RNA (London) - Normally Islamic seminaries outside of the Middle East do not work. There are many issues that these seminaries face, such as not having enough qualified teachers. This seminary which opened in England has overcome this difficulty by hiring a very knowledgeable and dynamic teaching staff led by Shaykh Mohammad Shomali. There are high expectations for this seminary.
The Islamic Seminary of England has issued the following statement:
This year, over 100 people applied to study at the Islamic Seminary of England, and after a thorough screening and interview process, 65 applicants were accepted and have started their Seminary education.
To mark this special occasion, the Islamic Seminary held an opening ceremony in which respected scholars, teachers and students attended to mark the beginning of the academic year.
Those scholars in attendance included Hujjat al-Islam Shaykh Shomali, Shaykh Zafar Abbas, Shaykh Fartousi, Sayyed Ali Reza Rizvi, Shaykh Jafar Najm, Sayyed Saeed Khalkhali, Shaykh Mirza Abbas and Shaykh Mohammad Ali Ismail.
Speaking to the students of the Seminary, Senior scholar Mawlana Shaykh Zafar Abbas, gave a heartfelt talk highlighting his lifelong experiences in the service of the Seminary and congratulating those who have joined the Seminary. In addition, students benefited from Head of the Majlis Ulama Shia Europe, Sayyed Ali Reza Rizvi, who gave an inspiring speech about the importance of sincerity and pure intentions for those who have chosen to embark in Seminary studies, giving examples from his own life as a student in the Seminary.
Finally, the students had the privilege of benefiting from a talk by the Director of the Islamic Centre of England, Hujjat al-Islam Shaykh Shomali; who gave a talk about the history of the Islamic Seminary of England and also outlined important points regarding the etiquettes and responsibility that falls on the shoulders of those who have embarked on this journey. The head of the Islamic Seminary honoured the previous efforts done in establishing the entity and expressed that with the great legacy and use of scholars, we will endeavour to address the problematic issues faced by Muslims in the West.
Shaykh Shomali also emphasized on the importance of keeping the environment, a spiritual haven for the staff and students and hoping that this will be an initiative to spread the light of Islam to Muslims and non-Muslims.
We pray that the students of the Seminary have a beneficial experience at the Seminary and will grow both spiritually and academically to be able to serve the community in years to come.
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