Ahmadiyya Jama’at Canada has the privilege to start the first ever Muslim missionary college in the Western part of the world - Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada in Mississauga, Ontario.
The school is scheduled to start today, 7th of September, 2003. There are about 23 student enrolled this year, with majority of them from Canada. The rest of the students are from USA, England, Germany & Australia. The number of students is expected to rise exponentially in the coming years, InshAllah!
The students are enrolled after their successful completion of high school degree and are educated for seven years in subjects of Islamic theology, and study of comparative religion and are then awarded with the degree of Shahid!
Jama’at Ahmadiyya has the honor of introducing Islamic teachings for the first time in many part of the Western World through pure missionary work. Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq sahib was the first missionary to come to United States in the early 1920s. The first mosque built in many Western European countries was built by Ahmadiyya Jama’at. Mash’Allah!
Congratulations to Ahmadi Muslims for establishing a college in West teaching Islamic theology. This is indeed a positive and productive step unlike rest of mainstream muslim who are busy fighting themselves and dying to prove each other non muslims.
I have moved several replies from this thread. If any of you want to discuss the issue of whether or not Ahmadis are Muslims, please open up a new thread for that purpose. This thread is specifically to discuss the college, not to discuss (for the billionth time) whether or not Ahmadis are Muslims. Consider yourselves more than welcome to open up a new thread on that topic if you want to.
If anyone has concerns about the above, feel free to PM me.
hmmmm, in this college you will learn about Islam and then you are Missionary to spread the Message of almighty Allah(swt) all over the world. The same what Sahaba of AnHz Mohammad :saw: did.
Then why should the word MUSLIm erase.
May Allah(swt) bless this college and help us to spread the TRUE meaning of Islam. Ameen
**Final warning everyone: stick to the topic or open a new thread to discuss whether or not Ahmadis are Muslims. I don't want every thread in this Forum to be hijacked to discuss that single issue. Please open a new thread if you want to discuss that.
One might think that looking at the vigilant & extreme Anti-Islam & Anti-Muslim propaganda in the media and in the lives of general public of 'West' ... the followers of Islam who claim to love the Holy Prophet (saw) would cheer on such an occasion that a school dedicated only to the study of Islamic theology and preaching has been established in the West. Where converts and immigrants can go and have knowledge of faith. One can expect that such claimants of defenders of faith would look-up to this example and try to establish a school of their own understanding. And regardless of their differences with the Ahmadiyya Jama'at would commend their efforts in establishing a sound base of Imams who will preach the word of Allah!
But I guess it's too much to expect from these zealots of faith to look over their differences and understand that no matter what, these Ahmadi Muslims still preach of One God, recite Darood to the great Holy Prophet (saw) 5 times a day (sometimes 6 during tahajud) .. and it's still better than believing in no God & those who refuse to accept the Quran! Alas, they have gone blind from their hatred.
Anyway, the ceremony was held yesterday and attended from people from different walks of life. The principal of the college addressed them along with the Amir Sahib of Canada Jama'at. Then a couple of students also gave speeches as to why they chose to dedicate their lives to Islam & give up their legitimate secular pursuits of life. Those who were present, claim it was heart warming! Later everyone got to visit the facilities & campus.
One friend of mine who was a sophomore at a prestigious engineering universities here in the US decided to give it all up to enroll in the Jamia. I envy him!!
A little history recap for those who are interested, the idea of such a school was expressed by the founder of Ahmadiyya Jama'at, the Promised Messiah (as) in 1905, so that those learned people who were passing away can teach the young generation. Following his vision, the first Khalifa, Hazrat Noor-ud-din (ra) established such a college in Qadi'an in 1909, this college was expanded in scope in 1922 & at that time catered to not only Islamic Theology but also secular studies like sciences, philosophy & humanities. It is reported that the college also owned part of little aircraft for those who wished to study aeronautics.
Later after partition a school of similar nature was established in Pakistan in 1949 & is still functioning in Rabwah. India & Pakistan are not the only ones to have such colleges, but as far east as Indonesia and in the heartland of Africa (Nigeria & Ghana) also have these missionary colleges. Though in the western hemisphere, it's the first of the kind & Canada is blessed to have hosted it. May Allah bless the institution, those who run it and all those souls who will learn from it!!
ahmadjee, congratulations for such giant leap. to prove others who said about Muslims fighting each other and not doing anything beyond that is exactly what they are doing. Ahmadis who consider other Muslims as doing nothing but fighting aren't doing anything either. Other than that there are several Islamic schools functioning across America, I am sure as population and demand increases so will be the number and level of those institutions.
