1500 Years Later: Why Muhammad (s) Still Matters
Date: 13-Mar-2010
Location: Chancellors Hotel & Conference Centre, Chancellors Way, Mosley Road, M14 6NN [Browse map]
Farghana Institute (FI) held a gathering of Mawlid celebrating the birth and teachings of the Beloved Prophet (s) in the form of a celebratory seminar. The seminar addressed the question ‘why Sayyidina Muhammad (s) still matters, looking at the relevance of the Beloved Prophet (s), what he has to offer us in the modern age and why we need him. The speakers at the seminar were Shaykh Faiz-ul-Aqtab Siddiqi Naqshbandi Hijazi (Principal and founding trustee of Hijaz College, Warwickshire), Rev'd Dr John Perry (United Reformed Church) and Shaykh Muhammad Ramadan Al-Qadri (Principal of FI. Rev’d Bob Day of the Roby United Reformed Church was a guest amongst the audience.
The event began with a recitation from the Holy Qur’an followed by a recitation of the Qasidah Al-Burdah. Soon after brother Ramadan Al-Azhari addressed the audience about the significance of knowledge and the activities of FI (www.farghana.org).
Rev’d Dr John Perry addressed the audience in regards to the concept of ‘Prophethood’ and the changes towards the concept in light of Christianity, whilst also addressing how there has been a change in attitude towards the Beloved Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (s).
Before Shaykh Muhammad Ramadan Al-Qadri began his speech, the students of FI took to the stage sharing words of benediction and praise upon the Beloved Prophet (s) in the form of a Na’t, Nasheed or a Qasidah with the audience.
Shaykh M Ramadan Al-Qadri then spoke about the need of the Beloved Prophet (s) in our time. He mentioned interesting facts and figures of modern society and the problems we face. After the speech brothers Dawud Qadri and Zaigham Khan shared their love and praise upon the Beloved Prophet (s) in the form of poetry. All the guests were presented with gifts of Irfan-ul-Qur’an a translation in English of the Holy Qur’an by Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri (irfan-ul-quran.com).
This then followed a brief presentation given by Shaykh M Ramadan Al-Qadri upon the recently released legal edict on terrorism and suicide bombings by Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri.
This followed the evenings key note address by Shaykh Faiz-ul-Aqtab Siddiqi who spoke about why Sayyidina Muhammad (s) still matters. Amongst many things, he mentioned the need of first recognising our own needs before anything else. Once our own needs are identified we can look the Sirah of the Beloved Prophet (s) in order to make a change to those needs.
The address then followed a Question and Answer session in which questions were asked about the western image of women being are a second class citizen entitled to less inheritance and considered 'unworthy' of testimony in court, barred from education, subject to a beating from their husbands and slaves of men. How can the Beloved Prophet (s) be considered a mercy to women and how is his model more effective than say that of modern day feminist movements? Other questions included how Muslims should be reacting to things such as the caricature cartoon.
This then followed the recitation of salawaat and salaam upon the Beloved Prophet (s) and a concluding prayer. The audience where presented with gift bags on their way out.
In the near future the content discussed in the seminar will be published into a book from which a wider audience of people can benefit from. Keep a look out on the developments and activities of FI on our website and you may also visit us on Facebook.