The Essentials
What is a Madhhab - Shaykh Omar Qureshi
Shaykh Omar Qureshi explains the methodology of following a madhhab. The word is derived from “dhahaba” which means the way. When using the word madhab in a fiqh context or a technical sense it refers to a mushtahid’s choice in regard to a number of possibilities. Shaykh Omar addresses questions such as “Why can’t we simply interpret Quran and Hadith on our own?” He defines the words Ijtihad, Mujtahid, taqlid, and the survival of the four schools of thought. The second part is a question and answer section from the audience and listeners during the live session.
The Premises of Imam al-Sanusi - Shaykh Omar Qureshi
How do we know things? What is knowledge? How is knowledge acquired? This course will lay out the epistemological foundations of our tradition that answer these questions and more. Based on the foundational text of Imam Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Sanusi, these sessions will provide students with an understanding of the correspondence theory of truth, the various categories of propositions, the problems inherent in skepticism, and the various forms of disbelief.
Islamic Theology - Shaykh Faraz Khan
This ten part course taught by Shaykh Faraz Khan covers three main areas of Islamic creed: the attributes of Allah, the nature of the Prophets, and transmitted revelatory knowledge from the unseen. Students will learn about what attributes are necessary to, conceivable of, and inconsistent with divinity; what is the Muslim understanding of Prophets and prophecy; and what revelation says about the end days, the Last Day, the Afterlife, and more. This course will also provide students with a proper understanding of the scholarly understanding of decree (qadr), what renders one inside the fold of Islam, why tragedy and pain exist in the world, and other relevant theological questions.
Pick one of the following two courses (Hanafi Fiqh or Shafi’i Fiqh)
DEVOTIONAL LAW: HANAFI FIQH - SHAYKH AMIN KHOLWADIA
Topics reviewed include legal definitions and the subject of water, purification and prayer, the legal methods and regulations surrounding the most essential devotions of Islam: the daily prayer and fasting. Equipped with the knowledge provided in this course, students will be able to navigate and fulfill their religious duties in almost any situation, giving them the confidence to worship God properly.
DEVOTIONAL LAW: SHAFI’I FIQH - SHAYKH OMAR QURESHI
This course will cover the legal methods and regulations surrounding the most essential devotions of Islam according to the Shafi'i School: the daily prayer and fasting. Equipped with the knowledge provided in this course, students will be able to navigate and fulfill their religious duties in almost any situation, giving them the confidence to worship God properly.
SPIRITUAL REFINEMENT - SHAYKH FARAZ KHAN
Based on the last section of “The Helping Guide” of Imam Abdal-Wahid ibn ‘Ashir, this course will provide students with an introduction to the discipline of ihsan, the third dimension of the religion in the well-known hadith of Jibril, upon him peace. Students will learn fundamental concepts of spiritual purification and cultivation, the most central spiritual states, and how to apply these practically to cultivate the state of their own souls.
THE DISCERNING EYE’S DELIGHT (QURRAT AL-ABSAR) - SHAYKH HAMZA YUSUF
Taught in Madinah, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf first introduced his English translation of this celebrated poem on the blessed life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Written over 400 years ago by the noble and erudite scholar, Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Lamti, this poem eloquently honors the life, qualities, and countless virtues of the Messenger of God (God's peace and blessings be upon him). Shaykh Hamza Yusuf's moving commentary of this didactic gem will surely engender a greater love for The Beloved ﷺ.
The Path to Virtue: Islamic Ethics - Shaykh Omar Qureshi
The Path to Virtue (al-Dharī'a ila makarim al-Sharī'a) is an introduction to the ethical philosophy
of Islam. A seminal work on Islamic ethics, it discusses various topics including moral character,
the states of the human being, how to change character, the faculties of man, and much more.
This course will provide a brief introduction to the great ethical tradition of Islam through this
seminal text.