3rd ‘Dar al-Ilm’ Summer School Opens in Mashhad (+Photos)
Launched by the Astan Quds Razavi Scientific and Cultural Organization in partnership with the Seminary of Khorasan, the Dar al-Ilm Summer School opened its third session with a keynote address by Grand Ayatollah Jafar Subhani, one of the most senior Shia religious authorities.
“Truth can be accessed through three key paths: human nature and innate awareness, rational judgment, and the guidance offered by divine prophets,” Ayatollah Subhani said.
Highlighting examples from the Quran and the life of Prophet Ibrahim (AS), he differentiated between "just argumentation" and "false debate," stressing that the latter is forbidden when it leads to the denial of truth.
Referring to the legacy of prominent Shia scholars, Subhani added, “Figures like Shaykh Mufid and Sayyid Murtada developed the principles of religious debate in Shia Islam. Sayyid Murtada firmly believed that engaging in reasoned dialogue was a practice legitimized by the Imams themselves.”
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Hojat-ol-Islam Ali Khayyat, head of the Khorasan Seminary, described the summer school as a response to the evolving intellectual needs of society.
“This year’s event aims to shape committed scholars through issue-driven content and transformative approaches,” he said. He added that the program avoids repetitive traditional subjects in favor of new, practical areas of study.
Held for the third consecutive year, the summer school runs for two weeks and includes participation from over 800 in-person attendees and around 3,000 online participants.
More than 150 students from Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria are among the registered attendees.
Female participation has also grown, with 710 women enrolled—100 of whom are attending in person from Mashhad.
According to Hojat-ol-Islam Mehdi Rezaei, deputy director of the Khorasan Seminary, this year marks a major step forward. “We’ve introduced a five-year strategic plan prepared with input from scholars and academics to guide future editions,” he said.
Rezaei noted that the event now includes five specialized schools in Quranic studies, jurisprudence, rational sciences, literature and linguistics, and logic and methodology.
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Daily programming includes three morning classes from 8:00 to 11:15, an afternoon session from 16:00 to 17:30, and a morning ethics lecture from 7:00 to 8:00.
Grand Ayatollah Subhani is scheduled to teach during the first week, while the second week will feature prominent instructors delivering lectures on ethics and scholarship.
In addition to formal coursework, three specialized workshops on artificial intelligence, digital space, and Islamic outreach (tabligh) are being offered to both on-site and virtual participants.
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