Urdu (;["Urdu"](_blank)
''English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
.
Life for the residents of Rabwah
As the city is the only Ahmadi majority city in Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, its residents face legal discrimination due to Ordinance XX. They have been denied the right to hold peaceful religious gatherings since 1983.[Rabwah: A Place For Martyrs? Report of the Parliamentary Human Rights
Group mission to Pakistan into internal flight for Ahmadis. Edited by Dr Jonathan Ensor] In 1989, a report
A report is a document that presents information in an organized format for a specific audience and purpose. Although summaries of reports may be delivered orally, complete reports are almost always in the form of written documents. Usage
In ...
was registered by Punjab police against the whole of the population of the city for the crime that they were displaying Quranic
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing.: ...
texts on their graves and buildings.
Geography
Rabwah covers an area of about 24 km2 (9.3 sq mi). It is located in the temperate
In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...
region of Central Punjab, approximately halfway between Faisalabad
Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur ( Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pak ...
and Sargodha
Sargodha ( Punjabi and ur, ) is a city and capital of Sargodha Division, located in Punjab province, Pakistan. It is Pakistan's 12th largest city by population and one of the fastest-growing cities of the country. Sargodha is also known as ...
. The River Chenab surrounds the city on its Eastern and Southern sides. The area is higher than the surrounding plains due to the dry hills which dot the landscape, providing a natural barrier against floods. These hills are part of the Kirana Hills
The Kirana Hills is a small and extensive rocky mountain range located in Rabwah and Sargodha, Pakistan. It is also a place of tourist attraction in Sargodha City. Locally known as "Black Mountains" due to its brownish landscape, its highest pea ...
, also known locally as the Black Mountains, which reach from Sargodha to Jhang
Jhang (Punjabi language, Punjabi, ur, ), ) is the capital city of Jhang District, in the central portion of the province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan. Situated on the east bank of the Chenab river, it is the List of most populous c ...
. The area, which used to be arid and barren, has been transformed through more than fifty years of aggressive plantation into a lush green city.
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
Rabwah experiences an arid
A region is arid when it severely lacks available water, to the extent of hindering or preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life. Regions with arid climates tend to lack vegetation and are called xeric or desertic. Most ar ...
climate (''BWh''). As it is located in the temperate
In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...
area of northwestern Subcontinent
A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from largest in area to smallest, these seven ...
it shares the weather of the subcontinent. Rabwah has hot summers and cold winters. The summer season is from April to October where May, is the hottest month, in which temperatures regularly reach 40 °C. The location in the centre of the dry plains is responsible for dust storms in the summer. Summer also brings the Indian Monsoon
The Monsoon of South Asia is among several geographically distributed global monsoons. It affects the Indian subcontinent, where it is one of the oldest and most anticipated weather phenomena and an economically important pattern every year fro ...
which increases the precipitation
In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...
in the month of June and July to above 80 mm.
The winter season is from November to February where January is the coldest month in which temperatures may fall to the freezing point. The winters also bring fog
Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Reprint from Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud usually resembling stratus, and is heavily influ ...
which can reduce the visibility to dangerously low levels.
Neighborhoods
The planned city was originally divided into following neighbourhood
A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural are ...
s:
* Darus-Sadr or Dar al-Sadr (The Main/Central Area)
* Darur-Rahmat or Dar al-Rahmat (The Abode of Mercy)
* Darul-Futuh or Dar al-Futuh (The Abode of Triumphs)
* Darul-Barakat Dar al-Barakat (The Abode of Blessings)
* Darul-Uloom or Dar al-Ulum (The Abode of Learning)
* Darun-Nasr or Dar al-Nasr (The Abode of Divine Help)
* Darush-Shukr or Dar al-Shukr (The Abode of Gratitude)
* Darul-Yumn or Dar al-Yumn (The Abode of Blessings)
* Babul-Abwab or Bab al-Abwab (Door of the Doors)
Later on, as the city expanded, these boroughs were split into sub-divisions. Also many new neighborhoods were established like Factory Area, Tahir Abad, Nasir Abad, Rahman Colony, Muslim Colony, Buyutul-Hamd, etc.
Notable places
* Masjid-e-Aqsa
Sports and recreational places
Many neighborhoods have their own playing areas for children. Popular sports include cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
, football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
and badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players pe ...
, basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
and rowing
Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...
