Address of the Office of His Eminence Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Basheer Hussain Al-Najafy to the Ninth International Scientific Conference of the Association of Specialized Studies between the Hawza and the University 29/6/2024 ![]() |
In the
name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful All praise is due to
Allah for completing the religion, perfecting the blessing, and for the
satisfaction of the Lord. May Allah's peace be upon the Master of Messengers,
Abu al-Qasim Muhammad, and upon his pure family. May Allah's eternal curse be
upon all their enemies. Allah, the Exalted,
said: "Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who
were given knowledge, by degrees." (Quran 58:11). The Almighty, said:
"And say, 'My Lord, increase me in knowledge.'" (Quran 20:114) Allah,
the Most High, has spoken the truth. The criteria for
evaluating men and their worth in societies are based on several standards,
among which we mention three: The first criterion is what the capitalist system
proposes: the extent of one's wealth. The second criterion is physical
strength, as was the case in Roman societies in the past. The third criterion
is proposed by Islam and theorized by the Quran: faith, and there are degrees
of knowledge. It is known that life
in this world and in the Hereafter cannot continue or be upright without its
necessities being provided. Despite this, Allah did not command us to increase
and seek abundance in them as He commanded us to seek knowledge, which He
bestowed upon us, and He addressed this command to the greatest of creation,
the Prophet, commanding him to seek more of the most honorable thing man needs,
which is knowledge. Allah, the Almighty,
has blessed us with the Hawza, located in Najaf Al-Ashraf, and also blessed us
with universities spread across our beloved homeland. It is well known that
both blessings form the essential element of the believers' dignity. What our
youth learn in universities benefits people in their worldly lives, and the
Hawza's teachings pave the way for honor in both their worldly and afterlife.
Together, they bring dignity to all humanity through their preachers, advisers,
authors, wise people, theorists, and others. The Hawza and the
university together form the backbone of a dignified life for Iraq and beyond;
just as the Hawza interacts with Iraqi universities, it also seeks to
collaborate with sound universities around the world. Universities serve to
benefit people under the guidance of returning knowledge to the First Creator;
otherwise, the world would be corrupted as part of it has been by deviations
leading humanity to ruin and loss. The Hawza in Najaf Al-Ashraf is the mother
of all Hawzas in the world and the source of all Hawzas because it draws from
the principles of the true religion, lives under the care of the Commander of
the Faithful (peace be upon him and his pure descendants), and guides people on
the straight path. In this respected
gathering, we should focus on aspects of mutual cooperation between the Hawza
and the university. The Hawza needs the aware individuals to help spread sound
awareness in society. The scholars of the Hawza cannot dispense with the
efforts of university graduates, and likewise, universities benefit from and
are guided by the Hawza in all aspects of life through all its cadres and
pioneers so that each individual knows what is permissible and what is not
permissible in light of the noble Sharia. In this regard, we
draw the attention of university leaders and their pioneers to the fact that
there are incorrect intellectual movements and atheistic tendencies behind
which lie evil souls and wicked tongues spreading unsound ideas in
universities. It is unfortunate that some professors also participate
officially in spreading atheism and deviant thoughts, while a professor is
considered an educator, a guide, and a teacher. We hope that such
conferences earnestly cooperate in granting our youth the opportunity to
acquire beneficial knowledge, making knowledge a means to know the greatness of
the Creator and the marvel of His creation, and then act upon it in a way that
leads our nations to progress and elevation in both worlds. We hope that
university cadres and pioneers seek guidance from the Hawza to discern sound
thought from other thoughts. They should be guided by the Hawza in what helps
them refute doubts and ensures their safety in their conduct. University staff
should prevent the spread of moral corruption in universities and strive to
encourage students to adhere to religion and avoid what Satan invites, such as
unjustified and unwarranted mixing between genders, and ensure that our sons
and daughters dress modestly. Let our daughters be esteemed in the university
as they are at home. I pray to Allah to
grant us success in ensuring the safety of both pillars of life, the Hawza and
the university, for He is Most Merciful and Loving.
Peace be upon you. |