Al-Jāmiʿah al-Ahliyyah Dār al-ʿUlūm Muʿīn al-Islām ( ar, الجامعة الأهلية دار العلوم معين الإسلام), popularly known as the Hāṭhazārī Madrasa ( bn, হাটহাজারী মাদ্রাসা) or the Great Madrassah ( bn, বড় মাদ্রাসা, Boṛo Madraśa), is a

Qawmi Qawmi Madrasah ( bn, কওমী মাদ্রাসা, ar, المدرسة القومية, al-Madrasah al-Qawmiyyah) is an adjective describing one of the two major madrasah educational categories in Bangladesh. The Qawmi madrasahs are not ...

institution of

Hathazari Hathazari ( bn, হাটহাজারী) is an upazila of Chattogram District in Chattogram Division, Bangladesh. Geography Hathazari is located at . It has 52,594 households and a total area of 251.28 km2. The main river is Halda River ...

, located in

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

Chittagong District Chittagong District, renamed the Chattogram District, is a district located in the south-eastern region of Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chattogram Division. The port city of Chattogram, which is the second largest city in Bangladesh, is ...

. Established in 1901, it is the largest and oldest

Deobandi Deobandi is a revivalist movement within Sunni Islam, adhering to the Hanafi school of law, formed in the late 19th century around the Darul Uloom Madrassa in Deoband, India, from which the name derives, by Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi, R ...

seminary in the country. According to a 2009

National Bureau of Asian Research The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) is an American non-profit, research institution based in Seattle, Washington, with a branch office in Washington, D.C. NBR brings together specialists, policymakers, and business leaders to examine ...

report, the highly reputed institution ranks among top ten

madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...

the subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India ...

History

Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam was first established in 1896 CE. It was moved to its present location in

, Bangladesh in 1901.Ahmad, Mumtaz and Matthew J. Nelson.
Islamic Education in Bangladesh and Pakistan: Trends in Tertiary Institutions
" (Preview) ''NBR Project Report.'' April 2009
(alternate non-preview version)
/ref> The

Jamiah Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...

introduces the

Islamic education Islamic education may refer to: *Islamic studies Islamic studies refers to the academic study of Islam, and generally to academic multidisciplinary "studies" programs—programs similar to others that focus on the history, texts and theolo ...

and Reformation movement in this region. A few

ulama In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...

of the Chittagong region took the decision to establish the madrasa in accordance to the constitution of

Darul Uloom Deoband The Darul Uloom Deoband is an Islamic seminary (darul uloom) in India at which the Sunni Deobandi Islamic movement began. It is located in Deoband, a town in Saharanpur district, Uttar Pradesh. The seminary was established by Muhammad Qasim ...

North India North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central ...

. To apply this decision,

Habibullah Qurayshi Ḥabībullāh Qurayshī ( bn, হাবিবুল্লাহ কুরাইশি; 1865 – 1943) was a Bengali Islamic scholar and educationist of the Deobandi movement. He was the founding director-general of Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum M ...

along with

Abdul Wahid Bengali ʿAbd al-Wāḥid Bengālī ( bn, আব্দুল ওয়াহেদ বাঙ্গালী; c. 1850—1905) was a 19th-century Muslim theologian, teacher and social reformer. He was one of the initiators of the Deobandi movement into Ben ...

Sufi Azizur Rahman Ṣūfī ʿAzīzur Raḥmān ( bn, সুফি আজিজুর রহমান; 1862—1922) was a Muslim theologian, teacher and reformer. After being influenced by Abdul Wahid Bengali in his student life, he became associated with the sprea ...

and

Abdul Hamid Madarshahi Fakhr al-Islām ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd ibn Rustam ʿAlī al-Madārshāhī ( ar, فخر الإسلام عبد الحميد بن رستم علي المدارشاهي; 1869–31 March 1920), commonly known as Abdul Hamid Madarshahi ( bn, আব্দ� ...

established the madrasah. The Hathazari Madrasah became "arguably the most reputable Quomi madrasa in the country." Starting in 2004, the Hathazari Madrasa has been at the centre of media attention due to allegations that it is a haven for "terrorist" training. This is the first time in the institution's long history that such allegations have been made against the madrasah itself. In February 2010, 40 students were arrested for clashing with police and later released. Students had snatched a

service rifle A service rifle (or standard-issue rifle) is a rifle a military issues to regular infantry. In modern militaries, this is typically a versatile and rugged battle rifle, assault rifle, or carbine suitable for use in nearly all environments. Most ...

