Markazul Ma'arif (Urdu: مرکز المعارف, Hindi: मरकज़-उल-मआरिफ़), a voluntary social-welfare Non-Government Organisation with the sole motto of striving for the upliftment of economically and educationally backward segment of society. Since its inception Markaz has been uninterruptedly materializing various schemes and plans in different fields. Markaz has already carved a niche for itself in the heart of people with its wide network of activities throughout the country. With its Head Office at Hojai the Organisation runs its multifarious activities with the help of its branch offices located in Assam, Manipur, New Delhi, Deoband (U.P) and Mumbai.
To improve educational condition, the organisation offers scholarships to a vast number of poor but meritorious students who cannot afford to pursue higher education owing to financial constraints.
The Organisation has taken up the task of setting up educational institutions to impart proper education with due emphasis on strengthening moral and humanistic outlook. To inculcate a spirit of self confidence and self-reliance among the unemployed youths, regular vocational training programmes in various fields are conducted under the guidance of experts.
The publications of books in many languages (Assamese, Manipuri, Bengali Marathi, Hindi, Urdu, English and Arabic) have been brought under the purview of the organisation to make the people familiar with Islam and its ideology. In addition, Makatib (Islamic elementary schools) have been established to enlighten the children on the basic tenets of Islam. Markaz also serves the victims of natural calamities by extending relief and rehabilitation measures. Medical camps are arranged to provide free treatment and medicines to the patients at the outbreak of epidemics.
In short, Markazul Ma'arif helps by initiating and supporting programmes for the supply of food, safe water, primary health care, adequate sanitation, agricultural development, education, basic child care, skill training, income generation, job oriented technical education and by providing relief during emergencies i.e. communal riots, flood and earthquake. The principal objective of all these programmes is to enable the poor Muslims to stand on their own feet.
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History furnishes record that gives plenty of reasons behind the birth of multiple of organizations that have mushroomed from time immemorial. On national arena, especially after India’s independence, many organizations came up with different motives, aims and objectives. Whereas some came into existence to protect their linguistic identities, some came up to protect their religion and culture. Some of them came like dark clouds with full of promise to the drought stricken farmers, but vanished without showering the water and giving them any relief. Alas! Like memory of human being, the memory of history is short lived too. Many organizations that came up to serve the humanity genuinely, human being have no record of it with them today.
I too had been dreaming of a 'Welfare Organisation' that would stand by the poor, ailing and suffering people. When I opened my eyes and looked around, I saw scores of Adam's progeny suffering and ailing around as if condemned to eternal doom. Due to ignorance of people themselves and due to selfishness of those who could have proved helpful in alleviating the sufferings of these unfortunate people, poverty knocked at every door. They were my own relatives, my own neighbours, my village people, people of my province and my own countrymen. Whenever I thought of it, my mind began boggling. After a moment of intense thinking, my mind would beging swimming in the air aimlessly. And years passed like that.
At last the blessings of some pious persons around came to my rescue. Almighty ALLAH listened to my prayer and paved the way for fulfilling my dreams. Maulana Abdul Jalil Raghibi Saheb, an eminent scholar and a man of high ambition came forward with a helping hand. Soon, Maulana Mustafa Uddin Ahmad, Maulana Mansoor Ahmad, Maulana Moinul Hoque and some other friends and well wishers joined and strengthened my hand. Then I rushed to meet Shaikhul Hadith Darul Uloom Baskandi, Hazrat Maulana Shaikh Ahmad Ali Saheb (Rahmatullah Alaihi) and Hazrat Maulana Abdul Haque Saheb, General Secretary of Jamiat Ulama -e- Assam. And thus my constant meeting with these honourable people gave birth to an organization that we unanimously named as Markazul Ma’arif (the Centre for knowledge). To be more precise Markazul Ma’arif came into existence on 2 October’ 1982 (1402 Hijri) at the stroke of 12 noon.
