Meaning of al-Qasim
Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: "I am a Distributor (Qasim) and Allah is the One who Gives." The distributive function of Prophethood, while it includes physical assets such as wealth and property, emphasizes the knowledge that Allah bestows on His prophets. Prophets leave behind an intellectual inheritance rich with knowledge, an inheritance that in the case of Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) has transformed, and continues to transform, the lives and hearts of men and women all over the world.
Academic Program
Overview
Islam is unique among the world's religions in that it provides a complete framework upon which all aspects of an individual's life is based, a framework that embraces the intellectual, social and moral challenges each person faces. The fundamental simplicity and flexibility of this framework is responsible for Islam's global revival, a revival nowhere more evident than in the United States, where it is the fastest growing religion. The city of Chicago is a major center for Islamic events, institutions and education. It plays host to the largest annual convention of Muslims in North America, has an extensive network of Muslim Student Associations at leading universities like Northwestern and the University of Chicago, and is the center for several seminars, conferences and academic studies of Islam. Darul Qasim operates in the context of this fertile intellectual environment as the next step for individuals desiring a more substantive and structured knowledge of Islam.
Why Learn Academically?
The Qur'an and Sunnah were revealed and practiced, respectively, in the context of a real society that faced difficult challenges. These challenges were overcome, and a remarkable new civilization was born, because the early Muslims understood the relevance of the Qur'an and Sunnah to the world around them. There are two essential tools that facilitate the acquisition of such understanding, the Arabic language and Islamic studies. A deep knowledge of Arabic is the means through which exegesis, close textual analysis, is possible and the key to understanding how the culture, sociology and philosophy of previous generations functioned in the light of the Qur'an and Sunnah. Islamic studies includes such disciplines as 'aqidah, Islamic thought, and fiqh and is the means through which one gains access to the Qur'an and the resulting spiritual connection to our Creator, a connection that is the surest path for happiness in this life and the next.
Curriculum and Status
Darul Qasim has designed a three-year curriculum, with courses in Arabic and Islamic studies, that facilitates an academic approach to Islam for residents in the Chicago area. Courses are designed with sufficient flexibility to accommodate the needs of working individuals with busy personal and family lives. The academic year is split into four quarters, with students taking one class a quarter for the first year and increasing to two classes a quarter in the second and third years. Each course meets once a week for 1.5 hours with homework assigned. Students may also attend Saturday seminars and undertake a research project that serves as the culmination of their studies in the third year.
By the grace of Allah, Darul Qasim has successfully enrolled 25 students that are seriously committed to taking on the challenge of learning Islam academically. Darul Qasim has already prepared 5 students who serve as teaching assistants.
Leadership
Shaykh Mohammed Amin Kholwadia
Shaykh Mohammed Amin (Shaykh Amin) is the director of Darul Qasim – an institute for higher Islamic learning. Shaykh Amin has been serving the Chicago land Muslim community since he arrived from England in 1984. At Darul Qasim, the Shaykh instructs graduate and post-graduate students. At present, his classes include lectures on post-graduate studies in Hadith (Abu Dawood); higher studies in Islamic theology (Sharh ‘Aqa’id); advanced studies in Fiqh (Hidayah) and Tafseer of Jalalayn. (Refer to course at Darul Qasim.org for further information).
Shaykh Amin also provides leadership in vital areas of academic and community affairs. This includes representing the community in the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago and several other educational boards. Shaykh Amin offers excellent counseling services for parents; spouses and students. Shaykh Amin also serves as a Shariah advisor on Islamic finance for Zest Advisory LLP (England).
After completing his high school in Gloucester, England, Shaykh Amin pursued Islamic sciences in prestigious Muslim institutes in India and Pakistan (1975/1982). After completing his memorization of the Quran in Taraj, Gujerat, Shaykh Amin traveled to several seminaries in the Indian sub-continent. These included Sabeelur Rashad, Bangalore, India; Jamiah Islamiyyah, in Binnori Town, Karachi; Darul Uloom, Deoband, India and Miftahul Uloom, Jalalabad, India. At Darul Uloom, Deoband, India – the world renowned Muslim seminary, the former dean of the school, the great Qari Muhammad Tayyab honored Shaykh Amin by granting him “ijazah” (authority to transmit Hadith) in a private ceremony held at his home in Deoband.
He received further instruction and ijazah in Islamic law at the Imaarate Shariah, near Patna, Bihar from the late Qadi Mujahidul Islam – a highly distinguished Muslim jurist of the 20th century.
Along with his expertise in Islamic law, Shaykh Amin is also known for his prowess in Islamic theology. He received training in this field from Dr. Allamah Khalid Mahmood – who is currently a justice at the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Shaykh Amin also received instruction in Islamic theosophy from his mentor, the late Shaykh Muhammad Meeran, at Sabeelur Rashad seminary in Bangalore, India. His studies in Islamic theosophy included the theories of al-Ghazali; Ibn Arabi; Shaykh Sarhindi and Shah Walliyullah of Delhi.
Shaykh Amin has traveled to and lectured in various countries across the globe. These include Malaysia; Singapore; South Africa; the U.A.E. Zimbabwe; and Zambia. Shaykh Amin has written numerous articles and a booklet on the exegesis of the first part of Surah al-Mudaththir named: “A Spark from the Dynamo of Prophethood.”
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