Catalog 2017-2018

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Catalog 2017-2018

Address: 6433 Prestwood Dr. Houston TX, 77081 Phone: +1 832-606-7598 Email: [email protected] Website: www.Aicollege.us Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlNoor.Islamic.College/ Youtube: www.youtube.com/AlNoorIslamicCollege

Mission Statement Al-Noor Islamic College aims to prepare a team of religious, spiritual and intellectual scholars trained in the Islamic environment to lead the upcoming generations. Table of Contents A Message from Our Dean ...... Pg 1 About Us ...... Pg 2 Origin of Al-Noor Society of Greater Houston ...... Pg 2 The basis of establishing AIC ...... Pg 3 Islamic Sciences ...... Pg 5 Accreditation and Affiliations ...... Pg 7 Accreditation in the U.S.A ...... Pg 7 Affiliation with Al-Azhar University...... Pg 7 Affiliation with Tanzeem-ul-Madaris (Pakistan) ...... Pg 8 Affiliation with Jamia-tul-Ashrafiya and Jamia Amjaddiya (India) ...... Pg 8 Curriculum & Degree ...... Pg 10 Associate or Arts in Islamic Sciences ...... Pg 10 Admission Requirements ...... Pg 11 Associate’s Degree Courses & Credit Hours ...... Pg 11 Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Sciences...... Pg 13 Admission Requirements ...... Pg 13 Bachelor’s Degree Courses & Credit Hours ...... Pg 14 Master of Arts ...... Pg 16 Master of Arts in Islamic Jurisprudence Courses & Credit Hours ...... Pg 17 Master of Arts in Hadith Sciences Courses & Credit Hours ...... Pg 17 Curriculum Overview ...... Pg 18 Arabic Literature ...... Pg 18 Arabic Grammar ...... Pg 19 Arabic Morphology ...... Pg 19 Islamic Theology ...... Pg 19 Hadith Sciences ...... Pg 20 Islamic Jurisprudence ...... Pg 21 Legal Theory ...... Pg 22 Quranic Sciences ...... Pg 22 Student Life & Housing...... Pg 23 Housing ...... Pg 23 Medical ...... Pg 23 Community Services ...... Pg 23 Instructors & Staff ...... Pg 24 Shaykh Faizan-ul-Mustafa Qadri ...... Pg 24 Mufti Qamar-ul-Hassan ...... Pg 25 Dr. Ghulam Zarquani ...... Pg 25 Shaykh Manzar-ul-Islam Al-Azhari ...... Pg 26 Allama Hamid Raza Amjadi ...... Pg 27 Molana Omair Shariff ...... Pg 27 Ustad Shazad Shafi ...... Pg 27 Sidi Umer Hasan ...... Pg 28 Visiting Instructors & Scholars...... Pg 29

A Message from Our Dean Knowledge itself is a blessed treasure, and a key to all the other treasures of this world and the hereafter. It is a bridge to the world of progress and success. The message of the Messenger of Allah ‘’gain the knowledge from cradle to grave” produces an intense passion in our hearts to remain seekers of knowledge throughout our lives, and exposure to the modern academic world demonstrates the true sense of the prophetic message. Western countries are rich enough in different academic fields and have made outstanding educational achievements in relation to the contemporary arts and sciences. However, we are still a long way behind in the field of religious education and spiritual sciences. It was this realization caused us to step forward and do our best to fill this gap in our society. Al-Noor as an institute was established in late 2012, and since then has been continuously offering Arabic and Islamic studies in different variations and educating the youth and knowledge- lovers of different ages and backgrounds. Despite the progress we have made, there is still much work to be done for the establishment of such institutions in the United States. We need our community to better understand the significance of Al-Noor Islamic College and its role, and to do whatever is possible to ensure its future. Our concern is to keep our students fully acquainted with the syllabus and maintain their academic advancement through continuous educational activities and assignments. We believe in providing a friendly atmosphere of learning to our students, and in producing the courage and passion to play an outstanding role in society for the future. -Faizanul Mustafa Qadri

About Us Origin of Al-Noor Society of Greater Houston Al-Noor Society of Greater Houston was established in 1987 in Houston Texas, When Few brothers joined their hands together to establish an entity that offers the services to the community like observing Most of the Islamic events which were not being observed celebrated and commemorated at that time. A Musallah (place of worship) established in the heart of Houston which was at 6121 Hillcroft where the majority of our Muslim community shops and dines. This was possible because a Muslim family purchased the shopping center @ 6121 Hillcroft Houston and offered a shop to hold our prayers there. The facility was used till 1992. The society used the facility to its fullest by providing the services needed. A lot of people started coming to the Friday congregation for which the place was not big enough to accommodate the growing community need. The society enjoys the largest participation of the Muslim community in all our year round programs. In the middle of 1992, the society managed to find a property within the vicinity to fulfill our needs. Physical location is 6443 Prestwood Dr., Houston, Texas which is centrally located minutes from downtown Houston and couple of minutes from The Galleria. The facility is about two blocks from the major freeway U.S. 59 @ Hillcroft. Al- Noor Islamic College (AIC) was started in the year 2012 which is the educational branch of Al-Noor Society of Greater Houston.

2 The basis of establishing AIC The decision to form such an institute is based upon fact that Islam has never become rooted in a particular land until that land began producing its own religious scholars. Our goal is to generate very well educated Islamic scholars to lead the rapidly growing Muslim population of the United States. The bedrock of this institute is highly qualified and well experienced teachers and a well-planned syllabus that is designed for the present and future needs of our community. Islam is a universal religion that guarantees human success, both in this world and the hereafter. All the Abrahamic religions that preceded Islam were initial links in a chain of divine faiths, and it was through Islam that Allah (Almighty) completed this sequence. The beauty of this religion is that it contains answers to all the elements and problems related to human life, therefore, without Islam, no one can attain the status of a complete human being. It is very important to present real and authentic values of Islam to the rest of the world, and those who are unaware of Islam must be introduced to the true teachings. The majority of people living in the western world are non-Muslims, and many are well educated. The importance of presenting Islam to them can only be understood by those who have deep love and affection for this religion. In this regard, some matters are of great importance for the conveyor. The manner of expression must be peaceful, comprehensive, logical and based on sound and authentic knowledge. The presenter must also understand the mindset, language and expression of those people whom he is addressing. This way the message of the religion can reach the American non-Muslim majority very easily and have a profound impact. A significant number of Muslims also reside in the U.S. Many of them are those who have migrated from Muslim countries, some being descendants of immigrants. We also have many locals who have voluntarily accepted Islam. Muslims who are settled in America protected their creed by building mosques across the region. Wherever necessary, they also built small Islamic centers to fulfill their needs. Initially when the mosques were built, we had a dearth of scholars. Therefore the learned were called from Muslim countries, and visas were issued relatively easily. As time passed, Muslims were challenged with new and unforeseen problems.

