Minhaj Internet Bureau (MIB)

Scientific progress is turning our world into a global village. This development could be achieved through computer and internet, which have made our globe a ‘mustard-seed’. Today’s science has enabled the common man to observe the whole world on his palm like a mustard-seed. Material progress in the last century helped man to conquer the moon. On the other hand, the lovers of the Holy Prophet (SAW), like Shaykh Abdul Qadir Gilani, had achieved this status through spiritual progress. The celebrated Shaykh says:

نظرت الى بلاد الله جمعا
كخردلة على حكم التصالي

"I looked at all the cities of Allah like a mustard-seed on the palm of my hand."

Internet, which saw its birth in American Pentagon in 1960s, is today benefiting even the backward areas of Pakistan. A decade ago none could predict that even mobile phones will be within reach of masses on such a large scale. Now seeing a street vendor or a pavement sweeper with a mobile phone is no wonder. All of these are the miracles of internet.

Communications have always been employed by both good and evil forces. Likewise, computer, especially internet, is also used for two purposes. The youth are being spoiled through dirty and obscene literature, pictures, music etc. On the other hand, they are shown the straight path, so that they might become good Muslims. There is no shortage of such websites as are busy with trying to disgrace Islam and its followers. Some wretches are leading the youth in the tracks of Satan by throwing the decorations of the world at them. To respond, some Muslim organizations are removing the clouds of doubts and misgivings from the face of the sun of Islam. Some true servants of Islam are rendering excellent services worldwide through education and positive entertainment. When we see lots of Jewish and Christian organizations at war with Islam in information technology, Islamic organizations, around the globe, are also defending the Islamic faith through the same means.

Minhaj-ul-Quran International is protecting the faith of the youth and propagating the message of Islam on a large scale. To unite the Muslim community all over the world and to present to them the model of Islam, a number of websites have been created at the headquarters of Minhaj-ul-Quran International, Lahore, Pakistan. Established with the modern scientific approach, some websites are introduced briefly:

1. Membership Department

In 1989, Minhaj-ul-Quran International’s Membership Department established Electronic Data Processing Department at its headquarters to prepare computerized record of all the members of the movement. Not to talk of religions circles, even business circles were not serious to employ computer at that time.

This department maintains the complete data of organizations, office-bearers and workers. The department provides the record which other departments need from time to time. It is responsible for maintaining the record of all the workers of the movement since 1981.

Besides, this department cooperates for posting Islamic literature and magazines of Minhaj-ul-Quran. Also it is busy with developing its own website for providing the record of membership of all the workers online.

2. Minhaj Productions (Digital Recording Studio)

Minhaj-ul-Quran International started recording the speeches of Shaykh-ul-Islam, Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, on tape and video in 1982. Some religious scholars, on the other hand, were quick to declare it unlawful. Over 5000 speeches/lectures of the celebrated doctor have seen recording and are on the increase. The speeches are available to public at home and abroad through audio and video cassettes, CDs and DVDs. The department also helps to run TV channels in Germany and Denmark, which the local workers of the movement in those countries managed.

The creative unit of Minhaj Productions prepares instructional videos, documentary films, special audio and video albums for Islamic festivals, social work and other activities of the movement. In addition propagation for sacrificial and zakah and relief aid campaigns, managed by Minhaj Welfare Foundation, is also the responsibility of this department.

Cable TV network from Lahore has been telecasting the speeches of Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri since 2003, another contribution of Minhaj Productions. It is launching the same activity from Karachi and Islamabad as well in near future. Allah willing, this Minhaj Productions will better benefit all the cable TV networks in the whole Pakistan.

Quality Control Unit (QCU) checks the productions of Minhaj Productions to ensure they meet international standard. For this purpose QCU sticks stickers on the productions—the first step of the kind taken by a religious organization in Pakistan.

3. Farid-e-Millat Research Institute (FMRi)

This department helps to bring out the books of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. A host of research scholars complete all the steps of books-composing, editing, reference work through a computer network—under the same roof. Thus the resultant books, from research point of view and reference work, are better than books published by other institution.

