Friday Masjid Chinguetti

The Great, "Friday Masjid" of Chinguetti is an ancient center of worship created by the founders of the oasis city of Chinguetti in the Adrar region of Mauritania sometime in the Thirteenth Century. The minaret of this ancient structure is supposed to be the second oldest in continuous use anywhere in the Muslim world.

Masjid Jamek Malaysia

Masjid Jamek is one of the oldest Masjids in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak River
and was designed by Arthur Benison Hubback. The then Sultan of Selangor officially opened the Masjid in 1909,
two years after construction was completed. The Masjid was built on the first Malay burial ground in the city.

The Grande Masjid de Paris

The Grande Masjid de Paris ("Paris Great Mosque"), located in the Ve arrondissement, was founded after World War I as a sign of France's gratefullness to the Muslim tirailleurs from the colonies who had fought against Germany. The Mosque was built following the mudéjar style, and its minaret is 33 meter high. President Gaston Doumergue inaugurated it on July 15, 1926. It is now lead by mufti Dalil Boubakeur, who is also president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith, created in 2002.

The al-Nabi Masjid Qazvin

The al-Nabi Masjid (Masjed al-Nabi in Persian) also known as Masjed e Soltani is a famous Masjid in Qazvin. The Masjid has an area of about 14,000m². Inscriptions indicate Fath Ali Shah of the Qajar dynasty to be the founder of the Masjid, however sources indicate the Masjid to have been existing since the Safavid period. In particular, it is now believed that the architect of the structure was Ustad Mirza Shirazi with the date 1787 as date of construction.

Masjid Jamek Kuala Lumpur

Masjid Jamek is one of the oldest Masjids in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak River
and was designed by Arthur Benison Hubback. The then Sultan of Selangor officially opened the Masjid in 1909,
two years after construction was completed. The Masjid was built on the first Malay burial ground in the city.

Masjid Istiqlal Indonesia

Istiqlal Masjid (Independence Masjid) in Jakarta, Indonesia is the largest Masjid in Southeast Asia. The government of Indonesia constructed the national Masjid in 1984. More than 120,000 people can congregate at the Masjid at one time.


Masjid Istiqlal, Jakarta, Indonesia. The rectangular main prayer hall building is covered by a 45 meter diameter central spherical dome. The dome is supported by twelve round columns and the prayer hall lined by rectangular piers carrying four levels of balcony. Staircases at the corners of the building give access to all floors. The main hall is reached through an entrance covered by a dome 10 meters in diameter. The latter structure is directly connected to the arcades which run around the large courtyard. The Masjid also provides facilities for social and cultural activities, including lectures, exhibitions, seminars, conferences, bazaars and programmes for women, youth and children.

The Id Kah Masjid China

The Id Kah Masjid is a Masjid located in Kashgar, Xinjiang, in the western People's Republic of China.
It is the largest Masjid in China. Every Friday, it houses nearly 10,000 worshippers.
The Masjid was built by Shakesimirzha in 1422 (although it included
older structures dating back to the 8th century) and covers
16,800 square meters. The Masjid was started in 996.

It was at the center of a sharp rise in tension between the Muslim Uyghurs
and the ruling Han Chinese in Xinjiang in 2003, when developers razed a rose garden
on the Masjid site and built an enclosed market nearby.

Star Masjid Dhaka,Bangladesh

Star Masjid, locally known as Tara Masjid is a Masjid located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is situated at the
Armanitola area of the old part of the city. The mosuqe has ornate designs and is decorated
with motifs of blue stars. It was built in the first half of the 19th century by one Mirza Golam Pir.

The Khamis Masjid Bahrain

The Khamis Masjid is believed to be the first Masjid in Bahrain, built during the era of the Umayyad caliph Umar II.
The identical twin minarets of this ancient Islamic monument make it easily noticeable as one drives along the
Shaikh Salman Road in Khamis. It is considered to be one of the oldest relics of Islam in the region,
and the foundation of this Masjid is believed to have been laid as early as 692 AD.
An inscription found on the site, however, suggests a foundation date sometimes
during the 11th Century. It has since been rebuilt twice in both 14th & 15th centuries, when the
minarets were constructed. The Khamis Masjid has been partially restored recently.

