JAK 2025 Convention was held on Sunday 6 July 2025 at Eaton Hall, Retford, under the title Echoes of Guidance. Building upon the success of the previous year, the convention continued Jamia Al-Karam’s renewed annual gathering of scholarship, reflection and public engagement, bringing together scholars, graduates, Imams, community leaders, students and families.
The programme explored themes of Prophetic guidance, moderation, civic engagement, remembrance and service. Gul Muhammad (Retford) delivered The Abyssinian Chapter: A Forgotten Paradigm, drawing Sirah lessons on the ethics of minority life. Bakhtyar H. Pirzada (Retford) delivered Countering Fitnah: Extremism Through the Lens of Moderation, featuring the launch of Embracing the Middle Way. Dr Waqar Azmi OBE (Bromsgrove) delivered the Srebrenica Anniversary presentation, Remember Yesterday, Act Today, commemorating 30 years since the Srebrenica genocide.
The convention included a panel discussion titled Voices of Service: British Muslims in the Public Square, moderated by Imam Qari Muhammad Asim MBE (Leeds), with contributions from Ashfaq Siddique BEM (London), Cllr Abdul Raoof Malik (Bristol) and Imam Muhammad Irfan Chishti MBE (Rochdale). A tribute segment titled Scholars of Impact honoured Shaykh al-Islam Abdel-Halim Mahmoud (ra), the 46th Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, and reflected upon the enduring value of scholarly legacy and Isnad.
JAK 2025 Convention also celebrated the graduation of 15 male and 4 female students from the Class of 2025, who completed either the Foundation Diploma in Islamic Sciences & Classical Arabic or the Advanced Diploma in Islamic Sciences & Traditional Scholarship. The 2025 JAK Gold Medal Award was conferred upon His Eminence Mufakkir-e-Islam Allama Qamaruzzaman Azmi (Manchester), while the Himmah Award for Courage recognised Imam Mansoor Mahmood (London) for bravery, resilience and service.
A special documentary, 50 Years of Service: Shaykh Pirzada’s Formative Years in the UK, was also featured, marking the Founder’s decades of service in Britain. The convention concluded with an inspiring keynote address by Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad (Cambridge), also known as Dr Timothy Winter, on Reviving the Spirit of the Sirah, Salam recitation by Major Najeeb Ur Rehman Naz (Oslo, Norway) and closing remarks and du‘a by Shaykh Muhammad Imdad Hussain Pirzada (Retford). Through its lectures, awards, tribute, graduation and public reflections, JAK 2025 Convention sought to be a source of clarity, strength and guidance for the times.
