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Islamic Studies - Aims, Objectives and Target Audience

The Shariah Program's Arabic and Islamic Studies courses are designed to make available, for the first time in this particular format, the content of the world famous Dars Nizami curriculum operating in thousands of madrasahs world wide. The target audience is mature high-school/university students and graduates from all disciplines, especially the liberal arts, who seek to further their education by studying a comprehensive course in Islamic Studies. Whilst there is no shortage of institutions in Canada offering Islamic Studies courses, after careful and considerable contemplation, it was found that none of these courses offered the necessary units in all the required subjects within what was considered to be an acceptable time limit. In view of the genre of targeted students, a shortened and intensive scheme was required. Based upon these considerations a new course has been designed, covering all the classic texts found in the traditional Dars Nizaamie with some subtractions and a few additions. This together with an innovative, interactive style of instruction should ensure that the students are addressed in a professional and amenable fashion.


Course Content | Program Options | Fee Structure | Academic Profile

Islamic Studies - Course Content

Current subjects being offered and classical texts being studied in the 1st 2 years:

  • Arabic Nahw (Grammar)


  • - Absolute Essentials of Grammar taught through lectures, with immediate implementation within reading texts. This continues for approx. 5 months. No text book is used in this stage. The rules are referred to constantly during concurrent reading sessions. Focus is kept on the aspects of Grammar which have the broadest application. By this method, in the first five months of the program enough base is built to begin the classical text listed below in its original Arabic which is then completed in its entirety.
    - Hidaayah an-Nahw (original Arabic text, entire book covered in approx. 4 months). Students are called on to read the text of the book correctly, and translate into English accurately.
    - Sharh ibn Aqeel (Commentary on 150-200 couplets from Ibn Malik's renowned 'Alfiyyah)

  • Arabic Sarf (Morphology)


  • - Fundamentals of Classical Arabic (Beginners text book referred to in first month of program)
    - Exhaustive study of the process of word derivation, particularly in variations of verbs, including enhanced forms of trilateral verbs. Weak-lettered conjugations and other irregularities are covered thoroughly. Much time is spent during the first 5 months on reciting verb tables from memory. This is done to emphasise the subtle differences between various verb forms and changes brought about by "irregularities".

  • Arabic Adab (Literature)


  • - Qassas an-Nabiyyeen (4 parts, covered gradually over the course of two years)
    - All 161 Exercises from the "Arabic Tutor" series of books, covered gradually over the course of two years. Guided reading from the Qasas books begins in the very early stages of the course as soon as the 3rd week, while the composition exercises begin in the 5th month after the completion of all essentials of Sarf.
    - Ta'lim al Muta'allim
    - Suwar min 'Hayatis Sahabah
    - Selected readings from Imam al-Ghazali's works, e.g. al-Maqsad al-Asna fi Sharh Ma'aani Asmaai Allah al-Husna, al-Qistas al-Mustaqeem

  • Fiqh al-Hanafiyyah (Jurisprudence according to the classic school of Imam Abu Hanifa)


  • - Nur al-Idah (worship)
    - Mukhtasar al-Qudoori (Commerce). Both books are begun in the second year of the program with the primary objective of reading vowel-less text. As far as possible, the task of reading the text will be given to students for which they will need to prepare in advance. The Fiqh content will be restricted to deciphering and understanding the texts.

  • Tafsir al Qur'an al Kareem (Exegesis of the Noble Qur'an)


  • - Word to word translation of 1.5 juz. The lectures are not limited to just a brief translation, rather they focus heavily on Arabic Balagha (rhetoric) using the highly esteemed tafsirs Ruh al-Ma’ani, Tafsir Abu al-Sa'ood and Bayan al-Quran by Hakim al-Ummah, as a regular reference. Furthermore, each and every verse is analysed grammatically

  • Traditions of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of ALLAH be upon him


  • - ar-Rasool al-Mu'allim wa asaleebuhu fit ta'lim

  • Mantiq (Logical, Rational, Deductive and Rhetorical analytical methods)


  • - al-Mirqaat (primary text introduced in the 2nd year, covered in 2 months). The reading, translating and explaining responsibility of this text will be given to students.
    - Supplementary material related to Mantiq assigned and/or read by the teacher, e.g. selected passages from al-Ghazali's Mi'yar al-Ilm, al-Qistas, introduction of al-Mustasfa, and al-Suyuti's Jahd al-Qareeha fi Tajrid al-Nasiha (al-Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya's work written on the limitations of Greek Logic)

    Future Aims (3rd year):

  • Arabic Adab (Literature)


  • - Al-Mukhtaraat (2 parts)
    - Maqaamaat al-Hariri (3 Maqaamaat)

  • Tafsir al Qur'an al Kareem (Exegesis of the Noble Qur'an)


  • - Additional 5 ajzaa. While moving at a stepped-up pace, increased attention is given to the application of rhetorical devises employed within the verses.