3 Today many mosques and Islamic centers still lack scholars and imams, and many mosques have been forced to shut down or remain empty due to their unavailability. We however realize that for any region, the religion-based needs cannot merely be fulfilled by calling scholars from other countries. Until and unless we create local institutions that produce expert scholars, our needs cannot properly be met. In South Asia, Islam was spread through Sufism, and scores of people accepted Islam at the hands of Sufi masters. During that initial era, scholars emerged from Egypt, Syria, Baghdad, Samarqand and Bukhara and brightened the light of the Islamic sciences across the globe. South Asian Muslims were also taught Islam through scholars of these regions. Then people of the subcontinent migrated toward those cities to gain sound Islamic knowledge. These forefathers of India, upon their arrival on a larger scale, constructed grand Islamic educational centers. This series of events created a boon for the Islamic Sciences in the Indian Subcontinent and overtime India itself became a center of Islamic knowledge. This proves that for the establishment of the Islamic sciences, one needs locally trained sound scholarship, and that the need cannot be fulfilled by merely calling scholars from overseas. Also, traveling overseas to attain Islamic knowledge only fulfills the need to a smaller and limited scale, and not everyone can travel overseas, thus we have seen a severe shortage of scholarship in America. Therefore, a team of scholars who are born and raised in United States is essential. Our institution was founded for this very team, and we have already begun to produce the scholars we need. May Allah through His mercy grant us success. (Ameen).

Islamic Sciences “Islamic Sciences” is a term that generally refers to the knowledge of the religion of Islam (from the Latin scire - to know), but it actually includes an extremely vast array of disciplines including Rhetoric ,(الفقه) Jurisprudence ,(عمل الالكم) Theology ,(التارخي) History ,(التصوف) Spirituality ,(البالغة) Grammar ,(الشعر) Poetry ,(عمل الفلسفة) Philosophy The .(عمل الرصف) and Morphology , (عمل النحو) importance of learning these sciences was conveyed to us by the Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and he made it a communal obligation for at least one person to master one of the sciences in a particular area so that this way of life could be preserved and imparted from generation to generation. The Arabic language itself has been preserved simply because of this passing down of knowledge that was later written in books and the recitation of poetry. These sciences have not only been preserved in books but also in the tradition of passing down knowledge through a chain of teachers that goes all the way back to the Messenger of Islam (peace be upon him). To learn these sciences is to have the ability to take on new issues and rulings as society continues to move forward. All of these disciplines are interconnected, which is why one must gain basic proficiency in all of them when studying for a bachelor’s degree in Islamic sciences and one must have a good level of aptitude in them to be considered an Islamic scholar. After the undergraduate degree, one can enroll in the graduate program to gain expertise in one or two of these fields. There are many scholars of the past who mastered these sciences and served the community in their own ways. For example, Imam Ghazali (May God have mercy on him) is a known scholar but he was also a genius in (التصوف) and he is famous for his contributions to Muslim spirituality Although opposed to the ideology of Aristotelian .(عمل الالكم) and theology (عمل الفلسفة) philosophy philosophy, Imam Ghazali managed to sum up its basic tenets and explain them better than any philosopher of his time. Another esteemed persona is Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi (May God have

5 mercy on him), known as just Rumi in the western world. Although he is world famous for his elegant poetry and spiritual insight, many are unaware that he was highly educated in and other sciences. Even though his poetry and sayings ,(عمل الالكم) theology ,(الفقه) jurisprudence can speak to hundreds of different audiences across different times and generations, they are still deeply mired in traditional Islamic thought. Imam Nu'man ibn Thabit, commonly known as Imam Abu Hanifa (may God have mercy on him) is famous for being the first scholar to formerly introduce the Islamic world to jurisprudence and its principles. Not only was he a master in jurisprudence, but he was also known as a great muhaddith (a person who specializes in narrations from the Messenger of Islam Muhammad). He was able to derive issues from the Qur'an and ahadith and also introduce principles for deriving such issues from the four valid sources of law: the Holy Book (Qur'an), the sayings of the Messenger (Ahadith), the consensus of the Muslim community (ijma'), and deductive analogy (qiyas). Imam Abu Hanifa did not formally write his principles; it was Imam Shafai' who wrote the first official book on the science of principles of jurisprudence. Imam Abu Hanifa’s students later on wrote books on his principles. The science of Arabic Grammar was said to have been introduced by the final Messenger’s cousin and the 4th caliph Ali (May God be pleased with him). Jurists: Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Imam Shafai, Imam Muhammad. Theologians: Imam Taftazani, Sharif Jurjani, Ghazali, Juwayni Philosophers: ibn Sina, ibn Rushd Grammarians: SIbawayh, Farra Mystics: Abdul Qadir Al-Jilani, Muinuddin Chisti, Bahauddin Bukhari, Uthman Marwandi Poets: Hassaan bin Thabit, Rumi, Aburrahman Jami, Saadi, Hafiz Shirazi

Accreditation and Affiliations Accreditation in the U.S.A

Al-Noor Islamic College is currently in the process of exemption by the state of Texas under section 132.002(a)(2). Once the college receives the exemption, it will be able to provide unaccredited Associate’s and Bachelor’s Degrees in the Islamic Sciences and Master’s Degrees in the fields of Islamic Jurisprudence and Hadith Sciences. Once we are exempt with the state of Texas, we will file for accreditation with the accreditation agencies.

Affiliation with Al-Azhar University.

Al-Noor Islamic College is also in the process of being affiliated and recognized by Al-Azhar University. Once this step is finalized, then one can go to Al-Azhar and continue his studies without the need to repeat the education he has already completed. Al-Azhar University Al-Azhar University is a university in Cairo, Egypt. Associated with Al-Azhar Mosque in Islamic Cairo, it is Egypt's oldest degree-granting university and is renowned as "Sunni Islam’s most prestigious university". In addition to higher education, Al-Azhar oversees a national network of schools with approximately two million students. As of 1996, over 4000 teaching institutes in Egypt were affiliated with the University. Founded in 970 or 972 by the Fatimids as a center of Islamic learning, its students studied the Qur'an and Islamic law in detail, along with logic, grammar, rhetoric, and other sciences. It

7 was one of the first universities in the world, and the only one in the Arab world to survive as a modern university including secular subjects in the curriculum. Today it is the chief center of Arabic literature and Islamic learning in the world. In 1961 additional non-religious subjects were added to its curriculum. Its mission is to propagate Islam and Islamic culture. To this end, its Islamic scholars (ulama) render verdicts (fatwas) on disputes submitted to them from all over the Sunni Islamic world regarding proper conduct for Muslim individuals and societies. Al-Azhar also trains Egyptian government-appointed preachers in proselytization (da'wa). Its library is considered second in importance in Egypt only to the Egyptian National Library and Archives. In May 2005, Al-Azhar in partnership with a Dubai information technology enterprise, IT Education Project (ITEP) launched the H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Project to Preserve Al Azhar Scripts and Publish Them Online (the "Al-Azhar Online Project") to eventually publish online access to the library's entire rare manuscripts collection, comprising about seven million pages of material. Affiliation with Tanzeem-ul-Madaris (Pakistan) Al-Noor Islamic College has also applied to be affiliated with Tanzeem-ul-Madaris. By this affilation, the graduates of AIC will be recognized as scholars in Pakistan and can continue their studies in Pakistan as well.