Glasgow Central Masjid Scotland

Glasgow Central Masjid is the largest mosque in Scotland, and one of the largest in the United Kingdom. it was formally opened in 1984 by H E. Abdullah Omar Naseef, the Secretary General of the Muslim World League.

The Muslim population of Scotland number some 50,000 and comprises mainly Arabs, Pakistanis, Turks, African, Malays and Indian Muslims. The mosque also services many foreign students attending Glasgow's prestigious universities and provides a focus for the Muslim community.

Putra Masjid in Malay language

Putra Masjid or Masjid Putra in Malay language, is Putrajaya's principal Masjid. Construction of the Masjid began in 1997 and was completed two years later. It is located next to Perdana Putra which houses the Malaysian Prime Minister's office and man-made Putrajaya Lake. In front of the Masjid is a large square with flagpoles flying Malaysian states' flags.

The Masjid-i-Jahan Numa Delhi in India

The Masjid-i-Jahan Numa, commonly known as Jama Masjid of Delhi is the principal Masjid of Old Delhi in India.
Commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and completed in the year 1656 AD, it is the largest and best known Masjid in India.
(There are also Jama Masjids in many other cities with a history of Islamic rule, or large Muslim populations.)

Masjid-i-Jahan Numa means "the Masjid commanding a view of the world", and the name Jama Masjid is
a reference to the weekly congregation observed on Friday (the yaum al-jum`a) at the Masjid.
The courtyard of the Masjid can hold up to twenty-five thousand worshippers.
The Masjid also houses several relics in a closet in the north gate, including a copy of the Qur'an written
on deer skin incurred on the construction in those times was 10 lakh (1 million) Rupees.

Shah Jahan built several important Masjids in Delhi, Agra, Ajmer and Lahore.
The Jama Masjid's floorplan is very similar to the Moti Masjid at Agra, but the Jama Masjid
is the bigger and more imposing of the two. Its majesty is further enhanced
because of the high ground that he selected for building this Masjid.

The Masjid Negara National Masjid of Malaysia

The Masjid Negara is the national Masjid of Malaysia, located in Kuala Lumpur. It has a capacity of 15,000 people and is situated among 13 acres of beautiful gardens. The original structure was designed by a three-person team from the Public Works Department - UK architect Howard Ashley, and Malaysians Hisham Albakri and Baharuddin Kassim. Originally built in 1965, it is a bold and modern approach in reinforced concrete, symbolic of the aspirations of a then newly-independent Malaysia.

The Sultan Hassan Masjid

The Sultan Hassan Masjid and Madrasa (School) is considered stylistically the most compact and unified of all Cairo monuments. It is one of the masterpieces of Mamluk architecture. The building was commissioned by Sultan Hassan bin Mohammad bin Qala'oun in 1356 AD as a mosque and religious school for all four juristic branches of Sunni Islam. It was designed so that each of the four schools of thought - Shafi, Maliki, Hanafi and Hanbali - has its own area while sharing the masjid.

Al-Azhar Masjid Egypt

Al-Azhar University (al-Azhar al-Shareef, "the Noble Azhar"), is a premier Egyptian institution of higher learning, world-renowned for its position as a center of Islamic scholarship and education. It was built by the Shia Fatimid Dynasty (909-1171) who established Cairo as their capital. It is connected to Al-Azhar Masjid in Old Cairo, Al-Azhar ( in Arabic: the most flourished and shining) was so called either because it was surrounded by great glittering places, or as a hopeful disposition, or after the name of Sayeda Fatima Al-Zahra', daughter of the Prophet Mohammed. The mosque was built in two years from 969 AD, the year in which its foundation was laid. The school of theology (Madrasah) connected with it was founded in 988 AD. Studies began in Al-Azhar in Ramadan by October 975 AD, when Chief Justice Abul Hasan Ali ibn Al-No'man started teaching the book "Al-Ikhtisar", on the Shiite Jurisprudence. It became a Sunni school towards the end of the Middle Ages, an orientation it retains to this day. It is the oldest operating universities in the world.

