(The ship of salvation and beacon of light)
It can be said that the history of mankind has always been like an open ocean of events, shaking us with its fierce waves, and in the long and agonizing search of the truth, Allah's prophets and massagers are the basis of the righteous path towards salvation and deliverance. These selected individuals have laid the foundations of an entire system of principles and painted a map for all humanity with their knowledge and struggle. Such efforts are never fruitful, nonetheless, without experiencing the thorns of agony and struggle, for such a road is long and painful, yet surrounded by eternal happiness and joy. Finding happiness, on the other hand, is guided by a campus of truth and righteousness, as well as an unmistakable rush of emotions and feelings that fills the hearts and minds of the seekers of deliverance and salvation.
Based on these principles, the Islamic Awareness Centre has decided to raise the banner of leadership and become an ideal provider of Islamic knowledge and guidance. Driven by the holy concept of "guidance towards the path of Allah through sound advice and wisdom", the members of the centre took an oath to follow Imam Hussain's (peace be upon him) ship of salvation in a symbolic representation of adherence to the Imam's principles amid the raging waters of misleading ideologies and distorted notions; a route that will surely deliver its followers to the shore of eternal happiness and salvation.
In addition to the symbolic ship of salvation, the centre has also considered the revolution of Imam Hussain as a beacon of guidance and thrived to build an ambitious strategy to turn the lives of individuals and provide them with the first step on a very long road to human perfection. In addition, most of the principles used in this strategy were drawn based upon a long term agenda that addresses the needs of potential seekers of knowledge and satisfies their human thirst for wisdom and truthfulness.
This ambitious strategy has materialized through an amazing journey in which dedicated members spared no effort for the last four years to turn the everlasting essence of Imam Hussain's revolution into tangible goals and a set of comprehensive awareness initiatives and programs:
· The first year: first steps are always the hardest, but with the dedication and sheer commitment toward a noble goal, everything becomes possible. An open area, a lone lecture on Ashoora and a set of questions and answer were the pioneering elements of a project in the making with a big room for learning and improvement.
· The second year: The passion for the betterment of the religion and the commitment towards the goals have paved the way towards developing the ideas that were brainstormed in the first year of the program and yielded in better preparation in terms of the location of the activities, which were held under the name "Imam Hussain's camp". A prominent speaker, Shaik Dr. Ahmed Rahnma, led the way in a spiritual journey of enlightenment and blessings throughout the days of the camp. Moreover, the Islamic library has successfully registered its first participation in an outside location, providing visitors with a source of priceless droplets of knowledge to those who seek it.
· The third year: the inspiration continued, with a significant shift in the quality of the activities featured in the camp. This year, the camp consisted of one main tent, where the lectures were held and 4 smaller tents that symbolized the stories of the heroes and heroines of Karbala. One of the tents held the name of Ali Al Akbar (peace be upon him) the symbol of bravery and courage, while another tent was blessed to bear the name of Abu Al Fadhel Al Abbas (peace be upon him), the ultimate definition sacrifice. Moreover, the two remaining tents were dedicated to the memories of Ali Al Asghar (peace be upon him) and lady Zainab (peace be upon her) to complete the constellation of the stars that brighten every night of Ashoora. These tents featured paintings, photos and audio publications that earned the admiration of the visitors. Meanwhile, the main lectures, presented by one of the most renowned scholars of the holy city of Qum, Shaik Ali Musbah Yazdi, have captivated the minds and hearts of the visitors with sound knowledge and wisdom. The finale of the event featured a theatrical play about lady Zainab (peace be upon her) which was presented in front of a large audience.
· The fourth year: another year and another challenge, with new ideas to be tested and implemented for the very first time. This time though, the journey had to start with a search for a location, since the last location was no longer available. But the well of the volunteers, coupled by the sacredness of the event the complicated dilemma was untangled and the team managed to kick start the fourth year of the program, which consisted of four large tents that featured: the library, the juniors' tent, the main tent and the photography tent hosted by the Bahrain photography society. This year, a full fledged welcoming and PR committee was geared up to welcome the visits to the camp and get them accustomed with the tents. A list of valuable books were available for sale at the library tent, while the juniors' tent was busy with its young visitors, featuring innovative programs that were specifically designed for young audience. On the other hand, the talented photographers from the Bahrain Photography society have managed to touch the visitors with their inspirational art and talent.
Yet, the main feature of any camp is the main lecture, and this time, plans were set to welcome another prominent speaker to the event. Alas, the organizing committee found itself without a speaker to carryout the planned lectures, which meant a total failure of the whole event under any normal circumstances. But, a huge discovery was made, when the talented members of the centre as well as a number of newly converted members have stepped up to face the challenge and deliver what was can be considered as an impossible mission and a true miracle in the love of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him). The modified program managed to attract a record number of 4000 visitors over the span of 10 nights. It is also worth mentioning that the interaction was so overwhelming that the visitors to the camp demanded more tours around the Manama area in a clear indication of the interest and passion for knowledge. In the end, a huge banner was used to document the visitors' feelings and impression about the event, which was found to be, through their own words and phrases, a huge success.
It's time to reap the fruit:
The ship of salvation entitles many great meanings and the passion for such a great cause must yield beautiful fruits and results, all of which are achieved by the blessings of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) and his righteous call for justice. Statically speaking, the program has managed in its first year to attract a foreign visitor from the United States and guided him toward the light of Islam, a promising start that was follow by many other triumphs despite the difficulties and hardship. This takes us to the fourth year of the program that witnessed a total of 4 conversations to the blessed religion of Islam.
Lessons from Imam Hussain's camp:
Yes, we have all learned and benefited from the Imam's camp. We have joined forces to teach each other and learn from each other essential skills such as: relationship management, communication, public speaking, guidance and mentorship. Yes, these were the collective efforts of a team of dedicated individuals who were joined by a single goal: the ship of salvation and beacon of guidance.
Ashoora Camp in the eyes of its visitors
Since its inception, the I.A.C. has been welcoming many guests to its various programs and activities and with the grace of Allah, most of them have expressed their admiration and appreciation. Some of the most distinguished guests were representatives from the Islamic Scholastic Board in Bahrain, the Islamic Enlightenment Society and other esteemed guests.
In addition to the centre's local visitors, a number of foreigners have expressed their appreciation and gratitude after witnessing the activities of the annual Ashoora camp. Visitors to Imam Hussain's camp have benefited from the cultural integration and spiritual inspiration of Imam Hussain's revolution against oppression and injustice. Their admiration was reflected in the words of thanks and appreciation that we have read and heard throughout the days of the Ashoora camp. Most of them were very thankful for enlightening them with the true picture of Imam Hussain's revolution and rectifying their previous impressions about Ahal Al Bait. Such activities have also contributed in eliminating the distorted images of the Ashoora rituals which are being spread by misleading media tools.
We also had the chance to interview one of the Ashoora camp's foreign guests who had a negative perception about the Ashoora rituals prior to his visit to the camp. And he declared his regrets for the time he had wasted away from the Ashoora rituals and teachings:
"I became aware of the true picture of what I had heard about previously; all thanks go to the Islamic Awareness Centre, the global voice of enlightenment and true Islamic awareness."
Print
Tell friend
Top
