Cleric Stresses Increasing Pilgrims’ Insight in Arbaeen Procession
Ayatollah Seyed Ahmad Al-Safi made addressed the 15th Arbaeen pilgrimage promotion conference, which was held Sunday, July 18, at the initiative of the Najaf Seminary, Al-Kafeel reported.
The holy shrine of Imam Ali (AS) in Najaf hosted the conference, which was held with the slogan “Our message is guidance and our approach is divine guidance”.
Ayatollah Al-Safi began his speech by emphasizing the greatness of the mission of conveying the message, which is one of the noblest duties with which God Almighty has sent His prophets.
The preacher conveys the message attributed to God Almighty through a chain of transmission that begins with the prophets and imams (peace be upon them), then the scholars who convey the teachings of the religion to the people, he said, adding that this places a great responsibility on the preacher in carrying out this trust.
“The essence of preaching is not limited to having religious knowledge, but it begins with understanding the community to which the preacher is speaking, so that he can speak to them according to their level of understanding. This is because people differ in terms of their intellectual and cultural levels and needs.”
He added that the prophets (peace be upon them) were not separate from their people, but lived among them and knew their conditions and realities. “The success of a preacher is related to the extent to which he knows the community he is addressing, so that he is more capable of conveying the message of the religion and addressing its issues.”
The cleric emphasized that among the most important qualities of a preacher is to treat people well and be patient with them. “Gentleness does not mean leaving them alone, but rather tolerating them and being kind to them until the truth reaches their hearts.”
He called for avoiding hasty judgments about people or labeling them as ignorant, because everyone goes through stages of learning and maturity.
“The success of a preacher depends not only on his knowledge, but also on his good character, gentleness, patience, and careful choice of words. Harshness alienates people and prevents the transmission of the message, while a soft tone is one of the most important factors in success in preaching and guiding people to the truth.”
Ayatollah Al-Safi emphasized that wisdom in preaching is not limited to having religious knowledge, but also includes the method of transmitting it.
“In addition to studying jurisprudence and theology, a preacher must learn communication skills and know the appropriate approach for each person according to their situation and circumstances, because differences between individuals require diverse methods of discourse and persuasion.”
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Stating that the Arbeein pilgrimage is an exceptional opportunity for preachers to meet with different segments of pilgrims and strive to guide people and increase their insight, he said guiding one person is considered one of the greatest acts of worship for God Almighty and the most precious fruits of missionary work.
“One of the most important responsibilities of preachers during the Arbaeen pilgrimage is to increase the pilgrim’s awareness and try to correct the misconceptions and false beliefs that some people may have.”
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