Updated 11 January 2012
In the summer of 2011, 57 lucky students participated in the journey of a lifetime and joined the excellent Madinah and Bab Summer Courses.
One of these participants was sister Fatima Sohawan of Toronto, Canada. She recounts her experiences:
By the grace of Allah, I experienced one of the most life-changing three weeks on my trip to Qum and Mashhad. From the spirituality of the ziyarats to the wonderful people that I can never forget, I could not have asked for anything better.
Upon arrival, coming from the West it was a total culture shock. The organisers played such an important role during these times, and Alhamdullilah they were so helpful and understanding for the entire time. But the beauty of Iran was the utmost respect and unity that everyone displayed - Muslims coming together to please Allah. I quickly felt like I belonged, though I was in a place so foreign to me.
It was my first ziyarat trip, and for one of the rare times in my life I truly felt connected to something that was greater than the dunya, a sort of elevation and inclining to ponder about my life as a follower of the 8th Imam (as). I got the opportunity to learn about this wonderful infallible during the engaging modules we attended. The classes were very fruitful and full of insight. I learned about many things, and with depth and clarity they became valuable sources of knowledge. From why we mourn for Imam Husayn, to the deeper meaning behind Quranic verses, everything in combination has allowed me to achieve some sort of betterment as a human being, and a Muslim.
One of the most immediate life changing events during the camp was surely being in the many harams we had visited, such as that of Bibi Fatima Masuma (as), Imam Ali Al-Ridha (as), and Masjid-e-Jamkaran. You could almost feel the presence of the Imams and their family around you, quite surreal moments indeed. Sitting at the Haram, time seems to fly. You feel like you can sit there for as long as forever, and pondering about life and Islam seems to be never-ending. The serenity and peace is exhilarating. Praying under the open sky, surrounded by Allah's creations is also another feeling entirely.
I truly wish every momin will be as fortunate as me to visit this wonderful place Insha'Allah.
To register for the Madinah and Bab Summer Courses in 2012 email madinahbabcourse@world-federation.org
For more information email madinahbabcourse@world-federation.org
To help a student participate on this course click here to donate