Right now only in Dallas area I know at least 3 Islamic schools, though they may not go as high as high school/college/univ but they are making progress and those schools are not limited to "Muslims" even non-Muslims are accepted (at least to my knowledge). If anyone is interested in participating / supporting monetarily then do let me know I'll get you the contact info :)
Br. Changez, the Islamic schools you are talking about are those that are run by Muslims & like the Catholic, Baptists (etc.) schools have religious classes & curriculum of a very basic level. The Ahmadiyya jama'at has a few of those here in the US and also in Canada & other Western countries.
The Jamia Canada is a college that teaches Islamic theology. I don't have the exact curriculum, but their syllabus includes memorization of Holy Quran, extensive study of Hadiths for a year or two, then comes the study of the different schools of Fiqh & Sharia & the theology behind it. They are also taught in Homeopathic medicine, philosophy, communication & argumentation and different languages. Study of comperitive religion also takes up a lot of time as well. The seven (7) years they will spend in the institution is almost equal to a doctorate degree. When these students will earn their degree as Shahid, they will not only be ready to take up the leadership role of a Murabi (or Imam, Maulvi, if you like to call 'em) but also ready to go on to the different parts of World to preach Islam.
The graduates from similar colleges in Pakistan, India, Nigeria, Indonesia travel in regions of far east like Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and also in parts of Africa where Islam has never been heard before. I expect that the ones graduating from Canada in 7 years will not only be providing leadership to communities in Western world but will also explore the untouched Spanish speaking South Americans & preach them the beauties of Islam.
And that's the exceptional nature of this college!
But I guess it's too much to expect from these zealots of faith to look over their differences and understand that no matter what, these Ahmadi Muslims still preach of One God, recite Darood to the great Holy Prophet (saw) 5 times a day (sometimes 6 during tahajud) .. and it's still better than believing in no God & those who refuse to accept the Quran! Alas, they have gone blind from their hatred.
[/QUOTE]
Indeed very nice things... just out of curiousity, Do they still preach in those MUSLIM schools that Jesus died, got burried in Kashmir and came back as Mirzaa Ghulam Qadiyaani?
Say: "Shall I seek for (my) Cherisher other than Allah, when He is the Cherisher of all things (that exist)?* Every soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself: no bearer of burdens can bear of burdens can bear the burden of another. Your goal in the end is towards Allah. He will tell you the truth of the things wherein ye disputed." ***
May I ask the mod who keeps deleting my post on this thread to tell me what I said in my last post that was defamatory?
All I said was that the thread starter claimed his new temple was the FIRST muslim institute of it's kind in the west, which i responded by saying that there are few already in the UK, and asked him to be honest in future when posting facts of this nature.
isnt Canada in the west from UK ;).
the point is there are so many sunnis in Canada(agent of Canada now?? hmmm ) but they couldnt build a college BUT Ahmadiyyat Muslim Jamaat Canada did this for the sake of Islam.
I am amazed if Ahmadi Muslim are agent of UK, why the hell they build a college for the sake of Islam?? Br. ahmadjee explain me this plz!!!
Its not the first of its kind actually, will post a little later about the one that is in America, because I think a lot of ppl dont know about it. Gotta run to work. smile
Munni, that will be great! And if you have information on their syllabus and what do the graduates do after they complete their college, please let us know. I don't expect a website but if they do have one, do share. :-)
My claim was based on my own research where I asked people on these forums as well as others, about any such college or school but none was pointed out. On the origin & qualification of their Imams, no one ever mentioned any Islamic school that they graduated from in the United States, Canada or even in Europe. The Imams were reportedly those who went to Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, India etc. & were taught there. Some of the African Americans have the schools but I have very little knowledge of it. If you do, I will appriciate your insight.
I came to know of mosques that have private sessions where they will invite a scholar from abroad & he will come teach classes for a few months or a year and other institutions that have open classes on particular subjects of Islamic Studies but none is dedicated to teaching Islamic theology. Where students enroll with the intent of doing a major (for the lack of better term) in Islamic Theology & when graduate go on to take up the leadership role in mosques.
of AnHz Mohammad :saw: did.
) but they couldnt build a college BUT Ahmadiyyat Muslim Jamaat Canada did this for the sake of Islam.
Br. ahmadjee explain me this plz!!!
i dun remember the name… if that is the one u are refering to:-)