Foundations of Islam – Free Class (Sat 9th Sept | 10:00AM)
389 Waterloo Road, Cheetham Hill, Manchester M8 9AB, United Kingdom
Description
This course covers the essentials every Muslim must learn; you will acquire the obligatory knowledge needed to practice your faith.
About this event
Foundations of Islam
Saturdays
A beginners Islamic studies programme that covers the essentials every Muslim must learn. Subjects include: Aqeedah (Beliefs), Fiqh (Purification, Prayer, Alms & Fasting), Spirituality & Qur’an.
We aim to equip students with the obligatory knowledge needed to practice their faith with confidence. Developing the student’s belief, understanding of the legal rules of worship and improving their practice of spirituality. This is done through a modern approach using integrated modules and with the assistance of the latest technological aids to improve the delivery and facilitate successful learning.
32 week course
Saturdays 10.00AM – 12.00PM
Starting Saturday 9th September 2023 – until Saturday 16th June 2024
Course fee: £200
‘Half of Faith: Purification’ Module
The key to prayer is correct purification and ablution. This module aims to teach the correct etiquettes of purification based on the Prophetic teachings. It is compulsory upon every Muslim to practice the correct method of ablution (wudu) and bathing (ghusl), otherwise prayers become invalid.
This Module will cover the foundations of ritual ablution, dry ablution, bathing, the different types of impurities and how to correctly cleanse them, as well as rules of purification for female-specific issues such as menstruation and post-natal bleeding.
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
- The core fundamentals for ablution to be valid.
- The Sunna method of ablution and bathing.
- How to avoid common mistakes pertaining to purification.
‘I Believe: Faith’ Module
To be a Muslim, a person must accept core Islamic doctrines. These doctrines include beliefs about Allah, the angels, the divine books, the prophets, the day of resurrection, and destiny.
It is incumbent to study these fundamental beliefs to understand the context behind each principle and to strengthen one’s faith in Islam.
This module will equip students with foundational knowledge to understand the attributes of Allah, the Islamic belief about scriptures such as the Bible and Torah, the difference between the Qur’ān al-Kareem and previously revealed books, the difference between a Messenger and a Prophet and why they were sent
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
- The core fundamentals for ablution to be valid.
- The Sunna method of ablution and bathing.
- How to avoid common mistakes pertaining to purification.
‘Fiqh of Prayer’ Module
Prayer, or Salah as it is called in Arabic, is the means for human beings to communicate and connect with Allah Almighty. It is, in the words of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, what distinguishes a believer from a non-believer. Muslims have been instructed to pray as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم prayed, it is therefore obligatory upon every Muslim to know the rulings of Salah. This module teaches the essentials of prayer, its etiquettes and methods based on the Qur’ān and Hadith, nullifiers of prayer,actions preceding to the prayer and the spiritual implications of Prayer.
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
- The Prophetic method of praying.
- Etiquettes of Prayer.
- Firm understanding of matters relating to the Prayer.
‘Devils Trap ‘ Module
Allah is with you, but you choose to distance yourself from Him through the veil of sin. The more you sin, the further away you become from Allah. Muslims have been informed directly in the Qur’ānal-Kareem that Shaytan (Satan) is a direct enemy, and to seek refuge with Allah from Shaytan. It is therefore necessary to learn the trick of the devil, to know about him and take practical steps to not be led astray. This module analysis textual sources from the Qur’ān al-Kareem and Hadith relating to the seven deadly sins and the seven major veils, the root causes for sinning and how to treat them, the criterion for repentance and how to implement them.
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
- The pillars of repentance.
- Difference between desires of the ego and whispers of Satan.
- Assess yourself and use a muhasaba(accountability) plan to support your spiritual growth
‘Fiqh of Zakat’ Module
Zakat (charity) and Sawm (fasting) are both pillars of Islam. With exceptions, it is mandatory upon every Muslim to fast during the month of Ramadan and donate a required amount to charity. Zakat is a humanitarian device given to us by Allah Almighty by which we can help the poor and needy. Classical textbooks explained zakat for their respective eras, but the financial and zakat related issues facing Muslims in the 21st century are very different to those of the past. This unit will define the conditions which necessitate zakat, the spiritual reasonings and benefits of giving zakat and answer questions related to the modern era.
