Al-Taqwa College, one of the oldest serving Islamic schools in Australia, hosted a spectacular Grand Union in Melbourne celebrating 25 years of year twelve graduations on Wednesday 14 June at Lakeside Banquet & Convention Centre. 

The venue was full of alumni from various years, dating back to the year 1998, the very first Al Taqwa graduates.

The moving opening prayer was performed by Al-Taqwa College Sheikh, Dr Ali Galabneh.

The MC for the event was Ms Nejla Mohammad, Alumni Relations Coordinator, who welcomed guests to the Grand Reunion and did the Acknowledgement of Country.

Mr Omar Hallak, founder and Executive Principal of Al Taqwa College gave a very sincere and poetic welcoming speech to his guests, stating, “On my way here I noticed there are no stars in the night sky.  When I walked in I realised its because all the stars are here in this room.”

Mr Hallak reflected on his earliest days of first migrating to Australia and the inspiration that led to him founding what has now become the largest single-campus Islamic school in Australia.

From very humble beginnings with only a classroom of 12 year Twelve students graduating in 1998, today Al Taqwa College boasts over 2300 students and 380 staff with impressive education facilities spanning across their 50 acre campus.

Well known Australian-Turkish comedian Tahir Bilgic’s performance left the crown in stitches of laughter and applause, sharing his relatable experiences as a teacher in Bankstown and life before comedy.

Special guest speaker, all the way from Perth, Sheikh Yahya Ibrahim, founder of Al Maghrib Institute, shared many gems of wisdom and naseehah  with the audience.  Giving examples from the Hadith and Qur’an, Sheikh Yahya Ibrahim highlighted that “Success and contentment are not always correlated.

He encouraged the alumni to, “instill a strong sense of self identity and self confidence in your children and build a legacy for future generations.”

Sheikh Yahya Ibrahim also encouraged the audience towards doing good by reflecting on a hadith and stated, “Never discount any good that you do. Smiling is a charity.  Checking in with someone is a charity. Its an act of favour that we seek from Allah.  And lastly those who you underestimate usually find favor with Allah.” 

During the Grand Reunion event, many prayers were made by the audience for the quick recovery of Al-Taqwa alumni Bachar Houli, who was recently involved in a car accident.  Pre-recorded videos of Bachar were played for the audience, where he shared the impact his education at Al Taqwa College has on shaping his Islamic identity.

Al-Taqwa College alumni today are serving in various positions across all industries, which were reflected in the room.  The event also served as a powerful networking and collaboration opportunity for the hundreds of alumni attending from various parts of Australia.

Community Engagement and Marketing Manager for Al-Taqwa College, Mr Hamdi Koyu, stated, “Al-Taqwa College graduates have been contributing positively to our community for the past 25 years. On behalf of Al-Taqwa College Management, we express our heartfelt gratitude to all that have made our journey worthwhile. The memories that have been created, the friendships that have been forged, and the knowledge that has been gained will be engraved in our hearts for ever. We look forward to continuing to provide quality education for generations to come.”