AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The grand conference of Islamic preachers and graduates of Niger was held in Niamey, the capital of the country, with the participation of the head of the Islamic associations of Niger and the leader of the Tijaniyya Order in the country. The special guest of this conference was Ayatollah Reza Ramazani, the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly.
At the beginning of his speech during this event, Ayatollah Ramazani emphasized the Islamic commonalities among Muslims, such as Hajj, and the shared aspects between Iran and Niger. He stated, “We must learn from the story of the sacrifice of Ismail. The most important lesson of this event is monotheism, both theoretical and practical.” He continued, “Imam Khomeini (r.a.) was the flagbearer of the fight against polytheism in the contemporary era, and he enabled Muslims around the world to attain dignity.”
Comprehensive Islam; Imam Khomeini’s Deep Perspective on Religion
The Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly described Imam Khomeini (r.a.) as the proponent of a comprehensive understanding of Islam, noting, “The late Imam believed that Islam must be understood comprehensively and profoundly, not superficially. In his view, Islam has both an outer and an inner dimension, both majesty and beauty, and comprehensive Islam encompasses all of these aspects.” He added, “Imam Khomeini (r.a.) invited all of us to move toward the formation of an Islamic Ummah. He called us to both individual and collective uprising.”
“The message of the late Imam was that the dignity of all human beings, regardless of color, gender, or language, must be preserved, and no one should be subjected to oppression,” he noted.
Highlighting that the Quran emphasizes two fundamental principles, dignity and justice, he added, “The call of Imam Khomeini (r.a.) and Imam Khamenei is that we must neither oppress anyone nor accept oppression from anyone. Therefore, our reason, Fitrah, and religion dictate that if, in any corner of the world, innocent children and women are being killed and oppressed, we must stand up against such injustice and respond to it.”
“In Europe and America, people have reacted against this oppression. Should we not also react against it?” Ayatollah Ramazani continued.
“We must learn for the sake of God, teach for the sake of God, and act for the sake of God. If a person does so, according to a hadith, it will be said to this individual in the realm of the divine kingdom, ‘Azim’ (Great),” he added.
Knowledge After Action: A Light for the Hearts of Preachers
The Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, referring to the types of knowledge, stated, “There are two kinds of knowledge: the first is the knowledge we must learn and acquire, and the second is the knowledge that comes after action.” He added, “Grand Ayatollah Bahjat greatly emphasized this second type of knowledge and would refer to the hadith which says that if someone acts upon what they know, Allah, Blessed and Exalted, will teach them what they do not know. This type of knowledge is light and brings illumination. According to the expression of Imam Sadiq (a.s.), knowledge is not the abundance of teaching and learning, it is a light by which the human heart becomes enlightened.”
He identified the key to success in preaching as attentiveness to three types of etiquette and explained, “The first is etiquette with oneself, meaning we must discipline ourselves. The second is etiquette with others, meaning our interaction with people must be attractive and appealing. The third is etiquette with God, which means we must observe proper conduct in our relationship with God and recognize Him as the Creator, the Trainer, the Beloved, the Adored, and more.”
Ayatollah Ramazani emphasized that preaching is one of the traits of the divine prophets, stating, “A preacher does not merely transmit words. Therefore, he must be acquainted with the truth in order to convey it to the heart of the audience. In this regard, the Prophet (p.b.u.h) aimed for people’s hearts in his preaching. Every preacher has two other roles that also belong to the prophets of God. First, every preacher is a teacher. Second, every preacher is a nurturer. Hence, every preacher must be adorned with the color of the Divine and transmit that Divine hue to their audience.”
Responding to Western Doubts: Today’s Duty of Preaching Centers
The Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, pointing out the characteristics of preachers, said, “Preachers must understand their audience. They must know what message to present in which context. Preaching is a gradual task, and the process of education must unfold step by step. The preacher must speak in a way that both he and the audience can understand. A preacher must not introduce Islam superficially; therefore, their studies must be extensive, and they must answer the audience’s questions.”
He added, “Today, the West constantly raises numerous doubts. For instance, one common doubt presented in the West is that humans do not need religion in order to attain spirituality! Therefore, it is our duty to introduce Islam correctly, comprehensively, and profoundly. We believe that the Islam of Muhammad (p.b.u.h) is not an Islam of terror and violence. On the day of the conquest of Mecca, many people told the Prophet (p.b.u.h) that it was time for revenge, but the Prophet (p.b.u.h) replied, ‘Today is the day of mercy’.”
Ayatollah Ramazani attributed the global reach of Islam to its merciful nature and declared, “It was the noble character of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) that made Islam global. If the Messenger of God (p.b.u.h) were alive today, all of you preachers of Niger, descendants of Bilal, would be among the first circle of his preachers.”
In the final part of the conference, a graduation ceremony was held for a group of students from the representative office of Al-Mustafa (p.b.u.h) International University in Niger, in the presence of Ayatollah Ramazani, the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly.
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