AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The conference titled “AhlulBayt (a.s.), Justice, and Human Dignity” was held in Accra, the capital of Ghana, with the presence of Ayatollah Reza Ramazani, Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, who traveled to this West African country at the invitation of religious figures in Ghana.
Speaking at the event, Ayatollah Ramazani stated that preachers convey the mission of the AhlulBayt (a.s.). “Your position is being preachers, and preaching is one of the missions entrusted to the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h),” he added.
Discussing the responsibilities of preachers, he remarked, “The main duty of a preacher is to transmit the truths of religion into the hearts of the audience. A preacher engages with the minds, hearts, and souls of the people. ‘وَمَا عَلَيْنَا إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ الْمُبِينُ’ (and our duty is only to communicate in clear terms) (Holy Quran, 36:17). If religious knowledge fills a person’s soul, he will become an effective human being. Otherwise, even if one acquires knowledge of monotheism and mysticism, it will burden him rather than aid him, as Imam Khomeini once said.”
The Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly then recounted a memory from his meeting with the late Ayatollah Bahjat, saying, “I wanted to embark on a preaching mission and went to visit him. I asked him for advice. He offered counsel and concluded with two prayers. First, he said: ‘I entrust you to God.’ And then he added: ‘I entrust God to you.’ This is a profound supplication, indicating that many in the West are striving to erase God from the minds and souls of people. But you are the ones who can revive the remembrance of God in hearts and minds.”
He emphasized, “If we want to awaken the remembrance of God in others’ hearts, it must first be alive within our own. Only then can a preacher exert true influence.”
In another part of his remarks, Ayatollah Ramazani explained that divine guidance is a sacred trust and belongs solely to God. “In the realm of innate guidance, God has guided every creature according to its potential, so it may follow its path. Likewise, legislative guidance, the act of establishing laws and showing the way, belongs to God alone. Of course, we believe that only God has the authority to legislate for human salvation, not human beings themselves. There is a fundamental difference between divine law and human law: when divine law is implemented, it brings peace to the individual and society. Human law, however, when enforced, only brings silence, not tranquility,” he continued.
He added, “God entrusted the duty of legislative guidance to the prophets, and after the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) as the last prophet, it was handed to the infallible Imams (a.s.). Now that we no longer have direct access to the Prophet or the Imams (a.s.), the mission of conveying the message lies with religious scholars and preachers. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) narrated that God disciplined His Prophet in the best manner, and when that training was complete, He said, ‘Indeed, you possess a great character.’ Thus, the noble character of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) played the most vital role in attracting people and guiding Muslims.”
Regarding the hardships endured by the Prophet (p.b.u.h), the Secretary-General stated, “During his 23-year mission, the Prophet of Islam endured the harshest afflictions. Among all the prophets, none suffered as much as he did. The Prophet himself once said that no prophet was tormented as I was. People would come to him and ask him to invoke a curse on the enemies, but he never did, not even once. Even when Mecca was conquered in the eighth year after the Hijrah, some of his companions, recalling the suffering caused by the polytheists, asked for permission to take revenge and kill them. But the Prophet (p.b.u.h) replied, ‘Today is the day of mercy’.”
In response to a common misconception, Ayatollah Ramazani stated, “Some claim that Islam spread through the sword of Imam Ali (a.s.) and the wealth of Lady Khadijah (a.s.), whereas during the first thirteen years in Mecca, there was no warfare. Islam initially grew through the noble character and refined manners of the Prophet (p.b.u.h).” He cited a narration from Imam Sadiq (a.s.), who said that once the Prophet (p.b.u.h) was trained and refined in character, the matter of religion and the responsibility for the Ummah was entrusted to him so that he might guide and reform the Ummah.
Summarizing this segment of his remarks, Ayatollah Ramazani emphasized, “A person cannot guide others toward perfection unless he himself has attained it. Nor can one transmit light to others unless one is illuminated by divine guidance. One can only convey to others as much light as one perceives within.”
Addressing the essential qualities of a preacher within society, he noted, “A preacher is often regarded as an imam in his community; therefore, he must lead by example in order to call others toward truth. People take on the color they receive from us. If we lack the hue of the Divine, we will not be able to impart it to others.”
The Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly stressed the importance of continual learning for preachers, saying, “We must never think that we have graduated; in truth, we never graduate. “
Citing a Hadith, (Indeed, God trained His Prophet, and perfected his training), he shared a reflection by Allameh Javadi Amoli: “There are three types of manners (adab): manners with oneself, manners with others, and manners with God. Manners with oneself involve the refinement of one’s own faculties; one’s eyes, ears, tongue, and hands. Manners with others demand the best possible interaction and treatment of fellow human beings. As for manners with God, we must learn how to speak with Him, how to worship Him, how to beseech Him, and how to be His servants in the truest sense.”
In conclusion, he emphasized, “Preachers must embody Islam in both action and conduct. Imam Musa al-Sadr once said that our behavior should reflect the character of Imam Ali (a.s.), so that we introduce him through our actions. Of course, this is not always easy, and in many aspects, it is truly difficult. Yet Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘But help me through piety, effort in worship, chastity, and integrity’.”
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