When I reached an age of consciousness, it was the era of organizations and institutions clustering to pave the way for the Islamic revolution. Surroundings influence every individual.
Hence, during my college years, some friends and I, among whom dear friend Dr. Sajid Ali was the most prominent, decided to establish an organization to be named Dairah al-Fikr. Currently, Dr. Sajid Ali is the head of the Philosophy Department at the University of the Punjab. At that time, I had rented a room on Link Macleod Road, Lahore. I wanted to publish a monthly journal titled Khayāl from there. The room became the foundation for the current organization (Al-Mawrid).
The purpose was to start a movement for the Islamic revolution for which the organization would work as a center of knowledge and guidance. Later, I intended to establish a school of learning (dar al-‘ulūm). We wanted to ensure that the leadership of the movement is selected from those who complete their education from that school. It was a romantic idea. We believed that it was the only way to make up for the shortcomings in Syed Abul A‘la Maududi’s Jamāᵓat-e-Islāmī.
For two to three months, we continued our studies in that room. However, we realized that to achieve our goal, we had to spend more time together.
Jāmiᶜah al-Ḥamrāᵓ. Keeping that in mind, we started to issue a journal entitled ‘al-Ḥamrāᵓ’. After consultation, we decided not to use a handwritten manuscript and instead compose the copy in type, a form of publication in which letters are put together to form a text. People who have experienced this method of publication know very well that it causes a lot of proof errors, correcting which requires extremely careful proofing.
Therefore, the students who lived in the hostel decided to leave it and, using their pocket money and hostel expenses together, rent a house to use as a center for the movement. The name we chose for the school we wanted to establish was At that time, I resided in Muhallah Sulṭān Pūra near Lahore Railway Station. After a little search, we found a house in the vicinity, and all of us moved to that house.
Before we could recover from this worry, we found another trouble staring at us. Within a few months, we were forced to vacate the house where we had
The tragedy we faced was that we just proofread the text, corrected the errors, and handed over the manuscript to the printer. We took it for granted that the mistakes would be removed. However, when the issue went through the print and came into our hands, we learned that not a single marked mistake had been corrected. We could do nothing but discard the copies of the journal. This was the first accident that we faced because of our inexperience. Both were impressed with our mission. They recommended that we should further our mission by starting a dars-e-Qurᶜan circle Qur’an in his neighborhood at Allama Iqbal Road. The study circle was launched on July 7.
established the center of our movement. It took months of effort to find a new house. It was house 29 in Block J of Model Town, Lahore. We were thankful to God that the period of suspension of work did not prolong, and we restarted the work. In June 1971, we met Chodhary Muhammad Anwar, a renowned advocate of Lahore. He was accompanied by one of his elderly friends, Sayyid Badar Bukhari.
In March 1973, we published Ishraq magazine as the organ of Dāᵓirah al- Fikr.
Due to this circle, we, who were still students, were blessed with the guardianship of a few senior people, among whom Sayyid Arshad Bukhari and Shaykh Muhammad Arshad were the most prominent. The two were close friends and employees of WAPDA. They had been attending lectures of Dr. Israr Ahmad regularly. Dr. Israr would call them Arshadayn (two Arshads). The program of teaching and learning continued for 1.5 to 2 years. By then, many people were ready to work with us. Therefore, we officially organized the movement under the headship of Sayyid Badar Bukhari.
Mawlānā Abdul Rahman Madani, a distinguished Ahl-e-Ḥadīth scholar who lived near our residence, also joined the movement. A few other participants of the Dars-e-Qur’an circle program also joined the movement.
However, the movement did not last long. Badar Bukhari was at a stage of his life when he could not manage to discharge the functions related to leading such an organization. Therefore, with mutual consultation, the organization was abolished.
After a long struggle, we found a house in Ahmad Block, Garden Town, Lahore. The friends came together, rearranged the paraphernalia, and restarted the teaching and learning activities. Some friends did not like the title Dāᵓirah al-Fikr, so we changed it to Dār al-Ishrāq. From the group that had initiated the mission, only two were left, Dr. Sajid and I. Shaykh Afzaal Ahmad, Mustansar Mir, Chouhdary Ilyas Ahmad,
We believed that after obtaining a declaration from the government, we could publish it as a monthly journal to communicate our message to the public. However, we realized soon that obtaining a declaration is not easy. So, this scheme remained a distant dream. A few months later, the landlord demanded an increase in house rent. In those circumstances, it was not possible for us to meet his demand.
As a result, we had to vacate that house in Model Town. Afterward, we, the friends, remained disconnected for months. The organizational activities also came to a halt.
and Choudhary Muhammad Rafiq were new associates.
