We live in a time and society, where religion, knowledge, and science do not go hand in hand. It is extremely necessary to describe the position of religion in terms of knowledge, in theory as well as in practice. Ending all the negative stereotypes associated especially with Islam and the importance it gives when it comes to education, the first verses of the Holy Qur’an state: “Read. Read in the name of thy Lord who created; [He] created the human being from a blood clot. Read in the name of thy Lord who taught by the pen: [He] taught the human being what he did not know?” Living up to the whole aspect of keeping the spirit of quality based education alive through correct Islamic perspectives; Ammar Baugh-E-Nounihal Higher Secondary School came into existence.
Learning becomes interesting when the objective of the expectation is unknown. Creating a real-world connection between the lessons and the learning is the need of the hour, in today’s education system. Luckily, ABN School is the one-way route towards an education, which is holistic yet efficient adhering to the directives of Islam, building a strong connection between the students and the religion.
A Place for Broad Interdisciplinary Education
Originally founded in 1955 as “Saifee School”, the school has been serving members of the Dawoodi Bohra Community for the past 65 years. Situated amidst the busy lanes and noisy roads of Chhatribagh, an oasis of knowledge lies inside the sprawling and peaceful campus of ABN School. The school got its CBSE affiliation in the year 2003, and the institute boasts of an astonishing 10,000+ strong alumni. ABN School is a household name among the Bohra Community of Indore for its brilliance in serving the community and the society. The institute also has been achieving great laurels in the field of education and religion, striving hard towards progressing in the similar path.
The education philosophy of the school heavily relies on the Islamic principles of faith, and it strives hard towards inculcating these principles in the minds and hearts of the students studying at the institute. Religion plays a major role in the school, having their main vision of working towards eternity and salvation alive in every move taken by the school.
The Bohra Community always strived towards working together, becoming a community, where everyone perceives learning and knowledge as one. It was the dream of the incumbent and 53rd Dai al-Mutlaq Syedna Aali Qadr Mufaddal Saifuddin TUS, a great scholar and a preacher that there would be at least one “Hafiz” i.e. one who has committed the entire Qur’an to memory, in every Bohra household. Identifying the unyielding connection between the Holy Qur’an and education, ABN School made its mission to pursue this goal and after several years of hard work and unceasing dedication, the school has reached a stage where memorization of the Holy Qur’an has become an integral part of its curriculum.
Results have shown that those who regularly memorize the Holy Qur’an show better academic performance as compared to those who do not. Hence, at ABN School, numeracy is aided and the literacy skills of students are enhanced, and most importantly, the memorization capability of the Holy Qur’an is savored, which inevitably inculcates discipline and manners in them.
Seeking knowledge through the right Islamic Way
Bohra’s being one of the prominent communities of Muslims in Indore and other parts of India, the schools run by the community are referred to as Imani Schools. ABN School being one of the Imani School works towards complete cultural manifestations, not compromising in the teaching-learning process. The culture of the school reflects the guidance of the spiritual and temporal leader of the Bohra Community – “Syedna Aali Qadr Mufaddal Saifuddin TUS”. He emphasized that progress is futile, if not adhered to the traditional roots.
A typical day at ABN starts with “Tilawat al-Dua”, a Roman-Urdu word for recitation or reading out, it usually lasts 20 minutes, where the students and the teachers engage in reciting odes, hymns, and elegies in the fond memory of Imam Hussain AS, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. The stories of his martyrdom in the war of Karbala, are remembered and the sacrifices of his close aides and family members are recalled, giving rise to a sense of how short-lived our lives are, and how we need to work towards our Aakhirat (the end) through the principles of Islam.
The timetable of the school makes sure that adequate breaks are given for namaz. The uniform of students reflects traditional Bohra culture, a distinctive Bohra cap for boys and the Rida for girls are part of the uniform. A major pillar of Bohra faith is tahārat i.e. religious purity, which is quite evident in the teaching methodologies and the religious curriculum.
Experiential learning is the key way of providing quality based learning to the students. A constructivist approach is taken at the school, where students make their own knowledge. In addition, the infrastructure of the school is designed in a way that tahārat (Baptism) is maintained before and during prayers.
Future Roadmap
Already being one of the most preferred schools in Indore, for parents and students alike willing to take part in a schooling experience, which takes care of all the reference points in student’s academic needs. ABN School envisions being that school where all the students can lead their lives from an Islamic perspective and in the light of the Holy Qur’an, imbibing the concept of “Scientific Temperament” thoroughly, between every student and the faculty, who work as an integral part of the school.
