WELCOME SPEECH
BY ARSHAD MOHIDEEN
Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuhu.
At the outset, let me express my gratitude to our Creator, Almighty Allah, for His unbounded Kindness and Compassion and for bringing us together.
Knowledge is worship and the main purpose of acquiring knowledge is to bring us closer to Allah. Allah Almighty has set the goal of every parent to raise righteous and responsible Muslims. In fact, He has made all tasks in this noble venture an `Ibaadah` an act of worship. The most effective way of achieving this goal is through granting our children a true Islamic educational experience.
To impart Islamic education to children and to enable them to grow as Muslims in modern society offers a great challenge to us. Many parents desire this worthy aspiration, yet fall short in accomplishing it. This is due, in most cases, to an improper balance between the emphasis placed in achieving tertiary educational success and the attainment of proficient Islamic knowledge. Mostly due to the lack of suitable resources specializing in the development of young Muslim minds.
The youth of today are living in an era of profound change. We live in communities locally, nationally and globally, that are changing rapidly with time. The limited amount of Islamic resources for the Muslim English-speaking world, has resulted in Muslim children of today, to be forced to fulfill their recreational and educational intellectual needs from sources which usually come fully laden with un-Islamic culture. Touching the message of Islam at a very tender level which is appealing to the perception and mindset of our young Muslims, is indeed the way to nurture a righteous society inshallah.
Let me now talk to you about an idea that was fueled with passion and commitment by a single individual, who envisioned to create a new stimulation of learning for the muslim youth of today. And today marks the first step of this vision in touching the lives of our young muslim brothers and sisters through the Pathfinders magazine. And this individual is my mother, founder and editor of the pathfinders magazine.
With this in mind we introduce this magazine- in the field of Muslim children’s literature- that will provide a new stimulation for learning which is appealing to children. This is the first issue of this unique Islamic Magazine – ‘Pathfinders’ which will be produced as a 32 page full colour magazine, bi-monthly inshallah.
The magazine’s aim is to encourage a love of learning in our readers, about Islam and the wider world, as well as provide them with hours of enjoyment as they read, draw and colour. Pathfinders is for children from 3 years, all the way through to their teenage years. Each issue will feature topics such as: Quran, Arabic, Aqeedah, Fiqh, Quranic Stories, Stories of Prophets, Seerah, Hadeeth, Environmental Issues – Geography, Science, Creative Thinking, Puzzles – Games, Crafts – Cooking, Reader Offers, Competitions, and much more! The magazine will challenge and broaden the minds of curious Muslim children and give them a whole new way to learn. This magazine will be wonderful resource for children, parents and teachers. It will stimulate the young minds of children as well as teach them the true teachings of Islam in a fun and interactive way inshallah.
This launch also gives us an opportunity as a team to pause, for just a brief moment, to reflect on some of what we have together achieved over that period of time. It also gives us an opportunity to hopefully look forward to what we may yet achieve, which is to drive this vision by creating numerous avenues in touching not only the youth locally but also the youth of the world by integrating this message in different platforms inshallah.
Although Pathfinders is primarily intended for the young, it is hoped that adults too might benefit from its contents. A magazine where a non muslim can pick up and grasp the simplicity, eloquence and beauty of Islam. Indeed all Muslim parents and teachers are encouraged to participate in reading the magazine with the children at school, home or in a library. Open up its pages and go on an interactive religious escapade with your families at home. Sit amongst your peers and relatives and reaffirm your faith with the interactive content it holds and grasp the message of this beautiful religion.
Please join with us to make this new effort a huge success by subscribing and taking out subscriptions as gifts for your dear friends and relatives, by sharing this message among your circles and communities and by praying to Allah for its success, as He is the giver of success
We hope you and your children enjoy reading and learning from this magazine, May Allah Almighty grant you and your children success in both worlds. I conclude as I began, by thanking Almighty Allah, the source of all goodness and who we pray will overlook our many faults and accept our genuine efforts in His cause,
I must say it gives me immense happiness to offer these words of welcome this wonderful evening. May Allah Almighty bless us and give us wisdom, strength and most of all: Love, to be able to enjoy the life of this world together.
Thank you.
May peace and God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.