Our friend, Zulfiqar Ahmad Khan, is also a part of the memories of those times.He lived in the neighborhood. Though he was not associated with the organization, still he was considered as one. The same was the case with Asghar Niazi and Muhammad Tariq Maykan. The duo stayed with us because of friendship.
During those days, I had the opportunity to frequently meet Mawlānā Syed Abul A’lā Maududi. One day, I went to meet him, and during our discussion, the topic of the movement was raised.
Mawlānā wanted to convert the organization into a branch of Idārah e Maᶜārif Islāmī or an independent institution. At the suggestion of Mawlānā,
Mawlānā asked for details and learned about my friends. I told him about the difficulties and hurdles that repeatedly halted our progress. I requested him to become our guide. Mawlānā was kind enough to accept my request. Hence, as per his advice, we opened a joint bank account for the organization in the name of Mawlānā and myself in Habib Bank Limited, Ichra. Mawlānā started depositing 1,000 rupees from his pocket every month. Relocating from Ahmad Block, we moved to a building arranged by Mawlānā, located in A-1 Zaildar Park Ichra.
We consulted with each other, sought Mawlānā’s permission, and moved to Muridke, near Lahore, at the request of Ilyas Ahmad Chaudhary, who was a
I had already become a member of Jamāᵓat-e-Islāmī (JI) but some of the senior members of JI did not like this decision.
Therefore, a campaign was launched against me, due to which I realized within 7-8 months that it was not possible for me to work there in those circumstances. Aslam Salimi, a senior member of JI, had conveyed the message of the party that they wanted to convert the building, which housed our organization, into an election office. The situation made clear what we had to do.
For me, this union and separation were an important experience of my life. During that period, I observed a great man of his time very closely. I offered prayers with him in the same rank, talked to him, learned the etiquette of life from him, took lessons of patience and wisdom, understood the delicacies of language and expression, learned about the details of the incidents before and after the Machigot incident directly from him, and shared my opinions with him regarding his academic differences with Mawlānā Amin Ahsan Islāhī.
resident of that village. We relocated there at the end of the year 1976, and on January 11, 1977, I received a letter from Mawlānā Fateh Muhammad, the Emir of JI Punjab. Through this letter, he informed me that my membership of JI had been cancelled. It was a mere two-liner, which included the announcement of the decision of my removal from the party without explaining the reasons.
Mian Tufail Muhammad was the Emir of JI Pakistan at that time. I wrote a letter to him inquiring about the reasons behind the decision but never got a response.
I listened to him expressing veneration for Imam Farāḥī and narrating stories of his love for Abū al-Kalam Azad, Muhammad Ali Johar, and Allama Iqbal.
In our last meeting, occurring just before his departure to the United States, Mawlānā said to me: My dear, I have great expectations in you. Always listen to your critics very attentively.
The individuals [from the JI] who led the campaign against me perhaps did not know me. Hence, I have no complaints about them. I have a positive opinion about them, believing that what they did to me, they did, in their perception, for the betterment of their party.
I wrote: The academy, “Dār al-Ishrāq”, was established in November 1970 and continued to function until April 1978 in Muridke, a small town lying 26 kilometers away from Lahore. However, it has been dysfunctional for several months now. Some of my friends have already returned to their homes after years of struggle, and others will go back
If they stoop to lowliness, remember to follow the divine command: “When they have to pass by a frivolous thing, they pass with dignity.” If they seek to infuriate you, refuse to be excited despite their slandering and allegations. If you do so, God will be with you and you will be able to defeat them in your field, God willing. In the ups and downs of my life, I have always firmly adhered to this advice by the Mawlānā.
Because of this very advice, “Day and night, in this desert of darkness, I create cypress and jasmine from every gum-acacia tree.”
I was talking about my relocation from Lahore to Muridke; I remembered the company of I. “Since the story was so delicious, I told it at great length.” Malik Muhammad Ashraf, a new colleague of ours, was a married man.
After shifting to Muridke, Mir Sahib and I also got married. Now it was no longer possible for us to live a hostel life. The changes in the circumstances had made it imperative for me to arrange for financial support for our colleagues.
We tried our best but could not get enough resources. After a struggle for survival at Muridke for almost two years, we realized that we had no option but to wind up the institution. It was an evening in April 1978 when, after several days of discussion, we finally reached this decision and the long-time companions unwillingly started leaving for their homes.
Meanwhile, we had fortunately obtained approval for the journal Ishraq in the name of Mustansar Mir. The first issue of the journal was published in January 1979. The editorial of the volume covered this very topic.