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
- How to calculate Zakat.
- The spiritual benefits of giving zakat.
‘Fiqh of Fasting’ Module
Fasting is made obligatory to build empathy for the less fortunate people. It is also an effective means to build astrong relationship with Allah Almighty through an increase in Taqwa (God-consciousness). This unit will detail corerulings pertaining to fasting, explore modern issues facing Muslims in Ramadan and cover the spiritual levels of fasting and how to achieve them.
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
- The different types of fasts.
- The physiological and spiritual effects of fasting.
‘Spiritual Beginnings’ Module
Self-discovery and spiritual growth are key elements of the Islamic tradition. Our purpose on Earth is to ultimately move on to the next realm in the grave, and then beyond through the resurrection and return to our Creator, Allah. As part of that journey, it is incumbent upon Muslims to reform and embody the best of characteristics, otherwise the journey to Allah can be obstructed. This unit explores the inner traits of a human, the spiritual significance of character development, the barriers preventing one from obtaining these qualities and how to overcome them.
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
- The stages of the journey to Allah.
- Skills to self-evaluate own character.
- Practical steps to build a strong relationship with Allah.
‘Connecting to the Quran’ Module
Allah Almighty encourages us to contemplate and explore His Book. Having a connection with Qur’ān al-Kareem is the first step to building a connection with Allah Almighty. This special unit has been carefully designed to provide a tafseer (exegesis) exploring the Qur’ān al-Kareem’s deeper meaning and guidance. Although it is not possible to explore the entire Qur’ān in sufficient depth in a short period of time, this course will provide you with a unique insight into the most commonly recited chapters,including Al-Fatihah, Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaqand Al-Naas; thus, becoming a strong foundation for any future Qur’ān studies.
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
- Learn the significant meanings behind
- the revelation of each chapter.
- Understand and apply key lessons.
- Build a stronger attachment to the
- Qur’ān al-Kareem.
‘Prayer in Action’ Module
Praying together is a key part of a healthy Islamic society. Congregational prayer was attended by men, women, and children at the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. This unit expands to cover the different types of prayers which exist in Islam and how to perform them, the rulings of prayer in different circumstances, and rules concerning forgetfulness and mistakes in Salah.
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
- How extenuating circumstances can affect the Prayer.
- The different types of Prayers, based on the Qur’ān and Hadith.
- Improved understanding and connection to own prayer
Our Teachers
Our teachers convey traditional Islamic knowledge, which they have learnt from their teachers, who learnt from their teachers with an unbroken chain all the way back to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. This course is taught by Shaykh Waseem Ahmed.
Shaykh Waseem Ahmed
Shaykh Waseem started his search for sacred knowledge studying Arabic in the UK for a more than two years before leaving for Damascus in Ramadan 1426 (Oct 2005) to further his Arabic language studies at the Abu Nur institute.
In 2007 Shaykh Waseem started studying privately under his teachers. Alongside his private studies he attended the accelerated programme at the Dawli Institute for Arabic and Islamic sciences in Damascus. He completed a traditional curriculum and graduated in the summer of 2012.
Amongst the teachers he was fortunate to learn from was Shaykh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi. He studied many texts under him including; the Shama’il of Imam Al-Tirmidhi, the Principles of spirituality of Imam Ahmad Zarrooq, Adab Al-Suhbah of Imam Al-Sha’rani, The Sanusi Creed, parts of Al-Risalah Al-Qushayriyyah and the beginning of Iyha Uloom Al-Deen of Al-Ghazali. He also attended readings of some of the canonical hadith books (Sahih Muslim, Abu Dawud & Tirmidhi) with the Shaykh.
He returned to the UK in 2012 and has been delivering lectures and regular courses around the UK since.
He co-founded ISNAD Insitute and Sacred Vows Introduction Service as well as Guidance Hub where he is the director.
Shaykh Waseem currently resides in Manchester with his wife and two children.
Venue Information
All our classes are based within a classroom environment giving you the best opportunity and comfortability to make the most of your learning experience. Getting here will be easy whether you are travelling by car or public transport. We have an onsite car park available as well as ample free on-street parking close by.
Further details and full course registration: https://www.guidancehub.org/education.html
Ticket Information
Tickets
Event Calendar
Saturday, September 9, 2023 - Monday, October 9, 2023