The FMRi contains thousands of books in Arabic, Urdu and English, some of them being rare. When abroad, Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri always buys loads of Arabic and English books. This helps him to write books meeting international standard. That is why some of his books are quite unique in the history of the whole Islamic literature. To acquaint itself of the modern methods of research current in the West, the FMRi has, apart from internet, the membership of online libraries.

4. Directorate of Foreign Affairs (DFA)

In addition to serving in Pakistan, Minhaj-ul-Quran International is rendering religious, welfare and moral services in more than 80 countries of the world. A computer network enables the DFA to stay in touch with foreign organizations and maintain the record of workers. An active staff provides with quick services to organizations abroad and answers to emails within three hours.

Because its work is so huge and requires immediate action, the DFA has set up its own website (http://dfa.minhaj.org). It gives information about the foreign activities of the movement, visits of the founder of the movement and his pictures. The DFA would not have been able to manage all of this without the active cooperation of foreign organizations.

5. Minhaj Internet Bureau (MIB)

To present the activities and achievements of Minhaj-ul-Quran International, this department was created. The website of the headquarters of Minhaj-ul-Quran (www.minhaj.org) was launched in early 1994, a time when even the educated class in Pakistan had only heard the name of internet.

By the grace of Allah and the broad vision of the patron-in-chief of the Movement, the site has received popularity on international level. Our aim is to make Minhaj-ul-Quran International online playing the leading role for the Islamic world. Work in this direction is in progress. Allah’s grace and the mercy of the Messenger of Islam (saw) are great in that today we find Minhaj-ul-Quran online ahead of other Islamic sites in Pakistan.

Websites

Now we give brief introduction to websites which came into being through Minhaj Internet Bureau (MIB):

i. www.minhaj.net

This site, established by Minhaj Internet Bureau, contains the introduction to and addresses of all the websites operating at the headquarters of the Movement and abroad. Here the personal sites of workers of the Movement also appear which help to propagate the message and ideology of Islam and its leader.

ii. www.minhaj.org

The first established site of Minhaj-ul-Quran International where you can get all the information about its message, mission and thought. It includes introduction to organizational structure, departments and wings of the Movement. Activities at home and abroad are regularly updated. If you want to see the Movement in daily print media—newspapers—then the site will serve the purpose. All the coverage given to the movement in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad papers appears here.

Now the history of Minhaj-ul-Quran International in ‘pictures’—online photo album—has been added which dates back to the very start of the mission. The selected pictures, over 18000, have been classified by 56 subjects, to help visitors. Some subjects are as follows: Sayyidina Tahir Ala`-ud-Din Qadri Baghdadi, Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri and his sons, workers of the Movement, centres of Minhaj-ul-Quran Movement at home and abroad, educational projects, welfare projects, foreign activities of the Movement, programs (annual birthday of the Holy Prophet [saw], 27^th Ramadan etc), and the staff of the central secretariat.

iii. www.deenislam.com

The multimedia website of Minhaj-ul-Quran International was launched on 17^th February 2003, the occasion of the birthday of Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. By the grace of Allah, the website, it would not be exaggeration to state, is the biggest Islamic website of Pakistan.

The special feature is the 300-hour-long hundreds of speeches of the celebrated Shaykh, Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. Besides, the praise of Allah and of the Sacred Messenger (saw), Qawalli, poems with mystic themes and national songs, in ten categories, increase the benefit of the site. To acquaint our youngsters with Muslim and Eastern values plus manners, audio poems in Urdu, English and Arabic can be listened to. Islamic documentary movies are also online. All the material in this site can be easily downloaded.

Search function helps you to find a certain speech, the praise of the Blessed Prophet (saw) or Qawwali through topic, description, keywords, time or place. Display page facilitates the visitors to arrange a section by alphabets, latest, visits, size, duration, performer, language, topic and category. Here the list of performers displays all the performances of a certain person. In addition visitors are offered to give their views which are later opened for public.

