Dean of the College of Islamic Sciences, Dr. Talal Faeq Al-Kamali’s Address at the Graduation Ceremony of the Fourth Cohort (2024–2025)

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Respected members of the faculty of the College of Islamic Sciences, beloved students, honored guests—may your titles and ranks be preserved,

I greet you with a blessed and sincere greeting, full of love and appreciation, adorned with the banner of Islam:
Peace and blessings be upon you.

First, I extend my apologies to the esteemed faculty and administrative staff, as well as our guests, for I have made it a tradition that my address during the graduation ceremony is directed specifically to my dear students.

So, I say to you, my dearest ones, the joy of my heart:

Each time I prepare my speech for the graduation ceremony, my heart tightens and my chest fills with a blend of sorrow and joy. I find myself in a state of contradiction I can neither fully understand nor explain…

Is it happiness and pride as I crown a new cohort of our students, or is it sorrow and heartache as I bid farewell to a group with whom we shared the table of knowledge, the bread of effort, the taste of values, and the sweetness of connection?

At the same time, I’m overcome by another anxiety—one I might not be able to answer. Perhaps you, more than anyone, are the ones capable of answering it.

And that question is:

Did we, as the College’s administration, truly serve you well?
Did we succeed in preparing you as ambassadors of Islamic law and the Holy Qur’an?
Were we able to engrave its verses into your hearts, its meanings into your minds, and its message into your souls?
Did we guide you to its light, train ourselves and you to embody its teachings?

Yes, my colleagues and I rejoice in this radiant occasion—your glowing faces reflect joy and achievement. We celebrate your accomplishments, your perseverance through academic challenges, and your ability to overcome personal hardships that may have stood in your way.

Yet still—we are anxious.

Did we truly prepare you as messengers of the divine message?
Did we help shape individuals capable of bearing that message with sincerity and strength?
Did we succeed in molding your character in alignment with the values and objectives of that message?

This inner conflict is what I grapple with as I write these words.

Dearest students, I also say this:

We now face a clear challenge—a choice between being and not being. We stand before intellectual, regional, and international conflicts; before a fog that obscures the future; a wilderness of misdirection and confusion; emotional deserts replacing hearts once filled with love; minds in slumber when they should burn with the quest for truth.

This challenge has reached into the homes of our youth—into our own homes and hallways—fragmenting us from within and scattering us from without. It preys on us, so that we are defeated before ever being confronted, our identities erased before being challenged, our wills bent before being tested.

In the face of such overwhelming darkness and chaos, our responsibility— as bearers of the Qur’an and sacred law—has become greater than ever. It can only be fulfilled through deep awareness of our duties and full commitment to sincere action and earnest effort.

Here, my beloved students, lies a profound truth we must all recognize:

What we have gained in knowledge within this blessed institution is only the theoretical foundation. It is but the starting point. The true test lies in transforming that knowledge into behavior, that theory into practice.

We must now take this academic provision and apply it—in our homes, in the streets, in the marketplaces, in classrooms, workplaces, and in every detail of daily life.

This arena—the realm of practical application—is the most difficult, the most rewarding, the most beneficial, and indeed, the most meaningful. For it places a person in the crucible of sincerity, where actions testify to belief, behavior reflects knowledge, and character is the fruit of what one has studied and embraced.

For this reason, our message to you this year is taken from the words of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (peace be upon him):
“Blessed is he who purifies his actions, knowledge, love, hatred, giving, refraining, speech, silence, deeds, and words for the sake of Allah.”

Blessed are we with you—you who now wear the crown of a bachelor’s degree in the sciences of Allah, the message of the Qur’an, its epistemological framework, and worldview.

Blessed are we with you, as you are under the watch of Allah and the eyes of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), whose presence shelters this institution and who expects from you only the best.

Blessed are we with you, as long as you remain loyal to the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family).
Blessed are we with you, when we strive side by side—in the home, the street, the classroom, and the market—in service of religion, humanity, and our nation.

This is what I offer you today—with great hope in your futures, pride in your achievements, and full confidence in what lies ahead.

Peace and blessings be upon you.