Saving a beneficial thread by Janab Maripat sahab posted here.
Bhai Maripat Wrote:
السلام عليكم
Dr76 had asked about Jama'at work and educational environment at AMU with reference to maintenance of Islamic conduct.
In the second half of 19th century two Muslim movements started in India. In Sahranpur, and around, there was a movement to preserve and propagate Islamic teachings-call it Deoband Movement. It might seem odd that one should worry about such a things and whether there could be any danger to Islamic teachings. Things were different at that time.
It was one of those times when, like few times earlier in history, the contemporary historian will start thinking of writing Islam off. The other movement was about imparting modern western education to Muslims. This is known as the Aligarh Movement.
There is very little gap between Deoband and Aligarh movements and in the initial phase there was some friction between the two. That friction has not disappeared but it is not the focus of the interaction between the two. All praise is for Lord Most High for that. An indirect confirmation of this can be seen in a statement made by Scottish writer William Dalrymple in his book The Last Mughal. He laments that the religious education at Aligarh fell in the hands of Deoband scholars.
Theological and fiqh related question were also present at the time of the figurehead of Aligarh Movement Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (RA). He was a mighty scholar-endowed with traditional Islamic education prevalent at that time. He made significant contributions to many branches of knowledge.
That will, on its own, earn a place for him in history. Aligarh Muslim University is in addition to that. He established a school called Madinat-ul-Uloom at Aligarh which later became MAO College and the AMU still later.
He also tried, and did not succeed, to give a massive new interpretation of things Islamic. That is what lead to the problems with the Scholars of Saharanpur. He, nevertheless, was a giant. Please try to find his obituary of Hujjat-ul-Islam Hazrat Maulana Muhammed Qasim Sahab Nanotwi (RA) and see what a great document it is. This document can be an instrument for filling the Aligarh-Deoband gap completely.
The environment at AMU is a melting pot of conservative and modern attitudes. No surprising in view of above background. Muslims from all parts of India still get courage to send their daughters to get education in sheltered protected environment. On the other hand there was a significant movement of scholars to the then Bombay film industry.
Two of the four pillars of progressive story writers of Urdu had Aligarh connection. There is lots of freedom for freedom loving people (of course they shall never get enough and they will completely disagree with this assertion) but by the Grace of Lord Most High Aligarh is not Delhi, let alone Mumbai. May Lord Most High protect it from evil glances.
Former President of India Dr Zakir Huasin was a former Vice Chancellor of AMU and in his tenure he abolished that purdah that used to be compulsory and there was segregation in the class between boys and girls.with full purdah but that is what they were-stray. Stray in the sense of rare.
In late nineties of last century something started happening on its own. There used to be stray girls
In late nineties the number became noticeable. At the moment of writing it is not overwhelming but it is part of the environment. There was a girl who did her PhD in bio-chemistry (there are two bio-chem departments at AMU) and the supervisor reported that he never saw her face.
That was an early example and there are regular examples even in Science stream where the girl completes her PG and no one sees her face.(A modern teacher, in the early stage, reported that he saw lots of penguins sitting in his class!)
At present time there are many girls in medical college who are busy with their studies maintaining full purdah. The number in the engineering college is even more. Obviously the number of deen oriented boys is even larger at both places. AMU is a residential university when a large number of students reside in hostels.
A group of hostels is called a hall (many of you know that). Nearly every hall at AMU has a mosque. The loudest Ameen you'll here in Aligarh is at the Hadi Hasan Hall Mosque-the hall where (would be) doctors (in the sense of physicians) stay. To give another glimpse-a dear one of this sinner was in CCU of medicine ward. The young bearded doctor on duty gave such a succinct, thorough and complete summary of the complicated case that it was heart warming in spite of the looming tragedy. Even atheist doctor will ask his patients to remember Allah but when a mumin says it then it is just out of heavens-the thing you need in those difficult times.
When Dr76 Sahab asked for this summary it was taken by this sinner as an opportunity to do some inquiry about Jama'at work at AMU. There were stories heard earlier but confirmation was required. But research is work has its own way of progressing so it became apprent that whatever is already known should be said without dressing-the other option is indefinite delay.
A regular Jam'at worker relative had told the story of first Jama'at to AMU. Time line is difficult to say but roughly fifties should do the job. The Jama'at was of simple minded Mewatees. (Yes the usual rough and tough image too is true-these two things exist even today-think of them as Arabs of India). Now Aligarh students are fond of activities. Activity means pulling tricks.
The Jama'at was put in a room and the ceiling fan was switched on-it was winter. Today you might be conversant with twenty remote controls but we are talikng about the people who did not know how to sitch on or switch off the bulb or the fan. The sathees (companios, brothers) from Mewat concluded that this teetri (she-partridge)in the roof is a problem.
In those times the residential life (for teaching and administrative staff) was concentrated in an area that is called Tar Bangla (Cable Bangalow). Now it is much scattered. Professor Abdul Aleem Sahab with Dr Nadir Ali Khan Sahab and elder Usman Sahab did the initial running around and the ground work. There used to be a Faridi Sahab who used to come from Muradabad.
He walked on crutches and would catch the students on the Cricket and Athletics grounds to do tashkeel (constitution and cajoling for Jama'at).
(there is a similar sacrificing story for the construction of the medical college at AMU but that some other time.)
Delhi-Howrah (Kolkata) railway line bisects Aligarh in two parts. Eastern part is called the Civil Line-a British construct. West is the city-old city, the Shahr. City has an old magnificent Jama Masjid. That used to be the Jama'at Markaz for Aligarh. As the work increased the Civil Line area was made independent. For some time speakers used to come from City for the Ijtimah and other things.
Later on as the work progressed university related people started managing the things on their own. Now the Civil Line Markaz is Badi Masjid in Sir Syed Nagar near AMU. On Saturday evening after Asr there is weekly Maswirah (consultation) and Night Stay (shab guzari). On Sunday morning at 10.30AM there is weekly Ijtimah (Gathering) in the Sir Syed Mosque of the university.
The Civil Line area is divided into a number of halqas (Circles). Weekly Ijtimah usually has hundreds of attendees and the number many times crosses thousand. (The number could be larger-want to err on the lower side.) Every week there is tashkeel (construction) of hundreds of Jama'ats.
If there is a holiday before or after Sunday then the number of Jama'ats becomes very large. University has more than 16 residential hals and there are many locality based circles. Students from a single hall some times announce ten Jama'ats. May Allah save it all from evil glances.
Ladies programme is held in the girls residential hall called Sarojini Naidu Hall. (Have an appointment with a senior pediatrician to get primed up about the Jama'at happenings in that jail (!) but that report should come later on IA.)
contd..
