the last 20 articles could not be read. They were nonetheless included in the official records.

The event was a huge success and it was made by the vivid participation, interest and enthusiasm of its attendees. The participants were more than attentive as listeners and spoke vastly in discussions and debates; this quality and healthy interaction is rarely seen in other formal seminars. The Vice Chancellor of AMU was deeply satisfied and joyous with the three-day seminar which was successful in all aspects. His words were really reflection of attendees emotions.

He said: “The articles covered all the topics that could be related to Syed Sahab’s scholarly and religious achievements, international and national politics, poetry literature and personality even though the predominant tendency was to highlight his scholarly achievements”.

The late Maulana was very much in favour of holding this seminar. Although his health did not support the organizing of such a grand event, his devotion and attachment to Syed Sahab was adamant to conduct this event as early as possible. In spite of weakness and ill health he was constantly monitoring everything and ensuring that everything would be properly organized.

Professor Masood Rehman Khan Nadwi Azhari (former chairman west asian studies Aligarh Muslim University) wrote in his report: “Respected Uncle Maulana Mohammad Imran Khan Sahab Nadwi Azhari’s step-by-step leadership and guidance is worth mentioning that even Maulana was ill and broken in health, in these three days, everyone saw live demonstrations of his high morale and high determination. The fact is that the holding of this event was entirely due to the demands of his heart, the burden of which had been on his heart and mind for months and which finally became so intense that it could not be delayed any further”.

Prof. Masood-ur-Rehman Sahab, who was the Nazim-e-Bazm (Conducter of programme), had been instrumental in organizing and conducting this seminar and bringing it to a successful conclusion. Apart from this, whoever comes second after the Late Maulana is Prof. Masood-ur-Rahman Sahab only, as he took great care in organising such seminars and conferences. Maulana Sahab trusted him greatly and this was the reason he made him the Chief Organiser for the Bazm-e-Sulaimani event. Masood Sahab worked day in and day out to bring the seminar to successful completion. That is why Prof. Iqbal Ahmed, the compiler of the Bazm chronicle has rightly written in ‘Rudad-e-Bazm’ (report of the function)-:

“When Dr. Masood-ur-Rehman Khan Nadwi (Nazim-e-Bazm) stood up to read his report, all the participants and the audience had the feeling that after the determination and encouragement of the host Moulana Imran Khan Sahab, his hard work and style had a great impact on the success of the event so conducted”.

Seventh Annual World Conference of Rabita Adab-e-Islami in Darul Uloom Tajul Masajid Bhopal

With sincere cooperation and efforts by Darul Uloom Tajul Masajid The 7th Annual Scientific and Literary Conference of the International Liaison of Islamic Literature (Indian Leg) continued for three days on 4-6 Rabi-ul-Thani/ 13-15 October 1991 AD on the topic of preaching and reforming literature in which 29 articles in Urdu and 10 in Arabic were presented.

The Conference was inaugurated by Maulana Syed Abu Al-Hassan Ali Nadwi, President of Rabita Adab-e-Islami on October 13 at 10 am. Sheikh Muhammad bin Nasir Al-Aboudi, a representative of Rabita-Alam-e-Islami, who came from Saudi Arabia for this purpose, addressed the inaugural session.

Maulana Habib Rehan Nadwi Azhari, Acting Ameer and Trustee of Darul Uloom Tajul Masajid delivered the welcome address, Maulana Saeed Mian Mujaddidi and Maulana Muhammad Luqman Khan Nadwi, Vice principal of Darul Uloom Tajul Masajid thanked the guests and delegates.

After the inaugural session, the sessions continued every day from 9-11 am then from 11.30-1.30 for the three days. These scholarly meetings were chaired by Maulana Abdul Rasheed Nomani (Pakistan), Maulana Abdullah Abbas Nadwi, Prof. Zia-ul-Hasan Farooqi, Maulana Saeed-ur-Rahman Azami Nadwi, Prof. Muhammad Rashid Nadwi, Maulana Syed Muhammad Rabe Hasani Nadwi, Maulana Abdul Noor Nadwi, Dr. Yaseen Mazhar Siddiqui, Syed Zia-ul-Hasan Nadwi and Maulana Syed Sharafat Ali Nadwi. The end of each session was done by a thorough question-answers round for better understanding of the topic. Maulana Syed Mohammad Rabe Hasani Nadwi, General Secretary of Rabita Adab-e-Islami, Maulana Abdul Noor Nadwi, Prof. Zia-ul-Hasan Farooqi and Maulana Abdullah Abbas Nadwi Participants answered questions on the aesthetic and ideological aspects of the topic and shed light on the background, causes & motives and history of the establishment of Islamic literature.

Maulana Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, who presided over the concluding session, said that in his effective and powerful speech, he hoped that the writers, intellectuals and literary personalities would not only carry forward the caravan of reform literature but also discourage the illiterate and authoritarian approach in the name of literature.

Taking advantage of the arrival of Maulana Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi in Bhopal, the people of Bhopal also organized a meeting of Payam-e-Insaniyat on the evening of October 12.

