Secretary General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly stated, “Some were looking for a miracle to convert to Islam. But Bilal Abyssinian did not ask the Prophet (p.b.u.h) for a miracle. Rather, the Prophet’s words were a miracle for him. In a place where slavery was rampant, the Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, “There is no difference between white and black, except in their piety”.”
ABWA Official Website – Ayatollah Reza Ramazani, Secretary General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, who has traveled to Burundi at the invitation of Shiites and Muslims of the country, met with a group of Burundian Islamic missionaries.
In this meeting, addressing missionaries, the Secretary General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly stated, “We must learn Islam and its rituals well and teach them to the people. The requirement for this is to always increase our religious knowledge. We need to first get a deep understanding of Islam and then teach people. Therefore, we should always be studying.”
“With the growth of knowledge and faith in a society, that society develops in every dimension. In Nahj al-Balaghah of Imam Ali (a.s.) we read, “People are either religious scholars, or seeking knowledge, or ordinary people.” If most people in a society are scholars or students, that society will grow. Some people’s lives have no correct basis and no purpose. They are ordinary people. It means that wherever the wind blows, they go in the same direction,” he added.
“Scholars should be respected. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said, “Whoever insults a scholar, it is as if he has insulted the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h).” Also in this regard, the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, “Whoever insults a scholar, it is as if he has insulted me.” Now, if that Alem has the position of source of emulation and Velayat-e Faqih, who is the successor of Imam Mahdi (a.s.), insulting him is considered an insult to the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h),” said the professor of higher levels of the Islamic seminary in Qom.
Emphasizing the importance of self-purification, he said, “We learn the knowledge of religion to control our tongue, eyes, ears, and limbs. It is necessary to educate ourselves first, then educate others. We need to become polite first so that others can attend our politeness class. If we are not careful with our language, we cannot be role models for others, and people will not accept us. In this regard, Imam Ali (a.s.) said, “Before you can train others, you must train yourself.” If we do not take care of our language, people will not accept us as a teacher. A religion teacher is different from a teacher of other sciences, such as mathematics. People expect good conduct from the religion teacher. Of course, we believe that if the mathematics teacher is polite, he can have a great impact.”
Pointing out the great capacity, nature, and preparation of the African countries, Secretary General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly said, “Some were looking for a miracle to convert to Islam. But Bilal Abyssinian did not ask the Prophet (p.b.u.h) for a miracle. Rather, the Prophet’s words were a miracle for him. In a place where slavery was rampant, the Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, “There is no difference between white and black, except in their piety”.”
Referring to the necessity of sincerity in preaching, he stated, “Sincerity is the highest virtue and felicity. God says that sincerity is one of His secrets that He bestows on His good servants. According to a hadith, whoever is sincere for forty days and nights, God will enlighten his heart.”
“We must speak at the same level of understanding as the audience, in such a way that the audience can understand our speech well and be educated,” Ayatollah Ramadani emphasized.
Pointing out the necessity of training missionaries, he added, “Giving speeches on Minbar is not everything. Missionaries need to learn the skills of classroom management and the way of teaching the Quran. Participate in classes on the Quran and Nahj al-Balaghah.”
Addressing the missionaries, the seminary professor said, “Maintain your unity, cohesion, and empathy. Differences of opinion are not important. But Satan seeks to create discord and hatred. We must confront evil grudges. With discord and hatred between people, problems will be created that will harm the society. In this regard, Imam Ali (a.s.) said. “The people of falsehood are united in falsehood.” Therefore, there should not be division and differences between the people of the right. A rotten fruit spoils a box of healthy fruit. Some people sow seeds of discord, the fruit of which is separation and enmity.”
“The religion is entrusted to you as a trust. When I was working in Vienna, I came to Qom and met the late Grand Ayatollah Bahjat and asked him to pray for me. He said, “I entrust you to God, and I entrust God to you. He further explained, “You must revive God’s name in hearts and minds. Some want to remove the name of God, and you must make it alive.” Therefore, God and His religion are trusts entrusted to us,” he said at the end of his speech.
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