Programs of Study

Islamic Studies Essentials

Summer 2023

ISE101: Introduction to Islamic Theology

May 2, 2023 to July 18, 2023 (No class on June 27 & July 4)
Online, Tuesdays 6PM-7PM CST
with Mawlana Samir Ali
 
Course Tuition: $380
 
This 10-week course is designed to give students an introductory understanding of Islamic belief. The course covers the pillars of Islamic theology, while also touching on the history and development of the academic disciplines of ‘aqidah and kalam. Special attention is paid to the implementation of the content of Islamic belief in various historical and modern contexts. This will leave students with a more thorough understanding of what a mature and academically rigorous understanding of theology looks like in the modern world.
 
Course objective:
Students will understand the basics of Islamic belief and how they relate to their everyday lives.
 
Prerequisites: None
 
Required Course Materials: 
Al-Fiqh al-Akbar English

ISE102: Introduction to Islamic Law

May 3, 2023 to July 19, 2023 (No class on June 28)
Online, Wednesdays 7PM-8PM CST
with Ustadh Firas Alkhateeb
 
Course Tuition: $380

During this 10-week course, students will understand the prerequisites, importance and purpose of learning foundational Islamic Knowledge and how to apply what they learn. The instructor will also shed light on the preservation of knowledge through a cohesive, organized and well-planned system we term as the “System of Following the Qur’an and Sunnah”. The semester will end with a discussion on how we can ascend the levels of Ihsan in worship.

Course objective: Students will understand the basics of Islamic belief and how they relate to their everyday lives.

Prerequisites: None
 
Required Course Materials: None 

ISE104: Muslims and the Modern Condition

May 1, 2023 to July 17, 2023 (No class on June 26 & July 3)
Online, Mondays, 6:30PM – 7:30PM CST
with Dr Mohammed Pervaiz
 
Course Tuition: $380
 
An academic introduction to various discourses in modern life. Prepare high school students for college discourses; prepare undergrads and professionals for discourses common to life in the West.  Each week covers a problem in the West, where the problem came from, and how the Islamic tradition has historically dealt with it. Each topic begins with a lecture (30 min), followed by posing a question where students discuss in break-out rooms (10 min). The instructor will then present a basic Sunni response with additional discussion (20 min).  Students will share discussions introducing them to sexual orientation, racism, oppression, victimization, etc. as it is understood today and how it should be viewed and understood as Muslims.
 
Prerequisites: Completion of the Shaykh al-Hind program OR one ISE course (i.e., ISE101, ISE102, or ISE103)
 
Required Course Materials: None

Background

“I’m a Muslim”. For many, this statement will be challenged time and again, especially through the formative years of high school and beyond. For others, it’s “embarrassing” to admit.

  • What does it mean to be a Muslim?
  • Why do I follow a human to worship God?
  • How do I understand God’s existence?
  • What is the Sunnah and how does it apply to me?

What is the Islam Essentials Online Program?

Young Muslims residing within the context of modernity are in a precarious situation. They are nestled between tradition and modern narratives of reality and morality. Among the challenges many Muslims face is a fragile understanding of the foundational principles of Islam, the reality of Allah’s existence and the truth of the Prophet (s).

Darul Qasim has developed this unique Islamic Essentials Program to tackle the intellectual issues of today, how does the modern Muslim discern between false and true narratives of our deen today? This program will cover these issues while clarifying the principles of Islam in an engaging way. The Islamic Essentials Online Program is ideal for high school students, young professional, or college students.

Ready To Register?
Online Academy

Do you have a Question?

Please e-mail info@darulqasim.org.

“From this course, I learned what Islam is and WHY Islam is… the greatest thing I take away from this course is a yearning to learn and understand more.”

HAMZAH, 2015 ISE101 STUDENT

Instructors

Dr. Mohammed Pervaiz

mohammed.pervaiz@darulqasim.org

Mohammed Pervaiz was born and raised in Southern West Virginia. He holds an undergraduate degree from Haverford College where he studied Sociology and Chemistry, a Masters degree in Middle East Studies from The University of Chicago and a Ph.D in Social, Political, Ethical and Cultural Thought from Virginia Tech. He taught various courses for five years in the departments of Religion & Culture, Political Science and History at Virginia Tech before joining Darul Qasim. Dr. Pervaiz’s training in the liberal arts and humanities focuses on secular and religious power and embodiment in modern times (especially the early Turkish Republic), utilizing concepts developed out of the anthropology of the secular and critical theory.

