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Diary of Day 5 - Madinah-al-Ilm and Bab-al-Ilm 4 Course |
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Day 5 - Friday 27 July 2007
Boys' Diary: The day started with an early morning wake-up call for Salatul Fajr, followed by a coach ride to Tehran. Mujahid Hemani of Toronto describes the early morning events: "Our mentors woke us up for prayers. We were all tired since we had only got a couple of hours' sleep; some of us didn't sleep until after midnight! After doing our Fajr Prayers, we did some last minute packing and took quick showers."
The first stop we made was at the shrine of Imam Khomeini (r.a.). Alihassan Ladak of U.K. shares his experiences with us: "After having heard so much about this prominent personality who was of paramount importance to the Iranian Revolution, we finally got the chance to visit his shrine. At the shrine, we were given a military type welcome, and ushered in by a guard of honour. The Iranian Anthem was played. We noticed that the haram was simple, and yet we felt an emotionally overwhelming feeling of might and power. The focal point of this shrine was a metal cage (zari), which shielded the grave of the Ayatullah."
"At the shrine, we attracted the attention of the locals, who were excitedly taking pictures of their Khoja brothers and sisters", adds Sajjad Dewji of Canada. "We observed the enthusiasm with which the Iranian people held their great leader. This gave us a further understanding of a man who died when some of us weren't even born!"
When asked about the advantage of visiting the shrine of Imam Khomeini, Alihassan Ladak had an interesting response: "We realise the Ayatullah expressed moral qualities that were a hallmark of perfection. We will try and adopt these qualities as we grow and progress in life Inshallah."
After ziarah of Imam Khomeini, the campers had a quick breakfast before proceeding to Behisht-e-Zehra, the largest graveyard in Tehran, where the shuhada are buried. Here, they saw the graves of some of the prominent personalities who fought for the Iranian revolution. The participants were also shown the place where Imam Khomeini (ra.) made his first speech after returning from exile in France.
One of the highpoints of the visit to Tehran was Friday Prayers at Tehran University. This is one of the largest gatherings of Shias for Juma prayers in the world. Ayatullah Jannati, head of the Guardian Council, led the prayers. The campers were impressed with the reception. "We were given VIP treatment at the Friday prayers, and were seated in the first three rows with the ministers and other dignitaries. We were also provided with wireless translation headphones so we could follow the khutba in English",said Muhammad Hassan Walji.
After prayers, the participants were treated to a Sumptuous Iranian Lunch, and then taken to Saad Abaad Palace, one of the former Shah's summer homes. Minhal Ramani of Portsmouth describes his impressions: "There are no words that can describe the enormity and beauty of the palace. It was truly mesmerising! The compound consisted of 18. yes, eighteen! palaces, each having about 30 rooms which were excessively lavish and extravagantly decorated with impeccable and flawless designs. Only a few rooms now remain open for visitors as the government cannot afford to maintain the up-keep of these palaces. This tells us the extent of the Shah's excessive wealth. Even dreams would limit the fairy-tale lifestyle the Shah lived!"
"We as a group only visited one of the 18 palaces", adds Mohsin Asharia from London. "The guide told us that it would take an entire week to visit all the palaces! This secluded heavenly residence in the mountains of Tehran would certainly have kept the Shah oblivious of the torture and turmoil the country faced."
Having seen the lavish lifestyle of the Shah, the campers were taken to the residence of Imam Khomeini in Jamaran, Tehran. Aamer Shariff of Vancouver recounts this experience: "After visiting the Shah's palace, Imam Khomeini's house might have felt very unimpressive, but it was quite the opposite. Imam's house was very humble. There was one small living room, a kitchen and one bedroom. I felt honoured being there where one of the greatest personalities lived."
"We now understand that material gain is momentary, with the Shah's mansions reduced to museums. In contrast, imam Khomeini lived in a simple residence in the alleyways of Tehran, but rose as a revolutionary martyr for ever!", adds Alihassan Ladak.
Irfanali Karim from Orlando sums up the day for us: "After a very interesting and humbling experience at Imam Khomeini's house, we were taken to the hotel to freshen up and pray; and then to an Indian Restaurant for dinner. Despite a rather long wait at the restaurant, the food served was delicious! We then boarded the bus to go back to the hotel. Everyone was exhausted after a day full of activities. We all went straight to bed for much needed sleep, as the next day was going to be equally busy".
By: Aly Nasser
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