This was my father’s teacher, Sheikh Osama Al-Khaani, giving a class in Syria as Habib Ali Jifri shows him such great love and honour. May Allah preserve them all!
Watching this video brought back so many memories of my visits there. I don’t know when this video was shot but Im sure it was before the recent events of Syria. I remember when we used to go with my father to visit sheikh Osama in a house on the outskirts of Damascus. All the guests were students of the sheikh and classmates of my father. They would joke of their gatherings as teenagers; who would fall asleep in classes, the crazy fund raisers they did for Masjid Abu Al-noor (for their great teacher Sheikh Ahmed Kuftaro) and the occasional tangles with the Syrian mukhabaraat (the secret service – an experience almost every syrian has some experience of). Now, 40 years on, their paths meet again as each of them has grown to become a respected leader, imam and teacher in their own mosques and communities in Syria. Perhaps we in the UK will follow a similar trajectory; our enthusiastic and active youth of today will grow to become the scholars and leaders of tomorrow.
The setting would always be very relaxed as we would sing nasheeds, hear stories from each of the guest followed by a few words from Sheikh Osama. He would always ask us to tell him of the work we were doing in the UK
I remember once sheikh Osama turned to us and pointed to the carpet; “This flower is is the work you are doing. Its smell and fragrance will reach a wider circle of people around it; these will become your supporters and follow what you do. Beyond that is like the rest of this carpet; because of the benefit you bring through your sweet fragrance, they will appreciate what you are doing and, though they may not follow you, they will at least have a positive image of Islam and Muslims. These are the general population of the UK. This is how you change perceptions of Islam in the West – continue doing good work and widening your circle of followers and friends. Then people will love Islam.”
May Allah reward him for the work he has done and grant him paradise. I pray for the day when we can return to visit him and all the other beautiful scholars and people of Syria.
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- After 16 years of being unable to visit Syria, my father returns back to his homeland. Within a few days of arriving, we went to attend the class of Sheikh Osama in our local mosque in Haresta.
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- Out in the orchards of Damascus; a peaceful gathering of old friends. These same suburbs now witness some of the greatest distruction and violence the country has seen since the start of revolution
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- 40 years after he left Syria, the teacher and his students gather again at their old venue; my grand parents house. My father explains the current work we are doing in Solihull and the UK in teaching Islam to people as Sheikh Osama and his former classmates listen eagerly
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- Fresh apples grow in the orchard ready to be picked; a fitting parable for the work Sheikh Osama has done
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- My father sits alongside his teacher, sheikh Osama Al-Khani
On the Path of Knowledge 
Insightful read Mr.G, I hope everything goes well with your family and friends in Syria 🙂
Thank you very much 🙂