All the participants and delegates of the conference appreciated the management and hospitality of Darul Uloom Tajul Masajid and applauded for its impeccable organizing.

Educational services of Darul Uloom

This is a brief introduction to the services rendered by Darul Uloom during the 71 years since Darul Uloom Tajul Masajid has been established.

So far, more than one thousand students have been graduated from Darul Uloom and have obtained higher education degrees from Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama and other educational centres. Prior to 1986 AD, degrees were not given in Darul Uloom Tajul Masajid but students of Darul Uloom used to go to Nadwatul Ulama, Deoband, Saharanpur or Arab countries to complete their education but now the degree of a Aalim is given from Darul Uloom itself.

At present, there is hardly a place in India and outside India where Darul Uloom graduates are not serving in the field of education and religion. Thus, more than fifteen hundred students have memorized the Holy Quran and have become Huffaz. A good number of these graduates are also those who have established religious madrassas and several Quran memorization centres in their respective areas and are engaged in the service wholeheartedly.

Religious and cultural awareness

The effects of the religious and cultural awakening brought about by Darul Uloom Tajul Masajid during this period of 71 years will be felt by all in the entire province of Madhya Pradesh, especially in Bhopal. The annual Tableegi Ijtima has been conducted every year since 1948 AD till 2002 AD under the supervision of Darul Uloom. The Darul Uloom Tajul Masajid has been making every effort to make this great gathering successful and beneficial.

Affiliation with universities and Islamic educational centres

Darul Uloom Tajul Masajid has been in touch with institutes and Islamic centres in India from the very beginning. Many middle schools in Madhya Pradesh are affiliated to Darul Uloom and processes are underway for many other interested institutes and schools.

Darul Uloom Tajul Masajid has been associated with Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama since the first day. Similarly, Darul Uloom has age-old ties with Al-Azhar University, Egypt. The founder of Darul Uloom, Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Imran Khan Sahab Nadwi was a pass out of Azhar University. Many other teachers of Darul Uloom have completed their degrees from that institute and many students of Darul Uloom visit Azhar University. Teachers are also invited from Azhar University to render their services to Darul Uloom and this desire has been fulfilled by the Grace of God. Not one but two teachers have served in Darul Uloom; the first teacher was Mahsoob Ibrahim Al Najjar who provided educational services in Darul Uloom for two years. The other envoy was Ustad Abdul Fattah Ali Razaq who had been teaching in this Darul Uloom for four years.

Aligarh Muslim University, considers the degree of Darul Uloom Tajul Masajid as equivalent to ‘B.A’ (undergraduate degree) and students in theology, Islamic studies, Arabic literature and Unani medicine can get admission with a degree here.

Preaching

It is clear that the teaching and propagation of religious awareness is the main reason for the propagation of Islam itself, but in view of its practical and preaching form, the annual Tableegi Ijtima had been holding in this mosque from 1948 AD till 2002 AD. Darul Uloom has the honor of organizing this congregation at such a vast scale and the students of Darul Uloom Tajul Masajid regularly participate in Tableegi gatherings and go out in congregations for the purpose of preaching.

Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Imran Khan’s commitment and activity in preaching and spreading religious awareness grew very fast and steadily, not only in Bhopal but in its adjoining areas like Amaravati, Barar, Indore, Ujjain and many others. This is the reason why, By 1948-1949 AD, Bhopal had become a stronghold of religious preaching after Delhi and Mewat.

Maulana Ilyas Sahab (RA) started propagating Islam in 1926 AD in Mewat with great valour. Gradually, after the commencement of this noble task, some eminent scholars also joined the bandwagon. In the year 1940 AD, Hazrat Maulana Ali Miyan Sahab met Maulana Ilyas Sahab for the first time and Maulana Ali Miyan was very impressed with the works and initiatives of Maulana Ilyas Sahab. Consequently, Maulana Ali Miyan became his ally and started preaching in his close circle of friends.

Beginning of the relationship with the preaching of Maulana Imran Khan

Maulana Ali Miyan shared close bond with Maulana Muhammad Imran Khan Sahab Nadwi. Thus, without a doubt, he accepted the former’s invitation and joined the movement in such a way that he would participate in all gatherings and movements in and around Lucknow. Ali Mian writes, “Maulana Hafiz Mohammad Imran Khan the principal of Nadwatul Ulama was active in all tours and movements that took place. On one such occasion, he got to meet and accompanied Hazrat Maulana Ilyas Sahab in important tours and meetings in Mewat. Maulana Imran Sahab benefited greatly from the company of Maulana Ilyas Sahab, Darul Uloom Nadwa and was motivated enough to start a Darul Uloom in Bhopal as well. Their friendship and cordial relation led to the establishment of Darul Uloom Bhopal which has been conducting Tableegi Ijtima or Religious Congregation every year, making it one of the largest religious congregations in South-Asia.