I can hear the ringing of the bell, and I have taken up my pen.
sooner or later. It was a mission that kicked off, went through different stages of struggle for survival, and then came to an end. My comrades insist that I should write and highlight the nature of our work and the causes and reasons behind its suspension so that people who are interested in giving new life to the mission and have the will to do something may come forward to rescue it.
I do not know when we will be able to restart the mission, but I can surely say that my determination has not waned. I have a firm belief that this is what we should really be doing. I believe that I can undertake this mission. If God permits, this troop will stand up to march again. I do not believe that the caravan has disintegrated. I just feel that it has stopped on the way for a while to take rest, perhaps seeking to gather required resources or to start a new journey.
Simultaneously. Now I believe that
Further, I wrote: I had realized at the beginning that it is not a part- time work. Those planning to join it will have to devote their days and nights and embrace it as a lifelong mission. I knew that ultimately the institution will have to provide for the financial needs of those joining it with the intention of sacrificing everything they have.
For this reason, I embarked upon this mission, working on two fronts. I started my quest for the individuals working for the mission and initiated the struggle for resources I am narrating an abridged version of this tale here. I know it may be troublesome for my my personal disposition is perfectly compatible with the first cause but is hardly compatible with the second task.
As a result, I enjoyed significant success in finding the right people for the mission but failed to succeed in gathering resources. This is not the right place to detail the issue. It is the tale of Farhad and the Mount Bistoon and a narrative of irrigating the acacia thorn with one’s blood.
While I write, all operations are suspended. We, the weak servants of the ever-living God, are trying our best to revive it with new enthusiasm in the barren land of Muridke.
readers, but it is the right time to express myself briefly on this issue. Phir iltifāt-e dil-e dostān rahey an rahey Not sure if I will ever be able to draw the attention of my friends.
I have already talked about the beginning of the mission. It was difficult to start. However, once started, friends gradually joined the mission. By 1975, the number of team members reached 7. Among them were Afzal Aḥmad and Malik
Muhammad Ashraf, who had master’s degrees in economics; Sajid Aḥmad in philosophy; Ilyas Ahmad in politics; Muhammad Rafiq in Arabic; and Mustansar Mir in English. Mansoor al-Hamid was an MBBS doctor. Mustansar Mir had completed CSS and joined the team after training at the Civil Service Academy, just a few days before his appointment. Instead of joining the civil service, he decided to be a part of the circle of the selfless.
The sacrifice of every single team member is matchless. These youngsters were equipped with great capabilities. Their determination, love for knowledge, beautiful nature, and passion were unparalleled treasures in the history of this academy.
I believe that I have learned a lot from them, and they could give a lot to the coming generations. However, during their stay at the organization, they could hardly work with ease for a few months.
The lack of financial resources led to frequent suspensions of the project. The history of the academy is the history of continuous crises. We were forced to start and end the educational activities repeatedly. Despite all these difficulties, with the blessing of Allah, we have accomplished some of the work, and what remains to be done is much less. In my assessment, an uninterrupted two-year opportunity would have led to the completion of the first phase of this effort.
Therefore, my dream remained unfulfilled, and we were forced to stop the publication of Ishraq yet again.
I do not know when this discontinuity will come to an end. However, I hope that Allah Almighty will not let our efforts go to waste.
The first stage of my struggle ended there. I was thinking that after returning to Lahore, I would restrict myself to publishing the journal. The declaration of Ishraq in the name of Mustansar Mir had already been obtained.
However, after publishing only two issues of the journal, Mustansar Mir decided to move to the United States. Secondly, we two had a few differences regarding the policy of the journal.
Safdar Mir, the father of Mustansar Mir, was appointed the first managing director of the institution. On my recommendation, he decided to publish a journal titled al-I‘lām. Although my name was included in it, Abu Shoaib was made the editor of this journal to fulfill all practical needs. I was so glad to see that this arrangement paved the way for Abu Shoaib’s relocation to Lahore. However, we could not continue the publication of this journal for long. Within 2 years, Mawlānā Shoaib got a job at the University of the Punjab, and the journal was discontinued.
When I drew his attention towards the need for support, he established an institution in the name of the Farrukh Foundation.
During those days, some students would come to learn Arabic literature from me. Abu Shoaib Safdar Ali and Masood Akbar Pasha were the most prominent figures among them. Abu was the son of Mawlānā Ghulam Naqshband, a religious scholar from Sargodha, and a student of Mawlānā Hussain Ali of Wan Bhachran.
Considering his extraordinary talent, I wanted him to move to Lahore. During the hard times at Muridke, the people who offered extraordinary support and cooperation included Doctor Farrukh Hussain Malik, an elderly person from our extended family.