Organization and administration

The Darul Ulum has divided its education system into six major levels: * Primary level –

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

;

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

; Nahu-Sarf; Siraat-un-Nabi; Fiqh etc. are taught along with the

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

; history;

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

; English and

geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...

. * Secondary level – higher Arabic grammar; Arabic literature;

Fiqh ''Fiqh'' (; ar, فقه ) is Islamic jurisprudence. Muhammad-> Companions-> Followers-> Fiqh. The commands and prohibitions chosen by God were revealed through the agency of the Prophet in both the Quran and the Sunnah (words, deeds, and ...

; logic. * Higher secondary level – higher Fiqh and Usul-e-Fiqh; higher logic; higher

Arabic literature Arabic literature ( ar, الأدب العربي / ALA-LC: ''al-Adab al-‘Arabī'') is the writing, both as prose and poetry, produced by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is '' Adab'', which is derived from ...

; higher economics; higher philosophy; higher Islam history. * Graduate level –

Hadith Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...

;

Tafsir Tafsir ( ar, تفسير, tafsīr ) refers to exegesis, usually of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' ( ar, مُفسّر; plural: ar, مفسّرون, mufassirūn). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, in ...

; Arabic and Persian poetry; solar science. * Post graduate level – six major Hadith Books: Bukhari Sharif, Muslim Sharif, Abu Dawd Sharif, Tirmidi Sharif, Nasaee Sharif and Ibn Majah are mainly taught. * Beyond post graduate level – further study in the field of Islamic law; Arabic language and literature; higher Hadith study, Bengali literature and Islamic studies.

Network of schools

The "Boro Madrassah" is one of the three large madrasahs, along with Al-Jamiah Al-Islamiah in Patiya, and

Jamiatul Uloom Al-Islamia Lalkhan Bazar Jamiatul Uloom Al-Islamia Lalkhan Bazar ( ar, الجامعة العلوم الإسلامية لالخان بازار), popularly known as Lalkhan Bazar Madrasah ( bn, লালখান বাজার মাদ্রাসা), is a well-known Qa ...

, that together control over 7000 smaller schools in Bangladesh. The three schools are closely coordinated.

Publications

Alleged militancy

There are allegations that the Madrassah is a training ground for Islamic extremists. While authorities of the school have confirmed that some graduates volunteered for the Afghan

jihad Jihad (; ar, جهاد, jihād ) is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with Go ...

during the 1980s, there was no strong evidence to suggest that the school itself was recruiting for the jihad. The

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of the school, Maulana

Ahmad Shafi Shah Ahmad Shafi ( bn, শাহ আহমদ শফী) (1916 – 18 September 2020) was a Bangladeshi Sunni Islamic scholar, the chief of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, Rector of Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam Hathazari and also the c ...

—popularly known as "Boro Huzur" (the eldest scholar)—is also the chairman of a faction of the political party

Islami Oikya Jote The Islami Oikya Jote ( bn, ইসলামী ঐক্য জোট, ''Islami Oikko Joţ'', "Islamic Unity Front") is a political party in Bangladesh and is allied with the Four Party Alliance. History During the legislative elections of 1 ...

. Critics of the party say that membership of IOJ coincides with the

Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami ( ar, حركة الجهاد الإسلامي, ''Ḥarkat al-Jihād al-Islāmiyah'', meaning "Islamic Jihad Movement", HuJI) is a Pakistani Islamic fundamentalist Jihadist organisation affiliated with Al-Qaeda and Talib ...

(HuJI), though a leading Bangladeshi political scientist warns little is actually known about their organisation."Bangladesh Today"
''

International Crisis Group The International Crisis Group (ICG; also known as the Crisis Group) is a transnational non-profit, non-governmental organisation founded in 1995. It is a think tank, used by policymakers and academics, performing research and analysis on global ...