. There is an Olympic sized swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built ...
in the city, along with well-maintained tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
and squash
Squash may refer to:
Sports
* Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets
* Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling
* Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...
courts.
''Buyut-ul-hamd'' park is a small amusement park in Rabwah. The riverbank and many farmhouses in the surrounding areas are considered good picnic spots.
Commercial places
* ''Gol Bazar'' ("Round Market") is a semi-circular market in Rabwah which houses most of the city's bank branches.
* Masroor Plaza is a commercial plaza located in the center of the town.
Transport
Cycling is the predominant mode of transportation in Rabwah, augmented by Motorcycles and Motorcycle rickshaws. From the city, there are bus services to Islamabad
Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital T ...
, Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
, Faisalabad
Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur ( Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pak ...
, Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
and other major cities in Pakistan. Rabwah can be accessed by the M-2 (National Highway Motorway 2) while the nearest airports are in Faisalabad
Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur ( Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pak ...
(). It also has its own railway station, the Chenab Nagar railway station
Chenab Nagar Railway Station ( ur, ) is located in Pakistan.
See also
* List of railway stations in Pakistan
* Pakistan Railways
Pakistan Railways ( ur, ) is the national, state-owned railway company of Pakistan. Founded in 1861 and hea ...
.
Education
Rabwah has a high literacy rate with school enrollment of nearly hundred percent. This is reflected by numerous achievements by students from Rabwah. There are numerous Government and Private Primary and Secondary Schools as well as Colleges.
Talim-ul-Islam College and School
Talim-ul-Islam College was founded in 1898 in Qadian by the Ahmadiyya Community and relocated to Rabwah in 1947. It was nationalized under the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and statesman who served as the fourth ...
as part of his nationalization program. An old students association of the college is active and publishes the Al Manar magazine.
Jami'a Nusrat Girls College and School
This is an all Girls College and School founded by the Ahmadiyya Community which was later nationalized
Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately-owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to pri ...
.
Nusrat Jahan Schools
These are a group of non-profit, private, educational institutions in Rabwah. They were established under and named after the Nusrat Jahan Scheme; a scheme launched by the community for the educational betterment of its members. Nusrat Jahan Schools include the Nusrat Jahan Academy Boys School, Nusrat Jahan Academy Girls School, Nusrat Jahan Boys College and Nusrat Jahan Girls College. These institutions offer programmes of primary, secondary, higher secondary and higher education. They are operated by ''Nazarat Taleem Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya'' Pakistan.
In 2011, the external examination board of all Nusrat Jahan Schools was changed from the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Faisalabad to the Aga Khan University Examination Board. /sup>
Institute for special education
Nazarat Taleem has started a school for special children in Rabwah. It is a revolutionary project in which Nazarat Taleem has started delivering all the basic and necessary facilities for disable children in the separate school including special buses to pick and drop etc.
Other educational Institutions
*Schools under Nazarat Taleem:
**Bayout-ul-Hamd Primary School
** Bayoutul Hamd Girls High School
**Maryam Girls High School
**Maryam Siddiqua Girls High School
**Nusrat Jahan Academy Boys
**Nusrat Jahan Academy Girls
**Tahir Primary School
**Nasir High School
**Institute for special education
**nusrat Jahan college
*Self-directed Schools:
**Ahmadiyya Public School
**Heaven House Public School
**Al Ahmad Public School
**Crescent Grammar High School
**Star Academy
**Nadi Academy
Jamia Ahmadiyya
Jamia Ahmadiyya
Jāmi’ah al-Ahmadīyyah ( ar, جامعة الأحمدية; ', "the Ahmadiyya University") is an International Islamic seminary and educational institute with campuses in Pakistan, United Kingdom, India, Ghana, Canada, Germany, Nigeria, Indone ...
is an International Islamic Seminary and Educational institute with branches all over the world. It offers a seven-year theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
degree, ''Shahid''. It has both junior and senior campuses.
Madrasatul-Hifz
It has two campuses one for boys and one for girls. It is an institution for the memorization of the Quran. Interested students can join after completing their primary education and after completion of the 3-year course they continue their education from the eighth grade.
''Darul Sana'a'' Vocational Institute
This is a Vocational Education Institute for teaching different technical skills to the students who are not pursuing other academics.
Khilafat library
The Khilafat library is open to all members of public and is the central library of Ahmadiyya community. It contains both religious and secular books on wide range of subjects. It was established on 18 January 1970.