  • Arabic Balagha (Rhetoric)


  • - Al-Qazweeni's Talkhees al-Miftah
    - Mukhtasar al-Ma'aani (200 pages)

  • Usul al Fiqh (Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence)


  • - Usool as-Shashi (1st half)
    - Nur al-Anwaar (2nd half)

  • Usool al-Deen/Kalam


  • - Al-Taftazani's Sharh al-Aqaaid al-Nasafiyya
    - Al-Ghazali's al-Iqtisaad fi al-itiqaad

  • Hadeeth studies


  • - Riyaadh as-Saliheen


    Islamic Studies - Program Options

    Note that we are not holding any Toronto based classes in 2009. All classes in 2009 will be fully online.
    For more information and registration, visit the Online Arabic Classes page now!


    Fee Structure

    Fees have been arranged to be at the low end of the scale. ($50 per month for 30 lecture hours) As a result of the current world wide recession it is not appropriate to charge high fees for courses we effectively have a monopoly over, with nobody else offering anything similar. With this in mind the fees have been set to basically cover the administration costs of the course, including the salaries of all the teachers. Students will be asked to pay per semester in advance.


    Course Content | Program Options | Fee Structure | Academic Profile

    Academic Profile of Course Instructor

    Name: Yusuf Mullan
    Date of Birth: February 1976


    Brief Academic History:

    From Dar Ul Uloom, Karachi, Pakistan:
    Graduate in the Sciences of Islamic verdicts (Ifta) Graduate in the Islamic Sciences (Bachelors and Masters equivalent)

    From The Islamic Institute, Dewsbury, U.K.:
    Memorization of Qur'an (Hifz)

    In detail:
    • From Dar Ul Uloom, Karachi, Pakistan:
      1999-2001: Specialization in Islamic Jurisprudence and Islamic Verdicts (Takhassus fil Fiqh wal Fatwa)

      Grades: In the final exams of the first year, obtained a 96.66% average, the highest average in the entire institute of approximately 3000 students

      1998: Masters Equivalent in Islamic Theology (Alamiyya Sannad)

      Grades: In two of the three exams during that year, was able to finish third in a class of 175 students. The averages were 86.16% and 84.80%

      Teachers:

      (1) Sheikhul hadeeth Moulaana Sahbaan Mahmood, may Allah elevate his rank in the garden, under whom I completed the Sahih of Imam al-Bukhari

      (2) Mufti Rafi Uthmani: portions of Sahih Muslim

      (3) Sheikh Azizur Rahman: remainder of Sahih Muslim, a section of Sunan Nasaa'e

      (4) Mufti Taqi Uthmaani: the first half of Imam Tirmidhi's Sunan/Jam'e

      (5) Mufti Mahmood Ashraf Uthmaani: the second half of Sunan Tirmidhi, Shamaail of the same Imam and a section of the Muwatta of Imam Mohammad ibnal Hassan as-Shaibani

      (6) Sheikh Shamsul Haq: Sunan Abu Dawood and the opening Kitaabut taharah of Imam Tahaawi's Sharh Ma'aanil Aathar

      (7) Sheikh Iftikhaar Ahmad: opening chapters of the Mowatta of Imam Malik and the Sunan of Ibn Majah

      A number of the great teachers mentioned above have given me express permission to relate the 9 books on their authority, as well as many other secondary books of Hadeeth.


    • From Badral Uloom Institute, Rahimyarkhan, Pakistan

      Winter 1997-98: Detailed course in Qur'anic Exegesis (Tafseer) (2.5 months)


    • From Jami'ah Islamiyah, Flintham, Nottinghamshire, U.K.

      1994-97: Subjects Studied: Arabic Grammar (Nahw), Morphology (Sarf), Rhetoric (Balagha), Jurisprudence (Fiqh), Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence (Usul al Fiqh), Theology (Aqeeda), Exegesis (Tafseer) and Hadeeth.


    • From The Islamic Institute, Dewsbury, U.K.

      1989-94: Hifz of the glorious Qur'an
      Urdu; reading, writing and speaking

    Since completing the above Islamic studies, has been fulfilling Imamah functions and/or teaching the Dars Nizamie curriculum. In 2002, by employing innovative teaching methods acquired from the Shuyukh, was able to cover 16 texts in a single year, most in their entirety.

    Read all testimonials.

    Women in Islam | Islamic Spirituality | Islamic Jihad | Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) | Islamic History | Prayer in Islam | Islamic Marriage | Fasting in Ramadan | Eat Halal Foods | Worshipping Allah | Quran - Muslim Holy-book | Hajj - Pilgrimage in Islam | Islam - Fastest Growing Religion | Children in Islam | Islamic Finance | Conversion to Islam | Islam - Unseen | Biographies of Islamic Personalities | Myths about Islam
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