Abbas Manzil Library, Allahabad-3 since its foundation in 1854 has stood for dissemination of Islamic literature, fundamentally in Urdu language, which was switched off to English and Hindi by its new executive in the resolution passed in May 1949. The former activities of the library came to abrupt end in 1857 with the founder Shah Mohammad Abbas, going underground to avoid arrest on sus- picion of siding mutineers by publishing Anti Christian pamphlets from the library he had founded to meet the onslaught of Christiar Missionaries in Allahabad headed by Dr. Sprenger and Dr. Pfander and actively assisted by the Government of Late Sir William Muir. The library which was housed in his residence was confiscated and sold to a Hindoo Khattri Banker. When general amnesty was pro- claimed by Queen Victoria through Lord Canning on the historical site at Allahabad in front of Old Akbar Fort (now marked by a monolith and a Park on the bank of Jumna just two furlongs from the American Presbyterian Missionary College and Agricultural Institute) and the Governor General invited all the ruling princes of Northern India to watch the grand Durbar and Princess Shah Jehan Begam of Bhopal with her consort Nawab Siddiq Hassan attended. He met his old class mate Shah Mohammad Abbas who has now come out from his hiding, a homeless beggar, the Nawab took him to Bhopal, appointed him his Commissioner of Settlement (Shah Mohammad Abbas was a revenue official before mutiny, and worked sometimes as Tahsildar). He remained with the Nawab pretty long time and died there. His home and library was re-purchased from the Hindoo Banker by his brothers. It remained in dormant state and was used as circulating and reading library and a sporting Club. From 1930 on, a grandson of his and the writer's uncle again revived its activily of pre-Mutiny days by making the library a centre of the movement started by a Muslim from Punjab by name Abdul Majeed Qarshi for holding annual session of Sirat Nabwi and for distributing Islamic literature and papers published by him from Patti in the district of Amritsar. In 1947, poor Qarshi was killed by the Sikhs in the communal riot and his whole seminary which he intended to develop into Islamic University was razed to the ground and all literature burnt to ashes. ‘This ended the second revival of the library.
Its present activities were started under my own guidance which were confirmed by the Executive Committee. The New publishing House has started with a reserve Fund of about half a Lakh and our aim is that all books in English written on Islam, both apologetic, polemical and critical shall be published by us new, current as well as those gone out of print, and if we succeed in our enterprise by the liberal cooperation and contribution of our co-religionists, we will even publish books after buying the copyrights from the present and past writers and publishers.
The Executive Committee in their resolution have rightly con- sidered English language, thanks to American renaissance, as the lingo-franca of the world and most suitable medium for the pro- paganda of a universal world religion like Islam. We will, therefore in our Islamic series accommodate every sort of books in English language which the select committee of the library under my own guidance gives preference. We have ‘so far been able to publish seven books which include the Preaching of Islam and a book from the hostile camp, The Development of Islamic Theology and Juris- prudence by an American Protestant pastor. No, we have not allowed him to make any kind of mischievous misrepresentation of Islam which was lurking in his admirable book, our editors have seen to it that his misstatement whether intentional or accidental do not go unchallenged. But if we do not succeed to include another very admirable book of the late Sir T. W. Arnold, “The Legacy of Islam’ in our series we will be really very sorry. We are still in corres- pondence with the Oxford University Press over the matter of its reprint by us. hey are demanding a huge sum of money, beyond. our present capacity of financial resources and the matter is still hanging fire, but we will soon have few other books. Lane Poole, ET etal cans cectieey a GE NN Gs Ge Ba Sk nt Es ee ee ee ww ee a a ee Se este eaten oa ae oe ete ee OS & tis ie ae ee eee ele Mohamedon Dynasties; Lane, selection of the Quraan, Le strange— Land of Eastern Khilaphate are on our waiting list, we will, if pos- sible, include the whole work of Encyclopaedia of Islam, if we had a good backing from our people in the same uniform size and price. But in the meanwhile, Hunter—Our Indian Mussulman, Broomhall: Islam in China; Slorddard: New World of Islam will be included next. We might also publish the Memoirs of Babur, Alberuni’s India and the Institutes of Akbar, etc., etc., any book in English language that will set the ideology of Islam and the achievement of its people in a favourable light to American, English, Australian Canadian, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, African, (who all read English) in favourable light.
And now what about your.obligations my brethren in Islam. You see, [ am a poor man but when I let the library have all my Provident Fund and my Insurance money to the tune of about fifty six thousand rupees in this enterprise, perhaps you will not suspect my bona fide. If all of you buy our books readily and also buy for your non-Muslim friends, then I have very little reason for this appeal, but with the present progress, we are only locking up our funds for an indefinite period and postponing our present pro- gramme, so, I only appeal to you to be liberal in buying our series for yourself and for the library, but if our financial resources do not improve by this, we will beg for your further aids in one of the following shapes: 1. Be a member of our library by paying us a sum of Rs. 10 - per annum. You will be entitled to receive our quarterly bulletin of the library which discusses the problem of Islam for the new and prospective converts and announces our future programme and pub- lications. It also notices all Islamic activities of the world. You will be entitled to advise us in the selection of books for inclusion in our series, and obtain books on loan from our library sections.
2. Be our patron by paying a sum of more than one hundred rupees per annum or your Zakat. Besides all the previleges of (1), you will receive all our publication of the year free.
3. Buy our cash certificate of ten years debenture at Rs. 7|- of the face value of Rs. 10|-. If in the meanwhile we succeed in our enterprise and convert this library into a joint stock publishing ‘company, your debenture will be converted into a share of the com- pany otherwise we will refund it with interest.
This appeal is detachable from the book, (it is perforated) and is only meant for your private use and not to be shown to non- Muslims.
Secretary, Abbas Manzil Library, ALLAHABAD-3 Men Date Due PRINTED OT65 Abul-Fazl,mirza Ab94 Muhammad in the EA2 Hadees Abul-Fazl, mirza Muhammad in the Hadees GTU Library 2460 Ridge Read Berkeley, CA 94709 For renewals cail (510) 649-2500 All items are subject to recall aS ~ Sr, Ses 1 sa a VEE tia Te vt oar Wissen Gah Ai “ by at , tt apa eer Yi xs) is Prat bei itt i: a nae Sethe bik # x x At Seay = Waters Shahat ah VA S{ieeset aly Tae reels “ Si peas “ity Nati oi ioe Se BOS ee aii eee ee peat at vile Biey eet iat ath ra\etvecleeteeh tet %: Roa He want SSN ia ne DAR \ vite Ki ‘ M1 ne win ; Lots} a Sos iH ate ta ison teh es ¢ ye tt shes i ae Aaah 5 ia iiaies ‘yt. iy He oe Vent ‘ 1 i ate ee oe ears area Sask ae Aer x mi ce ate RELEASES Ry * Wi) A a RSs i ‘ AR ROS RTRESEELT EY ula esta Sen ULE EN ‘ MNS RANA Uttar at a nS Se ELS ey tet po 5 v5 ays conte tole a ei atat Sept ye Wer epee fe htt CriVlnecoth ee Seeey Pieters tans Ki 3, i ty na a tahoe Vata i ih xls ieregh t ity ray .
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