After a gap of three years, due to the coronavirus pandemic, since the previous graduates day held in April 2019, on Saturday 11 June 2022, Jamia Al-Karam hosted its annual graduates day at its campus of Eaton Hall in Retford, Nottinghamshire. The event coincided with the monthly Shabb-e Karam (Night of Benevolence) gathering that is held each month. Graduates since 1988 and Imams and young scholars from across the country, from Southampton to Dundee and from nearly every major city of the country in between were in attendance. In addition, elders from Oslo, Norway, also travelled for the event who have been long-term supporters and donors of the institution for the past 37 years, namely Sufi Muhammad Akram and Haji Niaz Ali.
It was a blessing to meet the graduates after such a long time and to see a large number of talented and learned young people, brothers and sisters, come to their institution and spend the day in the company of their teacher, the Founder and Principal, Shaykh Muhammad Imdad Hussain Pirzada.
In their service to religion and people, the graduates play a key role in society serving in large mosques and institutions, schools and colleges, chaplains in the prison and health services, and many other varying sectors of society. Among the graduates, many are also graduates of Al-Azhar University and notably the UK Branch of the World Organisation for al-Azhar Graduates is also situated at Jamia Al-Karam (Al-Azhar Alumni UK).
The day featured a formal session in which the senior teachers as well as the Vice-Principal, Bakhtyar Pirzada al-Azhari, shed light on recent developments and progress surrounding the projects of the institution as well as its current academic framework. The Principal, Shaykh Pirzada, delivered the keynote lecture which was an inspirational and meaningful discourse in which he reflected on 16 key areas of focus and development for young Imams and teachers in this country based on his own personal struggles and life experience in the UK since 1974.
Lunch was followed by an informal session over tea with Shaykh Pirzada in which current students displayed their talent in singing nasheeds and praise of the sublime Messenger Muhammad (upon him be peace). This was followed by Shaykh Pirzada visiting the sisters faculty and giving counsel to the graduates and their families who attended the event.
It was a blessed day and an occasion to thank Allah Almighty for His favours upon Jamia Al-Karam, as its alumni continue to go out far and wide, and serve the religion and their communities as well as the wider society.