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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
Vision Statement
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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Reflection: Iran Summer Course 2010 – Madinah al-Ilm
Updated 5 January 2011
Written by Samantha Lanham
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
I went to Iran seeking knowledge of Islam from authoritative sources, an opportunity to think about the way I was living my life before it passed me by, and to get some respite from a western lifestyle and all its distractions.
I was looking forward to immersing myself in an Islamic culture, seeing a bit more of the world and meeting like-minded people. I was a bit nervous at first that I would not know how to act and would be ignorant as the only non-Khoja and a convert to Islam. Alhumdulillah, I fitted in well in the end.
A significant proportion of our time in Iran was spent attending lectures and discussions in the hawza, in parks and in scholar’s homes. I found the daily lectures on akhlaq combined with the twilight discussions on knowing yourself, purifying the inner qualities, and meditation to be the most relevant and interesting. We also had a very useful discussion with one of the scholars on marriage.
One of the first things we did in Qum was to visit Bibi Fatima Masuma’s haram. I was struck by the beauty and serenity of the place and felt like I was growing spiritually during our daily visits for fajr namaz and ziyarats. On a typical day, this visit would be followed by a twilight lecture, exercise, breakfast, and then 3 hours of lectures in the hawza. We rested from 11am to 1pm after which we had lunch, did our washing, homework and reading, or some days shopping. This was followed by an afternoon and evening programme of informal discussions with scholars and attending various sites for additional dua and namaaz.
The organisers managed to pack so much into the schedule that I couldn’t possibly mention everything, but one of my favourite trips was to Khizr Mountain. Rising out of the desert with diagonal streaks of different coloured sand forming its foundation, Khizr Mountain was beautiful. From the top, you get a bird’s eye view of Qum and an opportunity to gain perspective on your own significance. This calm and peaceful place was the ideal location for dua-e-kumail on the 15th of Shaa’ban.
We visited other beautiful places such as the castle at Kershan and the white coral underground caves nearby.
On a weekend trip to Tehran, we visited Imam Khomeini’s humble home. We also had the emotionally wrenching experience of visiting the extensive graveyards lined with photos of young men who fought in the revolution and a prison in which men and women captives were brutally tortured.
A visit that many of the older girls were eagerly anticipating was the trip to the Ansariyan bookshop where I spent every remaining penny of my student loan on some essential books!
After Qum, we were sorry to say goodbye to the hospitable staff at the hawza and our lecturers but were looking forward to Mashhad. We caught the overnight train and felt the land pass beneath us as we edged our way east towards Imam Ali Reza’s city. The haram in Mashhad was breath-taking and having a little more freedom and less scheduled activities, meant there was more time for sincere contemplation and worship.
In retrospect, the course (especially the Qum part) was very intense and a test of your physical and emotional stamina, but ultimately, I gained knowledge, life experience, sincere and like-minded friends and loads of books! I thank Allah that I was able to take part. I would also like to thank all the people who made the trip possible and the two mentors (Saida Nasser and Fatima Mawji) who did a brilliant job.
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