IMAM TO CONSOLIDATE FEET ON MIHRAB

They were once again listening to the cadences of the 'rain' which, years back, in parallel with the melody of the beautiful slop rain in picturesque Mambara Hills, had nursed their soul back to health and nourished their spiritual existence. By the time this revivifying ‘shower’ drizzled into an end, followed by brief but fitting postscripts by Kunjamusthad and Darimiyusthad and the melodious feast of Qawali presented by their younger brothers, IMAMs have taken some resolute strides to consolidate their feet on the Mihrabs of life.
Mambara Hills, Feb 10:
It was more than a jovial get-together for around 70 alums of KKHM Islamic and Arts College who gathered in their ancestral institution for a day of introspection, interactions and reminiscences. Islamic Mission of the Alums of Markaz (IMAM)’s first meeting of an expectedly hectic year turned out to be an exhilarating homecoming. Thanks to its therapeutic appeal, each golden moment of roughly 12 hours will be etched in the memory of IMAMs who thronged on Sunday the refurbished college auditorium decked with a stately wooden rostrum.

Ranging from Psychologist Suleiman Melpathur’s two-hour long excellent speech to the finale marked by Qawali, the action-packed day proved to be highly reinvigorating. IMAMs were reassured about their merit, criticized for their apathy and awakened from supine inertia to the gravity of their mission. They restored their strength, replenished their fuels and retuned their goals. Sky is the limit, they were told; conquer the pinnacles, they were exhorted; and, prove to be different, they were urged.

'How to row against waves?'
In the first session, Suleiman Melpathur, the Psychologist, cautioned the enlightened audience, comprising both students and alumni, about the stormy waters ahead. His speech, interspersed with practical demonstrations, anecdotes and parables was a special experience for the audience. Quoting profusely from Hadieth, Quraan and History, Mr. Suleiman asked the students to be updated, alert and dedicated to the noble cause they have embarked on. What the world and the Umma most badly needed are individuals capable of creating differences; and engendering such a generation of individuals is the most significant onus vested on the shoulders of Scholars like Wafies, he said.

'Promises to keep'
Ahmed Faizy, President of IMAM, led the second session. He harked back to how the weekly assemblies played a crucial role in moulding the character, personality and wisdom of each student in the college. Tears welled up in every body’s eyes as Mr. Ahmed referred to the umbilical cord still refusing to be broken between former students of the campus and their esteemed teachers.

The grandeur of their cause and the seriousness of their mission required from Wafees some enthusiastic and dedicative strides so that they would be able to materialise what was expected of them, he pointed out. Mr. Ahmed later explained the blueprint of the activities for the next five months.

Then the delegates were asked to fill up the registration form and were divided to three groups on the basis of their areas of interest. The speakers' forum led by Muhammed Saleem Wafy prepared an exhaustive schedule for the speakers in the next five months. The writers’ wing under the leadership of Ayoob Khan Faizy seeks to ensure their respective members’ overall partnership in an extensive ‘writing campaign’. The campaign, as was later explained by the honourable Principal, aims at writing maximum numbers of article on important Islamic topics in almost all major Malayalam journals and news papers. The Information & Technology team led by Muhammd Salhuddeen Wafy put forward the innovative idea of launching a comprehensive Islamic website for IMAM in the near future.

’Dreams without wings’
The third session started on an unusually cordial note as Hakeemusthad, the most respected patriarch of the family, himself stood up with the attendance sheet and started to call each one’s name. His inquiry about the absentees, his implied smile while uttering certain names, his casual remarks about some, and the explanation he himself gave regarding the whereabouts of some others added a flavour of intimacy to the overall situation.

His speech, the most important item of any alumni feast, weaved an exclusive fabric of disciplines touching almost all aspects of a former student’s personal, social and educational life. The speech was also an attempt to locate some of the basic frailties of the IMAMS. It aptly pointed to where, how and why they did miss the mark. It inspired them to go far and encouraged them to understand their faculties and prospects.

For each alumnus, the speech did leave no stone unturned. It imparted them with provisions for the rest of their trip through the winding pathways of the parched desert land. To cap it all, Usthad Kodassery, who has been on a long leave from the college for nearly six months, and Anver Master delivered a brief speech each.

'Let’s go for a picnic'
A bus load of IMAMS arrived on the shore of Nila in Kuttippuram; they spent almost one hour there till dusk chalking out some innovative agendas for the future. The élan and enthusiasm with which each one boosted up the dialogues and deliberations made it known that the twinkling of the candle they arduously kindled from the Mambara Hills is not to be extinguished.

The grand finale
After three group leaders explained the agenda of their respective wings, the fourth session took an embarrassingly dull and stereotypical turn when Wafies from so-called ‘different’ fields started to blabber about their ‘experiences’. It seemed for a while that this much- hyped alumni meeting too cannot break away from the tragic fate of most of its previous editions.

But, comfortingly enough, at a crucial juncture when IMAMs appeared to be no more capable of deciding their agenda among themselves, Hakeemusthad was forced to have the run of the entire session. However disinterested may IMAMs look to the true spirit of their cause and to the specific message of this gathering, he was not ready to let it be another non-event. He felt the dire necessity of exorcising them of this apparent lack of confidence. He called IMAMs their bluff and asked them to prove their mettle.

Strongly challenging them to walk their talk and live their dreams, he gave vent to his strong sense of despair over their whole mission turning out to be virtual non-starters. His speech passionately appealed them to invest their talent, skills and knowledge on a far more lucrative enterprise-the dissemination of Allah’s great religion. The speech was an eye-opener with its intensity trialling each IMAM in the court of his conscience. It fuelled in each one’s mind a fire capable of burning his lethargy in to ashes. It also reminded them of the heavy prices they have to pay for the detachment between them and the sources of their spiritual wisdom.

They were once again listening to the cadences of the 'rain' which, years back, in parallel with the melody of the beautiful slop rain in picturesque Mambara Hills, had nursed their soul back to health and nourished their spiritual existence. By the time this revivifying ‘shower’ drizzled into an end, followed by brief but fitting postscripts by Kunjamusthad and Darimiyusthad and the melodious feast of Qawali presented by their younger brothers, IMAMs have taken some resolute strides to consolidate their feet on the Mihrabs of life.


IMAM WORKING COMMITTEE

Presidnt : Ahmed Faizy Kakkad
Vice Presidents : Abdul Razaq Faizy C.P, Rafeeq Abdul Barr Wafy

General Secretary : Sidheeq Al Akbar Wafy
Joint Secretaries : Ashraf Faizy K.S, Zainudheen Wafy K.M.

Treasurer: Al Hafiz Jahfar Wafy

MEMBERS : Ali Faizy P, Azeez Faizy Thuvvur, Habeebulla Faizy, Al Hafil Noushad Wafy, Abdul Rahman Wafy C.P, Noufal Wafy N, Salahudheen Wafy K, Nafih Wafy T.K, Haider Ali Wafy, Ja'far Shareef Wafy, Noorudheen Wafy Makkara, Nazar Wafy T, Muhammed Qubaib Wafy, Abdul Razaq Wafy C.