Holding the Tenth Conference of Preachers of the Assembly of Lovers of Ahl al-Bayt in Kabul
Bayan News – The Assembly of Lovers of Ahl al-Bayt in Afghanistan held its tenth conference for preachers on Friday (September 6) under the title “Strategies for Attracting Youth to Religious and Religious Centers.”
This conference was conducted differently than previous programs, allowing participating scholars to express their views on the topic through a free discussion format.
Hujjat al-Islam wa al-Muslimin Sayed Hussain Alami Balkhi, the president of the Assembly of Lovers of Ahl al-Bayt in Afghanistan, began his speech by expressing condolences for the anniversary of the passing of the Prophet Muhammad, the martyrdom of Imam Hasan Mujtaba, and Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha.
Mr. Balkhi added that “we have just passed two months of mourning: the month of Muharram and the month of Safar. These two months can be considered the spring of preaching and religious preachers, starting from the beginning of Muharram and ending on the last day of Safar, the 30th of Safar, which is the martyrdom of Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha.”
The president of the Assembly continued, stating that after Safar, Rabi al-Awwal has a different religious atmosphere; we have the martyrdom of Imam Hasan Askari, which is a tragedy, but simultaneously, we have the beginning of the Imamate of the twelfth Imam, Mahdi al-Maw’ud, which is a auspicious and hopeful beginning for humanity.
He also referred to the birth of the esteemed Prophet of Islam, stating that the week of unity and the birth of Imam Ja’far Sadiq are all occasions that mark the start of another phase of religious activities.
Hujjat al-Islam Balkhi discussed previous conferences for preachers, mentioning that they had ten sessions with preachers in various fields. He noted that they began with consultations that some of their friends remember. These conferences led to a booklet that was distributed among the preachers, and they hope it has been useful. After that, the sessions were usually dedicated to specific occasions, and discussions took place according to the events at hand.
The president of the Assembly emphasized the support for scholars and preachers, clarifying that the participants in this program are a limited group due to the Assembly’s capacity constraints.
Balkhi added: “We have made efforts to pave a way and open a ‘door’ for changes and transformations in the preaching field. The routine of a preacher going on the pulpit and speaking has now led to a situation where, especially in Muharram, young people usually participate less in gatherings and more in night mourning ceremonies, and they do not attend daily events.”
According to Hujjat al-Islam Alami Balkhi, the topic discussed at the tenth conference of preachers is one that has been raised by preachers regarding strategies to attract youth who are not inclined to attend religious gatherings or who are only interested in participating in evening ceremonies during Muharram. The focus is on what can be done to draw youth into these gatherings while transforming religious preaching sessions.
Hujjat al-Islam Alami Balkhi emphasized that eight proposals have been raised by scholars and preachers regarding strategies for attracting youth to religious centers, the most important of which is that the promotional support for preachers should not be limited to the capital (Kabul) but should be expanded throughout Afghanistan.
During this conference, ten preachers spoke on the topic, and at the end, Hujjat al-Islam Muzaffari, a member of the Assembly of Lovers of Ahl al-Bayt, summarized the conference.
Hujjat al-Islam Muzaffari stated: “The remarks from the respected scholars primarily focused on the preachers themselves, emphasizing that preachers should enhance their knowledge and religious awareness, and other suggestions were made indicating that preachers should take practical actions themselves.”
Mr. Muzaffari reiterated that scholars and preachers should have a relatively complete and updated understanding of the religious issues being discussed, and in the second step, they should practice what they preach, as this would be effective.
Hujjat al-Islam Muzaffari continued, adding that another point raised by some scholars is that preachers should speak well and beautifully; that is, their message should have a Quranic content and convey religious messages in a very beautiful and appealing manner, making it easier for people to accept.
He noted that various proposals were made regarding strategies to attract youth to religious gatherings, emphasizing that one such strategy is the appearance of preachers, which is important as a preacher’s appearance should be appropriate.
Meanwhile, the participants and the Assembly of Lovers of Ahl al-Bayt decided to hold the next meeting with more details on this topic.
