HIGHLIGHTS-

Students taught about other religions apart from Islam

It aims at bridging the gap between different faiths, says Rector

This seminary has more than 1000 books on other religions

HYDERABAD: If you think it teaches only Islamic theology, you are mistaken. Here one can learn all about Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Sikhism. One can also gain knowledge about modern religions like Qadianis.

That's Al Mahadul Aali Al Islami for you. It is a madrasa with a difference. It marks a departure from the typical seminaries in that sacred texts of other religions also find place along with the Quran on its bookshelves.

“The idea is to highlight the common attributes in Islam and other religions. And this is possible only when we study the books of other religions”, says Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, Rector, Mahad.

This seminary has a bigger goal. Apart from promoting research and analytic spirit among the new generation of Ulemas, it aims to bridge the gap between different faiths. All the major religions share the same ethical values and believe in the ill-effects of alcohol, usury, adultery and gay culture. “By coming together we can fight these evils”, remarks Maulana Rahmani.

Situated on a hilly terrain near Shaheen Nagar, Barkas, Mahad has a good collection of more than 10,000 reference books on Islamic literature. Of this 1000 are on other religions.

The library has the complete set of Vedas, Manusmriti, the law of Manu, besides old and new Testaments, Talmud, the compendium of Judaism law, Guru Granth Sahib, biography of Gurunanak.

Besides, specialisation in Quranic sciences and Hadith, students at Mahad are equipped with basic English language and computer skills.