The Vice Chancellor Islamia University of Bahawalpur has said that the Muslim Ummah has great intellectual capacity, besides being owner of the most fertile and productive territories of the world and above all the Muslims are the only nation that possess the "Holy book of Allah - Qura'an Sharif in its original form. But is a matter of great disappointment that the Ummah, which should play a significant role in the world affairs is not even sovereign in its domestic policies.
He was addressing the inaugural session of the three day National Quran Conference being held under the auspices of the Faculty of Islamic Learning Islamia University of Bahawalpur at Abbasia Campus.
He pointed out that the prevailing social condition of the Islamic world is characterized with educational backwardness, widespread poverty scarcity of peace and prosperity, inability to establish and maintain democracy and lack of supremacy of Islamic Laws. The Muslims direly need a dynamic and inspiring leadership and commitment.
He urged the academia to play their significant role in steering the Ummah out of this turmoil through the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah.
He also highlighted the active role of IUB in providing frequent opportunities to the scholars to get together at a platform and in this regard this university has maintained its Islamic identity and organized International Seerat Conference and inter faith harmony workshop. It has also established an Islamic centre of Excellence.
Earlier, Director Seerat Chair Dr. Abdul Rauf Zafar, highlighted the significance of the conference which is being participated by renewed religious scholars of the country.
Dr. Shamsul Basar Chairman Department of Islamic Studies expressed his gratitude to the delegates and distinguished guests and hoped that a committee would be formed to keep a check on the translation work being accomplished in different regional languages for explaining the actual interpretation of this Holy Book.
Prof. Dr. Mehmmod ul Hassan Arif, President Idara-e-Muarif Punjab Univeristy Lahore in his research paper entitled "Quran Translation: problems faced initially to accomplish translation work", that although it was the need of the hour to translate the Holy verses of Quran-e-Pak in different languages for people all around the globe to follow its divine message, and various scholars have made successful attempts in keeping the actual interpretation. The first ever translation of the Holy Quran was accomplished in 3 A.H. in Sindhi Language. In Indo Pak sub continent first ever translation was in Persian languages in the 18th century. But the promotion of Urdu in this continent inspired the translations to accomplish this work and uptill now about 700 different translation have been recoded in Urdu language, as comprised to 1200 transfer descriptions have been accomplished in Arabic languages.
He said that Arabic is a very eloquent and rhetoric language and while translating consideration may be given to the magnificence possessed by the Holy Quran. It is a collective issue and all sects of Muslims must monitor and check.
The Chief Guest of inaugural session of the third day National Quran Conference. Maulana Fazl-e-Rehman expressed his gratitude to VC IUB and termed this conference as another landmark in the glorious history of the university.
He hoped that the delegates would reap benefit through this conference and enhance their knowledge about the eternal message for the welfare of humanity delivered through the Holy Quran.
After the inaugural session Prof. Dr. Belal A. Khan inaugurated the exclusive exhibition of the Quranic manuscripts in the Pakistan Gallery. The invaluable manuscripts on display have been presented by Abdul Shakoor Quran library Dera Ghazi Khan.
The National Quran Conference will conclude on April 6, 2005, Sunday.