Day 1

Mentor Anisa Kanji

One of the mentors, Anisa Kanji, provides us with the first daily account of the trip so far having just arrived in Tehran:

"With us being hours away from reaching the holy city of Qum, you can feel the excitement and anticipation amongst both the students and the mentors on beginning this wonderful journey to Iran. All the preparations have been done, suitcases have been packed and our goodbyes have been said. 

Having been blessed to attend two previous summer courses in 2007 and 2008 (one as a participant and another as a mentor) you would think that I would be fully prepared and know exactly what to expect. Yet, one could not be more wrong. Both previous courses have been so different in their own way and I expect this course to be no different. All I know is that this will be one of those ‘extra special’ ziyarats – one where strong friendships will be formed, memories will last forever, and the impact of which will affect the rest of my life, inshAllah.

As we begin on our journey that so many students describe as a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ and one ‘that will change your life forever’, we ask you all to pray for us to have a safe journey and that through this trip, we are able to progress on our path towards Allah (SWT). 

Mentor Fatema Ramji

Fellow mentor Fatema Ramji of Hyderi Jamaat, London, comments:  “I feel so lucky to be going to such a Holy place and cannot wait to be in the proximity of Bibi Masooma and Imam Reza (as). I look forward to the trip having a lasting impact on me and building my spirituality gradually.”

The Madinah and Bab short courses will be jam-packed with ziyarats, meetings with renowned scholars and cultural activities. These will include the ziyarats of Imam Ridha (as) in Mashad and Bibi Masuma-e-Qum (as), a visit to Masjid e Jamkaraan as well as inspirational discussions on various topics.

Over the next 18 days, we will Insha'Allah be posting daily accounts of our trip and the wonderful experiences we will encounter. 

The Madinah and Bab Summer Courses 2011 are now underway and the students have arrived safely and are enjoying their time in the holy city of Qum.

Prior to the commencement of the course, training sessions were organised for the mentors to equip them with the necessary skills to help them in their roles whilst in Iran.  This included understanding more about the course itself, their duties, and more importantly for them to learn more about themselves as individuals and how they impact upon others.

On the first day of the training mentors gained a better understanding on the history of the Madinah and Bab courses as well as its aims and objectives.  MBTI was then done in the afternoon which allowed the mentors to learn more about their own characteristics and how to work best with each other’s strengths.

Anisa Kanji of Stanmore, London commented: "The 3 day training course that had been organised for the mentors was fantastic.  I have learnt so much about myself through MBTI and as well as having the opportunity to apply this all when in Iran, I have already noticed it having a positive impact on the way I now interact with the people around me both at home and at work."

During the second and third days of the training, there was a greater focus on the ‘softer skills’ that the mentors will need whilst in Iran.  This was done through training on questioning and listening skills in addition to how to give feedback.  

Fatema Ramji of Hyderi said: "The typical expectation of a training programme is that it will be long, tedious, and a lot of hard work. However this training was the complete opposite to my initial expectations. The enjoyment of getting to know my fellow mentors and the excitement of the upcoming weeks made it worthwhile. I have learned so much about myself as a person and also how best to work with others in all different situations through simple techniques such as listening attentively and questioning appropriately. Not only am I honoured to be going to Iran but I am also privileged to have been given the chance to work with different people and gain skills which will not only help me while in Iran but also aid me as vital life skills in everything I do. Overall I've learned that mentoring entails being able to adapt to any situation like second nature and the training procedure has done everything necessary to equip us with the essential skills needed."

Alhamdullilah, the three day training course was received very well by the mentors and the skills the mentors have gained through this training will Inshallah help them in their roles whilst in Iran.

Shaykh Abbas Ismail noted: "Alhamdullilah, the mentors have all gained a lot from the training sessions and it was great to receive their positive feedback.  We pray that they have a spiritually uplifting trip whilst in Iran and help to progress themselves and the course participants. Our community young people have an immense amount to offer back to the community and crave for such opportunities."

Day 2

Fatima Siraj, Karachi
Today, being the first day of classes was a very eventful day but what I found most interesting was the twilight session conducted by Sister Salma Khalfan.  As the sky slowly turned a lovely shade of red and yellow during sunrise, we reflected on a Quranic verse regarding the signs of Allah (swt).  It was a beautiful moment of heartfelt reflection at the haram of Lady Masuma (as) and it was an uplifting experience unlike any other I had ever experienced.

Its only been two days and I already feel like this is going to be the best trip of my life.

Farhana Sohawan, Toronto
We woke up at 3:15am and at 3:45am we took a bus to the haram of Bibi Masooma e Qum. We prayed Fajr salat and following that we perfromed our Ziyarat at the haram. Following that, we had a lecture by sister Salma Khalfan which enlightened us and uplifted us spiritually. We were finished at the haram and we came back to our dormitories and had a delicious breakfast.

Whilst the Madinah al Ilm students were having classes, we waited for the CoEJ girls to arrive from Europe. After their arrival we had a brief introduction meeting. I waited eagerly for my class to start which was with Sister Najia. She did an amazing job of teaching the dangers and flaws of Wahhabism to us and I enjoyed her class the most. I cannot wait for the excitement of visiting Imam Reza’s roza and the other holy places we will soon visit.

Day 3

Yussuph Idrissa - Kibaha, Tanzania
Visiting Masjid-e-Jamkaran and also The Foundation of World Islamic Propagation had great importance due to the fact that both events have boosted my belief.
Before visiting Masjid-e-Jamkaran I used to ask myself questions about how it was possible for the 12th Imam (aj) to be in occultation for such a long period, and I also used to hesitate when talking about the belief in Imam Mahdi (aj), however all my doubts and questions so far were answered and now I feel I can talk more confidently about the subject.

The visit to The Foundation of World Islamic Propagation was a very special one for I had never imagined that I would meet great personalities of the shia world such as Sayyid Musavi Lari. So far I have read some of his books and they have helped me a lot in expanding my beliefs on topics such as Imamat and Leadership and also God and His attributes.

In May 2012 I will be finishing my diploma in Education in Tanzania. This diploma will allow me to teach at primary and secondary schools. I will try to use this experience of meeting a variety of personalities in conveying the knowledge I learned today to the students I will one day teach.

Please follow our journey on www.coej.org.

Education