The Stockholm Masjid Stockholm

The Stockholm Masjid, inaugurated in 2000 and located near Medborgarplatsen is Stockholm's largest Islamic place of worship. Originally built as an electric power station (Katarinastationen) and located adjacent to the small park known, the building was designed by the Art Nouveau architect Ferdinand Boberg and completed in 1903

The Masjid of Djenné

The Masjid is located in the city of Djenné, Mali on the flood plain of the Bani River. The first mosque on the site was built in the 13th century, but the current structure dates from 1907. As well as being the centre of the community of Djenné, it is one of the most famous landmarks in Africa. Along with the "Old Towns of Djenné" it was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988.

The Sixty Pillar Masjid Bangladesh

The Sixty Pillar Masjid (the Shatgumbad) is a Masjid located in Bagerhat, south Bangladesh.
This is one of the oldest Masjids in the country. It attracts a large number of tourists and visitors every year.
It has more than sixty pillars with its eighty one gambuj or domes.
Seventy seven domes are over the roof and four smaller ones over the four corner towers.
It was established by Khan Jahan Ali, a Muslim saint and the local ruler of Bagerhat
, during the 15th century CE. The Masjid is decorated mostly with terracotta and bricks.

Al Fateh Masjid Bahrain

Al Fateh Masjid (also known as Al Fateh Islamic Centre/Grand Masjid) is Bahrain's largest Masjid. The huge domed Al Fateh Masjid, located in Juffair will soon house the new National Library which is due to open in 2006. Besides being a place of Islamic worship, people of all communities are welcome at the Al Fateh Masjid, and it is one of the major tourist attractions. Guided tours for tourists are conducted many times during the day.

The Quol Sharif Masjid Russia

The Quol Sharif mosque (also spelled Qol Sherif, Kul Sharif) is the largest mosque in Russia and, reputedly, in Europe.

Originally, the mosque was built in Kazan Kremlin in the 16th century. It was named by Qol Sharif who served there. It is believed that the building featured minarets, both in the form of cupolas and tents. Its design was traditional for Volga Bulgaria, although elements of early Renaissance and Ottoman architecture could have been used as well. In 1552, during the storm of Kazan it was destroyed by the Russians.

Masjid e Tooba Pakistan

Masjid e Tooba or Tooba Masjid is located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Locally, it is also known as the Gol Masjid. Masjid e Tooba was built in 1969 in Defense Housing Society, Karachi. It is located just off main Korangi Road. Masjid e Tooba is probably the largest single dome Masjid in the world. It is also major tourist attraction in Karachi. Masjid e Tooba is built with pure white marble. The dome of the Masjid e Tooba is 72 meters (236 feet) in diameter, and is balanced on a low surrounding wall with no central pillars. Masjid e Tooba has a single minaret standing 70 meters high. The central prayer hall has a capacity of 5,000 people. It has been built keeping acoustics in mind. A person speaking inside one end of the dome can be heard at the other end.

The Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Masjid Custodian

The Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Masjid, also known as the King Fahd bin Abdulaziz al-Saud Mosque or the Mosque of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques is a mosque at Europa Point, at the southern tip of Gibraltar. The building was a gift from King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and took two years to build at a cost of around five million pounds. It was officially inaugurated on 8 August 1997. Around seven per cent of Gibraltar's population are Muslims; a total of approximately 2,000 people. The mosque complex also contains a school, library, and lecture hall.

The Stockholm Mosque

The Stockholm Masjid, inaugurated in 2000 and located near Medborgarplatsen is Stockholm's largest Islamic place of worship. Originally built as an electric power station (Katarinastationen) and located adjacent to the small park known, the building was designed by the Art Nouveau architect Ferdinand Boberg and completed in 1903

The Malmo Masjid Sweden

The Malmo Masjid is one of Sweden's main mosques located in the outskirts of Malmo in southern Sweden. It was inaugurated in 1984 as the first mosque in Scandinavia .In connection to the mosque is the Islamic center which contains an islamic school and library. It serves as a place of worship for some 55,000 muslims living in the area.

