Ibtida’yya – Elementary Program

Elementary Program

Note: All courses in the Elementary Program are taught in English.

Core Courses

Nahw 1A
Ajrumiyya (nadthm of Ahmadu Bamba): This course will be an introductory course to Arabic Grammar. The text used will the nadthm of the Ajrumiyya called “Sa’aadutul Tullaab” by Shaykh Ahmadu Bamba Mbacke. This is a beautiful versification of the original text that will aid in the ease of memorization for the student. This is easily the best nadthm of the Ajrumiyya in Islamic literature.

Sarf 1A
Shadhf Arf fi Fann al Sarf: – This course will introduce the student to the science of verb morphology. This is an essential course that will complement the studies in grammar. The text used for this course will be “Kitab Shadhf al- Urf fi Fan al-Sarf” by Ustadh Shaykh Ahmad Hamlawi.

Tasawuf 1A
Matharatul Quluub: The Matharatul Quluub is a text that has gained notable popularity among students of knowledge in that it beautifully presents all the diseases of the heart along with the causes and curses. The author, the great scholar of Mauritania, Muhammad Mauluud, deals with each disease of the heart in alphabetical order. This course will provide the student with the required knowledge of what tasawuf means and its application.

Mantiq 1A
Sullam Akhdari: This course will introduce the student to the science of Mantiq, or Logic. The text traditionally used for this course will be the “Sullam” by Sidi Abdur Rahman al-Akhdari. This will prove to be a very important and beneficial course for our students as they advance in their studies.

Aqidah 1A
Risalah of Ibn Abi Zayd al Qarawaani(Sharh Ahmad Zaruqq) This course will detail the Muslim Creed from one of the most famous texts in Islamic literature. This course will use the commentary of the well known scholar of the Maaliki school, Shaykh Ahmad Zarruq.

Maaliki Track 1A

Fiqh 1A
This course is in two parts. The first part we will start off our journey into the realm of Fiqh with the Matn of Al-Akhdari. The text used will be the commentary called “Manhul Ali fi sharh al Kitab al Akhdari” by Shakyh Muhammad Salim al-Majlisi ash-Shanquitti. This text focuses primarily on Purification and Salaat. This is the best commentary on this text and is from a well known Mauritanian scholar whose tribe is famous for their knowledge. The second part of this course will be the Matn of Ibn Ashir known as Murshid Mu’iin. The commentary used will be the “Irshad al-Mubin lil Murshid al-Muiin” by the living Wali, Shaykh Muhammad Hassan al-Khadim ash-Shanquitti.

Shaafi’i Track 1A

Fiqh 1A
The text for this course will be the al-Muqaddimat al-Hadramiyyah. Students are introduced to the discipline of fiqh and its history and learn the rulings of purification and prayer relied upon for issuing fatwas in the Shafii school. Students will gain a firm grounding in how to worship correctly and be able to confidently answer all of the basic questions related to the topics covered.

Core Courses

Hadith Science 2A
Ikhtisar Ulum al Hadith(Ibn Kathir) Students are introduced to hadith terminology, including a basic overview of the historical development of hadith transmission, the methodologies of hadith scholars in their works, and the relationship between hadith sciences and the principles of jurisprudence. Students will gain an appreciation for the preservation of the Sunnah—one of history’s greatest intellectual achievements, learn responses to the objections of those who cast aspersions on the corpus of hadith, and properly understand the practical implications of judging a hadith.

Aqidah 2A
This course will continue the study of the creed of the Muslim in further detail. The text for this course will be “Jawharatul Tawhid” by Imam al-Laqqani. The commentary to be read and studied for this course will be Sharh as-Sawi.

Seerah 2A
This course will explore the Life of Prophet Muhammad(saws). The text used will be the famous nadthm Qurratul Absar with the commentary, Bughyatul Abrar by Shaykh Muhammad Hassan al-Khadim ash-Shanquitti.

