Mumbai

More women than men participated in Istifada Ilmiyya - the annual festival of learning and self-improvement of the Dawoodi Bohra Muslims at the community's premier educational institute - Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah, Surat, Gujarat. According to an estimate, 63 percent of attendees were women.

The festival based on the teachings of Prophet Muhammad that a man must seek knowledge from all sources, involves seminars, workshops, and cultural programmes, and people from various countries participate in it.

The Dawoodi Bohras today are generally highly educated, thriving business people and qualified professionals in numerous fields. Aggregating to around 1 million members, the Dawoodi Bohras have settled in over 40 countries across the globe to practice their faith and lead meaningful and prosperous lives.

Rashida Rabab, 35, a life coach and a psychologist, who attended the festival said, "Istifada is a season of learning to look within and beyond yourself. As a counselor, these sessions allow me to learn, apply those learnings in practice and foster an exchange of ideas with fellow attendees,”

Dawoodi Bohra men and women participating in a seminar

In its sixth edition of Istifada this year, over 45,000 young and old men and women Dawoodi Bohra members from across the globe participated in the educational activities spread over 15 days.

The participants included professors and graduates of Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah, members from the community’s administrative departments, businessmen and businesswomen, professionals, homemakers, and people from all walks of life. A wide range of topics, including Islamic philosophy, history, and jurisprudence were covered in different sessions.

This year’s IstifadaIlmiyya saw women outnumber men. More than 63% of women from across the world joined the educational programme to seek knowledge and upgrade their personal and professional skills.

Men playing football in between the sessions of Istifada Iilmiya

Sharing her experience, Dr Munira Radhanpurwala, a Professor of English Literature and Language at Aligarh Muslim University, said, “Istifada provides an opportunity to interact with people from various backgrounds, places and age groups, all connected for one purpose, ‘to acquire knowledge. The amount of learning at these sessions has made me even more humble and realize that there is no age limit to learning, it never stops.”

Khadija Pedhiwala, who came from San Francisco, USA, said, "One of the greatest aspects of Istifada Ilmiyya sessions is that it contributes to my overall behavioural and functional development. We should always return to the roots of learning. Education is such a foundational aspect, and it’s the most important aspect in improving one’s self.”

Another initiative that has become a vital aspect of Istifada Ilmiyya is the ‘She-Expo’, an exhibition that celebrates women's entrepreneurship within the community.

The exhibition attracts women business owners who set up stalls selling clothing, jewelry, art decor, confectionery items, etc.

She Expo poster supporting the Dawoodi Bohra business women

Yasmin Topiwala, an entrepreneur from Singapore, said, “We have learned so many skills here to improve our businesses online; the biggest takeaway for me from Istifada is empowerment’ as Istifada helped thousands of people, empowering them with skills, a change of mindset, and the ability to overcome limitations and challenges.”

In today’s competitive and complex world, learning and acquiring knowledge is an imperative and indispensable part of our life, said

Najma Akhtar, Vice Chancellor of the Jamia Millia Islamia, University who attended one of the seminars at Istifada Ilmiyya said, "Education is the fundamental of everything in existence. The only way to move forward and progress in life is through education and constantly acquiring knowledge. It is obligatory upon every man and woman to educate themselves and their family members.”

Upholding his predecessor’s tradition of knowledge, the leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin continues to guide people to nourish the mind and soul through learning, with the constant endeavour to help benefit humanity -the purpose of all education.

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The community’s annual educational seminars serve as a template for other faith groups to organise sustained learning programmes to keep learning new things, growing, and constantly evaluating the way we live, work, and relate to one another.