INTRODUCTION
This institute is located at the town of Mubarakpur in the famous district of U.P. Azamgarh. It is a standard religious educational institution of the Indian Muslims. You will see its different departments and many buildings here. The degree holders of this institute are performing teaching ,organizational and preaching works in different cities and countries of America, Africa and Europe as well as in India. You will see their details also. At its very beginning it was established as a Maktab. Its name was Madarsa Latifia .After that it was made Darul Uloom which became famous as Darul Uloom Ashrafia Misbahl Uloom. Later, When it was extended further, it became famous as Aljamiatul Ashrafia. Its scholors (Degree Holders) are called ‘Misbahi’according to its old name ‘Misbahul Uloom’.
Some elderly and well intentioned Muslims of Mubarakpur established a madarsa called Misbahul Uloom in 1317 (A.H.) / 1899 (A.D.) next to the mosque of Rani Deena baba in a thatched house on the western side. The Madarsa was aimed to impart the education of the Holy Qur'an and the primary religious texts. This institution was run with the assistance and contributions of the people in spite of their bad economic condition.
Just at the heated discourses and debates held during Moharram 1353 H. to Rabiul Akhir 1353 H. came to a close, the members as well-wishers of Ashrafia started a new constructive front under the leadership of Hafiz-e-Millat. A meeting was held in Jama Masjid Raza Mubarak Shah and on Friday the project for constructing buildings for Ashrafia was started and a move for raising fund began. In spite of their economic poverty, the sunni muslims of Mubarakpur spent out whatever they had on their hand. The work of collecting the contribution went on for two months. About the dedication and enthusiasm of Mubarakpur for collecting the contributions some office bearers of Ashrafia write in the annual report :
" The people of Mubarakpur spent out their rupees, sold their cattle, live stock, pots and pans, cloth, jewelleries to raise the fund of Ashrafia. The Muslims of Mubarakpur dedicated every type of valuables to raise the fund for Ashrafia. The Muslim women of Mubarakpur gave their jewelleries- there most favorite and dear valuables. What a real and genuine religious fervour! For the construction of the first storey the women gave out approximately 50 kilograms of jewelleries save gold jewelleries, to Ashrafia. (Rudad-Darul Uloom Ashrafia, P3, 1356 A.H.)
For the construction of the new building of Darul Uloom Ashrafia, Hafiz-e-Millat and the Sunni Muslims of Mubarakpur took a plot of land from Sheikh Mohammad Ansari (d. 1388 / 1968) at Gola bazaar, Mubarakpur. In 1935 people decided to lay the foundation stone. The foundation stone laying ceremony was attended by Sheikhul Mashaiekh Hazrat Ashrafi Mian Kichhauchhavi, Hazrat Sadrus Shariah Azmi, Hazrat Muhaddithe-Azam Hind and other distinguished Ulema. After the Friday prayer Hazrat Hafiz-e-Millat and the distinguished Ulema laid down the foundation stone and prayed for its development. Its foundation year came to be "Bagh-e-Firdaus" when computed according to the numbers as in chronogram. Its name was proposed to be Darul Uloom Ahl-e-Sunnat Madarsa Ashrafia Misbahul Uloom and later it became famous as Darul Uloom Ashrafia. It took a decade to construct its two storeyed building. The classes were held in the same building for about forty years. Afterwards, this two storeyed building has been constructed in its place on 8th of Jamadi Akhir 1421 A.H./ 8th of September 2000 A.D.
