Madinah& Babal-Ilm2016 REPORT

Transcription

1 Madinah& Babal-Ilm2016 REPORT

2 The World Federation of KSIMC 2 The lessons that I have learnt and the friendships I have made are incomparable. The connection I feel I have made with the imam of our time, Imam Mahdi (a.j.t.f.s.) is a blessing in itself. There is a sacredness in Iran that transcends everyday concerns, from the streets to the haram, I feel the presence of the Imam and feel the beauty of the creations of Allah (s.w.t) how can I not feel at home here? The air there has become an elixir I can t get enough of and I pray from the bottom of my heart that everyone receives the opportunity that I did, and that one day, I can return again. Mehr Fatema Karim Baab participant, COEJ

3 Introduction Setting the scene Staff Members Participants from region Venue Arrival Qum Class instructors Madinah & Babal-Ilm Report 2016 Topics studied Cultural activities: Qum Hamadan Mashhad Nayshabur Closing ceremony Tehran and Farewell Acknowledgements

4 The World Federation of KSIMC 4 Introduction The Madinah and Bab ul Ilm courses of 2016 would mark the 14th consecutive summer programmes under the World Federation. As always, the outreach was to the younger youth from all communities worldwide with the intention of providing a 3-week Islamic educational course conducted by scholars and senior students of the Hawza establishment in the holy cities of Qum and Mashhad. There is often seen to be a vacuum in gaining Islamic knowledge soon after the completion of what is culturally known as Madressa in our communities, however this course intends to provide an extension to learning in this area by the use of various Islamic sciences for the sole purpose of helping man achieve the ultimate goal of becoming a true servant of Allah (SWT). The training programme was enlightened by one of the most senior scholars from amongst the community and the wise words of Shaykh Muhammad Khalfaan would prove to be the motivation for the mentors for the next 3 weeks of true and sincere service in the way of Allah (SWT). Setting the scene Students were selected from various regions and months of hard work, planning and logistical analysis was carried out by those responsible for the materialisation of the course. Mentors were also carefully nominated from various regions; they underwent a training programme to try and give an insight as to what mentoring could be like once the course begins. Some of the Staff Members of Madina h and Babal-Ilm Course 2016

5 Staff Members Shaykh Nadir Jaffer Head of Madinah/Bab Course Sr. Jerrmein Abu Shahba Project Manager Br. Mustafa Bhurani Logistical Coordinator Br. Mahdi Fadaee Logistical Coordinator Br. Amin Afshar Qum Office volunteer/teacher Br. Muhammad Ishaq Noori Qum Office volunteer Sr. Hawra Hajiyan Qum Office volunteer Sr. Asma Sultanali Rashid Qum Office volunteer Br. Qasim Gulam Husain Mentor Trainer Participants from respective regions 26% 9% 40% 21% 4% Venue The holy shrine of Sayyeda Fatemah Masuma (S.A) The hub of the course, just like previous years, takes place in the holy city of Sayyeda Masuma (S.A), Qum al Muqaddisa. The historical scholarly significance of this city and its impact upon the students need no introduction; the intention is that the participants experience this during their stay. Sisters stayed in the renowned Islamic Hawza seminary, Jaami ah al Zahra (A.S), a purpose built super complex for ladies who throughout the year are busy with Islamic education. The brothers this year were blessed to stay in close vicinity to the famous masjid al Jamkaraan. These two locations would be their temporary home and base for soaking up all that which teachers had to offer. 5 Madinah & Babal-Ilm Report 2016 CoEJ AFED Pakistan & India Nasimco Bosnia The last week of the course culminated with the superabundant gift from Allah (SWT) which blessed the participants to be in the holy city of Mashhad on the birth anniversary of our holy 8th Imam, Ali ibn Musa al Redha (A.S).

