JAK 2024 Convention was held on Sunday 7 July 2024 at Eaton Hall, Retford, marking a renewed chapter in the annual gathering of Jamia Al-Karam. Under the title Embracing Change: Navigating New Realities, the convention brought together scholars, Imams, graduates, students and community members for an afternoon of learning, reflection and institutional renewal.
The programme explored important themes relevant to British Muslims and contemporary Islamic scholarship. These included British Muslims: Citizenship Through the Lens of Islamic Teachings by Dr Mahboob Hussain (Retford), Artificial Intelligence: Religious Thought and the Emergence of AI by Gul Muhammad (Retford), and Dars Nizami Origins: Identifying with the Legacy of a Curriculum by Bakhtyar H. Pirzada (Retford). A panel discussion titled British Mosques: The Future of Imams and Mosque Leadership was moderated by Imam Qari Muhammad Asim MBE (Leeds), with contributions from Masud Ahmed Khan (Aylesbury), Shamim Ahmed Raja (Batley) and Mohammed Haq Nawaz (Peterborough).
The convention also celebrated the graduation of 15 male and 7 female students from the Class of 2024, who completed either the Foundation Diploma in Islamic Sciences & Classical Arabic or the Advanced Diploma in Islamic Sciences & Traditional Scholarship. The event included the presentation of the 2024 JAK Gold Medal, as well as a tribute to Justice Pir Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari (ra), the renowned scholar, jurist and spiritual figure.
The day concluded with a keynote address and du‘a by Pir Muhammad Amin Ul Hasnat Shah (Pakistan), alongside reflections from Shaykh Muhammad Imdad Hussain Pirzada (Retford), recitations, nasheeds and closing remarks. JAK 2024 Convention set the tone for a renewed annual convention rooted in tradition while engaging with the changing realities of contemporary Britain.
