LIB. HISTORY » Nathwathul Ulama Arabic College

LIBRARY HISTORY

Formation of the Library :

The ulama, who formed the Natwatul Ulema Council in 1949, decided to conduct religious teachings for the people of Muthur and headed the Muthur Grand Mosque to hold Hadith Majlis at the mosque and at public gatherings.

“It is difficult for you to hold Hadith Majlis programs in many places and if you start a Buhari Majlis like the Bukhari Majlis in Kechimalai, Galle”, said, by inviting the esteemed ulamas, Seyyathu Qader Maraikkar, who was the chairman of Muttur Pradeshiya Sabha and was managing the Muthur Grand Mosque also during this period. The Nathwathul Ulama Council deliberated and decided to start a Buhari Majlis on 14.05.1950 in the outer hall of the Muthur Grand Mosque.

When the council requested MR. Qadir Maraikar that they needed “Saheehul Bukhari” (Hatheeth Book) for the Majlis, he bought 3 sets of 9 volums of Saheehul Bukhari with his own money and consecrated (Waqf) them to the Nathwathul Ulama Council. (May Allah bless his deeds.)

Later, when the Nathwathul Ulama Council was wondering what it could do with the surplus money to cover the expenses of the Buhari Majlis, the head of the Muthur Grand Mosque, MR.Qadir Maraikkar, offered them a Quran building owned by the Grand Mosque and advised them to start an Arabic Madrasa. Accepting his advice Nathwathul Ulama Council established Nathwathul Ulama Arabic College on 27.05.1956. At this time the Nathwathul Ulama Arabic College library was started with the 3 sets of 9 volums of Saheehul Bukhari given by MR.Qadir Maraikkar after receiving a glass cupboard provided by an unnamed brother. Following this at the request of the council, the ulama in the council presented their manuscripts and their some own books.

Displacement of the college and the library :

When Nathwathul Ulama Arabic College was relocated on 26.08.1973 to a new building constructed in Muthurvely due to increase the number of students in the college, a place for the library was allotted in one side of the hostel named Naleem Haajiyar Hall, one of the new buildings, with An iron cupboard and an existing glass cupboard. Only a few books were found during the relocation.

Organizing the Library :

As per the decision of the council to mark the 27th graduation ceremony in the year 2000, when Ash-sheikh MM.Careem (Nathwi) contacted and asked Al-Haaj.Fazal Baari from Colombo, for financial assistance for the project saying that the college buildings had not been painted for a long time and there was no separate building for the library, he accepted and grand ed that help. Al-hamthulillah.

With the help of this facility, the library inside the hostel was relocated to a separated room of the hall called “Makkal Mandapam” and books were placed on the shelf made on the walls and made way for the students to use the library satisfactorily on a daily basis. Newspapers and magazines were also arranged in to facilitate reading so that students could get knowledge with foreign news.

Collection of Arabic Books for the Library :

With the great help of Allah, the Principal of the College, Ash-Sheikh MM. Careem (Nathwi) used the opportunity to guide pilgrims through Welcome Hajj Travels in the year 2000 and when he went for Hajj every year, he had the opportunity to get hundreds of books by encouraging the pilgrims to search for and buy all the books related to the college. At the same time, after talking to many friends in Sri Lanka he could buy and donate important dictionaries and books. Today it has become a library with 7847 Arabic books and 1226 English Tamil books.

Similarly, the donation of Tamil books and government syllabi related books by a few institutions and private brothers in Sri Lanka has further expanded the library.

However, there was a need to preserve these books in a permanent separate building. It was on this occasion that Ash-sheikh MM.Careem (Nathwi) was appointed as the Coordinator for IIRO, Trincomalee Distric. At that time, he built the top floor of the Masjidul Jawhara Mosque with his full salary and donations given to it and opened the building on 05.06.2005 by placing Memorial stone of IIRO, as a separate building for the library. However, due to the lack of furniture for the library, as a result of the advice given to the students who pass out every year to make shelves as their motto, the shelves were donated and are still there.

However, when the principal, Ash-Sheikh. MM. Careem (Nathwi) thought that a separate library building should be set up for the college, he could get in touch with a businessman who went on Hajj with him in 2000. When he told him about the status of the college he promised to make a small donation every month and he was implementing it.

Foundation Stone Laying for the Library :

When the Hajiyar and his family came to serve lunch to the college students and teachers on 03.06.2015, they looked around the college premises and saw the empty land between the mosque and the classroom and asked the principal why the land was vacant. “It is awaiting for a donor for a library building” said the principal. The family discussed something to themselves. Then the Hajiyar asked for the building plan and the plan already prepared was given.

(Allah is Great) He standing in the boiling sun in this land and wrote a check for the first building work and gave it to the principal. They agreed when the principal, who received the check with gratitude, asked that they would lay the foundation stone for the library building today. At 1.00 pm on the same day with the participation of the principal, teachers, students and administrative members, the Hajiyar and their families laid the foundation stone for the 3 storey Nathwathul Ulama Library and completed the plate for the ground floor. May Allah bless him to complete this building perfectly.