AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The meeting hall of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly hosted a cordial gathering of a group of distinguished graduates of Al-Mustafa International University and active missionaries from the African continent with Ayatollah Reza Ramezani, the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly. This short-term course was held with a focus on strategic themes of engagement with Sunni Muslims and Islamic rapprochement.
At the beginning of this meeting, Dr. Shakeri, the Scientific and Cultural Deputy of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, welcomed the missionaries from various African countries and provided a brief report. He expressed appreciation for the transformative approach of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly and the special support of its Secretary-General in holding these courses, stating, "The missionaries present in this program will serve as ambassadors of guidance, bearers of the teachings of the AhlulBayt (a.s.), and messengers of the truth of Shiism in their respective lands." He described the holding of these practical and short-term courses for graduates of higher education (doctorate and level four) who are about to return and begin their missionary activities in their countries as highly vital and strategic.
Subsequently, Dr. Piri, the Director of Education of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, elaborated on the technical and academic specifications of this course. Stating that the issue of Islamic rapprochement and the method of engagement with Sunni Muslims is one of the most important assets of the Islamic Revolution in Africa, he said, "This course was planned with the full coordination and cooperation of Al-Mustafa University and the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly."
Dr. Piri stated, "In this 3-month course, over 58 hours of training were provided, utilizing 14 of the country's most distinguished professors in the field of rapprochement and Islamic schools of thought." He referred to a structural transformation in this course and added, "The training provided has been designed to be completely 'research-oriented,' so that the scientific output of this specialized course will be the writing of 13 scientific and practical articles by the African missionaries, tailored to the local issues of their respective countries."
Then, one of the African missionaries, representing the students present in the course (referring to the extensive presence of representatives from various countries, including Côte d'Ivoire, with the largest share from Burkina Faso), assessed the positive aspects and challenges of this course. He expressed deep admiration for the academic level of the professors and the efforts of the executive officials, saying, "Participating in this educational course brought us invaluable experiences; it was as if a veil was removed from our eyes, and new realities about the methods of correct engagement and peaceful coexistence with Sunni Muslims, Sufis, and even non-Muslims were revealed to us, which could not be bought with any amount of money or material possessions."
The African missionary, in a constructive critique and suggestion, pointed to the challenge of the lack of a detailed and cohesive written program from the beginning of the course and said, "If the detailed schedule of the course had been fully specified from the outset, the dynamism of the classes would have been maintained, and we would not have seen some students leave midway to return to their countries for missionary work." In another part of his remarks, he emphasized a strategic necessity in the African continent and stated, "The biggest religious gap we face in Africa is the severe shortage of indigenous Shia schools. While Sunni and Wahhabi schools are abundantly active, Shia children are forced to spend 9 to 10 hours of their day in these schools, which in the long term causes identity, cultural, and even religious transformation for the children of Shia scholars. Therefore, building Shia schools and localizing the education of AhlulBayt (a.s.) teachings is the most urgent need of Africa."
In the main and concluding part of this meeting, Ayatollah Reza Ramezani, the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, congratulating the birth of the Great Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and Imam Sadiq (a.s.), delivered a comprehensive speech and outlined the roadmap for international missionary work in the African continent.
Missionaries; Ambassadors of Guidance and Trustees of God's Religion
The Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, explaining the lofty status of missionaries as ambassadors of Islam and the AhlulBayt (a.s.), called upon them to carefully study the historical character of "Ja'far ibn Abi Talib" in the migration to Abyssinia, and emphasized, "A successful missionary must know the requirements of his audience and speak according to the occasion, just as Ja'far ibn Abi Talib moved the hearts of those present in the court of the Negus by reciting verses from Surah Maryam." He considered the duties of missionaries to be derived from the duties of the Great Prophet (p.b.u.h.), including "propagation," "teaching," and "education and purification."
Ayatollah Ramezani, recalling a moral and profound memory of his meeting with the pious mystic, the late Grand Ayatollah Bahjat (r.a.), noted, "Ayatollah Bahjat, in an advice to missionaries, said, 'I entrust you to God and I also entrust God to you.' The meaning of this great statement is that the preservation and revival of God's religion in the world has been placed as a divine trust upon your shoulders, O missionaries." He categorized the main duties of a missionary into three key areas: explaining divine teachings in a native language appropriate to the level of human intellect; providing precise and scientific answers to society's questions; and responding to religious doubts, which today are being pumped into society more than ever before.
