Department of Islamic Studies, AMU Aligarh

08/10/2024

The Department of Islamic Studies at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) organized a national seminar titled "Role of Religion in Combating Ragging and Harassment in Educational Institutions." The event brought together scholars, educators, and experts to address the critical issue of ragging and harassment, emphasizing the role of religious teachings and values in creating safer and ethical educational environments.

Chief Guest, Professor Naima Khatoon, Vice Chancellor of AMU, stressed the significance of moral and ethical education in promoting a culture of respect and empathy. She emphasized that educational institutions are not just for academic learning but for nurturing character and cultivating ethical values. She highlighted that ragging and harassment undermine the essence of education by creating fear, which is detrimental to student growth. Professor Khatoon also stressed that religious teachings across faiths universally promote respect, kindness, and dignity, values vital to countering negative behaviors.

The Keynote Speaker, Professor Abdur Raheem Kidwai, Director of the K.A. Nizami Centre for Quranic Studies, remarked on the impact of religion in shaping ethical behavior and promoting justice. He emphasized that all major religions advocate for respect and dignity, essential in preventing ragging and harassment. Drawing from Quranic teachings, he explained how Islamic values promote empathy, mutual respect, and justice

Professor Samina Khan, Presiding Officer of AMU's Internal Complaints Committee, spoke about the legal mechanisms in place to combat harassment and ragging. She highlighted the need for a moral framework provided by religion to complement these efforts.

The seminar’s Director, Professor Abdul Hamid Fazili, in his welcome address talked about the importance of addressing ragging not only as a legal issue but also as an ethical challenge.

Dr. Bilal Ahmad Kutty, the Convenor of the seminar, managed the day’s proceedings, facilitating discussions and engaging with the audience.

The event concluded with Professor Adam Malik Khan extending the vote of thanks.

06/03/2024

A typical day in Constantinople during the Ottoman Era, as depicted by Fausto Zonaro in the late 1800s.

Fausto Zonaro was an Italian painter who lived from 1854 to 1929. He was known for his paintings depicting scenes from the Ottoman Empire, particularly Constantinople, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Zonaro was appointed court painter in 1896 by Sultan Abdulhamid II, which gave him access to various aspects of Ottoman society and culture, influencing his artistic work.

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17/10/2021

On this day, October 17, 1817, famous Muslim reformer, philosopher, educator, scholar and the founder of the Aligarh Muslim University, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was born in Delhi during the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar II. Sir Syed is considered as one of the most important figures of Islamic modernism in the Indian subcontinent.

Sir Syed was born in a family that had previously served the Mughal court for nearly two and a half centuries. He was descended from the family of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through his daughter Fatimah and Ali. As a child, he was brought up in a Sufi household by his maternal grandfather Khwaja Fariduddin who was among the descendants of the 12th Sufi scholar of Naqshbandi Tariqa, Khwaja Mohammad Yusuf Hamdani.

The Indian Uprising of 1857 was one of the major turning points in Syed Ahmed's life. He foresaw the imperative need for the Muslims to acquire proficiency in the English language and modern sciences, if the community were to maintain its social and political clout, particularly in Northern India.

He began to prepare the road map for the formation of a Muslim University by starting various schools. He instituted Scientific Society in 1863, launched The Aligarh Institute Gazette in 1866, and founded the Madrasatul Uloom in Aligarh in 1875. The Madrasatul Uloom later became the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1877.

He patterned MAO College after Oxford and Cambridge universities that he went on a trip to London in 1869. Later, the same MAO College turned into the Aligarh Muslim University in 1920. The year 2020 marked the 100 years of the prestigious Aligarh Muslim University.

Apart from education and social reforms, Sir Syed contributed a lot to the religious, legal, historical, and political disciplines of learnings. However, his works on religion have been subject to heavy criticism. He wrote several books, journals, and articles on different subjects.

Today, Sir Syed is not only celebrated by the Indians or Pakistanis but by the peoples from all around the world. He died on March 27, 1898, and lies buried next to the main mosque at Aligarh Muslim University, India.

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29/06/2021

The Coat of Arms of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, Spain

Inscription reads:

ولا غالب إلا الله
Wa-lā ghāliba illa-Allāh

"And there is no victor but Allah."

The Calligraphy and the Geometric Designs are carved into the walls of the Alhambra Palace of Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It's used repeatedly throughout the palace.

Emirate of Granada or Nasrid Kingdom of Granada was the last Muslim state ruling in Western Europe. They ruled from 1230 to 1492.