Tanzeem-ul-Madaris Tanzeem-ul-Madaris is the largest accreditation agency in Pakistan which is currently under the Grand Mufti of Pakistan, Mufti Muneeb-Ur-Rahman. Many of the Islamic institutions in Pakistan are accredited with them. Tanzeem-ul-Madaris does not only accredit an institute, it gives them the whole syllabus and examination papers, and at the end ranks students all across Pakistan. Affiliation with Jamia-tul-Ashrafiya and Jamia Amjaddiya (India) Al-Noor Islamic College has also applied to be affiliated with Jamia Ashrafia in Mubarakpur India and Jamia Amjadiya in Ghosi, India. By this affiliation, the graduates of AIC will be recognized as scholars in India and can continue their studies in India as well.

8 Jamia-tul-Ashrafia Jamia-tul-Ashrafia is one the largest Islamic seminaries for Sunni Muslims in India. It is located in Mubarakpur, in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It started off as a madrasa called Misbah al- Ulum in 1898 in the town of Mubarakpur of what was then British India. It was named 'Ashrafia' after the most prominent Saint of not only the subcontinent but the world Ala Hadrat Shah Ali Hussain Ashrafi of Kichaucha. After struggling for many years and moving locations several times, a new building was constructed using funds raised by Hafiz Abd al-Aziz Muradabadi (Hafiz-e- Millat). This was the site for the school now known as Dar al-Ulum Ahl-i Sunnat or Misbah al- Ulum. Realizing that the site was becoming too small, Hafiz Abd al-Aziz organized an educational conference in May 1972 to discuss moving Ashrafiyya to a larger campus. Scholars like Mustafa Raza Khan and Allama Arshadul Qaudri laid the foundation stone with the mission of making it a University for Sunni Hanafi Islamic thought in 1972 at a site outside the city of Azamgarh. Key figures such as Allama Ziyaul Mustafa, Allama Arshadul Qaudri, Allama Mumtaz Ahmad Ashrafulqadri, Mufti Abdul Mannan, Maulana Shafi, Janab Qari Yehya Sahab and Qamaruzzaman Azmi worked hard with Abd al-Aziz Muradabadi to raise the required funds to build the institution. Jamia Amjadiya Jamia Amjadia Rizvia is an Islamic seminary (Madrasa) of Sunni denomination situated in Ghosi, a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It was established by Zia ul Mustafa Qadri (Muhadith- e-Kabir), a famous north Indian Muhaddith and son of the famous 19th century Faqih Mufti Amjad Ali Azmi (Sadrus-Shariah).

Curriculum & Degree Al-Noor Islamic College currently has four programs; Associate of Arts in Islamic Sciences, Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Sciences, Master of Arts in Islamic Jurisprudence and Master of Arts in Hadith Sciences. With the will of God, we will start more programs such as dedicated programs in the Arabic Language, Hadith, and Jurisprudence. Associate of Arts in Islamic Sciences The Associate of Arts in Islamic Sciences is a two-year course for beginner students of Islamic knowledge, which establishes a traditional foundation. The syllabus presented to the students of this program comes from the passion and dedication AIC holds to prepare brilliant students that possess essential skills and sources to further carry on their studies. To do so we use the technique of examining the students on methods of how our broad tradition deals with classical and modern issues and contemporary dynamics though the methodology learned from primary scriptural sources. The courses offered for this program are the course requirements for the first two years of the 4- year Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Sciences program. Successful graduates are eligible and encouraged to continue studying the Islamic sciences through AIC’s methodically designed Bachelor’s program. Purpose At Al-Noor Islamic College, students learn to implement what they learn into other studies to benefit whatever career paths they choose. Students equip themselves to continue their studies, and faculty members advise them to strive to incorporate the skills that they are taught in order to improve their careers in the future.

10 Credit System The Associate of Arts in Islamic Sciences is a two-year program for beginners who seek to establish a foundation in Islamic education. To graduate as an Associate of Arts in Islamic Sciences, one must complete the required 60 credits. The prerequisite credits are underlined below. Admission Requirements The following documents must be submitted to the Admissions Office at [email protected]. Application (Can be found at Aicollege.us) High School Diploma / GED Certificate High School / GED Transcripts Official SAT or ACT scores Transcripts from any colleges previously attended Letter of recommendation from local Imam or Islamic Teacher. A letter from a Qari stating the student’s ability to read the Quran $25 Non-refundable application fees. Associate’s Degree Courses & Credit Hours Two Year – Total 60 Credit Hours Year 1 - Semester 1 Course ID Course Name Credits ARB100-101 Arabic I-II 4 SRF100-101 Arabic Morphology I-II 3 NHW100-101 Arabic Grammar I-II 4 FQH101 Hanafi Jurisprudence I 2 SRH100 Introduction to Seerah (Prophetic Biography) 1 AQD100 Introduction to Creedal Theology 1 Total credits: 15

11 Year 1 - Semester 2 Course ID Course Name Credits ARB102-103 Arabic III-IV 2 SRF103 Arabic Morphology III 2 NHW102 Arabic Grammar III 2 FQH102 Hanafi Jurisprudence II 2 SRH101 Seerah I (Prophetic Biography) 1 AQD101 Creedal Theology I 1 USL101 Legal Theory I 5 Total Credits: 15 Total Credits of Year One: 30 Hours Year 2 - Semester 1 Course ID Course Name Credits ARB201 Arabic V 1 BLG200 Arabic Rhetoric I 1 FQH201 Hanafi Jurisprudence III 1 HDS200 Hadith Literature II 1 AQD201 Creedal Theology II 4 QRN200 Introduction to Quranic Exegesis 4 QSC200 Introduction to Quranic Sciences 1 LOG200 Introduction to Classical Logic 1 Total Credits: 14 Year 2 - Semester 2 Course ID Course Name Credits ARB202 Arabic VI 1 BLG201 Arabic Rhetoric II-III 5 FQH202 Hanafi Jurisprudence IV 2 AQD202 Creedal Theology III 4 QRN201 Quranic Exegesis I 1 USL201 Legal Theory II 3 Total Credits: 16 Total Credits of Year Two: 30 Hours

The accumulation of 60 credits is outlined for the two years that the Associates Degree requires. The above courses are prerequisites in order to graduate. Al-Noor Islamic College also offers self- study courses and electives outside of the minimum course requirements. We recommend those who graduate with as an Associate of Arts in Islamic Sciences, to pursue a Bachelor’s degree and beyond.

