The University
The International Islamic University is located in the capital city of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Islamabad. With a population of approximately 400,000, Islamabad is a serene home to the University, due to the non-existence of the usual hustle and bustle of a big metropolis city. The University is situated in the annexe of the Great King Faisal Mosque (described below), which is situated in the extreme east corner of the city.
Therefore, in a way the University is far away from the mainstream of the city, and is situated at the foot of the scenic range of the Margalla Mountains and adjacent to wild forests. This provides the campus with a beautiful look in all four seasons of the year. The absence of any kind of city noise provides the students with tranquility and peace, which is necessary for a healthy, academic and studying environment.
The adjacent parks and fields of the mosque provide ample recreation space for the students, who always need an athletic break whenever possible from studies, in order to develop healthy, energetic minds. Plenty of green landscape serves as added extra by providing the necessary oxygen for the constant working minds of the hard working students. The Margallah Hills Society's tree plantation drive not only preserves the green environment but also keeps adding extra to meet the growing demands of humankind. Thus, demonstrating that Muslims are equally environmental conscious as any other society, community or nation. Infact, Islam is the only religion which encourages the preservation of humankinds' environment by taking great care of its surroundings.
Surrounding the University on the east, are the exhillirating, scenic appearance of the range of mountains. On the north and south are the wild forests, and on the west side begins the residential areas of the city. Thus, the question of disturbance or any sort of distraction never arises. In a nutshell, the feeling you get of the location is like being on an island and there is noone there except like minded people, meaning students. This makes visitors to the campus, completely strangers (like intruders on the island) and not knowing where they have landed themselves upon.
The bottomline is that the location is really idealistic in terms of a studying environment, as the need to leave the campus seldom arises, since all the basic amenities of daily life are provided for at the location in terms of small shops, which too are very quiet! Above all one gets finely tuned with natural life, due to sightseeing of the wild animals in the neighboring forests (ofcourse fences do exist). As far as spiritual "re-fueling" is concerned, then the five daily prayers in the Grand King Faisal Mosque is sufficient enough for constant re-juvenation.
Plans are underway to build an independent new big campus on bought land in the industrial area of the city, complete with all amenities on site.
The Grand King Faisal Mosque
The Mosque is a symbol of international islamic brotherhood and unity. It was designed by a famous Turkish architect and was donated to Pakistan by the late King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The mosque is spread over an area of 189,705 square meters and can accomodate upto about 200,000 muslims in a congregation. Built in a shape of a tent, the mosque reminds us the historic tent in which the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad(saw) had led the first-ever Jumu'ah (Friday) congregational prayer in the locality of Banu' Salim in the vicinity of Medina soon after his migration from Mecca. Faisal Mosque commemorates this first public congregation in Islamic history, which had taken place on