Maaliki Track 2A

Fiqh 2A
Risalah Ibn Abi Zayd Hashiyat Adawi This course will continue the study of the Maaliki tradition. The text used for the course is the famous book “The Risalah” of Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrwaani, who was known as “Little Maalik”. This text has alot of barakah and is a foundational text within the school of Imam Maalik.

Shafi’i Track 2A

Fiqh 2A
“Umdat al-Salik” Students build upon their knowledge of the Shafii school, covering the relied-upon opinions in greater detail along with some of their derivative issues, based on the “qanun” of the Shafii school, ‘Umdat al-Salik wa ‘Uddat an-Nasik.

Core Courses

Nahw 3A
Qatru Nadaa (Ibn Hisham)- This course will continue Grammar studies with Ibn Hisham’s famous text Qatr Nadaa. This is a standard prerequisite that serves as an excellent primer to the Alfiyya of Ibn Maalik. This course is in two sections.(part 1)

Tasawuf 4A
Khatim al Tasawuf (Daymani ash Shanquitti) This is a seminal text in the study of Tasawuf. Shaykh Daymani provides a thorough insight into Islamic Spirituality that is required for a balanced soul. As supplement for this course, students will read “Masaalik al Jinaan” of the great West African scholar, Shaykh Ahmadu Bamba Mbacke of Senegal. This text is actually the versification of “Khatim al Tasawuf” with some added wisdoms and written in the beautiful style of Shaykh Ahmadu Bamba.

Adab 3A
Mahaarim Al-Lisaan(Shaykh Muhammad Mauluud) This course will cover the commentary of the text, “Allalaai’ul Hisaan ala Muhaarim al Lisaan” by Shaykh Muhammad Hassan al-Khadim ash-Shanquitti. The translation for the text is done by Shaykh Rami Nsour.

40 Hadith of Imam An-Nawawi
Students must memorize the first 20 hadith. Students will read Jami’ Ulum wal Hikam by IbnRajab al-Hanbali as a source commentary.

Maaliki Track 3A

Fiqh 3A
“Siraaj us-Saalik” (Part 1) This course will cover the entire text of the commentary on the nadhtm “Ashalul Masaalik” (Ibn Bashaar) by the Sudanese erudite scholar Sayyid Uthman Ibn Al-Ja’li al-Maaliki. This an important book that is strong stepping stone toward more advanced texts as it cover all the chapters of Fiqh. It is written a very clear and lucid style that enables the student to understand quite easily those difficult issues. Highly recommended and regularly taught in West Africa.

Shafi’i Track 3A

Fiqh 3A
Tuhfat at-Tullab The relied-upon opinions in the Shafii school are covered in detail along with the primary evidences and reasoning behind them, using the work of the great scholar, Shaykh al-Islam Zakariyya al-Ansari, Tuhfat at-Tullab (supplemental reading of Kifayat al-Akhyar is required).

Core Courses

Hadith 4A
Sharh Nukhbatul Fikr Students study the hadith sciences in greater depth, including case studies of certain hadith.

Balagha 4A
Balaghatul Waadiha. This course will continue the study of Balagha and take the student deeper into the science than the previous course. This will provide a great foundation to study the more advanced texts.

Ulum al Quran 4A
Kitab Miftah at-Tafseer of Shaykh Abdullahi Dan Fodio. This book is a nadthm of a little more than 1000 lines on the science of tafseer of the Quran. It is a dynamic text that will prove extremely beneficial for students before they venture into the books of tafseer.

40 Hadith of An-Nawawi
Students must memorize the last 20 hadith. Students will read Jami’ Ulum wal Hikam by IbnRajab al-Hanbali as a source commentary.

Maliki Track 4A

Maliki Fiqh 4A
This course will be a more advanced journey into Maliki fiqh as a primer to The Mukhtasar Khalil. The text used for this course will be The Kafaf al Mubtadi by Shaykh Muhammad Mauluud ash-Shanquitti. The Kafaf covers all the chapters of fiqh and is considered the strongest book in the Maliki school next to the Mukhtasar Khalil. It is said in Mauritania that “Khalil is the president and Kafaf is the ambassador.”

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