|
Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani Al Afghani
|
Shaykh Ghulam
Rabbani lecturing to an audience in London
|
The Founder and President of Faizan e Islam, the Chair
of Faizan Sharia Council, Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani is both a very versatile
scholar and talented speaker. He has illuminated venues throughout
the United Kingdom and Europe since arriving in London from Denmark
in 1998. In recent years, Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani has been at the
forefront of promoting Islamic tarbiyyah (spirituality) and taleem
(education) to young and old alike and has become a very popular
lecturer.
He was born on 13th September in 1965 in Karachi,
Pakistan. His father is the prominent and well known scholar, Shaykh
Ghulam Dastagir Afghani. Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani's paternal grandfather
was Hadrat Haji Nasrullah Jaan Sahib who pledged bayaah to the eminent
Sayyid Sher Agha Al Gilani of the Silsila (Brotherhood) Aliyyah
Qadiriyyah and was the Khalifa to Hadrat Khwaja Ghulam Mohyi Deen
Ghaznavi of Silsila Aliyyah Naqshbandiyyah of Nerian Shareef. Shaykh
Ghulam Dastagir Sahib is famed for his lectures on various topics.
He completed his preliminary education in Afghanistan before becoming
a student to the noted scholar Maulana Allah Baksh (RA) from where
he excelled in the topics of Sarf, Nahv, Adab, Fiqh, Hadith and
Tafseer.
Shaykh Ghulam Dastaghir Afghani
pictured |
He then continued his Hadith education at Dara Uloom
Amjadiyyah, Karachi under Shaykh Abdul Mustafa Al Azhari. Maulana
Ghulam Dastaghir Sahib stayed on for a further year after his hadith
education in which time he lectured and was later Principal of the
Madrassah. Maulana Ghulam Dastaghir Sahib was the Editor of the
'Tarjaman Ahle Sunnat' Publication for five years and was also the
President of Jammat Ahle Sunnat, Karachi. He also became a member
of the distinguished Jameeat Ulema Shura Council of Pakistan and
the Chairman of the local Zakaat Distribution Committee. Nowadays,
Maulana Ghulam Dastaghir Sahib is a member of the Tanzeem Al Madaris
Ahle Sunnat Pakistan Shura Council and is the Founder and Principal
of the Jamia Zia Uloom Trust. He is also the Khateeb of Masjid Hanifiyyah
where he also advises on Islamic rulings.
Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani memorised the Qur'an Majeed, becoming Hafiz
under the guidance of his father at the Zia Uloom. He completed
his Metric and F.A. at Karachi. He studied the Dars e Nizaami being
taught by his esteemed father and he studied from Hadrat Shaykh
Ghulam Rasool Saeedi, Justice Mufti Sayyid Shujaat Ali Qadri, Mufti
Muhammad Athar Naeemi, Muft Muneebur Rahmaan and Shaykh Abdul Wahid
Niazi. He was also lectured to by Shaykh Dr. Tahir ul Qadri, Shaykh
Miraajul Islam, Mufti Abdul Qayoom and Dr. Basher Siddiqui. In 1990,
he completed his Dars e Nizaami and Hadith Studies at Jamia Islamia,
Lahore. It was during this time that he gained his BA from Punjab
University and his ability as a student were recognised when he
gained a gold medal for coming first exams in the 1994-95 academic
year. From Jamia Islamia Madeena Munawarrah he gained the 'Dora
Tadreebiyyah'
It was at Jamia Islamia that Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani excelled as
a lecturer. He lectured students, was the General Secretary of the
Students Union and was the President of the Speakers Forum. Shaykh
Ghulam Rabbani is fluent in six languages and has placed great emphasis
on the learning of these languages since these are the main tools
of communication between the Muslim world and the West. He is fluent
in Urdu, Arabic, Farsi, Punjabi, Pushtu and English. Shaykh Ghulam
Rabbani spent two years in Copenhagen, Denmark from 1996 to 1998
as a khateeb before coming to London in June 1998.
Is was at Forest Gate, East London that he conducted lectures in
Dars e Quran, Dars e Hadith and Dars e Tasawaff. He presided over
spiritual gatherings and conducted English lectures for youth in
Islamic Studies and Arabic. He also organised events for communities
all over the United Kingdom and also began a University lecture
tour which continues to this day. Under his guidance several youth
camps were held so that University and College Students could be
educated in Islam and Islamic manners. Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani actively
encourages youth to ask questions so that they can seek a grater
understanding of Islam. In recent years, Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani has
even set up a facility of 'Ask a Scholar' Questions over the Internet
(see below for further details).
Pictured: Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani,
Sahibzada Sayyid Mahmoud Mohyi Deen Sahib
Qadri Al Gilani, Sayyid Mahmoud Shah and Haji Ilyas Sahib
Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani has travelled widely over the world in taking
the message of Islam and the need for education. In recent years
he has been to Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Iran, Iraq,
Saudi Arabia, Greece, Germany and Japan where he was able to help
set up many educational centres to further the cause of Islam.
Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani is the President of the Faizan e Islam Sharia
Council which offers advice and guidance to Muslims living in Britain
in Islamic rulings. In a short period of time Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani
was able to establish a centre in Manchester for Faizan e Islam
which lays emphasis on education and spiritual awareness for Muslims
in the United Kingdom. He is currently lecturing to many students
in various topics including Hiffaz, Islamic Studies, Dars e Quran
and Hadith, Tasawaff and Arabic. In time it is hoped that students
who have attained advanced levels in Islamic Studies will be permitted
to learn and travel abroad in renowned Islamic institutions under
the guidance of able Scholars. Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani is currently
laying the foundation stones for this vision to be completed.
He has endeavoured to set up true working partnerships between
Ulema and Masjid Committees throughout the country since it is argued
that this has been the major reason why youngsters have been unable
to be educated properly in Deen due to recent strife between the
two. Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani has debated that unfortunately many youth
have been neglected due to the difference in cultures between the
older generation of Pakistanis who came here as immigrants and the
second generation of youngsters. The older generation have established
centres but have only used the mother tongues as the main means
of communication. However, most if not all youngsters use the English
language as their preferred method communicating. Shaykh Ghulam
Rabbani has on countless occasions discussed the need for the two
to be side by side. Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani has stressed the importance
Scholars being bilingual so that they can cater for youth, to be
aware of the culture and circumstances of families which have been
brought up in Europe, of active youth participation in the running
of masjids and the education of secular and Islamic sciences to
be open for all women.
Shaykh Ghulam Dastaghir with Al
Haj Sufi Muhammad Aslam.
Picture taken on their recent tour of the UK
Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani has stated that we also need to reach out
to the wider community. To counter the negative attitude to Islam
and religion as a whole we must adequately answer questions which
arise such as:
1) Why science cannot simply be used as a stand alone as an answer
to all but be used to corroborate what Islam has already revealed.
2) To involve those who have unfortunately become apathetic towards
many issues believing controversial issues will be tackled by someone
else - they need no participation. We have to counter this and show
that we must all help tackle Islamophobia and educating the non
Muslim community
3) Educating our own community both young and old in Islamic spirituality,
the practical application of Islam in our lives and being aware
of the benefits of doing so. In this way we can tackle the growing
despair our community suffers and avoid the fragmentation of families
and moving away from Islam.
Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani has said that we need to urgently avoid the
continuing spiral of infighting between masjid committees, where
we see people jostling for positions, pro and anti Imam factions,
the issue of baradiism (clanship) and politics. Unfortunately we
also see that Imam's have been reduced to the status of mere employees
of masjids. We need to give our Imams a higher standing within our
community while at the same time utilise them for more than simply
just five time salaat and Jumma. Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani has argued
that Imams must make it a priority to learn English so that they
can reach out to the second and third generations of Muslims because
if they do not then we may have lost entire generations to Islam
for lack of our language skills. Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani has stated
that we are duty bound to do this and also it will give us the opportunity
to oppose the anti Islamic stance of the Western Media by being
able to reply in their own language.
Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani has stated that tasawaff is something we
need to emphasise. Holding Zikr and Naat gatherings allows people
active participation within their community and allows families
to attend.
Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani has said that it is with regret that the
Muslim Ummah is divided particularly in Britain where the community
is split into so many groups. This has led to many people to turn
away from the path of Islam. He has proposed that there be one forum
in which the future of Islam can be discussed and provision be made
for Muslims now and in the future. Schools and Colleges need to
be established which deliver quality education and the national
curriculum in an Islamic environment. Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani has
argued that we have many opportunities for help in funding but have
been very slow in grasping opportunities given to us.
Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani with
Former Pakistani Minister of Information
and prominent journalist Irshad Ahmed Sahib Haqqani
To counter this situation, Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani established Faizan
e Islam. Faizan e Islam is literally translated as the 'Bounty'
or 'Abundance' of Islam. Faizan e Islam has four goals. These are:
Taleem (Education), Tarbiyyah (Purification), Tahzeeb ul Akhlaq
(Rectification of Ethics) Ihya Akdaarul Islami (Revival of Islamic
Values).
Faizan e Islam have been established in the United Kingdom and
it is their belief that the best way of preserving and spreading
the word of Islam is through education. Their aim is to bring the
benefits of a comprehensive Islamic education and teaching to Western
Society. It has been a shortcoming of generations to show the beauty
of Islam learning. There has been much verbal debate on this subject
but Faizan e Islam feel that a practical application is the only
solution and is the best form of da'wa.
Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani is preparing a standard syllabus for Muslim
children aged between 4 to 15 which will allow youth to progress
through various stages of Islamic learning to equip themselves for
the challenges which the West has laid out for them. A trial run
will begin in Manchester in Summer 2002 and will then be rolled
out to other masjids and madrassahs.
The syllabus is designed to allow youth to face the new challenges
of the decline in Islamic morals. It combines classical and modern
teachings. This is to lay the foundation of Institutions which will
not only provide Secular and Islamic education but will allow youth
to practice Islam without restriction and allow the purification
to soul and thought.
Pictured: Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani in Norway on a lecture tour
Ultimately, Faizan e Islam aims to create youth that have had moral,
spiritual, intellectual and practical needs addressed through an
Islamic upbringing. Practical application through practical work
and education is the medium for achieving this.
For further information on Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani and Faizan e Islam
please visit www.faizaneislam.org which has many facilities including
'Ask a Scholar' where you can put any questions to Shaykh Ghulam
Rabbani, Access to Al Qur'an and Hadith, Download Na'ats and many
other things of interest.
|