12 Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Sciences The Bachelor's in Islamic Sciences is a 4-year intermediate level program which goes into the details of Islamic Knowledge. After the first 2 years of Associates in Islamic Sciences, the students should have a well-founded knowledge of Arabic grammar and syntax. Along with this, they should have decent experience with Jurisprudence and its principles (Fiqh and Usool ul Fiqh). After students get used to this norm, it will be easier for them to study more advanced and challenging books. Therefore, we will train the students to master these higher-level books and be able to convey their acquired knowledge. Successful graduates of this course will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Sciences degree. They will be advised to continue their education and pursue AIC's Masters in Islamic Jurisprudence and Hadith Sciences degree. Purpose: At AIC, our agenda is not only to enrich our students' Arabic literacy, rather, we aim to enhance their critical thinking and problem solving abilities. Giving them different viewpoints to look at certain issues, our faculty prepares these students for real-life issues that might occur. Along with these skills, our students will also be given tips on how to stay calm during conflict. All of this will allow them to improve themselves both as human beings and as scholarly authorities qualified to lead the Muslim Community. Admission Requirements The following documents must be submitted to the Admissions Office at [email protected]. Application (Can be found at Aicollege.us) High School Diploma / GED Certificate High School / GED Transcripts Official SAT or ACT scores Transcripts from any colleges previously attended

13 Letter of recommendation from local Imam or Islamic Teacher. A letter from a Qari stating the student’s ability to read the Quran $25 Non-refundable application fees. Bachelor’s Degree Courses & Credit Hours Four Year – Total 120 Credit Hours Year 1 - Semester 1 Course ID Course Name Credits ARB100-101 Arabic I-II 4 SRF100-101 Arabic Morphology I-II 3 NHW100-101 Arabic Grammar I-II 4 FQH101 Hanafi Jurisprudence I 2 SRH100 Introduction to Seerah (Prophetic Biography) 1 AQD100 Introduction to Creedal Theology 1 Total credits: 15 Year 1 - Semester 2 Course ID Course Name Credits ARB102-103 Arabic III-IV 2 SRF103 Arabic Morphology III 2 NHW102 Arabic Grammar III 2 FQH102 Hanafi Jurisprudence II 2 SRH101 Seerah I (Prophetic Biography) 1 AQD101 Creedal Theology I 1 USL101 Legal Theory I 5 Total Credits: 15 Total Credits of Year One: 30 Hours

14 Year 2 - Semester 1 Course ID Course Name Credits ARB201 Arabic V 1 BLG200 Arabic Rhetoric I 1 FQH201 Hanafi Jurisprudence III 1 HDS200 Hadith Literature II 1 AQD201 Creedal Theology II 4 QRN200 Introduction to Quranic Exegesis 4 QSC200 Introduction to Quranic Sciences 1 LOG200 Introduction to Classical Logic 1 Total Credits: 14 Year 2 - Semester 2 Course ID Course Name Credits ARB202 Arabic VI 1 BLG201 Arabic Rhetoric II-III 5 FQH202 Hanafi Jurisprudence IV 2 AQD202 Creedal Theology III 4 QRN201 Quranic Exegesis I 1 USL201 Legal Theory II 3 Total Credits: 16 Total Credits of Year Two: 30 Hours Year 3 - Semester 1 Course ID Course Name Credits AQD301 Creedal Theology V 4 LOG300 Introduction to Polemics 1 HDS301 Hadith Methodology I 4 HDS302 Hadith Literature III 3 QRN301 Quranic Exegesis II 2 FQH301 Hanafi Jurisprudence VI 2 Total Credits: 16 Year 3 - Semester 2 Course ID Course Name Credits AQD302 Creedal Theology VI 3 HDS303 Hadith Literature IV 3 FQH302 Hanafi Jurisprudence VII 4 USL301 Legal Theory III 4 Total Credits: 14 Total Credits of Year Three: 30 Hours

15 Year 4 - Semester 1 Course ID Course Name Credits HDS401 Hadith Methodology II 4 HDS402 Hadith Literature V 1 HDS403 Hadith Literature VI 8 USL401 Legal Theory IV 2 Total Credits: 15 Year 4 - Semester 2 Course ID Course Name Credits ARB401 Arabic VIII 4 HDS404 Hadith Literature VII 8 FQH401 Hanafi Jurisprudence VIII 3 Total Credits: 15 Total Credits of Year Four: 30 Hours Optional Electives Course ID Course Name Credits SRF102 Arabic Morphology II 1 HDS100 Hadith Literature I 2 AQD203 Creedal Theology IV 2 ARB203 Arabic VII 3 FQH300 Hanafi Jurisprudence V 3 AQD303 Creedal Theology VII 2 Total Credits: 13

Master of Arts In this 2-year advanced level program, the students will dive deeper into the ocean of traditional Islamic knowledge. The courses offered to the students in this program will add to their skill set. The students enrolled in this program will be able to improve and expand their own abilities gradually. Contrary to the Bachelor's degree, the focus of this program will not be solely Arabic Texts. Our goal will be for our students to excel in the traditional Sciences of Jurisprudence and Law and interpretation of Hadith. The devotion and

16 commitment of our faculty will assist the students in their analysis and exposition of higher level texts. The Master of Arts program is only available to graduates of the AIC Bachelor of Arts program. Purpose: During the course of this program, students will be provided with tools that will enable them to examine and scrutinize the vast world of Traditional Islamic Academia. Students will be equipped with a majestic detail of Jurisprudence and Hadith, so that they can relate their knowledge with Islamic Laws. Providing them with hands-on experience in the application of Jurisprudence and Hadith, we plan to prepare them to derive solutions to the modern everyday issues Muslims have in this era. Master of Arts in Islamic Jurisprudence Courses & Credit Hours One Year – Total 30 Credit Hours Course ID Course Name Credits FQH501 Advanced Hanafi Fiqh I 6 FQH502 Advanced Hanafi Fiqh II 6 FQH503 Advanced Hanafi Fiqh III 6 LOG501 Advanced Logic I 6 FQH504 Advanced Hanafi Fiqh IV 6 Total credits: 30

Master of Arts in Hadith Sciences Courses & Credit Hours One Year – Total 30 Credit Hours Course ID Course Name Credits HDS501 Advanced Hadith Methodology I 6 HDS502 Advanced Hadith Methodology II 6 HDS503 Advanced Hadith Methodology III 6 LOG501 Advanced Logic I 6 HDS504 Advanced Hadith Methodology IV 6 Total credits: 30

