Daily Times

Sindh Madressatul Islam (SMI) is going to celebrate its 140th Foundation Day on September 1 (Sunday).

This is the institution, which is being called nonconventional seat of the learning of the country by academicians and historians due to its association with founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and other leaders of the Independence Movement of Pakistan.

Among these prominently were Sir Abdullah Haroon, Sir Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah, Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto, Mohammad Ayub Khuhro, Shaikh Abdul Majeed Sindhi, Mohammad Hashim Gazdar, Qazi Khuda Bux and others.

It also produced great scholars sand educationists like Allama I.I. Kazi, Allama Ali Khan Abro, Dr. Umer Bin Muhammad Daudpota, Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Hassan Ali Abdul Rahman, Muhammad Ibrahim Joyo, Taj Muhammad Sahrai and many more. Besides, Justice Syed Sajjad Ali Shah, Justice Wajeehuddin Ahmed, A.K. Brohi, legend cricket star Hanif Mohammad, Shamsherul Hydri, Qazi Abdul Majeed Abid, Qazi Muhammad Akbar and other great personalities were also its alumni.

The Vice Chancellor Sindh Madressatul Islam University Dr. Mujeeb Sahrai in his message has congratulated to the entire nation on the 140th Foundation Day of Sindh Madressatul Islam and has said that we proudly say that Sindh Madressatul Islam has played a very decisive role in modern education in Sindh and after creation of Pakistan, in the country. “Its historic character still inspires the young generations of the country as it is an Alma-Mater of Father of the Nation-Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah,” the vice chancellor said.

Sindh Madressatul Islam was established by Khan Bahadur Hassanally Effendi in the colonial period of British in 1885 for modern education of Muslims on 1st September 1885 in Karachi near the “Karachi City Station” and Karachi Port. Hassanally Effendi was believing that without modern education for Muslims of this part of the region in English language, they couldn’t be able to get their due share and rights in the British government and change the society. Being an active lawyer and member of the Karachi Municipality Hassanally Effendi was fully aware about the conditions of Muslims of Sindh as compared to other communities like Hindu, Parsi and Christian. They all have their own educational institutions but Muslims were lacking behind it. Khan Bahadur Hassanally Effendi had also inspired from the struggle of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and his Aligarh College.

The Founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was enrolled at SMI in its early batches. The Quaid received his early education form SMI from 1887 to 1892. One can gauge SMI’s importance from this single example that Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah had bequeathed one third of his residual property to Sindh Madressatul Islam through his Last Will, written on 30th May 1939 in Bombay.

The national service of SMI is spread over three centuries from the end of 19th century to the present 21st century. During this whole period it has never deviated from its prime responsibility and duty of providing modern and quality education to its students coming from all parts of the region. Besides school, SMI was working as a college since 1943 and from 2012 it is working as a modern university of the country. Its college was inaugurated by Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah on 21st June 1943. Therefore, this kind of institutions can be rightly called a living history of the country.