This year’s curriculum will be centered on the momentous encounter between the Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace) and the Archangel Gabriel. In this exchange, the Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace) was asked four questions, the answers to which were no less than a summary of the religion itself. The three dimensions of the religion were laid out - faith, practice, and spiritual excellence. The 2009 Rihla will teach each of these disciplines to the basic extents delineated in the hadith.
The basic tenets of Muslim creed will be examined, based on “The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi,” the definitive text of Sunni belief for centuries. Students will explore central beliefs and examine their impact on our worldview and reality as it truly is. Grounded in the basic tenets of faith, God willing, a believer will be kept safe from misunderstandings surrounding God, the prophets, heaven, hell, the Day of Judgment, divine decree, miracles,and much more.
Students will also have a thorough study of two pillars of practice: prayer and fasting. In this course, students will understand the rulings surrounding the preparation for prayer, what invalidates the prayer, specific rulings related to the Friday Congregational Prayer, and the rulings of praying on travel. After studying this material, students will be able to confidently perform their devotions to God correctly, knowing how to deal with exceptions, such as forgetting a component, or adding an extra one. Then, in preparation for Ramadan only a few weeks after the 2009 Rihla, students will study the legal dimension of fasting, what invalidates the fast, who is exempted, and how breaking it can be expiated. A believer can begin the holy month with confidence in the proper performance of this pillar of Islam.
In the path of spiritual excellence students will study “The Purification of the Heart,” which examines the negative propensities of the ego that disease the human heart. The definitions, causes, and remedies for these spiritual pathologies will be laid out for all who wish to purify themselves before God. A study of “The Foundations of the Spiritual Path” will provide students with an understanding of how to develop piety and a nearness to God.
In addition to these foundational disciplines, students will also go through supplemental courses to enhance and broaden their understanding of the religion. Courses will include Quranic studies, Islamic etiquettes of social life, the proper expression of filial piety and merciful respect of children, as well as an overview of the prophetic supplications of the Last Messenger, the Chosen One, upon him be peace and blessings.
This combination - the foundational disciplines and supplementary enhancement courses - will provide students the basis upon which to excel in their spiritual development and commitment to God. Students who complete these courses with a minimum competency level will have the requisite knowledge to confidently navigate Muslim life in the West, rooted in sound interpretations of the essentials of our religion.
Confirmed teachers are:
* Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah
* Imam Zaid Shakir
* Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
* Ustadh Yahya Rhodus
* Ustadh Faraz Rabbani
* We anticipate confirming more esteemed teachers in the coming days.