"Allah will rise up, to (suitable) ranks (and degrees), those of you who believe and who have been granted (mystic) Knowledge"

In April, the Spiritual Management of Muslims of
Ukraine "Ummah" together with all-Ukraine Association of Social Organizations "Аlraid" carried out a cycle of seminars devoted to issues of Islamic dogma (aqida), ideology, ethics and spiritual component of Islam. Meetings passed in mosques and Islamic Cultural Centers of Kiev, Odessa, Kharkov, Donetsk, Lugansk, Vinnitsa, Zaporozhye, Sumy, Poltava and
Lvov.

Mufti of the SMMU "Ummah" Said Ismagilov:

"Increase of level of religious literacy among Muslims of Ukraine was the task of the seminars. We tried to inform listeners about Islamic doctrine "firsthand" that is from the Imams having the higher theological education. For this purpose we involved Imams of our mosques — in the past graduates of Islamic universities. Each of them conducted lectures and meetings in a non-native for them city. Not a secret that the audience perceives a new person better. For example, Seyran Arifov, the vice-president of the AUASO "Alraid" in Simferopol, delivered lectures in Kiev, and Rustam Husnutdinov, the Imam-hatyb from
Donetsk, — in Zaporozhye.

We were once again convinced in necessity of live dialogue, meetings with Muslims on places. Only in that way it is possible to learn by what people live, what problems and needs they have and answer their questions. It gives a chance to estimate a situation and to direct our efforts there where it is necessary most of all.

I personally visited Lvov and Vinnitsa and I can precisely tell that if in the East and the South of the country Muslims, owing to that that they are more numerous, and they are for long time busy with arrangement of their religious life, have mosques, cemeteries and necessary infrastructure, communities of the Western areas are in formation stage. Without exaggeration, it is really so. Old men complain that youth does not associate itself with Islamic tradition, and see the reason of it in the absence of the qualified Imams, mosques, and also in the wrong information about Islam in mass-media".

About the seminar

Alena:

"The seminar impressed me much. Lecture of Ismail Kady about history of building and advantages of Al-Aksa mosque in
Jerusalem very interesting. After all Al-Aksa mosque is the third relic of Muslims, qibla in the first years of spread of Islam, place of rise of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore its value for Muslims of the whole world cannot be underestimated.

And lectures of Seyran Arifov were useful to new Muslims. He specified examples from life of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) which we should use in our everyday life, acquainting people with Islam".

Oleg:

"I would like to note Seyran Arifov. It seems that I did not hear anything new, but Seyran Arifov explained some aspects of the call, in particular he told how correctly to place priorities and thus not to wallow in vanity of this life, not to forget about the purpose of our existence, and to look at all events in the light of the Judgment Day.

The expert of the Islamic law, Seyran Arifov

I also remembered the lecture about tests which daily should face believers. Whatever happens, a Muslim should adequately face any situation, always relying only on Allah as it was done by the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)".

Info. Department of the AUASO "Аlraid"