Curriculum Overview The following pages provide a brief detail of courses taught at Al-Noor Islamic College. Copies are available in the Office of Academic Affairs and on the web. The administration reserves the right to modify individual course requirements within a degree program. Such changes will be effective the next time such courses are offered or at a later date as determined by the instructor. The letter in the course is designed by the area in which it is offered: ARB for Arabic; SRF for Arabic Morphology; NHW for Arabic Grammar; LOG for Classical Logic; AQD for Theology; QRN for Quranic Exegesis; QSC for Quranic Sciences; HDS for Hadith Sciences; FQH for Jurisprudence; USL for Legal Theory; SRH for Prophetic Biography and History; 100-200s are courses for the Associate’s Degree • 300-400s are courses for the Bachelor’s Degree • 500s are courses for the Master’s Degree Arabic Literature ARB100 – Arabic I ARB201- Arabic V Primary Text: Minhaj Jadeed Primary Text: Mu’allim-ul-Insha Vol 2 2 Credit 1 Credit ARB101- Arabic II ARB202- Arabic VI Primary Text: Qirat-Ur Rashida Vol 1-2 Primary Text: An-Nazarat 2 Credit 1 Credit ARB102- Arabic III ARB203- Arabic VII (Elective) Primary Text: Mu’allim-ul-Insha Vol 1 Primary Text: Adab-ul-Jameel 1 Credit 3 Credit ARB102- Arabic IV ARB401- Arabic VIII Primary Text: Arabeen-un-Nawawi Primary Text: Maqamat-e-Hariri 1 Credit 4 Credit

18 Arabic Grammar NHW100- Arabic Grammar I NHW101- Arabic Grammar II Primary Text: InstaGrammar Primary Text: Sharh Miatu Amil 2 Credit 2 Credit NHW103- Arabic Grammar III Primary Text: Hidaya-Tun-Nahw 2 Credit Arabic Morphology SRF100- Arabic Morphology I SRF102- Arabic Morphology III Primary Text: Freeform Primary Text: Kanz-ul-Amali 2 Credit 1 Credit SRF101- Arabic Morphology II (Elective) SRF103- Arabic Morphology IV Primary Text: Dirasat-us-Sarf Primary Text: Ilm-us-Seegha 1 Credit 1 Credit Islamic Theology AQD100- Introduction to Creedal Theology AQD202- Creedal Theology III Primary Text: Aqeedah Tahawiya Primary Text: Sharh Aqeedah Nasafi 1 Credit Supporting Text: Bad-ul-Amali, Bidaya Fi AQD101- Creedal Theology I Usool-ud-Deen, An-Nibras Primary Text: Bahar-e-Shariat Vol 1 4 Credit 1 Credit AQD203- Creedal Theology IV (Elective) AQD201- Creedal Theology II Primary Text: Iqtisad Fil-Iteqad Primary Text: Sharh Aqeedah Nasafi 2 Credit Supporting Text: Bad-ul-Amali, Bidaya Fi Usool-ud-Deen, An-Nibras 4 Credit

19 AQD301- Creedal Theology V AQD302- Creedal Theology VI Primary Text: Mutaqad-ul-Muntaqad Primary Text: Shifa Qadi Ayaz Supporting Text: Sharh Mawaqif, Musamira Supporting Text: Sharh Shifa Mulla Ali Qari 4 Credit 3 Credit AQD303- Creedal Theology VII (Elective) Primary Text: Arbaeen Fi Usool ud Din 2 Credit Hadith Sciences HDS100- Hadith Literature I (Elective) HDS303- Hadith Literature IV Primary Text: Muatta Imam Muhammad Primary Text: Jamia Tirmidhi Volume II 1 Credit Supporting Text: Shamail-e-Tirmidhi HDS200- Hadith Literature II 8 Credit Primary Text: Mishkat ul Masabeeh HDS401- Hadith Methodology II 1 Credit Primary Text: Al Haad il Kaaf/ Hajiz ul HDS301- Hadith Methodology Bahrain Primary Text: Nuzhat un Nazar/ 4 Credit Muqaddima ibn Salah HDS402- Hadith Literature V Supporting Text: Taiseer Mustalahul Hadith Primary Text: Sunan Abi Dawood 4 Credit 1 Credit HDS302- Hadith Literature III HDS403- Hadith Literature VI Primary Text: Jamia Tirmidhi Volume I Primary Text: Sahih Bukhari Volume I Supporting Text: Shamail-e-Tirmidhi Supporting Text: Umdat-ul-Qari, Fath-ul- Bari 3 Credit 8 Credit

20 HDS404- Hadith Literature VII HDS502- Advanced Hadith Methodology II Primary Text: Sahih Bukhari Volume II Primary Text: Fath Ul Bari Supporting Text: Umdat-ul-Qari, Fath-ul- 6 Credit Bari HDS503- Advanced Hadith Methodology III 8 Credit Primary Text: Umdat Ul Qaari HDS501- Advanced Hadith Methodology I 6 Credit Primary Text: Dawam Ul Aish HDS504- Advanced Hadith Methodology IV 6 Credit Primary Text: Siyar A’laamin Nubala 6 Credit

Islamic Jurisprudence FQH101- Hanafi Jurisprudence FQH300- Hanafi Jurisprudence V (Elective) Primary Text: Nur-ul-Idah Primary Text: Al-Mabsut Supporting Text: Maraqil Falah 3 Credit 2 Credit FQH301- Hanafi Jurisprudence VI FQH102- Hanafi Jurisprudence II Primary Text: Sharh Wiqaya Vol 2 Primary Text: Mukhtasar-ul-Qudoori 2 Credit 2 Credit FQH302- Hanafi Jurisprudence VII FQH201- Hanafi Jurisprudence III Primary Text: Hidaya Vol 1&2 Primary Text: Kanz-ul-Daqaiq 4 Credit 1 Credit FQH401- Hanafi Jurisprudence VIII FQH202- Hanafi Jurisprudence IV Primary Text: Hidaya Vol 3&4 Primary Text: Sharh Wiqaya Vol 1 3 Credit 2 Credit FQH501- Advanced Hanafi Fiqh Primary Text: Rasmul Mufti 6 Credit

