Curriculum & Courses
Why Learn Islam 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.
How Does Darul Qasim Do This?
Darul Qasim has designed a three-year curriculum, with courses in Arabic and Islamic studies, that facilitates an academic approach to Islam for residents of the Chicagoland 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 only 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.
Curriculum Overview
The Darul-Qasim Islamic Studies program is a three-year course in which the student becomes familiar with the Arabic language through studying the traditional grammar disciplines of Sarf (morphology) and Nahw (syntax), and acquires the requisite tools for understanding Fiqh (Islamic law), 'Aqidah (Islamic doctrine and theology), Hadith (Prophetic traditions), and Tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis).
One of the crowning achievement of one's studies in the program is the ability to read and understand Tafsir al-Jalalayn, a classic work in Tafsir that has been used throughout the Muslim world for 800 years as an essential text for the future scholar. It was begun by Jalal al-Din Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Mahalli (1389-1459), who started his commentary with surah al-Kahf and finished with al-Nas and al-Fatihah, but died before he could write the commentary for the first half of the Qur'an from al-Baqarah. His student, Jalal al-Din 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr al-Suyuti (1445-1505) completed the work of al-Mahalli from surah al-Baqarah to al-Isra' over the course of several months while only twenty-two years old. Subsequent Muslims have expressed amazement at al-Suyuti's precocity and his acquisition of all the academic disciplines necessary for the mufassir (Qur'anic exegete) by the time he was a young adult. But indeed, such was not entirely uncommon in a culture of learning and academic sophistication as al-Mahalli's and al-Suyuti's Egypt of the 15th century. It is one of Darul-Qasim's aims to facilitate such a culture of scholarly and academic initiative here in America.
Tafsir al-Jalalayn is traditionally taught from surah al-Kahf onwards, as al-Mahalli began the book. This is done to familiarize the student with al-Jalalayn and to increase the student's acumen for Tafsir. The first half of the Qur'an, from surah al-Baqarah to al-Isra' is studied second. It is in this portion of the Qur'an that the majority of the ahkam (legal rulings) are found, and so a study of the first half of Jalalayn not only increases the student's knowledge of Tafsir, but increases his or her legal acumen as well.
Tafsir al-Jalalayn is the standard by which we determine proficiency in the Arabic language and the other Islamic sciences taught in the Darul-Qasim curriculum. The study of Arabic in the first two years prepares the student for the grammatical nuances and subtleties of the Qur'an brought out by the authors of al-Jalalayn, while a study of 'Aqidah al-Tahawi, by Abu Ja'far Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Salamah al-Tahawi (852?-933) aids the student in understanding doctrinal issues in the Qur'an and Tafsir. In addition, students will study a primer in Fiqh, giving them a sense of the subject as well as a sense for the legal implications of many Hadiths. This prepares the student to study the first half of al-Jalalayn.
The study of 'Aqidah and Fiqh are also necessary in order to familiarize the student with the academic terminology used in the Islamic sciences. Darul-Qasim students are also required to attend an Islamic Studies- Prerequisites course (see below) beginning in the second year of the program.
Upon completion of the three-year program, students are encouraged to continue their studies with Darul-Qasim, seeking further specialization in whatever field(s) interest them. For example, one may continue one's study of fiqh with 'Ilm Usul al-Fiqh by 'Abd al-Wahhab al-Khallaf (1888-1956) and al-Hidayah by 'Ali ibn Abi Bakr al-Marghinani (d.1196 or 7); one may continue the study of Hadith with Mishkat al-Masabih by Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah al-Khatib al-'Umari al-Tabrizi, or one of the other compilations of Hadith; or one may choose to study other texts and subjects.
Course Catalog
Arabic Courses
(course text book: Wafiyah)
| Arabic 101: The basic structure of nominal sentences and verbal sentences as well as prepositions and the active and passive voice of verbs. |
| Arabic 102: Coverage of all forms of regular verbs with additional rules of grammar |
| Arabic 103: Irregular verbs and additional rules pertaining to the nominal sentence. |
| Arabic 104: Review of all verb forms (regular and irregular). |
| Arabic 201: Readings from Qasas al-Nabiyyin by Abu al-Hasan 'Ali al-Nadwi, volume 1 and 2. These books will be read with constant reference to the verb forms and grammatical rules taught in the 100-sequence. |
| Arabic 202: Qasas al-Nabiyyin volumes 3 and 4. Students will also read the text Sharh Mi'ah 'Amil by Maulana Abd al-Rahman Jami, a commentary on 'Abd al-Qahir al-Jurjani's book on the 100 governing grammatical agents, Mi'ah 'Aamil. |
| Arabic 203: Students will read Role Models from the Companions of the Prophet and begin the text Hidayah al-Nahw, an abbreviated version of Ibn al-Hajib's important work in Arabic grammar, al- Kafiyah. |
| Arabic 204: Students will complete Hidayah al-Nahw and read volume 5 of Qasas al-Nabiyyin. |
| Arabic 301: Students will read Fiqh al-'Ibadat, a basic book of Hanafi fiqh covering salah, zakah, sawm and Hajj (the pillars of Islam). |
| Arabic 302: Students will continue their study of fiqh and read Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi's book on 'aqidah. |
| Arabic 303 and 304: Students will read Jalal al-Din al-Mahali's and Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's commentary of the Qur'an known as Tafsir al-Jalalayn. |
Islamic Studies Courses
The Islamic studies curriculum is complementary to the Arabic curriculum and gives the student a sound grounding in the study of the Qur'an, the Sunnah, fiqh and 'aqidah. The student will thereby be empowered with the tools to conduct in-depth research on her or his own. The courses in the Islamic studies curriculum last two quarters each and span the second and third years of the Arabic curriculum:
- Prerequisites to the study of the Qur'an
- Prerequisites to the study of the Sunnah
- Prerequisites to the study of fiqh
- Prerequisites to the study of 'aqidah and akhlaq (morals and ethics)
Advanced Coursework
For current class timings, please see Course Schedule.
If you have questions, or would like to register, email courses@darulqasim.org.
Sunan Abi Dawud
Class meets Wednesdays at 7:15pm
A reading of the Sunan of Imam Abu Dawud al-Sijistani, with commentary from Shaykh Amin.
Muwatta Imam Muhammad Shaybani
Class meets weekly, timings change
A reading of the Muwatta of Imam Muhammad al-Shaybani, with commentary from Shaykh Amin.
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