Health
Fazl-e-Omar Hospital
The Fazl-e-Omar Hospital Complex is the main private hospital of the city and caters to the majority of population's needs. It is run by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Founded in 1958 it has now become one of the medical facilities in the area providing hospital services not only to the local community but also to patients from towns and villages from further afield.
The Begum Zubaida Bani Gynecology and Obstetrics Wing is a modern facility providing a wide range of obstetrical and gynecological services.
The Tahir Heart Institute is named after the late fourth Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Tahir Ahmad
Mirza Tahir Ahmad ( ur, ) (18 December 1928 – 19 April 2003) was the Ahmadiyya Caliphate, fourth caliph ( ar, خليفة المسيح الرابع, ''khalīfatul masīh al-rābi'') and the head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya, Ahmadiyya Communi ...
. It is one of the best equipped Heart Institutes in the region.
Noor ul Ain Blood & Eye Bank
It is a specialized center which manages eye donors from around the country and performs corneal transplants. A blood donation centre, pathology laboratory, and dental clinic are also housed in the same complex.
Tahir Homeopathic Research and Training Institute
Tahir Homeopathic
Homeopathy or homoeopathy is a pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine. It was conceived in 1796 by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. Its practitioners, called homeopaths, believe that a substance that causes symptoms of a dise ...
Clinic and Research Institute operates free clinics round the year. Last year it dispensed free medicine to 44,000 patients. The Institute plans to open new clinics in other countries and to connect all such clinics operating in any country through the email system. Patient records and diagnosis are maintained on computers to facilitate follow-up.[Tariq Commemorative Edition published by Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK. 2004. Page 29]
Newspapers and publications
*'' Al Fazl'' is a daily newspaper published from the Ziaul Islam Press located in Rabwah and one of the oldest newspapers of Pakistan and is the Ahmadiyya Community's official organ. It started off as a weekly in 1913 in Qadian and moved to Rabwah after the partition of India
The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...
. It contains news and articles relating to the community and its faith along with national and international news. Due to Ordinance XX, the newspaper is forbidden by law to use words that are deemed "Islamic", such as ''Muslim'', ''Islam'' and ''shaheed''. Publication was suspended after a raid by Pakistan's security forces in December 2016.
* The '' Rabwah Times'' is an independent publication founded in 2006 by Ehsan Rehan.
*''Misbah'' is a magazine for women.
*''Tashhez ul Azhan'' is directed towards children.
*''Khalid'' includes articles written by and for youth.
*''Ansarullah'' is aimed at the elderly.
Notable residents
Some of the notable residents of the city are:
*Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad
Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad ( ur, ) (12 January 1889 – 8 November 1965), was the second caliph ( ar, خليفة المسيح الثاني, ''khalīfatul masīh al-thāni''), leader of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and the e ...
, founder of the city and eldest son of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
Mirzā Ghulām Ahmad (13 February 1835 – 26 May 1908) was an Indian religious leader and the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement in Islam. He claimed to have been divinely appointed as the promised Messiah and Mahdi—which is the metaphoric ...
. Khalīfatul Masīh II of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
*Mirza Nasir Ahmad
Hāfiz Mirza Nasir Ahmad ( ur, ) (16 November 1909 – 9 June 1982) was the third caliph ( ar, خليفة المسيح الثالث, ''khalīfatul masīh al-Thālith''), head of the Ahmadiyya Community. He was elected as the third successor o ...
, Khalifatul Masih III of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
*Mirza Tahir Ahmad
Mirza Tahir Ahmad ( ur, ) (18 December 1928 – 19 April 2003) was the Ahmadiyya Caliphate, fourth caliph ( ar, خليفة المسيح الرابع, ''khalīfatul masīh al-rābi'') and the head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya, Ahmadiyya Communi ...
, Khalifatul Masih IV of the community.
*Mirza Masroor Ahmad
Mirza Masroor Ahmad ( ur, ; born 15 September 1950) is the current and fifth leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. His official title within the movement is Fifth Caliph of the Messiah ( ar, خليفة المسيح الخامس, ''khal ...
, Khalifatul Masih V of the community.
References
External links
The Ahmadis by Antonio R. Gualtieri
Pictures of Rabwah
Pictures of Rabwah
Populated places in Chiniot District
Cities in Punjab (Pakistan)
Ahmadiyya places
Ahmadiyya in Pakistan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chenab Nagar