There have been three arson attacks on the mosque. On 2005-09-18 and on 2005-10-21 the fires were put out quickly and only minor damage was done, but on 2003-04-28 attack the mosque was more severely damaged and other buildings at the Islamic center were totally destroyed. Malmo is one of the main centers for Swedish Muslims

The Quba Masjid Outside Medina

The Quba Masjid (Quba' Masjid or Masjid al-Quba, just outside Medina, Saudi Arabia, is the first Islamic Masjid ever built.
Its first stones were positioned by the prophet Muhammad on his emigration from the city of Makkah to Medina
and the Masjid was completed by his companions. Muhammad spent more than 20 nights in this Masjid (after migrating)
praying qasr (a short prayer) while waiting for Imam Ali whose house was behind this Masjid.

Omar Ali Saifuddin Masjid Brunei

Omar Ali Saifuddin Masjid in Brunei. Like several of Brunei's main buildings, the mosque is lit up at night. It was designed by an Italian architect and built in 1958 using Italian marble and granite from Shanghai. The golden dome is 52 meters tall and is visible from most of the city.

Shah Faisal Masjid: Islamabad

Faisal Mosque is superbly located at the end of Shaharah-e-Islamabad, against the backdrop of the picturesque Margalla Hills. This beautiful mosque was designed by the Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay. The mosque is dedicated to the memory of the late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia who graciously financed the cost of the project as a gift to the people of Pakistan.

One of the biggest mosque in the world, it holds about 15,000 people inside, and another 85,000 in the courtyard. It is spread over 1,89,705-sq. meters with 88 meter high minarets and 40 meter high main prayer hall. The majestic white building comprises four 88m (288ft) minarets and a desert tent-like structure, which is the main prayer chamber.
The central 'tent' is faced in white marble and decorated inside with mosaics and a huge spectacular chandelier.

The complex also houses the Islamic Research Centre, library, museum, lecture hall, cafeteria and the offices of the faculty of the Islamic University. Visitors to the mosque must leave their shoes at the door and they must be dressed appropriately in clothes which cover their body except for the hands and the head for men. Women should wear a scarf that covers their hair.

BadShahi Masjid: LAhore

The Badshahi Mosque : Was built in 1673 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan. It is one of the city's best known landmarks and a major tourist attraction epitomising the beauty and grandeur of the Mughal era.

Capable of accommodating over 55,000 worshippers, Badshahi is the second largest mosque in Pakistan, after the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. The design of the Badshahi Masjid is closely related to the Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, which was built in 1648 by Aurangzeb's father, Emperor Shah Jahan.


History
The mosque was built under the patronage of the sixth Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb Alamgir. It was completed in 1673 under the supervision of Aurangzeb's foster brother Muzaffar Hussain (also known as Fidaie Khan Koka) who was appointed governor of Lahore in May 1671 and held this post until 1675. He was also Master of Ordnance to the emperor.

The construction of the mosque took about two years, from May 1671 to April 1673. The mosque was built opposite the Lahore Fort, illustrating its stature in the Mughal Empire. In conjunction with the building of the mosque, a new gate was built at the fort, named Alamgiri Gate after the Emperor.

From 1852 onwards, piecemeal repairs were carried out under the supervision of the Badshahi Mosque Authority. Extensive repairs were carried out from 1939 to 1960 at a cost of about 4.8 million rupees, which brought the mosque to its original shape and condition. The blueprint for the repairs was prepared by the late architect Nawab Zen Yar Jang Bahadur.

In 2000, the repair work of marble inlay in the main vault was repaired under the supervision of Saleem Anjum Qureshi. On the occasion of the second Islamic Summit held at Lahore on February 22, 1974, thirty-nine heads of Muslim states offered their Friday prayers in the Badshahi Masjid, led by Maulana Abdul Qadir Azad, the 'Khatib' of the mosque.

