Hawzah News Agency- The academic gathering, titled "Islamic Seminaries and Duties Arising from the Message of Our Martyred Imam: Charting the Path of the School of Martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah," was hosted by Ayatollah Iravani Seminary School in cooperation with the international secretariat of Amna al-Rosol and the management of women's seminaries.
The event aimed to reassess the role of Islamic seminaries within the framework of Islamic civilization and to examine the managerial approach of Sayyed Nasrallah as a contemporary civilizational model.
Speaking at the conference, Hojatoleslam Mohammad-Taqi Rabbani, secretary of the scientific committee of Amna al-Rosol secretariat, offered an analytical perspective on the relationship between seminaries, the historical mission of the clergy, and the model of engagement embodied by Sayyed Nasrallah.
Seminaries as Extension of the School of Imamate
Rabbani opened his remarks by tracing the historical roots of Islamic seminaries, describing them not merely as educational institutions but as the continuation of the authentic "School of Imamate."
Referring to the aftermath of the tragedy of Ashura, he noted that Imam Sajjad (AS) laid the foundation for the revival of Shia identity by establishing a parallel line against what he termed the "School of Caliphate," historically rooted in the Saqifah incident.
He stressed that the mission of this school was to safeguard pure thought during the most repressive periods. Therefore, he argued, today's seminaries must recognize that their mandate extends beyond transmitting textual knowledge to encompass a broader mission based on two key concepts: "warning" and "assistance."
This divine dynamism, Rabbani said, pulls society out of passivity and propels it toward the peaks of civilizational perfection.
Women's Seminaries: A Civilizational Phenomenon
The speaker highlighted the establishment of women's seminaries as one of the profound blessings of the Islamic Revolution, describing it as a "great civilizational phenomenon."
He emphasized that women's seminaries serve not merely as educational spaces but as institutions for training social pioneers.
Rabbani identified two critical areas for female scholars: managing the family sphere and contributing to broader social discourse. He described the role of female seminary graduates in confronting today's intellectual and cultural challenges as an undeniable necessity, adding that this institution can act as a powerful arm in rebuilding Islamic identity.
The Quranic 'Istikhfaf' Project
A central theme of Hojatoleslam Rabbani's address was the analysis of what he called the strategic project of tyrannical powers to dominate societies—a project he identified as "Istikhfaf" (belittlement and degradation).
Drawing on the Quranic verse describing Pharaoh's conduct—"So he belittled his people, and they obeyed him" (43:54)—he argued that oppressive powers throughout history have employed a consistent method for domination: belittling, humiliating, and stripping people of their dignity.
This project, he continued, was pursued after Saqifah during the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties, and in the modern era has taken new forms through modern colonialism, aimed at conditioning the Muslim Ummah to accept humiliation and self-deprecation.
Islamic Revolution and Restoration of Dignity
Rabbani credited the Islamic Revolution with breaking the historical wall of humiliation and paving the way for the restoration of Islamic dignity.
He stated that the Revolution managed to stand against the historical process of degrading and de-identifying the Muslim Ummah and opened the path for the return of religious and social honor.
According to Rabbani, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah brought this dignity to the global stage in confrontation with the most brutal enemies of humanity, demonstrating that by relying on religious foundations, a pressured and deprived community could be transformed into a powerful and deterrent force.
Sayyed Nasrallah: A Managerial and Civilizational School
The speaker outlined the defining characteristics of Sayyed Nasrallah, describing him not just as an individual but as a "managerial and civilizational school." Among the notable features of this school, he cited exceptional intelligence, crisis management, the capacity for building consensus, conflict resolution, and the ability to create convergence among diverse social groups.
Referencing Lebanon's complex social fabric, Hojatoleslam Rabbani said Martyr Nasrallah managed to transform deep divisions among various Lebanese communities—including Shias, Sunnis, Druze, and Christians—into convergence along the path of resistance.
He described this ability as a key manifestation of Martyr Nasrallah's managerial and civilizational school, stressing that managing a pluralistic society requires precise social understanding, dialogue, persuasion, and trust-building among different groups.
Empowering the Oppressed
Rabbani also highlighted Sayyed Nasrallah's role in restoring dignity to Lebanon's most deprived social classes.
He said Nasrallah transformed a community living under conditions of oppression into a powerful force with deterrence capability.
This social transformation, he argued, offers the greatest lesson for seminary scholars: it demonstrates how religious foundations can activate the social capacities of the oppressed and turn a weak, pressured community into an effective and decisive power.
Beyond Emotional Commemoration
In his concluding remarks, Hojatoleslam Rabbani called for moving beyond "emotional commemoration" toward "methodological formulation."
Criticizing the tendency to settle for praise and tribute when confronting civilizational figures, he said the duty of seminaries is not merely to honor personalities like Sayyed Nasrallah but to extract "workbooks" and "operational guidelines" from their legacy and experience.
He proposed that researchers and academic centers convert various dimensions of Martyr Nasrallah's legacy into scientific and educational models, including: techniques and skills of audience persuasion; models for conflict management in multi-ethnic and multi-religious societies; principles for effective operation in high-risk and obstacle-laden environments; and the art and tactics of media operations.
These themes, he said, could lay the groundwork for a scientific framework to train social, cultural, and seminary forces.
Civilizational Capacity-Building for the Advent
Rabbani concluded by framing this scholarly movement as an essential precursor to capacity-building for genuine preparation for the advent of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance).
He emphasized that fulfilling divine promises requires creating tangible civilizational capacities among the believers. Expectation, he said, cannot be realized through slogans or expressions of devotion alone; it must be transformed into social, intellectual, managerial, and civilizational capability.
The conference concluded with an emphasis on continued cooperation between academic and promotional institutions and sustained study of the "School of Resistance."
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