Legacy of Jamiah Naleemiah of Beruwala

Naleemiah Institute of Islamic Studies Inc. fondly called by its Arabic name Jamiah Naleemiah is an academic institute imparting Islamic studies and Human sciences. Since its establishment in 1973, by the late Al Haj – M. I. M. Naleem, a patriotic businessman as well as a well-known philanthropist, the institute has come across remarkable achievements. Many prominent scholars and distinguished dignitaries, who visited this institute periodically, have endorsed their admiration and testimonies witnessing that the establishment of this institute is a milestone in the history of Muslim education in Sri Lanka. In commemoration of its five decades of educational journey and recognizing the contribution of its founder members, it is with immense pleasure that I pen this writing as a tribute for its noble services rendered to the nation.

In order to understand and appreciate the role of this institute and its vibrant impact in the society, it has to be viewed against the wider historical background and social context prevalent in early 70s. In fact, the inspiration of founding an institute of this nature rose due to socioeconomic context Muslim society had lived through. Back then, Muslim community experienced alienation between the traditional system of Islamic education and western model of education which was dedicated to teaching modern secular sciences. Scholars of both traditional and modern systems travelled in their own direction, and therefore they were unable to understand and appreciate one another. This tendency brought negative impact within Muslim community and therefore they happened to struggle in the face of ideological and socioeconomic challenges. It is very common that a society or nation would from time to time face new issues and challenges to which they must be responsive. It is only by proper response to those issues and challenges, the society can ensure its unity, peace and harmony. Idea of establishing an integrated and unified system of education was conceived by the late Al Hajj M. I. M Naleem in hope of bridging the gap between two systems of education and subsequently enabling to overcome the dilemma and challenges Muslim community then encountered. It is no doubt that this idea was given a structural form and cohesive content by a group of eminent scholars and supported immensely by the well-wishers of Beruwala. It shows that an institute of this nature is by no means an ordinary event when we peruse those days retrospectively.

In this backdrop, Jamiah Naleemiah with its visionary leadership and dedicated team strived to create dynamics of intellectual tradition in order to face modern ideological challenges and also to guide the society in the right direction. Categorically, this institute has been established with a broader objective of imparting an integrated system of education and being a confluence of multiple disciplines, aiming at producing generations of Muslim scholars who are epitome of the virtues of both systems of education and moderate thought. In this respect, they are not only learned in Islamic studies but also sufficiently knowledgeable in human sciences. Besides, the institute has significantly created a culture of academic research and training urging its graduates to involve actively in scholarly works. For instance, the institute has periodically conducted symposiums, seminars and workshops on various subjects which were viewed as need of the hour.

For achieving such a noble vision, the educational objectives, and the curriculum of the institute have been designed and periodically developed by eminent scholars of respective disciplines on par with moderate approaches. Literally, its core curriculum empowers its graduates to adopt critical thinking, holistic view and objective approaches while appreciating differences of opinions on religious matters whereas it inculcates moral and spiritual consciousness in its graduates. Above all, it cherishes diversity and cultural values which are deeply rooted in multi –ethnic society like Sri Lanka entrusting its graduates to preach tolerance, harmony and peace and make a meaningful contribution to the nation.

As witnessed throughout its five decades of educational journey, it has produced significant number of graduates who had attained excellence in many fields and are currently holding key positions in state and private sectors in their capacity as directors, additional secretaries, heads of departments, lecturers, principals, professionals, teachers and entrepreneurs making positive contributions to the society and the country as whole. On the other hand, it has also made steady progress where it was able to establish academic relationships with many esteemed universities abroad with the purpose of empowering its academic programme and curriculum in line with international standard. I would say many are those who helped make the vision of this institute a success. Therefore, I highly value their services and active participation as an invaluable contribution to the nation.

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