6 The World Federation of KSIMC 6 The holy shrine of Sayyeda Fatemah Masuma (S.A) Arrival After much deliberation, planning and patience, it finally paid off and participants had reached Iran ready and eagerly waiting for the next 3 emotionally charged weeks. It would be a wonderful journey for all, consisting of various activities, engaging different aspects of one s personality and their spiritual development. The first encounter participants embarked upon was the introductory seminar. Time was spent in order to explain the main goals in place for a course that has been running for 14 consecutive years. We would look at the place Allah (SWT) holds in our day to day life, the role of the Holy Prophet (SAW) and the Holy Household (A.S) in creating for us the correct mindset and ideology, maintaining a perspective of life based on death and the afterlife. The seminar also included logistical information with regards to the course structure, how lessons would be conducted, when Ziyarat will be performed, sleeping arrangements etc. It would prove to be an ice breaker and a warm up of things to follow. Shaykh Nadir Jaffer addressing the participants

7 Participants, facilitators and tutors during the opening ceremony 7 Qum The course setup is such that participants spend most of their time in the holy city of Qum. It is from here that the course is steered in the direction of revisiting the importance of Allah (SWT) in each individuals life and re-establishing a spiritual connection. Participants benefitted from the spiritually charged environment of the holy shrine of Sayyeda Fatemah Masuma (A.S), performing the Ziyarat and Salaat in her holy presence. Coupled with the blessing of Ziyarat was the crux of the course, the opportunity of further developing one s deeper understanding into Islam, with the hope of absorbing and implementing religion the way the holy Ahlulbayt (A.S) had intended, was the essence of the course. Brothers and sisters were blessed this year with a host of experienced teachers, equipped with the ability of not only answering dormant doubts and queries but also offering new and corrected ways of approaching specific issues. Long standing Hawza students who for many years have been studying and researching were fully involved in giving back to the community over the 2-week period in Qum. With respect to previous years, a more practical approach was taken this year and certain topics which have troubled the youth of today were discussed in detail. Classes were split into groups and each group had 7 workshops, each with a different topic and teacher. Participants benefitted from the spiritually charged environment of the holy shrine of Sayyeda Fatemah Masuma (A.S), performing the Ziyarat and Salaat in her holy presence. Madinah & Babal-Ilm Report 2016

8 The World Federation of KSIMC 8 Students learning outside of the classrooms Class Instructors The teachers/instructors involved in this year s course were as follows: 1- Dr. Saeed Bahmanpour 2- Dr. Ahmed Fazeli 3- Sayyid Muhammad Raza Kazmi 4- Sayyid Hidayat Razavi 5- Sayyid Shabbar Haidershah 6- Shaykh Muhammad Khalfan 7 - Shaykh Nadir Jaffer 8 - Shaykh Assad Dharsi 9 - Shaykh Husain Abbas Turabi 10 - Brother Amin Afshar 11 -Sister Razia Batool Najafi 12- Sister Naajiya Shabbar 13- Sister Salma Khalfan 14- Sister Asma Sultan Shaykh Muhammad Khalfan addressing the students during the opening ceremony

9 Our esteemed teacher Dr Saeed Bahmanpour conducting a series of talks based on the Quranic understanding of an Islamic society 9 Topics studied Aside from the lectures and talks, it was clear that the informal discussions amongst the students and lecturers proved incredibly fruitful. Reflection sessions on Tawheed, death and service to Allah (SWT) through the Imam (ajtfs) would leave brothers and sisters with a huge enthusiasm and encouragement to maintain the spiritual buzz they had encountered and pursued; this was a more realistic outlook to life for them, from now on. The following topics were selected and discussed at length: 9. Practical Ahkaam 10. Role of Marja iyyah 11. Ethics: Preserving Islamic identity whilst living in the West 12. Pre-Marital Issues 13. Hijaab in Islam 14. Balanced family life 15. Prophetic Medicine 16. Youth issues: Peer pressure, effects of the media, generation gap Madinah & Babal-Ilm Report Lessons from the Holy Qur an 2. Nahjul Balagha in our practical life 3. Secrets of Sahifa al Sajjaadiyah 4. Spiritual journey of the soul 5. The doctrine of Mahdawiyyah (ajtfs) 6. The history and life of Imam al Redha (A.S). 7. Ideology and Islamic belief system 8. Philosophy of Ziyarat

