Announcement of the recommendations from the second preparatory conference for the commemoration of the millennium of the Najaf al-Ashraf Seminary (Hawza)

The preparatory committee for the Second International Preliminary Scientific Conference, held to commemorate the millennium of the Najaf Seminary (Hawza), has announced its final recommendations.

The conference was organized by the Sheikh Al-Tusi Center for Studies and Research—part of the Supreme Authority for Heritage Revival at the Al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine—in collaboration with the Al-Ameed Scientific and Intellectual Society, Al-Kafeel University, the University of Kufa, and the Imam Al-Kadhem College (Najaf branches). Titled "The Scientific and Intellectual Contributions of the Najaf Seminary from the 9th to the 12th Century AH," the event is part of the broader millennium commemoration of the seminary, held under the auspices of the holy shrines in Iraq.

Dr. Sarhan Jafat, head of the Al-Ameed Scientific and Intellectual Society, presented the conference’s recommendations, which are as follows:

First: That these scholarly activities—including conferences and seminars—should continue, in order to further explore the blessed efforts of the Hawza—efforts so vast in their temporal scope and literary output that they could not be fully covered within the confines of this conference.

Second: We recommend that the next edition of the conference launch an online publication titled "The Najaf Seminary (Hawza of Najaf Al-Ashraf)." This platform would solicit concise articles covering the history, prominent figures, and intellectual heritage of this blessed institution. These articles would serve as a foundational nucleus for the development of a comprehensive encyclopedia dedicated to the Najaf Seminary. Third: The significant scholarly contributions produced by the Hawza Ilmiyya (Islamic Seminary) in Najaf al-Ashraf should be revived and reintroduced to researchers and scholars. To this end, we propose the establishment of a library—to be titled "The Library of the Hawza Ilmiyya in Najaf al-Ashraf"—tasked with making Hawza-related works accessible to all, both in print and digital formats. This initiative would complement the efforts already undertaken by the Holy Shrines in this field.

Fourth: The Hawza Ilmiyya in Najaf al-Ashraf has been, and will continue to be, a beacon of knowledge and scholarship for generations. Its contributions to education and teaching are a source of great pride. We therefore recommend that the scholarly endeavors, history, and prominent figures of the Hawza be incorporated into the curricula of schools and universities. This would enlighten future generations about the monumental achievements of this blessed institution, as the history of the Hawza is an inseparable part of the history of Iraq.

Fifth: We recommend that future editions of this conference include an award for the three best works written about the Hawza Ilmiyya in Najaf al-Ashraf—covering its scholars and its body of knowledge. This competition aims to foster specialized, scholarly perspectives on the noble Hawza tradition, thereby cultivating a generation of researchers capable of presenting Hawza-based thought through a rigorous academic lens.

Sixth: The formation of academic committees tasked with following up on the recommendations of this conference and reviewing the progress made on these recommendations at the opening of the next edition of the conference.