21 FQH502- Advanced Hanafi Fiqh II FQH503- Advanced Hanafi Fiqh III Primary Text: Bidaya-tul-Mujtahid Primary Text: Durr-ul-Mukhtar 6 Credit 6 Credit FQH504- Advanced Hanafi Fiqh IV Primary Text: Al-Ashbah Wan-Nadhair 6 Credit Legal Theory USL101- Legal Theory I USL401: Legal Theory IV Primary Text: Usool-us-Shashi Primary Text: Hussamy Supporting Text: Ajmal-ul-Hawashi 2 Credit 5 Credit Logic USL201- Legal Theory II LOG200- Introduction to Classical Logic Primary Text: Nur-ul-Anwar Primary Text: Mirqaat/Hidayah-tul-Hikmah 3 Credit 1 Credit USL301- Legal Theory III LOG300- Introduction to Polemics Primary Text: Tawdeeh Sharh Tanqeeh Primary Text: Rashidiyya 4 Credit 1 Credit Quranic Sciences QSC200- Introduction to Quranic Sciences I Primary Text: Zubdat-ul-Itqan QRN201- Quranic Exegesis I 1 Credit Primary Text: Tafseer-e-Jalalain QRN200- Introduction of Quranic Exegesis 1 Credit Primary Text: Tafseer-e-Qurtubi QRN301- Quranic Exegesis II Supporting Texts: Tafseer-e-Nasafi, Tafseer- Primary Text: Tafseer-e-Nasafi/Tafseerat-e- e-Jalalain, Khazain-ul-Irfan Ahmaddiya 4 Credit 2 Credit

Student Life & Housing HOUSING We currently do not facilitate students with housing. However, there are many apartment complexes nearby. The details for the apartments and even shared bedrooms can be provided to anyone who requests it. All the accommodations are near the campus and close to the marketplace, which provides ease to the students Please contact us to begin the process of securing student housing or for assistance on locating private apartments. If we do not hear from you, we assume you have made your own arrangements. You can contact us by phone or email. MEDICAL Medical assistance or insurance of any type is not provided by AIC to the students.It is necessary that the student procure medical insurance and provide proof of it prior to arrival. COMMUNITY SERVICES At AIC, we encourage our students to be involved in community work or to volunteer in social activities such as giving Friday or Eid sermons and community classes. We are affliated with organizations such as AMO (American Muslim Organization), United Volunteers Association (UVA), Ahlus Sunnah Foundation (ASF), and others. Moreover, we also try to work for the interest of the underprivileged through distribution of food and clothing every week. By serving the community, the students will not only develop their own interpersonal and social skills, but will also have an overall experience of working for and belonging to the community.

Instructors & Staff

Shaykh Faizan-ul-Mustafa Qadri Dean, Instructor Shaykh Faizan ul Mustafa was born in Ghosi, UP, India. Born to Maulana Fida ul Mustafa, the son of Sadr-ush- Sharia Mufti Amjad Ali Aazmi, Shaykh Faizan adheres to his family tradition of expertise in Islamic Jurisprudence. Shaykh Faizan graduated from Jamia Shams ul Uloom in Ghosi in 1991. To study further, he enrolled in Jamia Ashrafia in 1991. Studying there for 6 years, he successfully gained Takhassus (specialization) in Hadith and Fiqh in 1996. He also went to Jamia Nizamuddin Aulia in Delhi for a year. Shaykh Faizan switched gears in his career in 1997, when he started off as a teacher in Jamia Amjadiyya, where he taught for 7 years. Likewise, another major change occurred in his life when he decided to migrate to the United States in 2003. Serving as an Imam in Dallas and Katy, Shaykh Faizan stayed in the United States until 2008. In the year 2008, Shaykh Faizan went back to India to serve as the Shaykh-ul-Hadith in Jamia Amjadiyya. To indoctrinate the Houston Muslim community in the traditional Islamic Sciences, Shaykh Faizan established Al-Noor Islamic College in 2012, and has served as the Dean at AIC ever since. Shaykh Faizan ul Mustafa is a well accomplished and a highly qualified individual. Along with being an Aalim, he is a Mufti and Shaikh ul Hadith. He graduated as Alim and Fazil from Jamia Ashrafiyah. In terms of teaching, he has 12 years of experience in teaching various subjects which include Tafseer ul Quran, Hadith, and Fiqh at the Highest Level in Dar ul Uloom Amjaddiyah. Shaykh Faizan is also an Executive Member of the Sharaee Council of India (Bareilly, UP). Furthermore, he has successfully conducted two Islamic Diploma courses in Houston. Additionally, he has authored many books and articles dealing with Islamic legal issues.

Mufti Qamar-ul-Hassan Instructor Mufti Mohammed Qamarul Hassan al-Qadri al-Bastawi is an extremely qualified scholar. He is a Double Degree Graduate from two great Islamic Institutes; Al Jamiatul Islamia Raunahi, Faizabad, UP, India and Al Jamiatul- Ashrafia Mobarakpur, Azamgarh, UP, India. He is also has a Triple Degree from the UP Education Board. He is recognized as a Faazil-e-Maaqulat (Philosophy), Faazil-e- Diniyaat (Theology), and as a Faazil-e-Arabi Adab (Literature). He has also earned a MA (Persian) from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. Furthermore, he has earned a MA (Urdu) from Avadh University, Faizabad. After acquiring massive amounts of knowledge, he is currently working very hard to spread the message of Islam in the United States of America. He is the author of over a dozen books. He has had three books of poetry published from India and has two more in printing. He is the current Imam and Khateeb at Al-Noor Society of Greater Houston. He is the founder of Bazm-e-Hassaan International Naat Academy Houston. He has completed preaching the Tafseer of the entire Qur’an twice. Once within 15 years at Al-Noor Masjid and once on Radio Baseerat within 17 years. He has also had the privilege and honor of converting many Americans to Islam and reviving the Sunnah within the Houston Muslim Community. Because of his major accomplishments and his qualifications, he is serving as the Chairman of Rooyat-e-Hilaal Committee of North America, the Chief Qaadi of North America and the President of the Fiqhi Board of North America. Dr. Ghulam Zarquani Instructor Born and raised in India. Dr. Zarquani studied in India from where he got his Islamic Degree. After that he went to study further in cities such as Libya. He is currently the head Imam at Jama Makkah Masjid

25 Shaykh Manzar-ul-Islam Al-Azhari Instructor Maulana Manzarul Islam Al-Azhari is a young, up and coming Islamic scholar. Traditionally trained in several of the world’s most acclaimed Islamic universities. As a specialist in fiqh and hadith, Manzarul Islam has a holistic and sound knowledge of traditional and contemporary Islaimc scholarship in terms of historical context, reasoning, and application. Maulana has a unique way of contextualizing and understanding the educational, social, and religious issues that are pressing upon Muslims in the contemporary West. Maulana is a well-known author in South Asia, and more than fifty scholarly essays of his work have been published in the newspapers and magazines of India and Pakistan. He has also translated many books into Arabic and Urdu that have been published in Egypt and India. After completing his Darse Nizami in two institutions of higher education in India, Maulana spent approximately five years studying at the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Egypt. During this period he received extensive education in tafsir, hadith, and fiqh. After completing his studies in Egypt, he decided to relocate to the US to help spread the teachings of Islam. He is well acquainted with the needs of American Muslims, and he specializes in helping to provide sound solutions to fiqh related issues in the unique environment of the West. Maulana has declared Europe and America “Dar al-Dawah” (a place for spreading Islamic knowledge) in the way of the four schools of jurisprudence. Wherever Maulana has lived in the US he has remained committed to his goal of spreading Islamic knowledge. In order to do so more effectively, he has recently established Al-Baheej Institute with the objective to instill Islamic character in American Muslim youth and to provide Islamic educational services to Muslims of all ages. Al-Baheej is an online institute that also offers a number of face-to-face workshops in various cities throughout the US catering to Muslim students and youth.

