Zekr; An MIT Association Seeking to Promote Islamic Teachings
Their story began in 2007, when a group of students started a series of sessions to recite the Holy Quran and ponder on its meanings every Friday.
But they did not limit themselves to this program as they quickly added a weekly Kumayl Supplication to their agenda.
This was the beginning of seeing a potential for spreading the teachings of the Holy Quran and Ahl al-Bayt (AS) at MIT due to the enthusiastic reception of the programs by people there.
Using its extensive connections with scholars from across the United States, the association now organizes a wide range of programs both online and in person.
Zekr held various programs such as those in Muharram and Eid Ghadir last year in person at MIT Stratton Student Center.
It also arranges online webinars on various topics both in English and Persian. The videos are streamed on YouTube and accessible to all those interested in the topics.
One of the most recent programs was “Three Ramadan Nights with Harvard Scholars” held at Qadr nights of Ramadan 2023 with participation of three scholars who discussed topics about the Quran and Islam while also answering the questions of the online attendees.
According to a long-standing tradition, every religion and sect has a special chaplain at MIT who serves to “provide religious, spiritual, and ethical programming, as well as confidential counseling and crisis support,” as reported by the university’s Office of Religious, Spiritual, and Ethical Life (ORSEL).
Hossein Mosallaei, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern University, serves as the Shia chaplain at MIT. According to his bio at ORSEL, his vision “is to be a good support for Muslim students in keeping them spiritually fulfilled while they pursue their studies.”
Zekr aims to “promote the teachings of the Quran, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and the Twelve Imams (AS),” and “create a sense of community for Shia in Greater Boston area,” a member of the association told IQNA.
The diverse programs organized by the association attract not only students but also people from other walks of life who have embraced the online and in person events in the past few years.
