AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): At the international conference “Religious Scholars: Exchange of Experiences and New Technologies” held in Accra, the capital of Ghana, Ayatollah Reza Ramazani, Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly delivered a speech.
He emphasized the need for effective religious preaching in the modern era and identified three principal responsibilities for Islamic preachers: presenting a comprehensive view of Islam, responding to doubts and questions, and engaging in meaningful dialogue with the younger generation.
Ayatollah Ramazani stated that the first and foremost duty of religious preachers is to introduce Islam in a complete, precise, and profound manner. He warned that without offering a holistic portrayal of Islam, there would be no proper foundation for dialogue or for addressing questions.
Underscoring the importance of engaging with the youth, he urged preachers to interpret the Quran in the light of the teachings of the AhlulBayt (a.s.), as the Prophet (p.b.u.h) declared, “The Quran without the AhlulBayt, and the AhlulBayt without the Qur’an, are both incomplete.”
He stressed the need to speak in accordance with the audience’s level of understanding, and to promote both faith and knowledge among the youth, since, he noted, knowledge is the foundation of power, and faith the root of moral values.
Ayatollah Ramazani went on to say that the second and third pillars of religious preaching must include addressing questions and dispelling doubts, particularly those voiced by young people, as well as those raised by ideological opponents of Islam.
Highlighting the need to elevate both the scholarly and practical capacities of preachers, the Secretary-General called for the use of key Islamic texts such as Nahj al-Balagha and Sahifa Sajjadiyya, the development of rhetorical and classroom skills, and the organization of educational camps. He stressed that familiarity with today’s cultural and media environments, especially the virtual space, is essential for effective propagation.
Ayatollah Ramazani also expressed concern over the distortion of the concept of family in Western societies. He strongly criticized attempts to redefine the family in ways that exclude the natural presence of a man and a woman, or even include human-animal unions, and emphasized the foundational roles of both men and women in family life. He called for decisive efforts to counter such distortions.
Citing a letter from Imam Ali (a.s.) to Imam Hasan (a.s.) in which he described the hearts of the youth as receptive, Ayatollah Ramazani stressed the urgency of instilling proper teachings in young people before the digital world exerts its potentially harmful influence on them.
He concluded by recommending that mosques be transformed into hubs for presenting authentic Islam and proposed the establishment of Islamic schools. He also emphasized the necessity of promoting a comprehensive Islam; one that is not superficial or one-dimensional but encompasses both the inner and outer, the personal and the social aspects of life.
“The greatest enemy of society is ignorance,” Ayatollah Ramazani declared. He asserted that preachers must be well aware of the contemporary world and familiar with distortions and deviations circulating in cyberspace in order to effectively confront ignorance.
He described Islam as resting on five essential pillars: prayer (relation with God), fasting (relation with the self), zakat (relation with others), Hajj (relation among nations), and wilayat (relation with the AhlulBayt [a.s.]).
Ayatollah Ramazani also praised the Supreme Leader as a prominent religious and political reformer and commended his emphasis on the strategic capacities of Africa.
At the conclusion of the conference, Ayatollah Ramazani unveiled the English translation of the Supreme Leader’s treatise on the jurisprudential rulings concerning prayer and fasting, marking the first time this work has been published in English.
**************
End/ 345