26 Allama Hamid Raza Amjadi Instructor, Administration Allama Hamid Raza Amjadi was born on July 2nd, 1985 in Azamgarh, UP, India. He started of his studies at Madrassa Arabiyyah Faiz ul Uloom. After studying there for two years, Allama Hamid transferred to Jamia Amjadia Razviya Ghausia, where he studied for 7 years and graduated in 2007. After graduating, he started teaching at Darul Hifz wa'l-Qirat. He migrated to United States in July 2008, and served as an Imam and Khateeb at Masjid Faizan-e-Madina in Houston since then. Molana Omair Shariff Instructor, Student Affairs Maulana Omair Shariff was born in Boston, MA. He moved to Houston, TX in 1998. He graduated from Bellaire High School and attended University of Houston. To seek proficiency in Islamic Sciences, Maulana Omair joined AIC in 2012, and graduated in 2016. Since then, he has served as a teacher at AIC. Born and raised in the United States, he has successfully received both his secular and religious education. Ustad Shazad Shafi Instructor, Administration, Social Media Management Born and raised in San Jose, CA. As a child, he traveled to Pakistan and lived there for 5 years, where he memorized the Qur'an with tajwīd wa al-qirā’ah and completed in 2012. He then went to South Africa to further pursue the Islamic tradition in 2013 and studied in various subjects such as Arabic, Quran and Fiqh under the tutelage of the great Islamic scholars of South Africa. He then came to the city of Houston, TX in 2014 and began studying Islamic Sciences at the Al-Noor Islamic College. While studying at the institute. He also

27 continued both his secular and Qur’anic studies and also accepted the position of primary Imam at many local mosques and began teaching the principles that he appropriated from his teachers. Ustadh Shazad Shafi is involved in delivering the Friday Prayer Khutba and speeches in various places such as Mosques, Islamic centers, universities, high schools, and even on the Radio. He is also currently involved in classes for Tafseer Ul Quran and Islamic Jurisprudence. Sidi Umer Hasan Instructor Umer Hasan was born in Karachi, Pakistan and Migrated to U.S.A at the age 11. He grew up in Houston, Texas and at the age of adolescence began learning to read Qur’an with Shaykh Mufti Qamar ul Hasan Al-Qadri. He would go to school during the day and recite with him at night. Once having proficiency in reading he began studying Hifz ul Qur’an under Maulana Hafiz Abdur Rab Sahib and was able to memorize five and a half parts from the Qur’an. Umer Hasan joined Al-Noor Islamic College part-time under the instruction of Mufti Faizan ul Mustafa Sahib while working simultaneously on his degree. He graduated from University of Houston with the major Bachelors of Business Administration in Marketing and continued his studies full-time at Al-Noor Islamic College. Under the guidance of his teacher Mufti Faizan ul Mustafa Qadri, Umer Hasan has experience being a part-time Imam and a Khateeb at local mosques, conducting lectures, sermons and exegesis of the Qur’an. Now He is graduating from the Aalim program on January the 21st, 2016 and will continue his services to the community.

Visiting Instructors & Scholars

Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rahman President, Rooyat-e-Hilal Committee Pakistan Professor Mufti Muhammad Muneeb-ur-Rehman is the current chairman, Rooyat-e-Hilal Committee. He is the Grand Mufti of Pakistan. He is Sufi Sunni Scholar of Pakistan associated with Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat. Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman was born on 8 February 1945. He completed his master's degree in Islamic Studies from Karachi University (in Islamic studies) and Darul Uloom Amjadia (in Islamic theology and jurisprudence). At the same time as doing Bachelors in Law and Education, he also received education in Arabic Languages. His achievements include President Tanzeem ul Madaris, President Darul-Uloom Naeemia in Karachi, Chairman Central Rooyat-e-Hilal Committee Pakistan as well as Professor in Jinnah University for Women Karachi. He works as a member board of studies Federal Government Urdu University as well as Board of Intermediate Education, Karachi. He has also got a huge experience of about 30 years of teaching Tafseer, Hadith, Fiqah, Arabic Literature as well as additional Islamic subjects to graduate and post graduate level of students in universities and in different institutes.

29 Molana Qamruzzaman Azmi Secretary General, World Islamic Mission Allama Azmi, is a prominent Islamic scholar and a true though leader in Islam. in 2014, 2015 and 2016 he was recognized by The Royal Ahl al Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought (Amman, Jordan) as one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world due to his efforts in building many organizations and institutions, mosques, colleges and universities all over the world for over five decades. He is also considered to be the spiritual heir of Mufti-e-Azam Hind, Hazrat Mustafa Raza Khan, son of Hazrat Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi. He has been opposed to extremism and terrorism and argues that those who use the name of Islam for such acts are, in fact, the religion’s enemies.

Mufti Mohammad Akmal Madani Al-Furqan Network Muhammad Akmal is an Islamic scholar from Pakistan. He is a mufti and is working as the director of Al Furqan Scholars' Academy, Karachi, which he established in 2006. He also presents the TV series Ahkam-e-Shariyat, a Fiqh-based TV programme of ARY Qtv is one of those. He was born on Sunday 7 May 1968 C.E in Karachi, Pakistan. He received contemporary education in Karachi and completed Chemical Engineering. He began his religious education from Mufti Ilyas Razawi, the rector of the Nadrat ul-Uloom seminary in Karachi before studying at Jamia Nizamiyya Ridawiyya in Lahore for seven years.

30 He appeared on TV for the first time in Ramadan 2004 in Sahri Time, a TV program on Pakistan based TV Channel ARY Qtv.Ahkam-e-Shariyat, Tadabur-e-Quran, Al Hadi and Sharah Sahih Bukhari are some of his TV series on ARY Qtv[1] He also comes on UK based Ummah Channel with a program 'Your Questions Answered'.