10 The World Federation of KSIMC 10 The fruition of knowledge is sincerity in action Imam Ali (A.S) The visitation to the dhareeh of the Imamayn al Askariyyayn - Boys As mentioned in the introductory seminar, as well as in the twilight sessions, the objective in the course itself was to increase one s understanding of Allah (SWT) and to enhance in our obedience to Him, theoretically but more importantly practically. It was hence a beautiful sight to see brothers and sisters in the course coming together for Salaat on a regular basis and beseeching Allah (SWT) in Dua at various spiritually charged locations. Sisters busy in Dua at Masjid al Jamkaraan, Qum

11 Visiting the waterfalls 11 Amongst the spiritual electricity and the Islamic academic progression, naturally there was time for fun and games. The mountain of Hadhrat Khidhr (A.S) was the destination early in the morning with an apt reflection session at the summit. There was of course time for fun and games. Paintballing and football went down very well and brought out the competitiveness of some of the brothers! 2016, in particular, had an uplifting experience for the course. A truly monumental lifetime opportunity was presented to the participants in what would be a memorable moment. Visiting the mountain of Hadhrat Khidhr (A.S) - Boys Madinah & Babal-Ilm Report 2016 The design and construction of the new dhareeh of the Imamayn al Askariyyayn (A.S) shrine in Samarra has been undertaken in the holy city of Qum. The doors were opened to the course participants and time was given for the brothers and sisters to tie their hearts and souls to what would be the housing of the holy graves of our beloved 10th and 11th Imams (A.S). The group was blessed to be close to the dhareeh and conduct Dua and Masaa eb, sending emotions and tears from Qum to Samarra.

12 The World Federation of KSIMC 12 The dhareeh of Imams Ali al Hadi and Hassan al Askari, may our souls be ransomed for them The dhareeh of Imams Ali al Hadi and Hassan al Askari, may our lives be ransomed for them both, ready to leave the holy city of Qum and to be placed over the holy bodies in the holy shrine located in Samarra Cultural activities and places visited in Qum 1. Holy Shrine of Sayyida Fatimah al- Ma sooma (SA) 2. Jamkaran holy mosque 3. Mount Khidhr (AS) 4. Bayt al-noor (the house of light) 5. Hadhrat Musa al-mubarqa (son of Imam al-jawad (AS)) and the 40 stars Walking through a valley of one of the mountains

13 A visit to Ansariyan Publications The new Zareeh for Samarra of Imamayn al-askariyyayn (AS) 7. Library of Late Ayatullah Sayyid Marashi Najafi (RA) 8. Ahkaam Museum 9. Gulzaar-e Shuhada (the garden of Martyrs) 10. The great Arif, Ayatullah Mirza Jawad Maleki Tabrezi (RA) 11. Ansariyan Publications Madinah & Babal-Ilm Report Dar al-zahra (SA) - The World Federation Qum Office 13. Shaykhan graveyard 14. House of Imam Khomeini (RA) 15. Tour of Haram and graves of Olama & Maraje buried inside the holy Shrine. A visit to the Jamkaran holy mosque

14 The World Federation of KSIMC 14 The holy shrine of Imam Ali ibn Musa al Redha, may our souls be ransomed for him Places visited in the city of Hamadan 1. Avicenna (Bu Ali Sina) 2. National Museum of Hamadan 3. Ganj-Nameh, cuneiform inscriptions 4. Tele-cabin climb on top of the mountain 5. Grave of the great poet Baba Tahir Oryaan 6. Ekbataan city 5000 years ago 7. The historical Saint Mary church 8. Waterfall 9. Abbas Abad hill 10. Ali-Sadr water cave Mashhad of Imam Al Redha (A.S). After spending most of the time in the holy city of Qum, it was finally the time for the brothers and sisters to meet the 8th holy Imam well known to have the title al-rauof meaning the especially merciful amongst the Mu mineen. Many of the classes in Qum involved uncovering the station that the Wali of Allah (SWT) maintains and how the pleasure of these holy individuals is in actual fact directly the pleasure of Allah (SWT). It was a felicitous opportunity to implement all the theoretical knowledge attained thus far and practically demonstrate our love by the visitation as advised by Imam Ali ibn Musa al Redha (A.S) himself. It would be an advantage to re-establish and renew the covenant as followers of the Ahlulbayt (A.S); a covenant by promising to never sin again and that Allah (SWT) is the top priority in life in every conceivable aspect.

