Years 3-5 - ʿĀlimiyyah

Course Title: QUR–311: Tafsīr al-Jalālayn III

Instructor: Shaykh AbdulNasir Jangda

Text: Tafsīr al-Jalālayn

Course Description: Students will complete their study of Tafsīr Jalalayn, covering Juz 1–10 of the Quran. Tafsīr Jalālayn is known not only for its brevity, but also for its concise explanation of the Qur’an. In addition to reading and translating the text, we will also explore Imam Suyuti's methodology of understanding the Qur'an. We will delve into the linguistic beauty of the Qur’an and reflect on the Qur’an in light of contemporary realities.

Expectations: Students are expected to prepare a minimum of a page of the tafsir before every class and be able to participate during class by reading and translating the text. Students will also be given two examinations throughout the year in which their skill of translation and reflection will be assessed. Other written assignments may also be given as per the instructor’s discretion.

Frequency: 5 days a week, 24 weeks.

Course Title: HDTH–301: Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ I

Instructor: Mufti Hussain Kamani

Text: Mishkāt al-Maṣābih

Course Descriptions: Students will go through ~2000 hadith from the hadith collection Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ. In class, we will isolate the text of each narration and focus on the words of the Prophet (peace be upon him). We will be contextualizing the narrations, analyzing the language, creating fluency in reading ḥadīth, developing the ability to derive spirituality from the hadith, and appreciating the true vastness of hadith and how applicable it is in our daily lives. Approximately 150 short hadith will be assigned for memorization.

Expectations: Students will also be required to engage with the hadith prior to class and complete daily readings of Mirqāt al-Mafātīḥ, a commentary on Mishkāt.  They must also complete bi-weekly quizzes testing their memorization of select hadiths, Hadith vocabulary, accuracy of diacritical marks, and comprehension of Mirqāt. Students will also be given two examinations in the year.

Frequency: 3 days per week, 35 weeks.

Course Title: FIQH-301: Al-Mukhtār lil-Fatwá 

Instructor: Mufti Muntasir Zaman

Text: al-Mukhtār lil-Fatwá

Course Description: al-Mukhtār lil-Fatwá is a concise Ḥanafi fiqh manual considered to be a reliable source of Ḥanafi law. Much like Mukhtaṣar al-Qudūrī, it does not delve into many details on the reasoning behind the law. Students will cover the chapters on muʿāmalāt.

Frequency: 5 days a week, 24 weeks.

Course Title: FIQH–302: Sharḥ al-Wiqāyah

Instructor: Mufti Muntasir Zaman

Text: Sharḥ al-Wiqāyah

Course Description: Sharḥ al-Wiqāyah is an intermediate level Hanafi Fiqh text authored by ʿUbayd Allāh al-Maḥbūbī (d. 747 AH) as a commentary on his grandfather’s al-Wiqāya, a primer extracted from al-Hidāyah. The author adopts a rationalist approach in detailing Hanafi positive law, often delving into inter scholastic debates between Hanafis and occasionally citing other schools. Throughout the class, students will explore the reasoning behind the Ḥanafī legal rulings related to the chapters of worship.

Frequency: 5 days a week, 35 weeks.

Course Title: FIQH–321: Intro to Ḥanafī Uṣūl

Instructor: Mufti Muntasir Zaman

Text: Mabādiʾ al-Uṣūl

Course Description: In this course, we study a short primer on Ḥanafī legal theory (Uṣūl al-Fiqh) by Saʿīd Aḥmad Palanpuri. By studying legal theory, a student will learn how Ḥanafī jurists extrapolated law from the foundational sources and appreciate the language they employed in discussing and defending their positive law (furūʿ). It will not, as it is widely held, enable one to deduce law directly from the foundational sources themselves. From this angle, it is descriptive, not prescriptive.

Frequency: 5 days a week, 11 weeks.

Course Title: TAZK–311: Working in the Community I

Instructor: Ustadha Fatima Lette

Course Description: Students will work towards the ideal of prophetic servant-leadership with a variety of in-house and guest instructors in a practical workshop format.

Expectations: Students are expected to participate in class discussions, complete reflection assignments, and complete at least 20 hours of community service during the year.

Frequency: 1 day a week, 35 weeks.