Corresponding with the contemporary needs, it gives the user the option to choose any colour scheme. View the website in the colour you desire!

iv. www.Research.com.pk

Apart from listening to the lectures of the founder of the Movement, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, his books can also be studied online. FMRi, with the cooperation of Minhaj Internet Bureau, is running the site to benefit the citizens of the world. The Holy Qur`an, the traditions of the Messenger and books on Islamic manners and a detailed introduction of the offices of FMRi can be learned here. The research method of the institute and the formatting of the books written by Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri and downloading this material—you can learn here.

The salient feature of the site is the online availability of the books of Shaykh-ul-Islam. They are in dozens and are on the increase with the passage of time.

v. www.Minhajians.org

MIB provides the data of all the Minhajians since 1991 who completed their education at The Minhaj University. The following information about the graduates has been given: temporary/permanent addresses, phone numbers, profession, family background, education, taste for study, interests, organizational and national services, message and photo.

Search function is there to reach a certain Minhajian and to learn the year when he became a graduate. A more important feature in the site—advanced search—facilitates visitors to find a Minhajian through his name, session, temporary/ permanent addresses, educational certificates, blood group, marital status, picture, stay at the headquarters of the MQI or abroad, literary achievements and taste for studies.

Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri launched the first version of the site on 2^nd October 2003. By the blessings of Allah, the same website has been turned into PHP—the modern language of web development. This website, we can say for sure, may be the only one example of its kind with such comprehensive information.

vi. www.MinhajSisters.com

A website for women connected with Minhaj-ul-Quran International was opened on 19^th February 2004, to acquaint them with Islamic teachings in a better way. It became popular with sisters very soon. It offers articles on different aspects of Islam. For the lectures of Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri (converted into writing), a separate section has been set up.

vii. www.minhaj.info

The official magazine of Minhaj-ul-Quran International, Mahnamah (monthly) Minhaj-ul-Quran, was launched in 1987. Of all the monthly Islamic magazines in Pakistan, its circulation tops. With the help of the magazine staff, its net edition was started in August 2001.

viii. www1.minhaj.info

Mahnamah Dukhtaran-e-Islam (Monthly Islamic magazine for the daughters of Islam) is published by Minhaj-ul-Quran Women League to educate and train sisters. Here Islamic writings, interviews of prominent women from different walks of life, Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri’s writings and other subjects, full interest to women (not against Islam) hold women’s attention.

ix. www.welfare.org.pk

Minhaj-ul-Quran Social Welfare & Human Rights’ Society is counted one of the biggest NGOs. The introduction to the society in detail, welfare services rendered by it and campaigns launched for uplift of the needy are published here. Online blood bank, in this site, offers you to register yourself as blood donor.

x. www.palm.org.pk

Awami (public) Lawyers’ Movement is struggling for the rule of law, justice and peace in our dear homeland, Pakistan. The introduction to this wing of the Movement and its activities can be learned here.

xi. egroup.minhajians.org

On 15^th March 2001, an e-group for Minhajians was begun. After subscribing here, the members can exchange their views and voice their opinions. A member can send his message through email to all the other members. Having logged in, a member can have all past messages.

6. Important email addresses

Nearly all the offices at the headquarters of Minhaj-ul-Quran International are benefiting the facility of internet. This is why it is fast replacing the traditional postal system. Most of the departments have their own email addresses through which they stay in touch with the workers of the Movement. Some important email addresses along with departments are provided, so that you may contact your own home and centre at ease:

An Important Message

Dear lovers of Islam! The need of the hour is to utilize all available modern sources of spreading Islam. At present the best means to serve the religion is using information technology. Generally, youngsters are much better at learning computer than the elders. To earn reward with Allah Almighty, such of us who have children with computer education should educate their young ones to employ computer for winning His Good Pleasure. We must take pains to turn them the servants of Islam, so as to battle the evil forces on the same front where they are warring against us.

The best amongst the Muslims are those who act upon Islam and show other people the straight path.

Director: Abdul Sattar Minhajian
Email: minhajian@minhaj.org