, Asia Report'' 121, 23 October 2006. Rector Ahmad is also purported to be the leader of a group called "Hifazat-e-Islam,"
( and other Islamic extremists are becoming active), Al-Mamun Khan, The Weekly Saptahik, 5 August 2010. which he claims to be a peaceful organisation.
আলেমদের মিছিলে গুলি : চট্টগ্রামে পুলিশি হামলায় মহাসমাবেশ
''. Amardesh. 2010/02/25. :: (

Translation Translation is the communication of the Meaning (linguistic), meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The ...

: To summarise the Amardesh story, it states the police action on the procession by Hefajate-Islami. It also includes statements made by Maulana Ahmed who claims his organisation (HI) to be a peaceful one, and that they are protesting the government's decisions to introduce secular education system (which they perceive to be hostile against the right-wing islamists). Note that the newspaper mentions this as the statement of Maulana Ahmed and his colleagues. The police's statement is also included, which mentions that protestors from the Hefajate-Islam procession also fired gunshots and threw homemade bombs on the police, causing injuries to 5/6 police constables.) Ahmad and his colleagues state that the group is for protesting the government's decisions to introduce a secular education system. A statement from the police mentions that men, suspected to be from Hifazat-e-Islam, fired gunshots and threw homemade bombs on the police, causing injuries to 5 or 6 police constables. It is unclear whether or not these actions were approved by Ahmad Shafi.

Alumni scholars

The ''Jamiah Darul Ulum Moinul Islam'' has produced a large number of notable scholars. *

Shah Ahmad Hasan Aḥmad Ḥasan ibn Waṣī ar-Raḥmān ibn Ḥamīd ʿAlī al-Jīrawī ( ar, أحمد حسن بن وصي الرحمن بن حامد علي الجيروي; 1882–1967), popularly known as Shah Ahmad Hasan ( bn, শাহ আহমদ হাস� ...

* Mufti Faizullah *

Faqihul Millat Mufti Abdur Rahman Abdur Rahman Chatgami ( bn, আব্দুর রহমান চাটগামী; 1920–2015), also known as Faqihul Millat, was a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar of the Deobandi school. He was born in Imam Nagar, Fatikchhari, Chittagong, in ...

Ashraf Ali Bishwanathi Ashraf Ali Bishwanathi (1928–2005) was a Bangladeshi Deobandi Islamic scholar, educator, politician and religious writer. He was called "Baba-e Jamiat" in order to lay the foundation of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh in East Pakistan and prese ...

* Allama Shah Ahmad Shafi * Mufti Mizanur Rahman Sayed *

Mufti Izharul Islam Izharul Islam Chowdhury ( bn, মুফতি ইজহারুল ইসলাম) is the founder of Jamiatul Uloom Al-Islamia Lalkhan Bazar. He is the present executive president of Nizam-e-Islam Party and Nayeb-e-Ameer of Hefazat-e-Islam Bang ...

Junaid Babunagari Muḥammad Junaid, popularly known as Junaid Babunagari ( bn, জুনায়েদ বাবুনগরী; 8 October 1953 – 19 August 2021), was a Bangladeshi Deobandi Islamic scholar, educator, writer, researcher, Islamic speaker and s ...

Nurul Islam Jihadi Nurul Islam Jihadi ( bn, নুরুল ইসলাম জিহাদী; 1948 – 29 November 2021) was a Bangladeshi Deobandi Islamic scholar, educator and spiritual figure. He was the Secretary General of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh and I ...

Sajidur Rahman Sajidur Rahman (born 30 December 1964) is a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar and educator. He is the Secretary General of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh and Co-chairman of Al-Haiatul Ulya Lil-Jamiatil Qawmia Bangladesh, the highest authority of Qawmi Mad ...

Zia Uddin Mufakkir al-Islām Ḍiyā' ad-Dīn ibn Muqaddas ʿAlī ( ar, مفكر الإسلام ضياء الدين بن مقدس علي; born 4 April 1941), better known simply as Zia Uddin ( bn, জিয়া উদ্দিন) or reverentially as Nazi ...

References

External Link

* {{Madrasas in Bangladesh Darul Uloom Hathazari Qawmi madrasas of Bangladesh Deobandi Islamic universities and colleges 1896 establishments in India