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Alhamdolillah I got a chance to witness the
Convocation on 27th June, 2009, in Toronto, Canada
and I would like to share it with all the Dear Ones.
It was a
simple, graceful, elegant, well attended and well
organized affair. Each and every minute detail was
well thought of and well planned. The team work
under Ustazah's supervision was evident everywhere.
The hall was
as simple and as neat as it could have been. Simple
board behind the stage read "Graduation" and above
that is a big permanent board in the Hall with اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ written
on it. On the both sides, information about Regular
Courses was displayed.
There were
no fresh flower arrangements, no coloured banners or
displays except for one simple Graduation
Board behind the stage which can be used all the
time as no date is written on it. This is saving and
utilizing the resources carefully.
A single
vase with artificial flower arrangement at the
bottom of stage and one at Guests Table was the
entire decoration as Ustazah had strictly banned
use of fresh flowers and had told the staff that
even if fresh flowers costs one dollar, it should
go to the IDPS of Swat. This hall is actually the
Mosque but is also used for multi purposes. So, the
main area had white sheets covering the carpets and
the students were sitting on the floor.
Students
The
graduates were On Campus as well as Online. The
Online students had traveled from far off areas and
although traveling here is extremely expensive, yet
most of them had flown over from USA. Some had
driven down with their families and spent at least
two nights on their own in Toronto. These also
include Online staff who had come at least a week
earlier to compile and finalize the results, help in
Certificates etc.
The current
students were in different scarves depicting their
courses like the On Campus Graduates in Pretty Pink,
the Online Graduates in Bonny Blue, the Current
students in Winsome White. Behind the graduates and
current students were the guests seated on chairs.
The hall had accommodated more than six/seven
hundred people and four other rooms were also
accommodating the guests and screens in those areas
were showing the Main Hall activities.
The sound
system was excellent and there were many mics on
stands in a row to be used for individuals and group
presentations. Each time the mic needed to be
adjusted according to the height of speaker, Ustazah
herself would leave her chair and smilingly adjust
it herself without the help of any staff!
Children
Room with Volunteers was a facility for the mothers
who loved to sneak out on and off to see the actual
Convocation in main Hall.
Guests
Seating
On both
sides of the stage were two very long tables with
crisp white linen and brown chairs. One was for the
Chief Guest and other guests and other table
opposite was for the staff from Canada, USA and
Pakistan. It seemed that we all form a Global
Family!.
Water
bottles on clean wrapped tissues were placed in
front of each guest. Katherine Bullock, a convert
and professor of local University was the chief
Guest, a local MPA and some guests from Pakistan
Embassy were all seated on the table near the door.
Mubeen Qureshi, Chairperson of Al Huda Canada was
receiving and attended these guests.
Ceremony
It had the
Spiritual aspect, Educational Session and Motivation
through the glimpses of personal experiences and
various activities performed in and through Al Huda
Canada.
Before the
Ceremony started and while guests were arriving,
takbeeraat, Asma e Husna and some other recitations
were played .
The Ceremony
started with the recitation of Surah Al Hadeed
selected versus by heart touching recitation of Asma
Zubair. After that there was more of spiritualism in
the ceremony. The Hadith " Kalemataan Habeebataan
.." was played as a nasheed and people were asked
by Usatzah to repeat the tasbeeh occasionally .when
they would repeat it together, the atmosphere was
enveloped with serenity and peace as if everything
around it had also joined .Thus glorifying Allah swt
created a Sakeenah in the environment till the Peace
shrouded the entire atmosphere and the hearts.
After
that different activities conducted in Al Huda were
presented by the students of that particular group.
This gave glimpses of different activities to thse
audience and was a source of motivation for them.
The little
children reciting Asma e Surah, the elderly ladies
from Hifz Section together gave a demonstration of
the Hifz as a group. Young Girls from High School
level, ( about 13-14 years old) from their Course
shared the word to word translation activity and
proved that if this group gets a chance, they all
have the love of Quran.
