• Activities
• 23 Jamada I 1435

Imam Ali (a.s.) Foundation, the Liaison Office of Ayatullah Al-Udhma Sayyid Seestani - in London, with the blessing of the leading religious Marja’iyah and contributions by a number of philanthropists:
• Establishes a school for religious sciences in the holy city of Najaf consisting of a department for Tabligh.
• In the beginning of Rabiul-Awwal 1435 Sayyid Kashmiri laid the cornerstone for the school.
• The school will accommodate more than 200 unmarried students and will be headed by an educational committee of specialists in teaching Hawza sciences.

For a number of years Imam Ali (a.s.) Foundation has been experiencing a shortage of Mubaligheen and Imams for the centers in Europe, US, and Canada. This shortage is due to the increasing number of academics, intellectuals and young people who wish to learn about the teachings of Ahlul-Bayt (a.s.) – especially those who only speak the local language.

Recently we have observed that young people are rather reluctant to attend Islamic centers, partly because they do not interact with the Arabic speaking lecturer and the difficulties they have in understanding only a small part of the talk; because the language of the street and school is the local language. Also, it is because parents do not encourage their children to learn the language of the Qur’an, despite the Marja’iyah’s constant emphasis on this matter.

According to our assessment and knowledge of the situation, in future, many of our children will be ignorant of their beliefs and religious matters; especially with the spread of hostile currents and ideas about Islam disseminating their venoms in various languages.

Therefore, Imam Ali (a.s.) Foundation in London, guided by the leading Marja’iyah, thought of having a school in the holy city of Najaf, the capital of the Ahlul-Bayt school of thought, to embrace Iraqis and others who are interested in studying Hawza sciences – on condition that students from abroad are well conversant in the Arabic language as well as their local one, so they graduate educated and Mubaligh and propagate such sciences and knowledge to the orphan’s [followers] of Al-Muhammad abroad.

This new school shall complement the other schools in the holy city of Najaf that were crowned by the leading Marja’iyah recently by two new big schools; one under the name of Shaykh Al-Balaghi and the second under the name of Najmul-Ae’immah to commemorate their forgotten mention and in recognition of their great scientific achievements.

The new school is made-up of eight floors to accommodate more the 200 students as well as teachers’ living quarters, lecture halls, prayer room, a library, elevators and other essential facilities.

Hawza syllabus and examinations will be applied at the school. A department for Tabligh will also welcome students interested in becoming Mubalighs. The duration of the available courses cannot be determined and shall depend on the student’s own effort and mental capacity. As for married students, Imam Ali (a.s.) Foundation shall seek to obtain a location for them near the ‘old city’ insha-Allah.

The Foundation has also allocated a source of investment in the holy city of Karbala to support the two schools and will be registered Waqf under the supervision of the leading Marja’.

We ask the Almighty to grant us success to complete these two structures for He is the master of success.