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The World Federation is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations
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The World Federation
exists to achieve the
pleasure of Allah SWT by
developing spiritual and
vibrant communities
serving humanity
Mission Statement
The World Federation
enables its member institutions
to promote the
values and practices of the
Islamic Shia Ithna Asheri
Faith for the spiritual and
material well being of
humanity at large
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Madinah and Bab Course 2012: the experiences of a mentor
Updated 19 December 2012
As part of its excellent Madinah and Bab Short Courses for youths that run every summer, The World Federation recruits and trains a number of mentors that accompany the participants in their once-in-a-lifetime journeys on the Course. The mentors support the development of participants, and join the organising team to ensure the Course remains at its high standards. One of the lucky mentors in 2012 was brother Qassim Mawjee of Hyderi Jamaat, South London. Qassim states:
“The 9th Bab and Madinah al Ilm course was more than just a spiritual journey but a journey which touched my heart and I am sure it has affected the participants as well in the best way possible. Following the months of preparation beforehand from the mentor interview to the training, and right down to getting involved with the make-up of the organisational side whilst in Iran, it has been a real treat and it has been an enormous pleasure to be part of this set-up. There are many lessons I have taken away personally as a mentor on this once-in-a-lifetime trip, not only the fact that the experience has changed my mind-set on the ability to think outside the box but it has also allowed me to open and broaden my spirituality on many different levels.
Alhamdulillah as a group we got the invitation to visit some of the greatest personalities of the Islamic world including Ayatullah Amini, not to mention the ziyarats of Bibi Masooma-e-Qum (as) and Imam Ali Ridha (as). Also the fact that we got the once-in-a-lifetime chance to pray behind Ayatullah Khamenei was something we could all take away something from.
As a mentor and from my humble perspective, this course was beautifully organised and had a good balance between Islamic academia and the lighter side of social life and skills. The students had a variety of lecturers and teachers teaching us from a range of subjects from our 12th Imam to proving the existence of God. These lessons were a good catalyst to simulate the thinking of students and what made it even more productive was the fact that we were in Iran, and blessed to be there in the month of Allah (swt) and these things combined to make a solid foundation for the students to bond on a spiritual level and engage their minds to view aspects of life on a whole new level.
The most rewarding moment that I feel encapsulated the whole experience is a combination of things: the fact that we were in the holy cities in Iran and being there in the Holy month of Ramadhan was simply priceless. Furthermore, the opportunity that we had to go to Masjid Jamkaran on Tuesdays was also an experience especially due to the fact that Shaykh Kumail Rajani spoke to us and told us about the greatness of the surroundings, we were filled only with awe and wonder.
The experience of a mentor is in some ways similar to that of a participant, however in a lot of ways very much different due to the added responsibilities. However, with this said, throughout the time we were in Iran, I kept reminding myself that it was an honour to be one of the Zawaar of Imam Ridha (as) and to be serving and taking care of the other Zawaar was an even bigger honour. Spending so much time with all the participants from so many different countries, we built friendships that didn’t end after two and a half weeks and still remain now and will remain for a long time to come.
Lastly, I feel personally I have gained a lot of knowledge in terms of experiences and teachings from our teachers, the participants, the environment of Iran and the organisers present during the trip and I have learnt huge amounts about myself and I hope and pray that 3 months down the line from when we first landed in Tehran and made our way to Qum to now, Muharram 1434 and those two and a half weeks we spent together, mentor and mentee alike have taken away a small piece of noor that will stay with us guiding us for the rest of our lives.”
For more information email madinahbabcourse@world-federation.org
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