Due to the ongoing global pandemic and in the interest of safety, all four campuses of Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah are currently engaged in online learning. Nearly three months have now passed since the start of the new academic year, and despite the fact that students and faculty members are spread out across multiple continents and time zones, the process of enlightening minds and enriching souls remains undiminished.
In Fatimi philosophy, the pursuit of knowledge is a perennial practice undeterred by the vicissitudes of time. Throughout history, the Imams AS and their Duʿāt RA have continued to impart knowledge even in the face of natural calamities, pestilence and persecution. Their devotion and dedication to spreading knowledge led them to conducting classes in underground cellars and rooftop terraces, always adapting according to the needs of the time.
True to its Fatimi heritage, on many occasions in the past, Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah has altered its modus operandi during times of hardship or upheaval to ensure that the lofty process of learning persists. For instance, in the aftermath of devastating floods that submerged practically the entire city of Surat in 2005 causing widespread destruction and damage, especially in Zampa Bazaar where the Aljamea campus is situated, the entire student body and faculty were relocated to Burhanpur for the remainder of the academic year.
Similarly during the reconstruction phase of the Aljamea Surat campus, the construction of the Karachi and Nairobi campuses and the ongoing construction of the Mumbai campus, classes have continued, sometimes in makeshift structures and despite what may seem like limitations in resources. Although the acquisition of knowledge through the processes of education is carried out in the physical realm and often relies on material objects, it is ultimately a spiritual endeavour. This belief lies at the core of Aljamea’s Fatimi philosophy of education. Ultimately, as Imam al-Jafar al-Sadiq AS has stated, those who adhere to this belief and the love of the Ahle Bayt AS, even if their physical circumstances are so dire that they have nowhere to seek shade apart from the shade of a tree, it is of no consequence to them and of no harm.