15 Participants, on their way from Qum to Mashhad 15 Visitations to the holy shrine allowed for Salaat al Layl at the Haram, time to reflect on the past, plan for the future and to soak up the spiritual effects the holy Imam emanates due to his station with Allah (SWT). Lectures continued, recitations of the tragic ending to the life of Imam (A.S), however Qasidas and Munajaats were focussed on, as the participants were blessed this year to be amongst the 10 days of generosity, which are the ten days linking the birth anniversaries of Sayyeda Fatemah Masuma (S.A) and Imam Al Redha (A.S). This was an emotional stage for many, particularly those who had visited the grandson of the Holy Prophet (SAW) in Mashhad for the first time. Tears of joy! Madinah & Babal-Ilm Report 2016 Visitations to the holy shrine allowed for Salaat al Layl at the Haram, time to reflect on the past, plan for the future and to soak up the spiritual effects the holy Imam emanates due to his station with Allah (SWT) A visit to the holy shrine of Imam Ali ibn Musa al Redha

16 The World Federation of KSIMC Sit with the knowledgeable, your knowledge will increase, your etiquette will become beautiful and your souls will become pure. Imam Ali (A.S) 16 Meeting with Ayatullah Lutfullah Saafi Golpaygaani During the stay in Mashhad, as the previous years have shown, participants are often privileged to meet with grand scholars and true servants of Allah (SWT). This year, participants were given the opportunity to meet one of senior living marja s of today, Ayatullah Lutfullah Saafi Golpaygaani. Advice were given with respect to strengthening one s belief in Allah (SWT) and the living Imam (ajtfs), Salaat and the importance of maintaining faith in non- Muslim countries, and maintaining excellent hijab for sisters. A truly wonderful moment for all! Although spending his summer months in the cooler city of Mashhad, Ayatullah Saafi normally resides in the holy city of Qum where he has authored numerous publications, lectured scholars intending to become mujtahids themselves, and demonstrating how the true servants of Allah (SWT) live on a day-to-day basis. Ayatullah Saafi for a long period of time was entrusted by the late Grand Marja Ayatullah Hussein Borujerdi to answer all questions posed to his office! Over 100 years of age (and may Allah (SWT) prolong his life), his advice and kind words were shared to the participants.

17 An invitation to have lunch at the holy shrine of Imam al Redha (A.S) was truly an honour Display of which sea creatures are permissible and those which are not 17 Madinah & Babal-Ilm Report 2016 Islamic institutions in the holy cities of Qum and Mashhad have made a conscious effort to propagate aspects of Islam using different methods and techniques. A project that has recently materialised is the sensible and practical exhibition which demonstrates the various types of halal and non-halal things one can come across. The aim is to use kinaesthetic learning in order to grasp the rulings, a technique sure to make Akhaam (rulings) easier to memorise. Commentary and rulings being translated into English

