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Day 1 - Sunday 20 July 2008 |
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An Inspiration to our Youths. Sister Anisa Rajbhai, student-helper for Madinah al-Ilm wrote:
On the 20th of July 2008, we began the journey of a lifetime to the blessed city of Qum. We feel extremely privileged to be given the opportunity to go to Iran and in particular, being able to go as helpers, thereby serving the guests of our Imam (AS).
Our journey began at Heathrow airport where we recited Jamaat namaz in the prayer room at terminal three. This brought about a great sense of community spirit within the participants who were embarking on this trip as well as with family members who came to say their farewells.
The feeling of excitement and nervousness were just a couple of the many emotions that were going through the minds of the participants as we left Heathrow Airport. Mohaddisa Jaffer of Peterborough Jamaat, UK, shares her views:
‘As we began our journey to Iran, I felt anticipation and excitement beyond description! The thought that somewhere under the blanket of the night is a blessed land to which each and every one of us has been summoned by the mercy of Allah (SWT) is simply awe inspiring. I feel an eagerness to lay eyes upon the holy shrines of the Ahlul Bayt (AS) as well as feeling extremely honoured at being given the opportunity to stay at Jamiatuz Zahra within the vicinity of Bibi Masuma (AS) and other prestigious personalities. I’ve always heard Iran being described as Jannah on earth in which prayers are never left unanswered and sins never unforgiven. Now, through the grace of The Creator, the passengers of flight IR710 will be able to experience this first hand!!
After finally leaving London (the flight was delayed by an hour which many of you will know is not uncommon for Iran Air!) we arrived five hours later at Imam Khomeini Airport, Tehran, where we were welcomed by the volunteers of The World Federation's Qum Office. We then prayed fajr namaz at the airport after which we left for Jamiatuz Zahra in Qum - our new home for the next three weeks.
Zahra Valji from Essex Jamaat, UK, describes her feelings when first entering Jamiatuz Zahra:
‘The feeling of peace and serenity were overwhelming. I can now understand what people mean when they say that they have seen a piece of heaven on earth. The idea that this institution represents the freedom and education of so many young Muslim women is amazing and has been extremely inspirational for us all’.
Pictures of the Majestic Jamia al-Zahra
We pray to Allah (SWT) that He grants us the strength to make the most out of this journey towards Him, the patience to better ourselves as Muslims, and to help prepare us for the coming of our 12th Imam (AS).
Kumail Remtulla, student-helper for Madinah al-Ilm wrote:
The Madinah al-Ilm Summer Short Course camp is finally underway! After the participants left London, they landed at the Imam Khomeini Airport upon which they took a coach ride to Qum where they unpacked and settled at the Imam Khomeini Madressa.
Below are experiences from two of the participants so far:
Shozebali Ebrahim, Peterborough, UK: "My expectations for this Iran camp are to gain spiritual awareness about the Holy shrines of Bibi Masuma e Qum and Imam Ali Raza (a.s) and also of the sacred city of Qum. I believe that this camp will benefit all who take part. I hope the lessons will allow its students to increase their knowledge of Islam and its ethics. As we have come for a set amount of time, it is vital that all students take all the opportunities that arise as this trip is a once in a lifetime chance, this is because Bibi Masuma e Qum is our host and we have to treat her with the respect and honour this beloved Lady deserves."
Sunrise on entering Qum, picture taken by Shozebali and shows Masjid-e-Ahlulbayt on the way to Qum witnessing our first (of many) spectacular sunrises
Zain Ahmed, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada: "The first day here in Iran has been quite an adventure already. We arrived at the Tehran airport in the morning near Fajr time so we prayed right at the airport. The brilliant thing about this trip is that it makes one pray on time as so much emphasis is given to praying. After that we took an air-conditioned bus (it gets extremely hot here) to the Holy city of Qum. On the journey to Qum I experienced the most beautiful sunrise of my life."
After about an hour on the bus we reached the Hawza and were showed to our air-conditioned rooms. One thing that might worry you is that there are no beds in the rooms. We are provided with some blankets, which we spread on the carpet and went to sleep. Surprisingly this was one of the best sleeps I have had in a long time, maybe because I was incredibly tired because of the travelling. We woke up a few hours later and went for Zuhr and Asr prayers. After that we went to the cafeteria and had lunch where the food was decent. We got a tour of the facility and some time to rest after that. That was a recap of the first day here. One thing that I failed to mention is about the brothers that are in this program. They are absolutely amazing. They share, take care of one another and the best thing of all: they are very enthusiastic about learning about Islam and visiting the shrines.
Alhamdulillah, as the first day comes to a close, everyone is settling in and having a good time. The brothers are bonding well together and are very much looking forward to the course, as well as the trips to Imam Reza (AS) haram and performing the Ziyarat of Bibi Masuma-e-Qum. |
