Current Courses:

           Fiqh of Muslims as Minorities

 

FIQH OF MUSLIMS AS MINORITIES

Minorities?  African Americans? Hispanics? Native Americans?  No, not racial minorities.  Come on, we are one Ummah – there are no minorities. 

Many of us know of the common schools of Fiqh – Shafi’i, Hanafi, Hanbali, and Maliki.  However, it is often that these schools struggle to answer questions that arise in those societies where Muslims form a minority of the population (so M.I.T. is excluded). How do we apply the rules of fiqh to such a situation?  Where is there room for flexibility, and how do we approach questions that may not have been previously addressed (including: “Deal, or No Deal?”)

Come find out at an intensive 2-day workshop on July 14^th and 15^th, presented by Imam Mohamed El-Moctar El-Shinqiti.  Six hour-long lectures covering:

1^st Lecture: “The Sources: a Closer Look” An examination of Qur’anic verses pertaining to the relation between Muslims and non-Muslims; and of how the Prophet Muhammad (s) dealt with peaceful and friendly non-Muslims.

2^nd lecture: “The Tradition Reexamined” This lecture will discuss the traditional division of the world according to the Muslim classical jurists (Dar Islam, Dar Harb, Dar A’hd…etc) and its insignificance in the modern world; living within non-Muslim majorities; loyalty and dissociation (wala’ and bara’); common misconceptions in the Islamic contemporary culture about the relation with non-Muslims…  

3^rd lecture: “Purity and Rituals” An exploration of issues related to specific aspects of worship frequently faced by Muslims in the West. Also covers the mosque: its message and place in a non-Muslim environment. 

4^th lecture: “Social Relationships” Covering social issues including marriage, the rights of non-Muslim relatives, divorce, custody of children, food and drinks, relations with non-Muslims, attending their celebrations and funerals, personal friendships, etc.  

5^th lecture: “Financial Transactions” This lecture will discuss selling, buying, renting, defining riba, working with banks, investing, insurances, working for non-Muslims employers, as well as dealing with inheritance, will, trust…

6^th lecture: “Public Life” The theme of this lecture revolves around: citizenship, political affiliations and alliances, voting, electoral campaign financing, non-Muslim courts, working for non-Muslim government.

Course Logistics:

Date: Friday - Saturday July 14-15, 2006

Time: Friday 6pm - 9:30pm, Saturday 10am - 6pm

Place: MIT Campus, 182 Memorial Drive (Rear) Cambridge, MA 02139
Friday: Building 4, Room 4-231
http://whereis.mit.edu/map-jpg?mapterms=4&mapsearch=go

Saturday: Building 6, Room 6-120
http://whereis.mit.edu/map-jpg?mapterms=6&mapsearch=go
 

Cost: $20 per person (Must pre-pay online, or send a check in)

Click here to register (You must register and pay ahead of time to attend)

 

Instructor:

Mohamed El-Moctar El-Shinqiti

Born in Mauritania; Imam el-Shinqiti has an Hafiz al-Qur’an.  The Imam holds Bachelor’s degrees in both Islamic Jurisprudence and in Translation.  Imam el-Shinqiti is a wonderful, engaging speaker who has written on topics including political thought, Islamic Literature, and Islamic Movements.

 

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Previous Courses:

            Fiqh Al-Ikhtilaf
            The First Four Caliphs

            Comparative Fiqh of Salat
            Fundamentals of Dawah

 

FIQH AL-IKHTILAF: HOW TO UNDERSTAND AND DEAL WITH DISAGREEMENTS AMONG SCHOLARS

That’s right, we’re talking about Ikhtilaf!  The word just sounds exciting.  We thought Ikhtilaf was a Turkish dish, but it’s not, we swear, we looked it up in the dictionary.  Ikhtilaf actually refers to differences between Scholars’ opinions.  I know, isn’t that nuts.  I thought all scholars are the same.  But, they’re not.  Each scholar has his own thought process and reasoning, and this often leads to differences between scholarly opinions.  That leaves us non-scholars in a terrible bind.  Whom do we listen to, how do we reconcile all these opinions?  Well, fret no longer, because we’re here to help.  Come and find out at the first of the summer’s two MAS ‘I.L.M. programs: Fiqh Al-Ikhtilaf: How to Understand and Deal with disagreements among Scholars.  What a mouthful, and to be sure it will be a brainful too! 

Topics to be covered include the reasons behind disagreements, the necessity for diversity of opinion, why the scholars have such diverse opinions, some examples of the differences, and more.

Course Logistics:
Date: Friday - Saturday June 23, 24, 2006
Time: Friday 6pm - 9:30pm, Saturday 10am - 6pm
Place: MIT Campus, 182 Memorial Drive (Rear)
Cambridge, MA 02139, Building 4, Room 4-237
Link: http://whereis.mit.edu/map-jpg?mapterms=4&mapsearch=go
Cost: $20 per person (Must pre-pay online, or send a check in)
Click here to register (You must register and pay ahead of time to attend)

Instructor:

Aly Mohammad Lela

A renowned speaker and scholar himself who has been a faculty member of the Islamic American University since 2003.  Imam Lela earned his B.A. in Arabic and Islamic Studies, and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Wayne State University.  Imam Lela also is a member of the Experts Committee of AMJA (American Muslim Jurists in America).  He also serves as the Imam for MSF Toledo, Ohio; and is married with two children. 

 

THE FIRST FOUR CALIPHS

 

Part I, Abu-Bakr and Umar (ra)

:: Cosponsored with the Islamic Society of Boston University ::

Date: Saturday, December 3rd, 2005.

Time: 10am-3pm (come @ 9:30 and enjoy breakfast)

Place: Boston University, College of Arts and Sciences, Room 211
                                       725 Commonwealth Ave.
                                       Map: http://www.bu.edu/visit/maps/campus/map-closeup04.html

Click here to register

$10 per session collected in class.

Instructor:
Brother Mazen Mokhtar, Muslim American Society, New Jersey
B.Sc. Johns Hopkins University
CEO, Mindcraft Inc.

Part I will cover:

·         The Significance of the Caliphate
·         The Rightly-Guided Caliphs (Al-Khulafa-ur-Rashidun)
·         Election to the Caliphate
·         The First Caliph, Abu Bakr (632-634 A.C.)
·         The Second Caliph, 'Umar (634-644 A.C.)

Part II, Uthman and Ali (ra)

Instructor:
Brother Mazen Mokhtar, Muslim American Society, New Jersey
B.Sc. Johns Hopkins University
CEO, Mindcraft Inc.

Part II will cover:

      The Third Caliph, Uthman (644-656 A.C.)
The Fourth Caliph, Ali (656-661 A.C.)

The community of the Prophet produced some of the greatest scholars and leaders of Islam’s history. These figures have volumes of books written about them, they defined most of our fiqh, and we remember them in our prayers. Who were they? What was it that gave them so much strength and insight? This generation rocketed Islam to where it is today, a nation of over 1 billion. It is because of their example that Islam continues to expand into corners of the world unheard of to most. As we struggle today to establish our own American Muslim communities, many of you will inevitably have to step up and enlist yourselves as leaders, and indeed many of you already find yourself given this immense responsibility.

Learn about where it all began. The First Four Caliphs.
This is the real thing. Abu-Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. So real you’ll feel like you’re there.

                
COMPARATIVE FIQH OF SALAT

Imam Shafi during his life would pass through the town of Imam Hanifa and when he did, would alter his method of prayer to conform to the Hanifi madhab. When asked one day why he did not pray the way he normally prays, he said it was out of respect to Imam Hanifa.
Many students are often confused when they are first exposed to the highly diverse college masajid environment and see prayers performed in so many different ways. They ask themselves, why the difference? They wonder if they have a madhab, and if they do is it important to follow it strictly? What is a madhahb anyway and is it relevant today? Do I combine prayers when traveling or not? Do I say “ameen” aloud or not? Are the sunnah prayers required or optional? Why doesn’t the brother next to me stop wiggling his finger?
How much do we really understand about such an integral facet of our faith? Salat separates Islam from all other religions – Salat defines our beautiful deen. Five times a day we stand and bow and prostrate before our Lord - Allah, Ar-Rahman, the One who hears our prayers and answers them. The One who rewards us out of His mercy for glorifying His name and asking for our needs only from Him. Come and understand how the four different schools came to understand the rules of Salaat, and why they differ.

Topics
The course will begin with an introduction to the history of Fiqh differences and explanation of the reasons for Fiqh scholars’ disagreements.

This class will teach also the rules of prayers from the different schools of Fiqh: This includes adhan, the fundamentals of the prayer, the obligatory acts of the prayer, the sunnah acts of the prayer, at-tatawwu (supererogatory prayers), non-stressed sunnah prayers, the witr prayer, the night prayer, the special prayers (tarawih, istikharah, hajah, taubah, and kasuf), sujjud us-sahu salat al- Jama'ah, the Friday prayer, salat al-khauf and the 'Id prayer.

(English course, Weekly assignments, Brothers and Sisters).
Mondays After Maghrib 7:00PM /duration : 3 Months (starting Monday, May 16th)

FUNDAMENTALS OF DAWAH

Have you ever seen anyone commit anti-dawah? That's when a well meaning brother or sister goes up to someone, tries to “do da’wah”, and weirds the jeepers out of him/her, pushing him/her further rather than closer to Islam... Have you ever committed anti-dawah or been a victim of anti-dawah?

We Muslims are a People of a Message. We are the inheritors of not only the Message that was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon Him, but accordingly inheritors of the responsibility to spread the blessing that we have been so fortunate to receive. The concept of da’wah is broad and deep, whose meaning has must be explored from the Quran and Sunnah. Calling others to Allah, through actions and words, is a state of mind which can be fostered, and also a skill which can be improved.

Topics:
- The significance of the conept of da’wah from the Quran and the Sunnah
- Doing Da’wah with new converts, non-Muslims and non practicing Muslims.
- Identifying the recipients of Da`wah
- How can you be an effective Caller to Allah to for both Muslims and non-Muslims?
- What are the most effective and time-tested ways of making Da'wa from the Quran and the Sunna? What are the pitfalls and mistakes?
- Dawah techniques used in Mecca and Medina, Dawah techniques/methods employed today.
- The character and etiquettes of a Caller to Allah
- Practical training workshops will also be provided during class

(English course, Weekly assignments, Class and Practical Workshop, Brothers and Sisters). Thursdays 7:00PM /duration : 3 Months (Starting Thursday, May 19th)