Kobe Masjid:Japan

style="font-weight:bold;">History
Kobe Masjid also known as Kobe Muslim Masjid , was founded in October, 1935 in Kobe and is Japan's first mosque.[1] Its construction was funded by donations collected by the Islamic Committee of Kobe from 1928 until its opening in 1935.[2]The mosque was confiscated by the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1943. However, it continues to function as mosque today. It is located in the Kitano-cho foreign district of Kobe. Owing to its basement and structure, the mosque was able to endure through the Great Hanshin earthquake.

The mosque was built in traditional Turkish style by the Czech architect Jan Josef Švagr (1885–1969), the architect of a number of Western religious buildings throughout Japan.

Al-Aqsa Masjid Jerusalem

Al-Aqsa Masjid (Arabic:المسجد الاقصى,0 ("the Farthest Mosque"), also known as al-Aqsa, is an Islamic holy place in the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque itself forms part of the al-Haram ash-Sharif or "Sacred Noble Sanctuary" (along with the Dome of the Rock), a site also known as the Temple Mount and considered the holiest site in Judaism, since it is believed to be where the Temple in Jerusalem once stood. Widely considered as the third holiest site in Islam, Muslims believe that prophet Muhammad was transported from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to al-Aqsa during the Night Journey. Islamic tradition holds that Muhammad led prayers towards this site until the seventeenth month after the emigration, when God ordered him to turn towards the Ka'aba.

The al-Aqsa Mosque was originally a small prayer house built by the Rashidun caliph Umar, but was rebuilt and expanded by the Ummayad caliph Abd al-Malik and finished by his son al-Walid in 705 CE.[6] After an earthquake in 746, the mosque was completely destroyed and rebuilt by the Abbasid caliph al-Mansur in 754, and again rebuilt by his successor al-Mahdi in 780. Another earthquake destroyed most of al-Aqsa in 1033, but two years later the Fatimid caliph Ali az-Zahir built another mosque which has stood to the present-day. During the periodic renovations undertaken, the various ruling dynasties of the Islamic Caliphate constructed additions to the mosque and its precincts, such as its dome, facade, its minbar, minarets and the interior structure. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they used the mosque as a palace and church, but its function as a mosque was restored after its recapture by Saladin. More renovations, repairs and additions were undertaken in the later centuries by the Ayyubids, Mamluks, the Supreme Muslim Council, and Jordan. Today, the Old City is under Israeli control, but the mosque remains under the administration of the Palestinian-led Islamic waqf .

Jama Masjid, Delhi

The Masjid-i Jahān-Numā (Persian: مسجد جھان نما, the 'World-reflecting Mosque'), commonly known as the Jama Masjid of Delhi, is the principal mosque of Old Delhi in India. Commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal, and completed in the year 1656 AD, it is the largest and best-known mosque in India. It lies at the origin of a very busy central street of Old Delhi, Chandni Chowk.

The later name, Jāmi' Masjid, is a reference to the weekly Friday noon congregation prayers of Muslims, which are usually done at a mosque, the "congregational mosque" or "jāmi' masjid". The courtyard of the mosque can hold up to twenty-five thousand worshippers. The mosque also houses several relics in a closet in the north gate, including a copy of the Qur'an written on deer skin.

Darululoom-deoband India

In The Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful

The day of Thursday, 15th Muharram, A.H. 1283 (May 30, 1866), was that blessed and auspicious day in the Islamic history of India when the foundation stone for the renaissance of Islamic sciences was laid in the land of Deoband. Seeing the simple and ordinary manner in which it had been started, it was difficult to visualize and decide that a Madrasah beginning so humbly, with utter lack of equipment's, was destined to become the center, within a couple of years, of the Islamic sciences in Asia.Accordingly, before long, students desirous of studying the Holy Book and the Sunnah, the Shari'ah and the Tariqah (the spiritual path), began to flock here in droves from this sub continent as well as from neighboring and distant countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Bukhara and Samarqand, Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey and the far off regions of the continent of Africa, and within a short-time the radiant rays of knowledge and wisdom illumined the heart and mind of the Muslims of the continent of Asia with the light of faith (Iman) and Islamic culture.