18 The World Federation of KSIMC We would like to thank you all from the bottom layer of our hearts for the wonderful hospitality and care you have provided to our children, brothers and sisters who were your guests for the last three weeks. Your generosity and patience is highly appreciated. May Allah SWT reward you all for all you have done for them. Please join us in praying for these young boys and girls who are our future that may Allah SWT grant them tawfeeq to maintain what they have learnt throughout their practical life when they are back home and present themselves as ambassadors of Ahlulbait AS. Ameen Habib Mukhtarali and Mehtab Habib, UK 18 Nayshabur Near to the city of Mashhad is the famous place called Nayshabur. A significant site for all Muslims but in particular, the lovers of the Ahlulbayt (A.S). It was the site of the famous narration named The Golden Chain Hadeeth which Imam al-redha (A.S) narrated from all previous Imams (A.S), the Holy Prophet (SAW) and from Allah (SWT) Himself that the proclamation of Tawheed (theoretical and practical) associated with the condition of the Imam, ensures security from punishment. The holy city of Mashhad has many sites within the precinct of the Haram, close by and on the suburbs of the city itself. Below are the places the brothers and sisters visited during their stay there, including the museum of the holy shrine of Imam al-redha (A.S). 1. Grave of Lady Shateeta 2. Ulema (Grand Scholars) buried in the haram including Shaykh Hur al-amoli, Shaykh Tabarsi, Shaykh Hassan Ali Isfahaani Nokhudaki, Shaykh Ja ffar Mujtahidi, etc. 3. Imam Zaadeh Mahrooq and Imam Zaadeh Ibrahim 4. Khwaja Aba Sult the companion of Imam al-redha (A.S

19 Shaykh Nadir Jaffer during the closing ceremony Closing Ceremony Nearly three weeks of spending days and nights with one another, spiritually bonding and deep internal reflection, the course was coming to an end and prior to the trip back to Tehran, mentors and participants were involved in an emotional closing ceremony. Messages from participants were shared, gifts and certificates were distributed and final words of guidance from Shaykh Nadir Jaffer solidified the rigidity of the new levels of spirituality upon returning home. 19 Madinah & Babal-Ilm Report 2016 Thanks to all the organizers, chaperone and volunteers who made this trip possible for our children. You all have work endlessly to make this a memorable and spiritual journey for our kids.i pray to Allah to reward you all in both worlds and give you the tawfeeq to continue organizing such trips for the children of the community.this whatsapp group was truly amazing and felt very connected - Jazakallah. Shamshir & Anar Kassam (Parents of Sana Fatema Kassam)

20 The World Federation of KSIMC 20 At the top of the tallest tower in Tehran, Burj e Milaad Tehran and Farewell A trip back to Tehran would include an outing to the famous Burj e Milaad tower overlooking the biggest city in Iran. It was almost a gentle transition from the spiritually engrossed trip back towards the busy lifestyles we all lead back home. The smiles on the faces paints the reality that true brotherhood and sisterhood was established on the trip. It would be with heavy hearts that the mentors and participants would return back from this journey and God willing, the course would continue for another year in We would like to thank the organizers and mentors for all their efforts and giving our children a chance to be part of a great journey! May Allah (swt) shower His blessings upon you all and allow you to continue serving Him in many different ways. Amine and Amena Goulamaly, Madagascar Then the workshops of so many knowledgeable people, which make you realise your worth and actually give you a hint of change. This trip changed me a lot, there was a time before this trip took place and my hijab used to be so awful, and the hijab you see me in now is way different. Kulsum Mohamed Hussein Baab participant, AFED

21 Acknowledgments All praise belongs to Allah SWT, the Lord of the universes. We praise Him for giving us the opportunity once again to ensure this course, under the guardianship of Imam al Redha (A.S) and Sayyeda Fatemah Masuma (S.A), materialised successfully. In the holy cities of Qum and Mashhad, it is due to the presence of these holy personalities that Allah SWT allows His extra mercy to flow to us all. The World Federation - Qum Office would like to take this opportunity to immensely thank the Islamic Education team and the regional Jamaats for their hard efforts, patience, and continuous support. Amongst the ingredients of a successful course is the participants themselves. It was a joy for the coordinators, teachers and mentors to spend time with them and we thank them for making the course a big success. Of course, behind the scenes are the very parents of these participants who have been involved from the offset, ensuring the participants make the most of their time and thus to the parents we also extend our gratitude. May Allah SWT grant us the sustenance in acquiring His pleasure and to give us another chance in the year 2017 to serve Him via this course once more. And on Him alone do we rely. Islamic Education Team 21 Madinah & Babal-Ilm Report 2016

22 We exist to serve Registered Charity in the UK No: The World Federation is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations