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Karima al-Marwaziyya Foundation is pleased to announce that we will be opening registration for the 6th intake of students of a 3/4 year programme which will equip students with the knowledge and tools of in depth Islamic studies.

Upon completion, students will be able to pursue further Islamic studies at an advanced level.

The FTA is an attempt to take the magnificent historical tradition of Islamic learning encapsulated in the sacred sciences and make it conceivable in a 21st century context. Students from the previous 5 years of its running have gone on to study further in more advanced programs or, for those who chose to focus primarily on secular studies, traversed the plan of secular education with a newfound confidence in their faith. The program is staffed by a diverse group of traditionally trained Islamic teachers, with all the staff members having attained secular degrees in conjunction with their more traditional Islamic training. Gender is not a restrictive barrier in our understanding of Islamic education, and thus the program caters for both males and females, with the standard of learning maintained equally in both cohorts. A principle we hold strongly to is the age-old adage that Islamic knowledge is not attained through comfort. The program is not for those who are unwilling to lift the heavy burden of Prophetic inheritance and has strict selection criteria to ensure excellence is achieved. Students are expected to have a strong desire to work hard and a deep commitment to the ethical demands of attaining Islamic knowledge. The rest is left to the Will of the Divine.

Curriculum for 1444/1445

Year 1

Aqeedah – Shaykh Hamza Karamalis “Why Islam is True” will be used as a foundation for Aqeedah teaching according to the Ashari/Maturidi framework of Kalam. This itself is based on the work of late Ottoman theologian Mustafa Sabri and will cover modern challenges to Islam like evolution, materialism, atheism and the problem of evil.

Adab – Custom-made notes on mannerisms, etiquette and Islamic decorum will be used based on the work of ‘Adab ad-Dunya wa ad-Deen’ by the renowned Shaykh al-Mawardi along with discussions on the hallmarks of the Islamic calendar and spiritual purification.

10 Lessons in Arabic – Dr Aamir Bashir’s extremely beneficial translation of this classic introductory primer to Arabic grammar will be taught. This text is a staple of the famous Nadwatul Ulama Arabic curriculum and gives a firm foundation for further Arabic study. The first half of the text will be completed.

Gateway to Arabic – Along with grammar, this text will introduce students to the more immersive practical experience of grappling with the Arabic language through speaking, writing, and reading. It will help take the more abstract concepts of 10 lessons and bring them to life

Fiqh – A simplified version of the famous Hanafi primer, Nur al-Idah, will be taught along with additional explanation based on the famous commentary of its original author. In the first year students will cover chapters relating to purification and prayer.

Year 2

Uloom Quran– The year will be spent covering the famous Mauritanian text, Maharim Lisaan, written by Imam Mawlud and covering in-depth rulings related to practically controlling the tongue and ensuring spiritual purification.

Fiqh of worship/transactions – The final chapters of the Fiqh of worship will be completed, before a custom set of notes on the Fiqh of buying and selling will be taught according to the Hanafi school. Student will also cover more modern rulings related to Islamic banking and finance.

10 lessons/Qasas – the primer on Arabic grammar will be completed, after which students will move on to the famous “Stories of the Prophets for children” by Shaykh Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi. This will be supplemented with Shaykh Yusuf Mullan’s brilliant notes expanding their Arabic grammar and introducing some aspects of Arabic rhetoric.

Usool Hadith/40 Hadith – Syed Muhammad Alawi’s brilliant primer will be taught on Usool Hadith along with additional notes from Mahmood Tahhan and Shareef Haarim al-Awni. The second half of the year will be spent covering a collection of 40 Hadith related to spirituality and personal development.

Year 3

Advanced Aqeedah –The famous Ashari Aqeedah text, Jawhara at-Tawhid of Imam Laqqani will also be completed. This will be taught alongside notes from Imam Laqqanis famous commentary and Shaykh Saleh Ghursi footnotes. Shaykh Hamza Karamlis additions challenging modern atheism, materialism and secularism will also be utilised.

Qasas ul Nabiyeen (Further Arabic) – Study of Shaykh Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi’s famous ‘Stories of the Prophets for children’ will continue along with additional grammatical notes from the explanation of the text taken from Shaykh Yusuf Mullan’s brilliant contemporary Arabic program. This will be supplemented with further inhouse Arabic material.

Fiqh of Inheritance, marriage, divorce, and other miscellaneous topics – a set of custom-made notes on the Hanafi Fiqh of a variety of topics from inheritance to Islamic governance will be taught. Premodern ideas of Islamic penal law will be firmly contextualised within the framework of abiding by the law of the modern-nation state.

Infamies of the Soul – Imam Sulamis brilliant critique of the workings of the ego will be taught alongside notes prepared based on the writing of Imam Ghazali and modern Islamic Psychology.

Plus

Arabic Morphology (Sarf) through a summary of Tasreef Izzi - Ml Asim Ayub

Grammatical Analysis of Surah Ya-Sin (or a similar Surah) along with linguistic points - Ml Asim Ayub

Arabic reading and comprehension through the Suwar series and other books - Ml Asim Ayub

Hanafi Fiqh (Maraqi al-Sa'aadah) of Imam Shurunbulali (reading the Arabic text) - Ml Saman Hussain

Hanafi legal theory (Mabadi al-Usul of Mufti Palanpuri) (reading the Arabic text) - Ml Saman Hussain

Principles of Hadith along with Hanafi understanding of Hadith - Shaykh Sulayman van Ael and Mufti Muadh Chati

There will be seminars (online and in-person) with Dr Jonathan Brown, Shaykh Sohail Hanif, Ml Zeeshan Chaudhuri, Ml Haroon Sidat, Dr Uthman Badar and others.