The time when the Darul Uloom Deoband, was established, the old Madaris in India had almost become extinct, and the condition of two or four that had survived the ravages of time was not better than that of a few glow-worms in a dark night. Apparently it so looked at that time as if the Islamic sciences had packed up their kit from India. Under these circumstances, some men of Allah and divine doctors, through their inner light, sensed the imminent dangers. They knew it too well that nations have attained their right status through knowledge only. So, without depending upon the government of the time, they founded the Darul Uloom, Deoband, with public contributions and co-operation. One of the principles that Hazrat Nanautavi (may his secret be sanctified) proposed for the Darul Uloom and other religious Madaris is also this that the Darul-Uloom should be run trusting in Allah and with public contributions for which the poor masses alone should be relied upon.

The Darul-Uloom, Deoband, is today a renowned religious and academic center in the Islamic world. In the sub-continent it is the largest institution for the dissemination and propagation of Islam and the biggest headspring of education in the Islamic sciences. Such accomplished scholars have come out from the Darul Uloom in every period that they, in accordance with the demands of religious needs of the time, have rendered valuable services in disseminating and spreading correct religious beliefs and religious sciences. These gentlemen, besides in this sub-continent, are busy in performing religions and academic services in various other countries also, and everywhere they have acquired a prominent status or religious guidance of the Muslims. The fact is that the Darul Uloom, Deoband, was a great religious, educational and reformative movement in the thirteenth century Hijri. It was such a crucial and crying need of the time that indifference to and connivance at it could cause Muslims to be confronted with inestimable dangers. The caravan that comprised only two souls on 15th Moharram, A-H. 1283, has today in its train individuals from many countries of Asia!

For the last one century, the Darul Uloom, Deoband, has been considered an incomparable teaching institution for the religious education of the Muslims not only in the sub-continent but also throughout the Islamic world. Besides the Jam'a-e Azhar, Cairo, there is no such institution any where in the Islamic world that may have acquired so much importance in point or antiquity, resorting, centrality and strength of students as the Darul Uloom, Deoband, has. The foundation of the Darul Uloom had been laid in this obscure, sleepy village of India at the hands of such sincere and august men that within a short time its academic greatness was established in the world of Islam. And it began to be looked upon as the most popular educational institution of the Islamic world, students from the Islamic countries flocking to it for the study and research of different arts and sciences. A large number of personalities, well-versed in the religions sciences, found today in the length and breadth of this sub-continent has quenched its thirst from this very great river of knowledge, and eminent religious doctors (Ulama) have been once the alumni of this very educational institution. It is a fact that as regards the worth of academic services not only in the sub-continent but also in other Islamic countries there is no other educational institution except one or two, that may have rendered such weighty and important religious and academic services to the Muslim community. The achievements of the Ulama of the Darul Uloom in the fields of religion, education, missionary-work and book writing have been acknowledged repeatedly. And the achievements not only in India but also in other Islamic lands, and in the fields especially of guidance and instruction, teaching and preaching they seem to be ahead of all others. In the Muslim society of the sub-continent, the command a high rank and a lofty position. With the tumult of the fame of the Darul Uloom even the academic assemblies of Afghanistan, Bukhara and Samarqand reverberated. Us graduates became deans and principals of great Madaris, and it is an authentic history. And a fact to assert that this spring of grace of the Darul Uloom, Deoband, by virtue of its ethos, has been busy for more than a century. In quenching the thirst of the seekers of knowledge of different sciences and the whole of Asia is redolent with the aroma of this prophetic garden. Among the hundreds of thousands of seminaries in the world of Islam today there are only two such institutions on which the Muslims have relied most of all: the one is Jam'a-e-Azhar, Cairo, and the other is Darul Uloom, Deoband. The religious services both these institutions of learning have rendered to the Muslims are sui generis. These very religious, academic and intellectual services of the Darul Uloom have made it a cynosure in the Islamic world. And what is more astonishing is that the Darul Uloom without being dependent on the government has made all these advancements. The blessings (Barakat) of the Darul Uloom and its universal beneficence are indicating that upon this academic institution a special theophany (Tajalli) of divine and prophetic knowledge has cast its light, which regularly continues to attract hearts towards it. What and how many great achievements the Darul Uloom, Deoband, made, what and how many renowned personalities it produced and how they imprinted the stamp of their service and utility in every field of religious life. All these things you will know by going through this history of the Darul Uloom, Deoband.

