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In 1409 Hijri, on the eve of the inauguration of the newly built premises of Al-Madrasa-tus-Saifiya-tul-Burhaniyah at Nairobi, Aqa Maula, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (TUS) planted the seeds of the unique philosophy of Islamic education: "May this tree of education bear fruit" he said.
Seeds are obtained from the fruits of a precedent seed. Likewise, these seeds planted by Maula (TUS) were derived from the fruition of the efforts of Syedna Taher Saifuddin (RA) who transfigured Al-Jamea-tus-Saifiyah, into a university at par with other international universities, albeit with a unique distinction. This distinction was the essence of the Islamic education which can be encapsulated in the phrase, "qadeem saabit + jadeed naaf'e," meaning "the established old and the useful new". It is akin to a tree which, the deeper its roots, the higher its shoots in the sky.
In practice, it meant that all knowledge, with Quran as its base, should be taught with 'Tawheed' (the belief in the oneness of Allah) as its pivot. It is obvious that the creation should speak of the creator for it is only then that the ultimate purpose of creation is realized.
On the other hand, the 'useful new' which was to be availed fully, comprised of all the advances in science and technology, transport and communication, scientific methodologies, and state of the art technologies. The application of this unique blend would result in the best of both worlds.
Aqa Maula (TUS) added that another indispensable element for the success of Islamic education at the school level was a pure environment, based on religious values, free from the impurities of a corrupt and materialistic world.
Al-muqaddas Syedi Yusuf Bhaisaheb Najmuddin continued to expound this philosophy emphasizing that knowledge and belief cannot be separated; both are intertwined, one affects the other. It is extremely important for a mumin's child to obtain education in an environment which is conducive to the protection, preservation, and practice of those beliefs and values. Al-Madrasa-tus-Saifiya-tul-Burhaniyah was the answer to this challenge.
Eighteen years after that historical event at Nairobi, last month, on the eighth of Safar-ul-Muzaffar, 1427 Hijri, corresponding 8th March, 2006, Maula (TUS) bestowed on the students of Al-Madrasa-tus-Saifiya-tul-Burhaniyah, Mumbai the prestigious sharaf of his ziyafat. Addressing the students and teachers numbering almost 900, Maula (TUS) reflected back on the years and confirmed, "With the assiduous efforts of all concerned, today I observe that this tree of education has indeed blossomed."
Referring to the growing degradation in the standards of morality today, Maula (TUS) stressed the need for a pure environment for the education of children. An imaani environment which would act as a taweez for our children protecting them from going astray; which would safeguard them from the chastisement of fire, which would make them worthy of the following supplication in the Quran; "Our Lord, give to us in this world good, and good in the world to come, and guard us against the chastisement of the fire."
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