Poems, Puppets and Photos: Maissa Hamed ©
CLASSES FOR ALL AGES
CHILDREN | TEENS | ADULTS
“Raise your children on three habits: the love of your Prophet, the love of his family and the reading of the Qur’an, as those who read the Qur’an are under Allah’s shade on Judgment Day where there is no shade except His with His Prophets and chosen ones.” Prophet Muhammad, pbuh.
As children and teens set off on their spiritual journey, they learn to appreciate the beauty of the universe, as a manifestation of the beauty of Its Creator while they are being guided to know their faith and hence love practicing it. Their eager quest for knowledge of Their Creator starts on multiple levels, and continues by learning collectively to understand, appreciate, memorize and read the Qur'an and Ahadith in their original language while building a rich vocabulary through the first-ever rhyming translation which attempted to maintain the musical beauty of the Qur'an. Contemporary issues are woven into the classes to establish relevance between the students’ world and the knowledge imparted in class. As they become familiar with the exemplary character of Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, his family and companions, Islam's historic heritage, its magnificent arts, the contributions of Muslims to the various fields of knowledge, the seeds of love are being planted in their hearts and with the blessings of Allah SWT, they bloom through an environment of love, respect, warmth and reverence that characterizes the relationship between teacher and student.
"Allah is Beautiful and Loves Beauty." Prophet Muhammad, pbuh. Photo: Maissa Hamed ©
LET US LEARN TO LOVE
The story and The Blessed Birth of Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, Alayehee Asalatu wassalam,
His family, companions and traditions, seal of Prophets, humanity's best Imam,
Are shinning lanterns that guide us all on the path of Love in Enjoy islam.
The sacredness of Arabic in the living miracle of The Qur’an,
And the serenity of prayers after a beautiful Athan,
Are among the best gifts from Allah to man.
Come enjoy the beauty of Islamic wisdom stories and manner.
Read from the Qur’an and Sunna of Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, which together,
Enrich our characters and purify our hearts forever.
Dhikr, Qur’an recitation, songs, puppetry, Islamic arts, storytime,
And spiritual poetry of great beauty, rhythm and rhyme,
Will nourish our souls to the prime,
till the end of time.
ADULTS
To understand the literary heritage of Islam, knowledge of the Qur’an in its original language is essential. Choosing to learn Arabic, mother of all languages and the sacred language of Islam, we delve into the fascinating spiritual and cultural world of Muslims and Arabs and their prominent civilization. Qur’anic Arabic is the most sophisticated Arabic that will ever exist with unparalleled linguistic beauty and mystical secrets embedded in its mighty verses in prose and rhyme hence, it has always captivated hearts when heard recited or read in Arabic. Arabic words oftentimes have deep-rooted cultural and spiritual significance. Students find great joy exploring all those spiritual gems of multiple hidden meanings and wisdoms while attempting to understand the language of this universal revelation.
INTRODUCTORY
Description: Weekly Spiritual Nourishment
“Whoever eases for a believer one of the trials of Dunya -this world- Allah SWT eases for him/her one of the trials of judgment day.” Prophet Muhammad, pbuh
This class provides students with an essential rhythm of weekly spiritual nourishment so essential for spiritual wellbeing - mind, heart, body and soul. Students will achieve better fluency in reading the Holy Qur'an in Arabic, understanding it in English with tafseer (interpretation) while also memorizing selected suras in both languages. The Ahadith of Prophet Muhammad pbuh are woven into the spiritual and reading practice. An alphabet refresher with a review of tashkeel (diacritic marks for proper vocalization) and tajweed rules (intonation) will facilitate reading and comprehension. Students will acquire expansive Quranic vocabulary and basic grammar. Weekly dhikr, sira studies and poetry will enhance students’ spiritual experience integrating the arts of Islam with its ritualistic and spiritual practices.
ADVANCED
Description: The Power of Ya seen
“Everything has a heart, and the heart of the Qur’an is Ya Seen.” Prophet Muhammad, pbuh
This class will attempt to help students with a background in the Arabic language further their skills in reading and understanding Qur’anic Arabic through weekly reading and tafseer - interpretation of this major sura. Students will develop fluency reading Ya Seen in Arabic, to hopefully understand enough of it, to help them memorize it and apply the knowledge gained from learning it to other suras of the Qur’an.
INTENSIVE
Description: Arabic Study:
“The most complete in faith, are those best in character and kindest to their families.” Prophet Muhammad, pbuh
This course provides students with no prior knowledge of Arabic with an introduction to its alphabet to enable them to start understanding, reading, writing, speaking in modern standard Arabic spoken across the Arab world and which is a slight variation to Qur’anic Arabic. The course provides exposure to colloquial Egyptian dialect. Students while learning to speak in simple one-to-one conversations in colloquial Arabic, will be exposed to Islamic wisdoms and Prophetic traditions that govern daily interactions in middle eastern countries and hence provide the context for instruction and introduction to the Arab culture. Students will be exposed to grammar rules, sentence structure, word and sentence syntax as they acquire an extensive vocabulary of over 800 words and expressions to help them communicate effectively with natives or Arabic speakers. The splendor of Islamic calligraphy, that highest form of Islamic art, will visually introduce students to the intricate geometry that Muslim calligraphers apply to the art of writing the words of God and the Ahadith of Prophet Muhammed, pbuh. Students will learn, not just to write, but to write beautifully in naskh script. Films, songs, books, museum visits, and active daily conversations in Arabic in addition to assigned homework and readings, help immerse students into the Arab culture from day one and within a few classes, students will be well on their way understanding, speaking, reading and writing beautifully in Arabic.
Weekly classes could be tailored to students particular focus and spiritual needs.
For registration contact us for more information. For feedback to our classes check our feedback page in Education.
Islamic Geometric patterns inlaid with Ivory and mother of pearl adorning a large wooden Qur'an stand, Sultan Hassan Mosque Madrassa, Cairo, Egypt: Photo: Maissa Hamed ©