However much pride and joy the Muslims of the sub-continent express over the existence of the Darul Uloom Deoband, there can be no doubt about its being correct and justified. The history of the Darul Uloom in the present times is a bright chapter in the history of the Muslims effort and endeavor; this great struggle for the survival of religion and freedom of thought cannot be over looked in the history of Islam and the Muslims. Darul Uloom, Deoband, is in fact a shore less ocean from which, besides those of this sub-continent, the seekers of knowledge of the whole of Asia are benefiting. If the history of the Darul Uloom is studied minutely, a perspicacious reader will not fail to see the reality that it is not merely an old-type teaching institution; it is in fact a stupendous movement for the revival of Islam and the survival of the community.

The establishment of this seminary in the land of Deoband and its stability is the result of a concerted effort and endeavor of the Muslims of the sub-continent. Service to religion, support to Islam, renaissance of Islamic arts and sciences and their dissemination, and help to the students craving religious knowledge are the special and momentous achievements of the Darul Uloom Deoband. For one hundred and fourteen years it has been rendering, as per the pious predecessors tack, the right-type of academic and gnostic training to the Muslims. Even as Cairo, after the fall of Baghdad, became the center of Islamic arts and sciences, exactly in the same way, after the decline of Delhi, academic centrality fell to the lot of Deoband. And great illustrious personalities rose up from this teaching institution, innumerable scholars were fostered in its laps, and thousands of Ulama, Shaikhs, traditionists, jurisconsults, authors and experts of other arts and sciences were produced here. And, having become an adornment in the firmament of knowledge and action rendered and are still rendering services to religion in different manners in every nook and corner of the sub-continent.The history of the Darul Uloom, Deoband, is a historical chapter on an epoch-making period in the history of Islam as a whole. The long and short of this is that this overflowing ocean of arts and sciences has so far assuaged the thirst of a very large number of the seekers of knowledge, who having become the vernal air, have spread its academic aura in the four corners of the world. Those who benefited from the Darul Uloom are like a luxuriant free the green and fresh branches and foliage of which it is not easy to compute.

Darul Uloom Deoband, has been a center of both the Shariah and the Tariqa from the very day of its inception. All the moons and stars in the sky of the Shariah and the Tariqa and knowledge and action that are at the time shining in the sub-continent have been mostly illuminated by this very brilliant sun, and have come out assuaged from this very head spring of knowledge and gnosis. Every one knows that most of the great Ulama of the sub-continent has been the alumni of this very institution. And those who feasted at the dinner-cloth of Darul Uloom are now present in most of the Asian countries, where as well as in the sub-continent and certain other foreign lands. They have enkindled the lamps of the Holy Book and the Sunnah, and have imparted the grace of instruction and guidance to countless people. Darul Uloom, Deoband, has played a great part in investing the Muslims thoughts and views with freshness and sacredness, their hearts with ambition and courage, and their bodies with strength and energy. Its beneficence universal and countless men, to satisfy whose academic eagerness there were no means available, have quenched their thirst from it. At the same time, on the model of Darul.Uloom sprang up many religious and academic springs, each having its own particular many of circle of its benefit and grace. They are all the stars of this very solar system by the light of which every nook and corner of the religious and academic life of the Muslims of the sub-continent is radiant.

Very little attention has been paid to this benefit of these ýreligious schools that on account of them the condition of millions of Muslim families has been ameliorated. The Muslims inferiority complex was removed and that through these schools became available to the community innumerable such individuals, who, according to the conditions and time, guided the Muslims in the different aspects of life.

Besides their great services in the revival of Islam, they awakened political consciousness among the Muslims and took leading part in the struggle for freedom as a result of which the countries of the sub-continent acquired independence.

Even as in the past the Darul Uloom, Deoband, has rendered invaluable services to the cause of Islam, the Muslims and the religious sciences. It is hoped that in future too it will continue to discharge the obligation of inciting the Muslims power of action, of strengthening the faiths and of preaching and propagating Islam.


GALLERY