Course Title: THEO–311: Manṭiq I (Classical Logic)

Instructor: Shaykh Mikaeel Smith

Text: al-Muqaddimah fī ʿIlm al-Manṭiq

Course Description: Classical logic is a window into the mind and thought process of classical scholars who conceived of and contributed to Islamic studies — an exposure to their ‘regime of thought’. It illuminates the internal logic with which the sciences and works therein were ordered and arranged. Without it, one is unable to fully grasp the queries scholars raised and the responses they provided, nor critically engage them. It is for this reason Imam al-Ghazali avowed, ‘whoever is not proficient in logic is not dependable in the sciences.’ This class will help students build a familiarity with the methods and terms used in Islamic Logic and understand the history and purpose of manṭiq. Students will also learn how to understand common fallacies made while debating and protect themselves from faulty thinking and incoherence.

Expectations: Students are expected to look over the material ahead of class and be prepared to read. They will be given occasional assignments and supplemental reading. There will be a few oral or written exams throughout the year.

Frequency: 4 days a week, 35 weeks.

Course Title: THEO–321: Kalām I (Speculative Theology)

Instructor: Mikaeel Smith

Text: al-Bidāyah min al-Kifāyah fī al-Hidāyah

Course Description: The class will cover the book al-Bidāyah min al-Kifāyah fī al-Hidāyah by Nūr al-Dīn al-Ṣābūnī, a Māturīdi work on dialectic theology. The purpose of the class is to familiarize students with the concepts and language of kalam books while also providing them with a broader perspective on theological debates in Islamic history.

Student Expectations: Students are expected to look over the material ahead of class and be prepared to read. They will be given occasional assignments and supplemental reading. There will be quizzes and exams throughout the year.

Frequency: 4 days a week, 35 weeks

Course Title: ARAB–301: Intermediate Arabic II

Instructor: Shaykh Uwais Namazi

Text: Hidāyat al-Naḥw

Course Description: Students will study Naḥw and Ṣarf at an Intermediate level and develop their reading ability through a carefully selected reader comprising of selections from various ʿulūm (Hadith, Fiqh, Kalām, etc.) and different styles of writings (matn, sharḥ, ḥāshiyah, poetry, etc. )

Frequency: 5 days a week, 17 weeks.

Course Title: ARAB–321: Balāghah

Instructor: Shaykh AbdulNasir Jangda

Text: Durūs al-Balāghah

Course Description: Speech is the means by which we understand the words of Allah, the words of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and the words of the illustrious scholars before us. Balagha is a study of eloquent speech - understanding how meaning is conveyed with clear, effective, and beautiful language. The three sciences of balagha (maʿānī, bayān, and badīʿ) are studied through this concise text that utilizes linguistic, poetic, and Qur’anic examples.

Expectations: Students are expected to prepare a section of the text before every class and be able to participate during class by reading and translating the text. Students will also be given quizzes throughout the course. Other written assignments may also be given as per the instructor’s discretion.

Frequency: 5 days per week, 11 weeks.

Course Title: ARAB–331: Arabic Literature I (Anthology of Poetry and Prose)

Instructor: Shaykh Uwais Namazi

Texts: Various

Course Description: Students will read through a selection of poetry and prose, spanning from the pre-Islamic period till the current age.  The aim is to cover selections, in both poetry and prose, of some of the finest writers and poets of each generation.  This way students will be acquainted with key figures and individuals (whose works) make up the cannon of Arabic literature. Students will cover all genres of Arabic poetry, and most of prose.

Expectations: Each student will prepare a poem or passage of prose for class, in which they will discuss the author, as well as the literary merits (or lack thereof) in their assigned reading.  Assessment is based upon comprehension, classroom performance, and an end of year exam (oral or written, tentative). 

Frequency: 5 days a week, 18 weeks.

Course Title: WRTG–301: Mirqāt al-Mafātiḥ

Instructor: Ustadh Hamza Baig

Course Description: Students will closely read selections of Mullā ʿAlī Qārī’s commentary on the Hadith compilation, Mishkāt al-maṣābīḥ. By engaging with the commentary and other reference works, students will be introduced to the wider corpus of the Islamic tradition as well as secondary literature in the field. Basic research and writing skills will be taught through short practical assignments due weekly. Students should expect to spend at least two hours per week on preparation and assignments.

Frequency: 1 day a week, 35 weeks