In addition to his studies in the Western academy, he has studied with Muslim scholars in Amman, Istanbul, Chicago. His initial training in the basic Islamic sciences began with Shaykh Amin at Darul Qasim. He later completed the classical Arabic program at the Qasid Institute, and continued studying the basic Islamic sciences in Tajwid, Tafsir, ‘ilm al-akhlāq, Grammar, Hanafi Law, and biography with a number of scholars.

Ustadh Firas Alkhateeb

firas.alkhateeb@darulqasim.org

Firas Alkhateeb holds a B.A. in History from the University of Illinois – Chicago and an M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago, with a focus on Ottoman intellectual history and Islamic legal theory. He is the author of Lost Islamic History: Reclaiming Muslim Civilization from the Past. He previously taught Islamic History at Universal School in Bridgeview, IL from 2010 to 2015. He has been teaching at Darul Qasim since 2014.

Hafiz Noman Zaheer

noman.zaheer@darulqasim.org

Noman Zaheer spent his early years in Hong Kong, then pursued memorization of the Qurʿān during his teenage years in Pakistan at the well-known Islamic seminary, Ashraf al-Madaris, under the auspices of Hakim Akhtar (may Allah bestow His mercy upon him).
Noman moved to Houston, Texas in 1995 where he completed his education in aviation maintenance at Westwood College of Aviation and began working in commercial aviation maintenance while serving in the community in various capacities including Imam, youth mentor and Qurʿān recitation/memorization teacher.
In 2001, Noman relocated to Knoxville, Tennessee where he continued working in commercial aviation maintenance, completing his aviation career as a Supervisor in aircraft maintenance work flow management in 2013. During these years, Noman led the Muslim Community of Knoxville in various capacities as a volunteer Imam, khaṭīb, youth coordinator, community board member, Islamic school teacher, retreat and events director, Qurʿān recitation teacher and more.
In 2009, Noman met with Shaykh Amin and found his calling at Darul Qasim to pursue his quest for more knowledge. He volunteered his services for the first few years, and in 2013, he was appointed to the position of Registrar in which he continues to serve. Additionally, Noman has studied Shaykh al-Hind level coursework and is now continuing into intermediate-level courses with various instructors at Darul Qasim.
While maintaining his on-going quest for more knowledge and keeping his full-time position, over the years, Noman has received curriculum orientation and training by Shaykh Amin and Shaykh Musa Sugapong (senior faculty member at Darul Qasim) for the development and teaching methodology of the Islamic Studies Essentials Online Program. He has been teaching this curriculum to high school and college students for the past several years.

What Students Will Learn

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Testimonial

“I’ve been to numerous halaqas and lectures of the course of my life but for some reason it felt distant. I could never entirely connect with what the speaker explained or spoke about. It was as if I was in that mindset that I had to become a scholar in order to feel the true meaning of what they spoke of. However, from the first day in this class I truly connected to the subject – I am relearning but with an academic approach.”

Sherin, High School
Senior 2016, ISE104 Student

“Having gone through an Islamic school from kindergarten through middle school, I was taught these pillars but was never approached in the lens of the universality theory.”

Yasmeen, College
College Freshman 2016, ISE104 Student

“Growing up in America with all sorts of wild philosophies and theories, this course has reminded me of the truth and instilled confidence in it more than ever before.”

Taimur, High School
High School Senior 2014, ISE101 Student

“From this course, I learned what Islam is and WHY Islam is… the greatest thing I take away from this course is a yearning to learn and understand more.”

Hamzah, High School
Junior 2015, ISE101 Student

“One of the most common questions adherents of monotheistic religions ask is: what/who is God? However, I feel as if the essential question is ‘What/Who is God to YOU?’ Through following this course, I have been able to thoroughly answer this question.”

Sammy, High School
Junior 2014, ISE101 Student

“In the beginning, I wasn’t sure about this class. My mom had put me in courses before, however, this was different.. I broadened my views on ordinary acts that we do everyday.”

Yameen, High School
Junior 2016, ISE101 Student

“I knew Muhammad ﷺ was the last prophet, but I was blind sighted to the massive lineage and family tree it took to get there.”

Hamzah, High School
Junior 2014, ISE101 Student

“Coming out of this class, I can say with full confidence that I am on the right path and I am more than pleased, thankful, and humble to say that I am a Muslim.”

Farhat, High School
Senior 2015, ISE104 Student

“This class was mostly about logic. All the pillars and the history behind them makes more sense than any other religion. There’s so much to appreciate what Muhammad ﷺ has done for us and what Allah has blessed us with.”

Amira, High School
Senior 2015, ISE104 Student