Most
motivating individual was the Somalian Lady Lulu,
who did not even know English nor knew how to read
and write Arabic a year back but through hard work
,day and night efforts to acquire the Understanding
of Quran, she learnt how to read Arabic and
understanding of Quran in English. Along with that
, she also taught her five years old daughter who
repeated the translation of Al Asr in front of the
audience. Then she read out a self written poem on
"Quran is my Freind" .After the Ceremony she was
replying to people in Urdu as well. So she proved
that if one has the thirst of Knowledge and works
hard then language is not a barrier.
Another
young Polish Convert shared her experiences and her
Journey in Search of The Truth. Born in Poland in
Communist era where religious freedom was very
limited. As a Christian, she went for a Pilgrimage
to another town which had a Cathedral. They had to
walk as a group from dawn to dusk every day to reach
there. The relatives and others had requested her to
pray for them as she was going for a "Good Deed i.e.
Pilgrimage". Once she reached there, the worship was
to make a tawaaf of the statue of Mary and Jesus,
she was compelled to think that how can these
statues be the God and many such questions arose in
her mind that they had travelled so far with such
hardships just to see stone statues who are so
helpless themselves. So she started pondering over
many things and started having questions about her
religion which somehow seemed to be not correct.
She was not
satisfied with the theory of Trinity and so she
kept on striving hard to find the Truth till she
went to London for studies. There she met a group of
Muslims who had discussion with her and finally she
was convinced that Islam was the right Deen. Thus
finally Allah swt gave her the Light. Now married
and a Muslim, she is studying in Al Huda and is
pregnant and comes changing three buses to reach
alhuda, few months old every day to acquire the
Knowledge and said she has found the Truth through
Quran. She had been a Muslim since ten years and
travelled to Sharjah to acquire the understanding of
Quran but could not find it anywhere till she came
to Al Huda, Canada. Her native language was Polish
and she was unable to read Quran in Arabic here
,even English Translation was difficult but Al Huda
Canada not only helped her in reading and
understanding the Quran but also taught her how to
read and write Arabic and improved her English
language skills as well.
The Chief
Guest Dr Katherine Bullock, herself a convert,
related her live experience of conversion and
highlighted the fact that Muslims have to work hard
so that the Message may reach all. She said that
once she was helping with Muslim Children Summer
School and she asked the Muslim Children as to who
was Abraham and the spontaneous reply from all
Muslim Children was " The First President of USA".
She said she was shocked at Muslim Children
ignorance and highlighted the need that Al Huda
Graduates and other Muslims should reach the masses.
In between
these activities, Usatzah and Rushda, stage
secretary would read form the book, "Life of Imaam
Bukhari", and this book was gifted already to all
the guests and students. So, the gift was fully
utilized and the audience had a learning session in
the Convocation.
A
presentation about Al Huda was showed by brother
Imraan, covering the beginning till the current Al
Huda activities in the World. Shazia Nawaz gave the
background of starting Online Course and most of the
work performed by Al Huda was given representation
in this ceremony. Yasmin gave a briefing of Al Huda
network in Pakistan and in the International
Division. Rifqah Asghar gave the prizes to the few
prize holders.
Mubeen
Qureshi and Shamsa thanked the guests and
participants.
At the end,
Azaan was given by a very young boy and his
beautiful voice reminded everybody to offer the
Salaah Zuhr together.
Thus the
objectives of the Convocation were achieved and I
saw many guest in tears due to the motivation they
got in it.The guests were from Pakistan Embassy
,local MP and some from Educational Institutes. The
most amazing aspect was that the Guest who came for
the first time went back with tears at being
deprived of the Naimah of Quran.
So, it is a
fact that 'Quran is for All' and it must "Reach
every hand and every heart".
It was very
inspiring to see so many Muslims flocking to this
Platform and offering their gratitude to Allah swt
who has blessed them with this facility in such a
country where they as a family can learn and act
upon Islam easily.
I had a lot
of learning from this Graceful, simple and
auspicious Ceremony and I pray to Allah swt that He
may accept it from all and make it a Sadqa e Jariyah
for Ustazah, Sir and the entire team and supporters.
Ameen
I also
thought that if one continues with sincere efforts
in Allah's swt Way, He facilitates ,even if one is
in a strange soil and amongst unknown people.
Al Huda
Canada is a source of inspiration and may Allah swt
make it a center of Learning for the Generations to
come and may many benefit from these efforts. Ameen |