The long journey began from a rented house (owned by Haji Tafazzul Ali Saheb) of Hojai with the blessings and patronage of Hazrat Maulana Sayed Asa’d Madni Saheb, President Jamiat Ulama -e- Hind, and my respected father Janab Alhaj Ajmal Ali Saheb. While recounting the love and affection bestowed on us in the beginning of the great Caravan ‘Markazul Ma’arif’, I am also reminded of a great sympathizer Alhaj Abdur Rauf Saheb whose encouraging words ring in my mind even today and make all hard works achievable.
In due course of time, many philanthropists came forward and stood by us at every critical stage of its development. Joining hands with missionary zeal of honourable people like Muhtaram Maulana Abdul Haseeb Saheb and Janab Mohammad Shamsul Haque Chaudhury Saheb infused new life in the management. And thereafter, with the help and blessings of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’la, Markazul Ma’arif has marched ahead and never looked back.
While recounting all these for the posterity to remember how difficult it is to achieve something tangible, I bow my head before my Creator in humble submission to whatever little I could do for my suffering people. Had not the love, affection and blessings of my mother Maryamun Nessa Ajmal (Rahmatullah Alaiha) shadowed over my head all the times and protected me from the heat of blazing Sun, I would have got lost in wilderness.
While we strive to wipe out tears from crying eyes, while we strive to make life easy for those who find themselves surrounded with hardships and; while we strive to protect our people from deviating from the Right Path, we strive for no worldly gain. Our striving is to earn only Allah’s love, His mercy and forgiveness.
While seeking Allah’s blessings and forgiveness for myself, for my family members and for all those who were and are attached with this mission, I conclude with these words from the Glorious Qura’an and the sayings of the Prophet:
“And they feed for the love of Allah the indigent the orphan and the captive. We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: No reward do we desire from you nor thanks.“ (Qur’an: 76: 8-9)
“Allah is in the help of His slave as long as he is in the help of his brother”
It is an undeniable fact that Ulama have been the backbone of the Muslim Ummah, and their extraordinary efforts through ages have kept the Islamic assets protected and flourishing on the Indian soil. Had there not been Ulama after the decline of Muslim rule the mythical Indian civilization would have absorbed Muslim identity and culture. Therefore, the fate of Muslims as a unit and a separate religious group depends on the progressive ideas, up-to-date policies and universal thoughts of their spiritual leaders. At the threshold of the new millennium, as the Ummah was surrounded by multitude political problems it faced the biggest challenge to its civilization and cultural heritage. Since the Ulama, being aware of only Islamic sciences and Urdu-Arabic languages, were not only lacking access to the international community but also to a good part of their population as well. Apprehending the alarming bell, the president of Markazul Ma'arif, Maulana Badruddin Ajmal Al-Qasmi, stepped up to establish Markazul Ma'arif Education & Research Centre (MMERC} in 1994 in New Delhi (which now has been shifted to Mumbai) to equip the graduates of madrasas with the modern sciences so that they could meet the modem needs and play a greater influential role in the society. It is interesting to note that MMERC is the first institution of its kind in the world, which undertakes to train Ulama for the modern world.
MMERC also serves as a platform that bridges the gulf between the two parts of the Muslim community i.e. modern educated ones and madrasa products. This is a high time for them to cast aside their rigidity and the bitterness of dual education system for the noble cause of unity in Muslim Ummah. MMERC introduces a number of courses and programmes for the benefit of the community, which are as follow:
English is the Lingua Franca of the world today. People, world over, communicate with each other and transact business through this language. Though Ulama from madrasas know Arabic and are able to comprehend Islam directly from the original sources but they are unable to communicate with the intelligentsia because they lack proficiency in English language. As a result, they are not only unable to present Islam to others but also fail to communicate with the educated people of their own community. MMERC wishes to remove this communication problem and wants Ulama to learn English and utilize the modern tools of communication such as computer and Internet so that they can read, write, speak and translate Islamic works into English and could become effective preacher and propagator of Islam. MMERC, in this regard, has introduced the following courses.
Education: Under this program, graduates from different Madaaris are selected after written and oral test. Priority is given to those graduates who have aptitude and also willingness to master the English language and work for Dawah in the future. MMERC selects the Trainee from fresh graduates of Islamic educational institutions such as Darul Uloom Deoband and Nadwatul Ulama of Lucknow. Students undergo training at the Markaz premises for two years with the sole objective of acquiring proficiency in the English language and operating computer and internet.
