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better light a candle than curse darkness
Number 7 July 2008An event of historical proportion has struck roots in the fertile Gangetic soils of Sabalpur, Patna by the formation of a Core Class of students in the Sabalpur Madarsa. This seedling has the potential to spring forth once again the majestic tree of Islamic civilization from its present state of obscurity and slumber, Insha Allah!
Much concern, of late, has been shown about the madarsa system of education, for a variety of reasons. But for a majority of Muslims this system has been the mainstay of community’s educational and cultural life. Bihar Anjuman has seized upon this opportunity to bring in real changes on the ground through its concept of Core Classes in the madarsas. The experiment was started at Jamia Madania also known popularly as Sabalpur Madarsa, which is located close to the eastern side of Patna, the capital of Bihar. The concept to introduce modern education of Science, Mathematics and English within the existing infrastructure and programs of the Madarsa, to a select core group of madarsa students was conceived by the Anjuman. The management of the Madarsa under the sagacious leadership of Mohtaram Maulana Janab Quasim sahib was kind enough to allow ingress into their institution, of the three highly qualified teachers to teach the students of the madarsa these three subjects. The teachers were sponsored by Bihar Anjuman under its now famous BANEE scheme.
Like in any new program there were teething problems here too. But the perseverance of all has paid its dividend and after nearly eight months of painstaking efforts at adjustment, understanding and hard work, the team of BANEE teachers led by the Mathematics teacher Janab Tabrez Alam sahib have the pleasure to report that they have been able to form a Core Class of about 50 students after culling them out of the hundreds of regular students studying in the Madarsa. This Core Class of students will be imparted intensive instructions by BANEE teachers to prepare them for the Xth CBSE Board examination in the year 2011, even while they carry on with their normal schedule of studies under the Madarsa curriculum. 
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New look of Bihar Anjuman website is coming up soon ... watch out for an official announcement.
Mohammad Shahid Raza
A profile
by Mohammad Abul Farah
We bring below a story of Maulana Janab Mohammad Shahid Raza sahib of Bihar which somewhat coincides with the vision of Bihar Anjuman in several ways and therefore should serve as an inspiration to our members. Janab Mohammad Shahid Raza sahib has brought laurels to Bihar (and Jharkhand) by being the first Imam in Britain to be honored with the Order of the British Empire by The Queen, for his services to the community.
Prince Charles presenting the OBE to Maulana
He was born on the 13th December of 1950 in Fatahpur, in the eastern Indian state of Bihar. He is one of the rare persons to have earned degrees in modern science as well as deenyat through the madarsa system of education. On an invitation from the management council of Islamic Centre, Leicester, he had moved to UK in February 1978 to serve as its Head Imam. ....more in page-3
Role of Interpreters in Islam
by Justice Maulana Muhammad Taqi Usmani
For a Muslim, the “obedience", in its true sense, belongs to Allah Almighty alone. He is the only One Who deserves our obedience, and we are not supposed to obey any one other than Him. This is the logical requirement of the doctrine of "Tauhid" (belief in the Oneness of Allah). Even the obedience of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) has been prescribed for us only because he is the Messenger of Allah who conveys to us the divine commandments. Otherwise he has no divine status deserving our obedience per se. We are ordered to obey and follow him only because Allah's pleasure has been epitomized in his sayings and acts.
We are therefore, required to follow the Holy Quran, being the direct commandment of Allah, and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) being an indirect form of the divine commandments.
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