Allama Zia-ul-Mustafa Azmi Dean, Jamia Amjadia, India Allama Zia Al-Mustafa is the son of Sadr Al-Shari’ah Muhammad Amjad Ali Azmi. Zia Al-Mustafa was born on the 2nd of Shawwal in the year 1354. He was born on a Sunday in a town called Ghosi, today known as Madinah Al-Ulama (The city of Scholars). As a child the Sheikh began His studies in Islamic sciences by his father, the great master of Hanafi Fiqh, He had an inquiring mind. Allama Zia Al-Mustafa had begun His Arabic studies with his father as He once told me about how they were memorizing the measures of verbs whilst Sadr Al-Shari’ah would be doing other work. Before Sadr Al-Shari’ah left for His second pilgrimage to Makkah, He sent His son to Nagpoor to study by Allama Gulam Aasi Piya to continue His Arabic studies, who at the same time was the brother of Allama Zia Al-Mustafa’s mother. He was a Sufi Master and an excellent poet, until today is well known amongst the Scholars. Later he went to Mubarakpur and studied under the shade of his father’s student Huzoor Hafiz- e-millat and Hazrat Allama Abd Al Ra’oof another great scholar. Allama Zia Al Mustafa deeply loves these two teachers of his and he mentions them a lot as well. In Mubarakpur Allama Sahib studied different types of Uloom and Funoon such as Ilm-ul-Quran, Hadith, Usool-e-hadith, Fiqh, Usool-e-Fiqh, Ilm-e-Ta’beer (interpretation of dreams), Ilm-e-Tawqeet (Namaaz times), Ilm-e- Nujoomi (Astronomy), Philosophy, Mantiq (Logic), Ilm-e-Falakiyaat, and the list goes on and on. He graduated with all that knowledge at the age of 19. One year after graduation his teacher Huzoor Hafiz-e-millat called him back to Mubarakpur and made him sit in his classroom in which he taught Bukhari Shareef, after 3 lessons Huzoor Hafiz- e-millat told him this how you must teach Bukhari. This was a glad tiding for a scholar of such young age that later on the years you will be a Shaykh-ul-Hadith and will teach Bukhari. It wasn’t long when he was given the title “Muhaddith-e-Kabeer” which means “Great Muhaddith”.

31 Allama Zia Al-Mustafa have written thousands of Fatwas which are in the process of being compiled. Over 50 years of constantly writing Fatwas, Allah knows how many they are. Serving the Muslims as a Mufti is the best way of working for the Deen according to the Ulema. He also is involved in writing books. Currently he is writing the Sharah of Sunan-e-Tirmizi. Allama Zia Al-Mustafa, today is the head of the Shar’i council of India. He leads the Fiqh Seminars in Bareily. Allama Zia Al-Mustafa has been engaged in tadrees (teaching the Deen) since the age of 22. He has taught Hadith for over 40 years. His students reside all over the world. Recently a list was compiled which reached over 30’000 students. This was all of those students whom the Madrasah has a record of. Every year Allama Sahib is invited to over 30 institutes for Khatm-e-Bukhari, where they study the last few Ahadith from Allama Sahib so that they can say to the world that i am a student of Allama Zia Al-Mustafa. Since the last 40 years if not more, every scholar who writes the name Misbahi after his name is a student of Allamah Zia Al-Mustafa Sahib. Shaykh Walead Mosaad Instructor, Fawakih Walead Mohammed Mosaad was born in New York City in 1972 and grew up in New York and central New Jersey. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering in 1994. He has also completed degrees from al-Azhar, the University of Liverpool, and is currently a PhD candidate in Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter in the UK. Since 1997 he has been studying and teaching the Islamic sciences in the Muslim world as well as Europe and North America. He has been blessed to study with such luminaries as Shaykh Ahmad Taha Rayyan, Shaykh Ali Gomaa, Shaykh Saeed al-Bouti, Shaykh Kurayyim Rajih, Shaykh Bakri al- Tarabishi, amongst others. From 2005 to 2011 he worked with the Tabah Foundation in Abu Dhabi as the Cultural and Education Projects manager, where he developed educational initiatives to address the needs of new Muslims, as well as initiatives to foster cross-cultural and interfaith understanding.

32 He has lectured on various topics of interest, including Muslims as minorities, interfaith understanding, and the importance of purification and spirituality in addressing the human condition. He has taught or lectured in the US, Canada, Trinidad, Guyana, the UK, France, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Singapore, Malaysia, Kenya, India, Bahrain, Jordan, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and the UAE. The Madina Institute is proud to have Shaykh Walead as an instructor in Ash’ari ‘Aqidah. Ustadh Usama Canon Instructor, Student Affairs Ustadh Usama Canon embraced Islam in 1996 and was an early student of Shaykh Hamza Yusuf under the then- Zaytuna Institute (together with others such as Mustafa Davis and Shaykh Yahya Rhodus) before continuing his study of the traditional Islamic sciences with some of the foremost scholars across Africa and the Middle East. Ustadh Usama is the founding director of the Ta’leef Collective. Originally formed in 2002 as part of the outreach programme for the Zaytuna Institute, Ta’leef became an independent body in 2005. It is now a non-profit organization based in California that aims to provide a healthy, culturally relevant understanding of Islam, serving not only converts but also Muslim youth who find themselves alienated from the religion. A man of many hats, Ustadh Usama also serves as a Muslim Chaplain for Muslim prison inmates under the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, as well as a spiritual advisor for the Chicago-based Inner City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), in addition to the many speaking and teaching engagements he has worldwide. Ustadh Usama is also one of the founders, together with Ta’leef Collective projects coordinator Micah Anderson, of Oudimentary, a company dealing in traditional incense and perfumes. A popular and engaging speaker, Ustadh Usama Canon is no stranger to these shores, having been to Singapore several times to speak and teach at various events, including most recently in 2011 for Darul Arqam’s Love Retreat and SimplyIslam’s Journey to Ihsan- A Seekers’ Retreat . Besides issues affecting converts to Islam and Muslim prison inmates, one of Ustadh Usama’s primary areas of concern is the youth and ensuring that religion remains both accessible and relevant to them. Aside from his work with the Ta’leef Collective to engage disenfranchised Muslim young adults, he has spoken at and conducted workshops for youth across the United States and

33 the world for organizations such as SimplyIslam, SeekersGuidance, the Risala Foundation, and others. Ustadh Usama has also spoken on a variety of issues affecting the Muslim community in Reflections, a series of short videos directed by Mustafa Davis, filmmaker and co-founder of Ta’leef Collective. Always conducting his talks with both humility and humor, Ustadh Usama Canon marries a knowledge of the traditional sciences of Islam with an engagement with the day to day concerns of the average Muslim, ensuring his talks and lessons are both relevant and grounded in deep spirituality. His talks are not to be missed.

Allama Kokab Noorani Okarvi Kaukab Noorani Okarvi (born 17 August 1957) is an Islamic scholar, researcher, orator, writer and cleric of Ahle-Sunnat Wa Jamaa’at Sunni. He is known as Khateeb-e-Millat ("Orator of the Nation") by his followers. He is the son of Khateeb-e-A’zam Muhammad Shafee Okarvi, who was founder of the Jamaa'at- e-Ahle-Sunnat, main Sunni organisation of Pakistan.