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09/06/2021

King Saud bin Abdul Aziz (r. 1953-1964) of Saudi Arabia was conferred an honorary doctorate of law by the chancellor Syedna Taher Saifuddin at Aligarh Muslim University, India on 7th December 1955.

Photo: Via King Saud's official Twitter ()
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06/06/2021

24/05/2021

Syed Ahmad Khan's lifelong struggle was to educate and modernize the underdeveloped and uneducated Indians, particularly the Muslims. The Indian Uprising of 1857 was one of the major turning points in Syed Ahmed's life.

He foresaw the imperative need for the Muslims to acquire proficiency in the English language and modern sciences, if the community were to maintain its social and political clout, particularly in Northern India.

He began to prepare the road map for the formation of a Muslim University by starting various schools. He instituted Scientific Society in 1863 and launched The Aligarh Institute Gazette in 1866.

In 1869, he traveled to England where he was influenced by the English education system. When he returned from England, he laid the foundation of Madrasatul Uloom Musalmanan-e-Hind in Aligarh on May 24, 1875.

Soon on January 8, 1877, Madrasatul Uloom became a college-level institution and came to be known as Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College. Sir Syed patterned MAO College after Oxford and Cambridge universities. As per Sir Syed's vision, the college imparted modern scientific education based on the British education system but without compromising its Islamic values.

On August 27, 1920, the bill of the Muslim University was presented in the Indian Legislative Council during British rule. On September 9, 1920, the bill was passed and further sent to the governor-general of India for his assent.

On September 14, 1920, the governor-general gave assent to the presented bill, and thus, it became the Aligarh Muslim University Act - 1920. On December 1, 1920, the Aligarh Muslim University finally came into being after the AMU Act was published in the government gazette.

On December 17, 1920, the Aligarh Muslim University was inaugurated after the government notification issued for the foundation of the university. Last year (2020), the university celebrated 100 years of its completion.

Today, AMU is one of the most prestigious central universities in India. It has been ranked among the top 5 and top 10 best central universities of India by different public and private ranking agencies.

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27/03/2021

Syed Ahmad Khan's lifelong struggle was to educate and modernise the underdeveloped and uneducated Indian Muslims. The Indian Uprising of 1857 was one of the major turning points in Syed Ahmed's life.

Sir Syed foresaw the imperative need for the Muslims to acquire proficiency in the English language and modern sciences, if the community were to maintain its social and political clout, particularly in Northern India.

He began to prepare the road map for the formation of a Muslim University by starting various schools. He instituted Scientific Society in 1863, launched The Aligarh Institute Gazette in 1866, and founded the Madrasatul Uloom in Aligarh in 1875. The Madrasatul Uloom later became the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1877.

He patterned MAO College after Oxford and Cambridge universities that he went on a trip to London in 1869. Later, the same MAO College turned into the Aligarh Muslim University in 1920. Last year (2020), the university completed 100 years of its foundation. Sir Syed lies buried next to the main mosque at AMU.

Read more about Sir Syed Ahmad Khan here:
https://www.facebook.com/fiveminthistory/posts/208229277383212

Read more about MAO College and Aligarh Muslim University here:
https://www.facebook.com/fiveminthistory/posts/198446921694781

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01/12/2020

100 years of AMU

18/11/2020

Today on November 18, 1914, a famous Islamic Scholar from the Indian subcontinent, Allama Shibli Nomani died in Azamgarh, British India (now in Uttar Pradesh India).

Shibli Nomani is famous for founding the Shibli National College in 1883 in Azamgarh. He also wrote a biography of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, known as Sirat-un-Nabi in Urdu.

Sirat-un-Nabi authored by Shibli Nomani is one of the most famous works on this subject available in Urdu throughout the Indian subcontinent. It was co-authored by his student, Sulaiman Nadvi.

16/11/2020

A family tree of the Ottoman dynasty known as Shajara al-Nu’maniyya fi al-Dawla al-‘Uthmaniyya is attributed to have been written by Ibn Arabi. This was a prevailing view in the Ottoman era. However, after recent researches this Ottoman era view and attribution has been challenged.

Ibn al-Arabi's works on Cosmology have been recognized throughout the world. He is said to have written a total of 850 works, out of which 700 are considered to be the authentic ones while over 400 are still extant.

Read more about Ibn Arabi's life here:
https://fiveminthistory.com/on-this-day/ibn-arabi-dies-in-damascus/

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