Take Kindly The Counsel Of The Years*

The 9th batch of Introduction to Iqbal Studies started this month and I am co-facilitating it with my honorable teacher Mr. Khurram Ali Shafique.

This post is about my long journey at Marghdeen Learning Centre; first as a participant and then actively working for it. Interestingly, I was in the first batch of Introduction to Iqbal Studies in June 2011 when it all started. and at that time I had never imagined that I will be one day assisting my teacher run this very course.

I remember how I felt when I started studying at MLC. It was the first time I took up virtual learning seriously [apart from my Spanish online lessons]. I was skeptic of some of the ideas presented in the lessons but our teacher was ever so patient and led me to the point where I became devoted to that very idea, the city of Marghdeen. Looking back at myself in my fresh year I was unrelenting, rigid and well, naïve. Running this course with my teacher is proving to be so healthy, spiritually! It feels so good to remind myself from where I come from, to trace back my progress, the point where it all started for me. It makes me realize [actually it hit me very hard] how far I have come and the things I gained in this journey. I have been very shy initially and used to communicate very little with other participants. But now, most of them are my friends. And one man made it all possible; my teacher Mr. Khurram Ali Shafique, whom I will always be grateful for. He had been a very good example of compassion, perseverance, patience and love which is not very common in today's teachers.

The thing I like about learners is their enthusiasm and fresh curiosity. I get to learn so much from the present group. They remind me of me. They are adorable. [some are older than me but that doesn't matter. They probably don't know how young I am.]. I want them to have what I had from this course which made it impossible for me to go back to my old ways. I want them to feel the real essence of education, the things which should be learned and taught, not the rote-learning and cramming of unrelated knowledge which is the hallmark of our education system. The spiritual fulfillment, the dynamics of science, arts, politics, education; the applicability of Dr. Iqbal's ideas, the sacred nature of human being, are few of many ideas which I learned from these courses. And there are many things which are yet to be studied.    

Indeed, the frustration from our education system made me realize how badly we need the kind of education which is imparted at MLC. And I cannot wait for it to be a prestigious university. I am not afraid to claim that no institute can vie with MLC in respect of discernment of knowledge and excellent quality of education, the real education which is necessary for all of us regardless of our background. 

I hope that this journey never ends. And may I accomplish what I desire.  

"Let my winged days be not spent in vain." (Unknown)  


*Title is a line from poem, The Desiderata, which means the desired things. Poet unknown.