It has been over three decades since Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ulQadri founded Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI) in 1981. Then in January 1983 MQI procured a piece of land from the LDA (Lahore Development Authority), measuring 2.5 acres—365-M, Model Town—to house its central secretariat, which was architected in 1984. Later, MQI acquired an expansion of 24 acres in Township, Lahore, to develop an MQI education complex in the metropolitan city. Over the decades, MQI has developed in many dimensions—many new buildings for the Minhaj University, Minhaj College for Women, Jamia al-Minhaj, Tahfeez-ul-Quran Institute, Aghosh Orphan House, Suffah Hall and Gosha-eDarood were constructed; forums like Minhaj Education Society, Minhaj Welfare Foundation, Minhaj Youth League, Mustafvi Students Movement, Minhaj Ulama Council and Minhaj Women League were formed; and more than two dozen directorates were established such as the Directorate of Foreign Affairs, Da`wa, Training, Research, Minhaj Production, Minhaj Publications, Minhaj Marketing, Sales Centre, Minhaj Printing Press, I.T. Bureau and Minhaj TV. These huge establishments have used the secretariat facility and the building complex at Township to its fullest capacity, and are now spilling over into the precincts, finding it increasingly difficult to locate suitable places to carry out their ever-growing and ever-increasing activities. The dynamic leadership of MQI has ambitious plans to keep pace with the fast moving developments of modern life, and to maintain its effectiveness in the field, in Pakistan and the world over. The magnitude of the events the world witnessed on the 23rd December gathering at Minar-i-Pakistan and the 14th January Long March has only increased this demand. Exactly a generation earlier, the 2.5 acres and 24 acres of land seemed more than enough to be used within the limits of their capacity. The extending requirements for religious, educational and welfare projects of MQI need much more area for expansion and development. Therefore it has been decided to acquire a 200-acre piece of land in the peripheries of Lahore to cater coming needs of coming decades, which will host a great seat of learning called the Minhaj Education City.
Legacy of fourteen centuries in one place Over the period of fourteen centuries Muslims have contributed significantly in every field of life. Each branch of knowledge and science founds names of great Muslims scholar in its lineage. University of al-Karaouine, established by Muslims, in Fas in ninth century is unanimously considered as first degree awarding institute of modern world. Islam started from Hijaz and spread all over the world where Muslims established great seats of learning around the world specially in cities of Baghdad, Damascus, Bukahara, Samarqand, Tashqand, Fas, Cordoba, Granada and Sicily. The signs of Great scholars and seats of learning are spread all over the world and also saved in the books and library. It has been planned to design architectural plan of Minhaj Education City to encapsulate 1400 years heritage in the different fields of knowledge and Science. Buildings in this city will be designed in the line of historical Islamic architecture. Interior and exterior of different buildings will take the visitors through the fourteen centuries long glory of Islam whereas students spending precious time of their life in such an environment will attain a strong link with their glorious history and acquire necessary passion to transfer this light, with confidence, to generations to come. Images of some such buildings have been used in the booklet for the purpose of illustration whereas; in the following we are presenting some of those architectural models and monumental structures which will be used during the design and construction of Minhaj Education City.