With the blessing of God, it has been publishing uninterrupted since then. The publication of Renaissance started in 1990 and is still being published regularly. Since day 1, Shehzad Saleem has overseen this journal. I kept Ishraq under my supervision.
Those were the days when I told my respected teacher Imam [Amīn Ahsan Iṣlāḥī] to convert the Tadabbur e Qur’an Circle into a proper institution. Tadabbur e Qur’an Circle was established after his departure from Jamāᵓat-e-Islāmī. Mawlānā liked my suggestion. At his advice, I composed the constitution of the institution, and the organization was established in the name of Idārah Tadabbur e Qur’an o Hadith.
The Quarterly Tadabbur is still published under this institution. I intended to work with this institution to pursue the goals I had set for myself. However, it took no time to become clear that the leading people of the circle would not like my attachment to the organization. Therefore, the best option was to continue my struggle separately without stirring discord in the institution.
During those days, I was teaching a group of students. Naeem Rafi was among those students. He would come to meet me and repeatedly insisted on reviving the project that had been closed in 1978. Considering the past experiences, I was not ready to revive it. Later, when people like Khalid Zaheer and Aftab Shamsi stood by him, I had no option but to change my mind. Saeed Nawaz was the eldest among our friends.
We established a management team under his leadership. The inauguration ceremony of this program was held in Jinnah Hall Lahore and was presided over by Mawlānā Amin Ahsan Iṣlāḥī. Many known scholars and renowned personalities attended the ceremony.
In June 1983, we finally established the institution, which is now known as Al-Mawrid and is currently located at 51 K Model Town Lahore. Soon after, we also revived Ishraq in 1985. For 18 to 24 months, it was published as a series of volumes. In 1987, I got a declaration for this journal.
The org. was established, believing that among Muslims, , the process of gaining a sound
However, now I have passed this responsibility on to Jawad Ahsan, my eldest son. I hope that, with the blessing of God, the publication of the journals will continue.
During the past twenty-five years, I was also involved in the establishment of two other organizations, namely, Anṣār al- Muslimūm and Danish Sara. Leaders like Mawlānā Wasi Mazhar Nadvi and Doctor Muhammad Farooq have led these organizations at different times.
However, these organizations did not survive for more than a few years. Al-Mawrid, however, has been functional for a quarter of a century. It will continue to work with the blessing of God.
Though this organization also went through a difficult phase when it faced suspension for a short time after 1987, after its revival in 1991 with the help of our friend Altaf Mahmood, it has been fully functional with the blessing of God.
As an institution, Al-Mawrid is a name that symbolizes the effort to redress this problem. Therefore, the basic objective of this institution is the facilitation and perpetuation of explanatory and research work on the true understanding of Islam, the understanding of the religion has deviated from the right course. Lost in the maze of sectarian prejudices & political wrangling, the true message of Islam, based on the Qur’an and the Sunnah, has become alien to the Muslims.
The Qur’an, which is the foundation of this religion, is rarely approached for purposes other than oral delivery or rote learning. In the madrasas, those disciplines of learning that were at best a possible means to understand the Qur’an have become an end in themselves.
The Hadith has been isolated from its foundations in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and the primary focus now is on the foundational principles and the emanating discourses of a particular school of thought and on the polemics to establish their superiority over those of others.
publication and mass communication of this understanding through all possible means, and the augmentation of people’s knowledge and education through its dissemination.
Following are the salient features of the strategy we have adopted to achieve the objective outlined above:
Researchers and scholars adhering to the true understanding of Islam shall be affiliated with the institution through the fellowship scheme, and their research, education, and dawah work be facilitated as far as possible.
Institutions of Islamic learning to produce religious scholars and researchers with a true vision and understanding of Islam. Schools (up to the intermediate / high school / A levels) to provide students with high-quality education and training in an environment where their creativity is encouraged and due attention is given to developing sound awareness of their religious and cultural heritage. Weekend schools to provide students from other schools with instruction in the Qur’an through the Qur’an itself in such a manner as enables them to remain committed to their religion from the depth of their hearts, minds, and souls in their later years.
People shall be motivated to set up, wherever possible:
Religious and spiritual sanctuaries where people can find a break from their worldly and mundane routines to benefit from the company of scholars and pious people, learn religion from them, and focus on worship and prayer to purge their hearts and minds.
Indeed, the kings may generously bestow upon the beggar!
This institution is the center of my entire struggle and effort. I have decided to devote every day of my remaining life to this institution apart from my academic activities. I pray to God to grant us sincerity in our knowledge and action.