Ethics of Dialogue; The Foundation of Islamic Rapprochement in Africa
Ayatollah Ramezani, describing the ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and religious diversity of the African continent, stated, "Influencing hearts and creating unity is not possible without carefully observing the ethics and etiquette of dialogue. Dialogue is never formed through insults, misunderstandings, and humiliation; rather, our goal is to reach mutual understanding and common comprehension based on mutual respect." He added, "The purpose of Islamic rapprochement is never to abandon one's own religious beliefs; rather, our fundamental goal, according to the definition of the great martyr, is 'non-conflict' within the Islamic nation, because religious conflict destroys the authority and grandeur of the Islamic nation."
Operational Guidelines for Engaging with Sunni Muslims
The Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, providing practical solutions for missionaries in the African continent, emphasized several recommendations:
Serious avoidance of prejudice: Judgments must be based on accurate field knowledge, not hearsay; missionaries should make the noble verse "Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge" their guiding principle.
Understanding the religious diversity of African Sunnis: Sunni Muslims in Africa are not homogenous; there are various sects, including Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanafi, Hanbali, as well as various Sufi and traditional tendencies, and a missionary must be fully familiar with the religious and cultural fabric of each region.
Focusing on numerous commonalities: We share fundamental principles such as monotheism, prophethood, the Holy Quran, the same qibla, deep love for the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and the AhlulBayt (a.s.), defense of human dignity, and the fight against poverty and illiteracy, and we must invest in these common grounds.
Avoiding insults to sanctities and takfir: In religious dialogues, one must strictly avoid insulting the sanctities of the other side, takfir, provoking religious sentiments, and raising divisive issues in public forums. Scholarly discussions and criticisms should be raised only in elite and academic circles, in a scholarly, realistic, and compassionate manner.
Cooperation in public welfare affairs: Missionaries can cooperate closely and build trust with other denominations in charitable affairs, Quranic education, helping the needy, and defending the common causes of the Islamic world.
The People's Language; The Necessity of Moving Beyond Complex Seminary Terminology
The member of the Assembly of Experts, criticizing the use of complex scholarly language among the masses, noted, "The language for promoting teachings among the people is not the language of technical seminary terminology. A successful missionary is one who can reproduce and present the deepest concepts and seminary teachings in a fluent, simple, and locally understandable language." He, quoting humorous and historical narrations from the late Allamah Hassan-zadeh Amoli (r.a.) about the average person's inability to understand the language of philosophers and difficult scholarly terms, emphasized the necessity of lowering the level of spoken language (without reducing the dignity of the content) for public understanding.
Ayatollah Ramezani, in another part of his remarks, referred to the great potentials of the Islamic Revolution of Iran and said, "The Islamic Revolution presented a new discourse to the world, the most important of which are the pursuit of independence, resistance against the system of domination, support for the oppressed of the world, and the revival of the individual and social identity of the religious, concepts that are highly appealing in the African continent and are a source of hope." Referring to the powerful position of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the international arena, he stated, "Today, thanks to its stunning scientific progress, Iran has become a powerful international force. At the beginning of the Revolution, we were ranked 57th in the world scientifically, but today we are among the top 5 or 10 countries in many fields, and this scientific authority must be properly explained to societies."
African Missionaries Must Be Active, Innovative, and Trendsetters
The Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, concluding with an emphasis on the Assembly's supportive role in intellectual, publishing, elite networking, and the holding of continuous virtual courses and webinars, addressed the African students, stating, "Upon returning to your countries, you must not be passive; rather, you must act as 'trendsetting, active, designing, and innovative missionaries.'" He finally identified cadre-building, identifying talented youth, training competent forces, and working on precious texts such as Nahj al-Balaghah and Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya as among the main duties of missionaries, and recommended that they draw inspiration from influential figures such as "Sheikh Ahmad Qomi" in Thailand.
This cordial gathering concluded with wishes for the success of the missionaries in the path of propagating the pure teachings of Islam and the AhlulBayt (a.s.), and with prayers for the reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (may God hasten his noble reappearance).
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