BRIEF HISTORY OF DHAYFULLAH ISLAMIC INSTITUTE, INC.

Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc. derived its name from the term “Dhayfullah” which means “visitor of Allah”. The name was decided by our founder Aleem Salem Abdullah Omar to be its name in memory to his closest Arab friend and generous supporter in managing a school whose name is DhaifAllah Ayesh Al-Utaibi. It initially started as a regular traditional madrasah primarily proposed and intended for Qur’anic Memorization for orphan live-in pupils using the two-storey building of Hadji Ibrahim Unda as lease. The agreement of lease between Aleem Salem and Hadji Ibrahim will run up to 3 years supposedly, but after a couple of months, Aleem Salem has decided to erect his own buildings right after he acquired a house and lot near within the location with a total area of 8, 700 sq. m.  The first constructed building was a masjid (mosque). Soon after it was being completely built, it has been clustered into four classrooms as a temporary center for learning. The integrated department moved to its constructed bamboo building with four classrooms and one room for school canteen upon its completion on 2006. Alongside it, a two room building was constructed intended for faculty office and small library in the same year.

The institute was formerly known as Dhayfullah Pilot School and has catered only 8 pupils and employed 4 teachers and asatiz on its first opening. The first teachers were Muslim Converts namely Mr. Harris Veradio and Ms. Saida Briones and the first asatiz were Ms. Khadija Macatoon and Ms. Noraisa Unda.

In year 2006, the school’s name Dhayfullah Pilot School was renamed as Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc. when it was been officially registered at the Securities and Exchange Commission for its incorporation and has also earned its Elementary recognition at the Department of Education. It was also on this year that the board of trustees have recommended the setting up of the Institute, noted in its report that “The Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc. would provide for the first time in the country the All-In-One Curriculum which is the integrated Islamic and secular education with Qur’anic Memorization (Tahfihdil Qu’ranil Kareem, a curriculum designed to build a strong Islamized academic foundation preparing for life-long learning)… For a Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc. must inevitably realize that it is an Institute for Filipino Muslims in pursuit of quality balanced education.

Thus, the institution was offering the complete elementary grade levels that prompted the change of its name to what is now called “Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc.” From that time onward, through the vigilance and the devoted dedication, the reputation of the school grow and improve its enrollment.

Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc. is a non-stock private educational institution founded and headed as President/CEO by Aleem Salem Abdullah Omar with 1 interrupted academic year because on year 2008, his wife Mrs. Norminah B. Unda-Omar presided it to look for the overall management and administration of the academic programs.

On September 10, 2009, an inspection group from the Bureau of Madaris Education (BME) under the Office of Muslim Education (OME) and Department of Education (DepEd National) came to evaluate and validate the labor and groundwork of the institute of 4 years for its elementary department. 

 In the same year of November 6, the institute has received its government recognition for secondary level issued by the Bureau of Secondary Education, DepEd ARMM. The recognitions in Elementary and Secondary was the first official achievements of the institute en route for the realization of its dream.

In 2010, Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc. affiliated with the Philippine Federation of Pilot Madaris (Schools) where its participation in it has been ranked as 2^nd best school in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in providing quality balanced education. DII’s founder Aleem Salem Abdullah Omar also became the 3^rd President of the Philippine Federation of Pilot Madaris at this present through a magnanimous number of votes among the members of the organization and through the recommendation of the Undersecretary of the Madaris Education, Dr. Alzad T. Sattar.

The physical plant of the institute was been reconstructed and its area was expanded to 230, 000 sq. m. Buildings have progressively made into concrete and wood and the ground floor was cemented. The teaching and non-teaching personnel also grew as it now cater more than 60 employees.

On November 11, 2015, Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc. has gained buildings and lot near the school area from a group of engineers. The buildings is intended to move into it the Tahfihdil Qur’anil Kareem Department/ Qur’anic Memorization Department and the Students, faculty and staff dormitory.

Subsequent addition to the campus were the Administrative Building, Institute library, Laboratories such as Science, Computer and T.L.E., and still under construction of an annex building composed of 18 rooms.

The Office of the Muslim Education (OME) has chosen Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc. among the several madaris in the Philippines to present its history and on how it develop as an institution at the office of the Department of Education (DepEd National) on September 13, 2016 in Davao City, Philippines. The institute has also been entrusted to help those pilot madaris to likewise develop. In the year 2015 and 2016, Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc. has been ranked as Top 1 Tahderiyyah School in the Philippines given by the joint organization of UNICEF and BDA for two consecutive years.

The relevance and responsiveness of the institute’s academic offering can be gleaned into mentioning for example the achievement that our Grade 10 students have attained garnering Top 4 in the Grade 10 National Achievement Test given by the Marawi City Division under the Department of Education in school year 2015-2016, the excellence shown in other fields and many others. Quality balanced education, animated by a strong Islamic spirit, has certainly chartered the path that the institute has taken in the successful attainment in its mission.

The cornerstones of the establishment of the Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc. which has been used as benchmarks in this assessment were as follows:

1.      Da’wah

The main reason for the creation of Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc. was for Da’wah. Although focused on education, the guiding principle for the management team was for da’wah. Every member of the Institute –administrative, faculty, and staff makes a commitment to deliver the guidance brought upon by the book of Allah, Al-Qur’anul Kareem and the way how Muhammad S.A.W. conveyed it academically, spiritually, morally, socially, and physically.

2.      Islamic Education in the Philippines –the Integrated Curriculum with Qur’anic Memorization

The integrated curriculum as implemented in the Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc. is inspired by the global trend on the Islamization of knowledge. Islam as a religion, and a way of life must be made integral part of all subjects taught in all levels of education –irrespective of dialect or language used in instruction.

3.      Reforms for Educational Status

The poor quality of education of the Muslims in the Philippines has been seriously affecting their quality of life and general stature in the Philippine socio-political life and bureaucracy. The ARMM has been considered the poorest region in the Philippines- especially in education. Among the goal of Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc. is to act model for quality balanced education within the Philippine standards.

It is the infinite blessings of Allah Azza Wa Jal that serve as a mover and patron in the steady growth of the institute     from a simple bamboo building in 2006 to a full grown institution of balanced education both in Arabic and English as it is today with a population of more than 700 pupils/students. The Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc. is now the premier institution of integrated education not only in ARMM but also throughout the Philippines.