Al-Dai al-ajal Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin RA states:
“I named it Mahad al-Zahra so that it may receive the barakat and blessings of Moulatona Fatema al-Zahra, to whom this Dawat is associated. The Mahad has been established in order to provide education of the science of recitation (in accordance with the laws of tajweed), to facilitate the memorisation of the Quran Majeed and to offer a means to study of its knowledge. It is also responsible for providing education regarding contemporary fields of knowledge and languages so as to highlight the all-encompassing nature of the Quran and the greatness of Islam. I thank Allah Ta’ala for it is through His grace that construction has begun and I pray to Him that studies within this institution begin soon and in accordance with my expectations.”
Excerpts from al-Kalemaat al Nooraniyah 1397H
OUR VISION
In 1381H/1961AD al-Dai al-Ajal Syedna Taher Saifuddin RA inaugurated the new campus of Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah in Surat. This educational re-orientation and new campus heralded a fresh chapter in the history of the academy. Proceeding with these developments, 52nd Dai, al-Dai al-Ajal Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin RA widened the dimensions of teaching and learning. In 1396H/1976AD Syedna al-Dai al-Ajal RA established an institute for the study of Quranic Arts and Sciences known as “Mahad al-Zahra”. This institute served to facilitate accurate memorisation of al-Quran, and at the same time, aid students’ understanding of its underlying meanings and intricacies.
In order to provide insight into Aljamea’s educational system and to allow younger children from the Dawoodi Bohra community to obtain the barakat that lies therein, Mahad al-Zahra – Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah with the razaa Mubarak of al-Dai al-Ajal Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin RA and Syedna Aali Qadr Mufaddal Saifuddin TUS has launched a new centre for learning in Mumbai intended for children aged between four and twelve.
It is befitting that this programme makes its home in the city adorned by Rawdat Taherah, the mausoleum of al-Dai al-Ajal Syedna Taher Saifuddin RA wherein lies the entire Quran engraved upon marble slabs embellished with gold and precious stones.
So, keeping in line with Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah’s philosophy of combining revered, past traditions with what is contemporary and beneficial to the cause of education, Mahad al-Zahra has over the years developed various methods to aid in the memorisation, learning and teaching of al-Quran al-Kareem for members of the Dawoodi Bohra community of all ages and backgrounds.
Rawdat al-Quran al-Kareem is founded upon a unique pedagogy developed by Mahad al-Zahra specifically for younger children. At Rawdat al-Quran al-Kareem, a student along with committing the Quran to memory, will simultaneously be exposed to all those forms of knowledge that branch from the Quran and are important for his development at that particular age. Year after year, he will develop academically, culturally and socially so as to achieve what Allah Ta’ala has portrayed in the following aayat kareemah:
“See how Allah coins a similitude: A Kalemah Tayyebah (a good word) is like a good tree, its root set firm, its branches reaching into heaven.” 14:24
Our Belief
At Rawdat al-Quran al-Kareem, we believe in the immense energy, virtue and skillseach child offers to the class. Each child is a subject that has to be studied the same way Math, Science or English has to be studied. Thus, the role of a Rawdat al-Quran teacher and it’s curriculum is to understand each child and provide an environment of R.E.L.A.X Respect, Empathy, Love and Appreciation. This would eventually lead to the discovery of the X factor of each child.
Al-Quran al-Kareem is the pivot around which our curriculum revolves. Memorizing al-Quran and cultivating infinite love for its values are at the very core.Our curriculum implies modern and traditional pedagogy to facilitate conceptual understanding and skill building in all subject areas. Experiential, hands on and minds on activities that include field trips engage students in the learning process and empower them to take charge of their learning and monitor their own progress.
Subjects like Sports, Art, Handwork, Band, Zikre Husain and Cooking are a part of mainstream curricula. They give students a creative space and medium for self expression while equipping them with life skills, team work and collaboration. They instill a sense of accomplishment, relaxation and providing relaxing variation in the day.
All this and more eventually sum up in a very simple way, A BEAUTIFUL SMILE ON EACH LOVELY INNOCENT FACE. The smile that speaks a thousand words. The smile that connotes an insatiable love for learning. The smile that tells us “Yes, we are blossoming into lovely flowers”