Rabwah
Rabwah, officially known as Chenab Nagar, is a city in Chiniot District, Punjab, Pakistan on the bank of Chenab River.
It was the headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community from September 20, 1948 when the community relocated from Qadian, India to the newly created state of Pakistan, where the community bought the area of present-day Rabwah from the government to establish its home. This continued until 1984 and the establishment of Ordinance XX. In 1984, the headquarters were moved to the United Kingdom with Mirza Tahir Ahmed, first to London and then in 2019 to the Islamabad compound in Tilford, Surrey.
Etymology
Rabwah is an Arabic word meaning an "elevated place". The formal inauguration of the settlement took place on 20 September 1948 after prayers and a sacrifice of five goats at the corners and centre of the area. The town was named Rabwah by then leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad. However, the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab passed a resolution on 17 November 1998 changing the name of Rabwah to ‘Nawan Qadian’. On 14 February 1999, a new directive was issued, renaming Nawan Qadian to Chenab Nagar. The other names considered were Chak Dhaggian, Mustafa Abad, and Siddiq Abad.History
Medieval History
From a historical perspective, Rabwah is from where Muhammad Bin Qasim, after conquering Sindh and Multan, crossed the Chenab River and moved towards Kashmir. Here the Arabs fought against the Hindu Raja of Chandrod. More than 100 Arab soldiers lost their lives in the battle and a "Graveyard of Martyrs" exists to this day in Chiniot.Modern Era
Before the establishment of Rabwah, the area was barren and was known as Chak Digiyaan. The land was bought by the Ahmadiyya community following the migration of most of its members from Qadian and other parts of Indian Punjab, to the newly created nation of Pakistan. In June 1948, 1,034 acres of land were bought from the government for PKR 12,000.The place where Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad led the first ever prayers became the first mosque of Rabwah, the Yadgaar Mosque. The first settlements were in camps which were later replaced by buildings constructed of mud. The first ever building constructed using concrete was the Mahmood Mosque. Electricity was provisioned to the city in 1954.
Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad relocated to Rabwah on 19th of Sept 1949. By that time the population had reached 1,000. The first ever Jalsa Salana in Rabwah took place from 15 to 17 April 1949, attended by 17,000 people.
Demography
The city has a population of 70,000, of which 97 percent belong to the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. The remaining 3 percent includes Christians and other Muslims. As the city has seen many migrations of Ahmadis fleeing persecution, it has a very diverse ethnic mixture.Languages
The mother tongue of the majority of the populace is Punjabi, while for a small minority it is Urdu and Saraiki. Most of the students are also fluent in English.Life for the residents of Rabwah
As the city is the only Ahmadi majority city in Pakistan, its residents face legal discrimination due to Ordinance XX. They have been denied the right to hold peaceful religious gatherings since 1983. In 1989, a report was registered by Punjab police against the whole of the population of the city for the crime that they were displaying Quranic texts on their graves and buildings.Geography
Rabwah covers an area of about 24 km2. It is located in the temperate region of Central Punjab, approximately halfway between Faisalabad and Sargodha. The River Chenab surrounds the city on its Eastern and Southern sides. The area is higher than the surrounding plains due to the dry hills which dot the landscape, providing a natural barrier against floods. These hills are part of the Kirana Hills, also known locally as the Black Mountains, which reach from Sargodha to Jhang. The area, which used to be arid and barren, has been transformed through more than fifty years of aggressive plantation into a lush green city.Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification Rabwah experiences a borderline hot semi-arid climate /hot arid climate. The city shares typical weather patterns of the northwestern Subcontinent: sweltering summers and pleasant to warm winters. The summer season is from April to October where May, the hottest month, sees temperatures regularly reach. The location in the centre of the dry plains is responsible for dust storms in the summer. Summer also brings the Indian Monsoon which increases the precipitation in the month of June and July to above. The winter season is from November to February where January is the coldest month and temperatures may fall to the freezing point. The winters also bring fog which can reduce the visibility to dangerously low levels.Neighborhoods
The planned city was originally divided into following neighbourhoods:- Darus-Sadr or Dar al-Sadr
- Darur-Rahmat or Dar al-Rahmat
- Darul-Futuh or Dar al-Futuh
- Darul-Barakat Dar al-Barakat
- Darul-Uloom or Dar al-Ulum
- Darul-Nasr or Dar al-Nasr
- Darush-Shukr or Dar al-Shukr
- Darul-Yumn or Dar al-Yumn
- Babul-Abwab or Bab al-Abwab
Notable places
- Masjid-e-Aqsa
Sports and recreational places
Buyut-ul-hamd park is a small amusement park in Rabwah. The riverbank and many farmhouses in the surrounding areas are considered good picnic spots.
Commercial places
- Gol Bazar is a semi-circular market in Rabwah which houses most of the city's bank branches.
- Masroor Plaza is a commercial plaza located in the center of the town.
Transport
Education
Rabwah has a high literacy rate with school enrollment of nearly hundred percent. This is reflected by numerous achievements by students from Rabwah. There are numerous government and private primary and secondary schools as well as colleges.Talim-ul-Islam College and School
Talim-ul-Islam College was founded in 1898 in Qadian by the Ahmadiyya Community and relocated to Rabwah in 1947. It was nationalized under the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as part of his nationalization program. An old students association of the college is active and publishes the Al Manar magazine.Jami'a Nusrat Girls College and School
This is an all Girls College and School founded by the Ahmadiyya Community which was later nationalized.Nusrat Jahan Schools
These are a group of non-profit, private, educational institutions in Rabwah. They were established under and named after the Nusrat Jahan Scheme; a scheme launched by the community for the educational betterment of its members. Nusrat Jahan Schools include the Nusrat Jahan Academy Boys School, Nusrat Jahan Academy Girls School, Nusrat Jahan Boys College and Nusrat Jahan Girls College. These institutions offer programmes of primary, secondary, higher secondary and higher education. They are operated by Nazarat Taleem Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya Pakistan.In 2011, the external examination board of all Nusrat Jahan Schools was changed from the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Faisalabad to the Aga Khan University Examination Board.
Institute for special education
Nazarat Taleem has started a school for special children in Rabwah. It is a revolutionary project in which Nazarat Taleem has started delivering all the basic and necessary facilities for disable children in the separate school including special buses to pick and drop etc.
Other educational Institutions
- Schools under Nazarat Taleem:
- *Bayout-ul-Hamd Primary School
- * Bayoutul Hamd Girls High School
- *Maryam Girls High School
- *Maryam Siddiqua Girls High School
- *Nusrat Jahan Academy Boys
- *Nusrat Jahan Academy Girls
- *Tahir Primary School
- *Nasir High School Boys
- *Nasir High School Girls
- *Institute for special education
- *nusrat Jahan college
- Self-directed Schools:
- *Ahmadiyya Public School
- *Heaven House Public School
- *Al Ahmad Public School
- *Crescent Grammar High School
- *Star Academy
Jamia Ahmadiyya