RIYADH: Thirty-eight books of a top Indian scholar, Mohammed Najeeb Qasmi, were launched in English, Hindi and Urdu at a ceremony here recently.
Qasmi told the audience, which included several fellow Muslim scholars and intellectuals, that the books are available in the form of two apps, Deen-e-Islam and Haj-e-Mabroor, at the PlayStore and AppStore.
He said they can be downloaded within two minutes. The Haj app would allow pilgrims to reduce the number of books they need to carry for their rituals. He said several Indian and Pakistani scholars had reviewed the contents.
In a speech at the event, Mohammed Mustafa Azmi, well-known Islamic scholar and winner of the King Faisal Prize, praised Qasmi for making the books available to a wide audience, saying it would help counter those trying to discredit Islam.
“There are even some governments spending lavishly on organizations working to criticize the Qur’an and Hadith and create doubt among the followers of Islam. Muslims need to put aside their ideological differences and stand together in the face of these challenges,” said Azmi.
He said the curriculum of Muslim schools require “immense changes so that the products of these seminaries are made aware of the conspiracies hatched by the Western Orientalists against Islam.”
Azmi is an alumnus of Darul Uloom Deoband. He obtained a master’s degree from Al-Azhar University in 1955 and a doctorate at Cambridge University in 1966. He is the first to computerize Hadith and has many books to his credit, which are taught as part of the curriculum at several universities.
Addressing the gathering, Nadeem Tarin, an educationist from India, praised Qasmi for his efforts, which he said was serving the cause of Islam.
Tarin urged those gathered to support the author’s work.
Adnan Mahmoud Usmani, a researcher at King Saud University’s medical college, who edited all of Qasmi’s English books, said various languages have over the years been used to propagate the message of Islam, but the need for works in English “has grown more than ever.”
Top Indian scholar launches books in English, Hindi and Urdu
Top Indian scholar launches books in English, Hindi and Urdu
Scouts record 45,000 volunteer hours serving pilgrims at Grand Mosque in Ramadan
- Volunteers guide pilgrims, organize prayers areas, distribute water
- 600 young men and women scouts will work until end of Ramadan
RIYADH: Volunteers participating in the Umrah service camp supervised by the Saudi Arabian Scouts Association at the Grand Mosque in Makkah have contributed over 45,000 hours during the first half of Ramadan.
Six-hundred young men and women scouts, representing various teams across the Kingdom, participated in the camp’s activities, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
They helped to guide pilgrims, organize prayer areas, support security and service personnel, care for children, and provide water and fragrances in the Grand Mosque and its courtyards.
The scouts supported the General Authority for the Care of the Two Holy Mosques and the public security sectors.
Three-hundred scouts participated in guidance and orientation with 22,500 hours, while 180 scouts assisted with public security services for 13,500 hours.
Sixty scouts who participated in the organization of prayer areas recorded 4,500 volunteer hours.
Additionally, 30 scouts participated in the Little Pilgrim Initiative, which focuses on caring for the children of pilgrims while their parents perform Umrah, contributing 2,250 hours.
In support services, 15 scouts participated in the water distribution initiative, contributing 675 hours.
Another 15 scouts contributed to the fragrance distribution initiative in the corridors and courtyards of the Grand Mosque, achieving 1,125 hours.
Camp leader Ziyad Qadir said the services of the scouts would continue until the end of Ramadan. He said the camps develop a sense of social responsibility and national belonging among young people.
