Classical Islamic Learning

Classical Islamic Learning

a 3 year course for women by Zaynab Academy, Karachi.

Covering the Qur’an, Hadith, Arabic, Fiqh, and Usul al-fiqh.

Zaynab Academy is launching a 3 year Classical Islamic Learning course designed to introduce women to the classical methodology of Islamic knowledge and scholarship through a modern educational approach. The basic curriculum has its roots in the Dars-e-Nizami, and the CIL course emphasizes learning Arabic grammar to enable students to read and directly understand the Qur’an, Hadith, and classical Islamic texts. Graduates of the course will qualify to take an advanced one-year course in Hadith to be offered in the future.

The philosophy of the CIL course is distinct in its embrace of the entire academic tradition of the Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’a with respect for all scholars of Tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh, and Usul al-fiqh. Moreover, the CIL course highlights the importance of spiritual purification (tazkiya) and inner reform (islah).

Core Subjects and Texts:

Quran	Translation and Tafsir of the entire Qu’ran
Hadith	“Zaad al-Talibeen” | “Riyadh al-Saliheen” | “Mishkat al-Masabih”
Fiqh	Foundations of Islamic Jurisprudence and Scholarship | Fiqh of Ibadat (Taharah, Salah, Sawm, Zakah, Janazah, and Qurbani) |“Quduri” (Laws of commerce and finance, nikah and talaq) | ”al-Hidaya” (Comparative fiqh) | “al-Siraji” (Inheritance law)
Usul-e-Fiqh	“Usul-e-Shashi” (Comparitive legal methodology)
Arabic	Grammar (Nahu), Morphology & Syntax (Sarf) | “Hidayat al-Nahu” |“Qasas al-Nabiyyeen” (Stories of the Prophets) | “Durus al-Balagha” (Arabic rhetoric) | “Maqamat-e-Hariri” (Arabic literature)
History	Sirah and Early Islamic History

Elective Subjects:

Additional short courses and intensive workshops will be offered in some of the following areas:

· Ulum al-Quran and Usul al-Tafsir

· Usul al-Hadith

· Islamic Beliefs

· Islamic Spirituality

· Islamic History

· Contemporary Issues

Course Instructors:

Sobia Qasim

Sobia Qasim was born and raised in Karachi and received her Bsc in Economics with Honors from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). She began her pursuit of classical Islamic learning at Zaynab Academy studying Quran, Tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, and Arabic under traditional scholars. Sobia continued her studies and completed the Dars-e-Nizami course at Mahad-ul-Khalil, Karachi receiving the Alimiyya degree. Sobia has taught O-levels Islamiyat at The City School, Karachi and has taught Quran, Tafsir, and Arabic grammar to university students and young professional women in Karachi. Sobia also delivers talks on purification of the heart and drawing closer to Allah (swt).

Zainab Ahmad

Zainab Ahmad was born and raised in Lahore and received her Bsc in Social Sciences with Honors from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). She began her pursuit of classical Islamic learning at Zaynab Academy studying Quran, Tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, and Arabic under traditional scholars, completing the Dars-e-Nizami course and receiving the Alimiyya degree. Zainab has taught Quran, Tafsir, Fiqh, and Arabic grammar to university students and young professional women in Lahore. Zainab also delivers talks on purification of the heart and drawing closer to Allah (swt).

About Zaynab Academy:

Zaynab Academy was founded in 2005 by Sobia and Kamaluddin Ahmed as a nonprofit, nonpartisan and nonpolitical educational institute dedicated to classical Islamic learning and Spirituality.

Weekend workshops will be conducted by Sobia and Kamaluddin Ahmed.

Sobia Ahmed was born and raised in the US and received her BA in Sociology and Arabic and Islamic Civilization with double honors from the University of Chicago and Masters of Education from the University of Illinois. She went on to study the Dars-e-Nizami course full-time for four years at Jamia Zainab, Lahore and received the Alimiyya degree. In 2005, Sobia founded Zaynab Academy in Lahore, where she teaches classes in Quran, Tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh, and Arabic. Sobia also delivers talks on Islam and drawing closer to Allah. Her students include students and alumni of LUMS, LSE, Kinnaird, FAST, BNU as well as young professional women.

Kamaluddin Ahmed is currently a professor of Islamic Law and Spirituality at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and a visiting faculty member of Islamic Ethics at Aga Khan University (AKU). Born and raised in Manhattan (New York City), Shaykh Kamaluddin studied Arabic & Islamic Civilization, Political Science, and Law at the University of Chicago, Columbia University, and the University of London. He then spent many years studying religious knowledge from traditional scholars in Pakistan, including tafsir of the Qur'a and narration and explanation of Hadith and completed the Dars-e-Nizami course at Jamia Ashrafia, Lahore receiving the Alimiyya degree. He then pursued advanced studies in Islamic law and received formal authorization to transmit legal opinion (ifta) from Darul Ifta in Karachi. For the past fifteen years, Shaykh Kamaluddin has consistently remained in the close company of Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad and was formally authorized by him in the science of Islamic spirituality (tasawwuf).

Schedule and Timings:

All classes start from Wednesday: October 7th, 2009.
There will be two sections for the course.

Morning Section:

Mondays to Thursdays from 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM.

Occasional intensive workshops will be held on Saturdays.

Venue: House number 40, 14th Street off Khayaban-e-Mujahid, Phase 5, D.H.A. Karachi. (Directions Attached)

Evening Section:

Thrice a week. (Days and timings will be announced and confirmed during the informational session.)
Venue: DHA (to be announced in the informational session)

Registration & Contact Information:
Women who wish to enroll in the CIL course must fill out the course registration form. For more information on the course and registration, please contact:

Phone: 0322-2471370
Email: isl.spirituality@gmail.com