The Centre has achieved great success in this field. Students who successfully complete MMERC prescribed intensive language course, stand at par with graduates of English medium public schools and colleges. So far nearly 250 graduates from madrasas have been trained by MMERC who are capable of writing articles, delivering lectures on Islam and comparative religion, teaching English and Arabic through English medium and taking researches in English independently. Most of the successful students of MMERC have been absorbed at renowned organizations, institutes and magazines in India while several have gone abroad as translators, teachers and interpreters. The senior products of this course are now well capable to teach the new ones who are enrolled.
Inspired by the successful experience of MMERC to teach the Ulama English and modern technology, many organizations and institutions have started the same course with the help of MMERC, In 2002, Darul Uloom Deoband has introduced this course, which is run by MMERC products. Likewise, Jamiat Shabab-ul-Muslimin Lucknow and Markaz-e-lslami Ankleshwar, Gujarat have opened faculty of English, which is also run by MMERC products.
Research Training: Having successfully passed the exams, some qualified students are adopted for three years intensive full time 'Research and Training' course. During this period they are inculcated research methodology and prepared for an in-depth research. The topic of research is basically related to Islam and Muslims. During first year the trainee selects a topic in consultation with his guide at MMERC, collects materials, participates in seminars on the subject, meets different experts of the subject and goes to different libraries. The trainee is required to submit an article of his research findings in no less than 100 pages. Once they complete the Research Training course and submit the papers successfully, they are enrolled for "Research Fellow" course.
Research Fellow: During second year, the Research Fellow is to take thorough research on the same topic for which he has already submitted a paper. The- intensive research is done here with a view to come out with new findings that helps in removing misgiving related to Islam vis-a-vis other religion and modern scientific researches. Topics of research are also chosen with a view to highlight certain lacunae prevailing in our own social system that are not compatible with the teachings of the Glorious Qur'an and the Sunnah. MMERC sometimes assigns topic of research that is with the objective of highlighting the reasons for Muslims educational and economic backwardness so that corrective measures could be taken in the future by those interested in it. Some of the topics of research so far undertaken by MMERC scholars are as follows:
At least 20 thesises have already been completed by MMERC reaserchers, some of them got published while some are in the pipeline. The works on Madrasa Education and Human Rights have specially been undertaken by Manak Publications, New Delhi for publishing.
Entrance Exams for English language course for madrasa graduates on July 15 http://twocircles.net/2009jul01/entrance_test_english_language_course_madrasa_graduates_july_15.html
Eastern Crescent, a unique English magazine, is published from Markazul Ma'arif Education & Research Centre, Mumbai as alternative media and peoples' choice. It is the first magazine published by Ulama, especially those graduated at Deoband and traind at Markazul Ma'arif.
The magazine shared the top most position in the year 2008 among all English publications from Muslims in India in the year-wise review conducted by USA based towcircles.net.
EC files stories with views through research based analyses and conviction of the individual authors. Eastern Crescent is a secular and dynamic magazine but with many differences. It does carry most of the issues that other magazines produce but it has a clear distinct identity of its own. For EC http://www.markazulmaarif.org/ec_index.asp
On-line Darul Ifta is one of the pioneering and greatest achievements of MMERC. It is known to all that the anti-Islamic forces are using the media to defame Islam and tarnish its image.
Unfortunately, due to lack of true representatives of Islam in media, many mischievous people have succeeded to mislead people in the name of Islam. Therefore, it was a crying need of the time to play an active need in the world of media. In view of the situation Markazul Ma'arif has built up its website that, along with description of its multifarious activities, offers a wide range of information on Islam and Muslims, and answers queries asked by Muslim and non-Muslim surfers for their day-to-day Islamic practice. This part of the website is handled by persons graduated and specialized in Islamic Jurisprudence from Darul Uloom Deoband.
1. <http://www.islamicvoice.com/september.97/comm.htm> 2. <http://www.milligazette.com/IndMusStat/2006a/962-mmerc-9aug06-courses-study-entrance.htm> 3. [1] 4. [2] 5. [3] 6. [4] 7. [5]
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