BAHAWALPUR, April 20: The three-day third international Seerat conference opened at the Islamia University Bahawalpur here on Friday.

The Seerat Chair of the university is holding the conference, titled ‘Importance and necessity of Seeratun Nabi’. About 60 foreign and local scholars and teachers drawn from various universities from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Afghanistan and India, are attending the conference.

Speaking as chief guest at the inaugural session, Vice-President of Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Prof Dr Taha Abu Kuresha stressed the need for solving all problems being faced by the Muslims from the holy Prophet’s (peace by upon him) Sunnat.

He said there was a dire need to highlight the Seerat to give a wake-up call to the Islamic world.

He stressed the need to disseminate the message of Islam in the whole world.

Islamia University vice-chancellor Prof Dr Belal Khan urged the Muslims to learn from the Seerat. He observed that in view of the socio-religious and political conditions of the Islamic countries, such conferences were not only timely but were need of the hour.

Expressing his concern, the VC said Islamic society was suffering from intellectual backwardness to an alarming degree and faced with the challenges of sectarianism and racism. There was lack of justice, patience, accountability and respect for human rights in the Muslim world. Moreover, research activities, quest for knowledge and proper planning to meet current and future challenges found no room in the Islamic world.

Dawaa Academy, Islamabad, director-general Prof Abdul Jabbar Shakir, Seerat Chair director Prof Dr Abdul Rauf Zafar and Faculty of Islamic Learning dean Prof Dr Salim Tariq also spoke.

The chief guest later inaugurated exhibition of rare manuscripts of the holy Quran. It included a manuscript of 930 Hijri written by one Muhammad Jaffer. According to an organiser, the manuscript was brought from Iran by its owner and its tafseer and translation was in Persian language.

There is another manuscript written by Faisalabad’s Muhammad Qamar Sultan in the shape of map of Pakistan.

The second session was presided over by Prof Dr Ahmed Bra Al-Amiri, Wazaratul Maarif, Al Makkah Al-Arbia, Riyadh. Chief guest on the occasion was Prof Dr Zafarul Islam, president, Department of Islamic Studies, Aligarh Muslim University, India while dean speaker was Muhammad Adeeb Badnajki, Halab, Syria.

The third session was presided over by Sheikh Muhammad Saeed Albadnajki, director, Islamic Centre, Halb, Syria, while guest speaker was Prof Dr Hamdullah Ismail, Department of Islamic Studies, University of Engineering and Technology, Kabul, Afghanistan.