Maulana Mohammad Imran Khan Nadwi Azhari was the first Indian to get admission in M.A. and have gained First Position and First Division from his Research at Al-Azhar University, Cairo and Fazilat Degree from Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow. When he became utterly familiar with Maulana Ali Miyan, the latter requested him to draw the attention of Maulvi Yusuf Sahab towards the task of preaching. Maulvi Yusuf could not give his time and attention to preaching and spreading of Islam to other areas due to his scholarly and literary engagements at that time. Maulana Imran Sahab worked for this request of Maulana Ilyas Sahab and thus, brought Yusuf Sahab under the flag of preaching. There is no looking back ever since.

Features of Bhopal Ijtima

The strategic position of Bhopal in the centre of India makes Bhopal Ijtima a feasible place which is easily accessible from all parts of India. The weather here is relatively mild in December as compared to North India. The participants have to gather here continually for days, hence the facilities arranged here are for the purpose of providing amenities which are not found in any other religious congregation of India and the world. Every construction, every work and every project undertaken at the Darul Uloom is in view of this Annual Religious Congregation. Because of this purpose, 100 toilets were erected which were utilised during the time of Ijtima only. Boarding rooms were vacated due to holidays and were given exclusively to special people from the south-east, west and south so that they could have some rest. It can be said with immense satisfaction and gratitude that the major attendants of the Ijtima were the important and eminent people from all over the globe. Due to the limited capacity of Tajul Masajid and lakhs of people visiting the Ijtima, the venue had to be shifted to Eintkhedi which is around 20 kms from the original venue. In the first Ijtima held back in 1949, the number of participants was only 500; the last time when Ijtima happened in 2001, the total participants had crossed one and a half lakh attendees.

During the whole tenure of the Ijtima, which is three days, food and accommodation is arranged for the guests and visitors. Food would be cooked by near and dear ones of Darul Uloom in exchange for a fee. But it would be a very time consuming process and used up 5-6 hours starting from breakfast till lunch. Later, permission to set up hotels and food stalls was given to third parties which freed up the time of employees and organizers which can give attention to other important tasks of the congregation. This method was successful and is applied henceforth.

Divine Blessings of Bhopal Ijtima

The gathering in Bhopal is a blessing in disguise as tens of millions of God’s servants come here from far and wide in the name of God alone, enduring hardships, praying to God and reforming this city, country and the world a better place to live. For this reason, God’s special grace is on the people of this city. Below are some of the benefits of holding this gathering.

The first Ijtima was held in 1948, a year later to the year of India’s Independence. The blessing of this Ijtima was that the Muslims of Bhopal city stood firm and abandoned the intention of migration to Pakistan. Because at that time, the propaganda was so strong especially in the villages and countryside that the all of the all Muslims had left or migrated, when people saw five hundred men from different parts of India gathered under the same shade in the first Bhopal Ijtima, the fearing Muslims found solace, their staggering steps stopped and became calm and composed. It was a very difficult decision to stay as most of the important people had migrated but what would happen to mosques and cemeteries that were here? Allah Almighty blessed the people with tranquillity, relief and peace and this Bhopal Ijtima was greatly instrumental in keeping the muslim atmosphere of Bhopal alive.

After the demise of the state governance system, Bhopal Ijtima and this movement played a major role in establishing and maintaining the atmosphere of piety which Bhopal state was identified with. Bhopal Ijtima did the role of cleansing and purification of the beliefs of this great state with right knowledge and virtuousness. It is a matter of great pride that no innovations in religion were practiced here and no idol worshipping was done here. By the Grace of God, there was no ignorance of religion as the Bhopal Ijtima came as an annual reminder to all for preaching and practicing the religion in the best of manner and Darul Uloom has fulfilled this responsibility perfectly.

With the blessings of Bhopal Ijtima, Allah SWT completed the construction of this magnificent mosque, because all the attendees, when they saw the incompleteness of this magnificent mosque, would cry and pray to God. When the late Maulana completed it with the attention of Hazrat Shah Muhammad Yaqub Sahab Mujaddidi and the completeion campaign started, the most practical support came from the participants, sympathizers and associates of the Ijtima.

Thanks to this gathering, Darul Uloom Tajul Masajid became world-famous in a very short period of time. Usually, it takes years for a university or institution to find recognition but Darul Uloom soon found its sympathizers and well-wishers who associated with Darul Uloom in every possible way and cooperated in every way.

Due to this gathering, the importance of Darul Uloom increased in the eyes of the authorities and the government. The government was supportive of Bhopal Ijtima and assisted at times of difficulties. Even after the change of venue of Bhopal Ijtima from Tajul Masajid to Eintkhedi, no political or legal problem was faced in organizing, by the Grace of Allah.

Due to Bhopal Ijtima, the importance of Darul Uloom Tajul Masajid has grown many fold in the eyes of the authorities and non-Muslims. The fact that all the work is done peacefully without the help of the police for three days, no incidents of fights and thefts occur is commendable. Otherwise, under normal circumstances, even for a gathering of five to ten thousand, the police have difficulty in managing.