The Foundations Program in Islamic Studies offers students a rich journey into the Islamic scholarly tradition, providing essential knowledge and wisdom to live a life pleasing to our Lord. It consists of four cornerstone courses: Islamic Theology - Aqidah, Sirah and Islamic History, Islamic Jurisprudence - Fiqh, and an integrated course on the sciences of the Qur’an and Hadith preservation. These courses aim to deepen students' understanding, strengthen their faith, and lead them towards a fulfilling spiritual and intellectual life.
Academic Year: September 2023 – May 2024 (Safar 1445 - Shawwal 1445)
Semester 1: September 10th to December 3rd (Break for Thanksgiving long weekend on October 8th) (25 Safar to 19 Jumada Al-Awwal)
Course Offered: Islamic Theology - Aqidah 
​Semester 2: January 7th to March 3rd (Break for Ramadan) – resume from April 12th to May 2nd (26 Rajab to 23 Shawwal)
Course Offered: Islamic Jurisprudence - Fiqh​ 
Class Timings: Sundays from 10 AM to 12 PM
Tuition: *$800 for the entire program (bundle of four courses) or $250 per course
Certificate Requirements: The successful completion of four courses
Prerequisites: None
Recommended age level: 18+
Delivery Mode: Onsite (Online is available on as per-need basis)
Language of Instruction: English
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*We firmly believe that financial constraints should never be a barrier to knowledge.  If you require assistance, we invite you to get in touch with us at contact@islamicknowledge.ca to obtain information about our scholarship programs designed to provide financial support to those in need.

Modules:

Islamic Theology - ​Aqidah
Instructors: Dr. Nazir Khan & Ustadh Samir Hussain

This course provides an exploration of Aqidah (Islamic theology), covering its importance and the concept of orthodoxy in Unit 1. Units 2 to 4 delve into the historical development of theology, examining early controversies, post-classical thinkers, and modern theologians. Subsequent units tackle topics such as epistemology, the divine nature of God, the Qur'an, the preservation of religious texts, proofs of prophethood, the hereafter and the problem of evil.
Sirah and Islamic History
Instructors: Shaykh Zahid Abu Ghudda & Ustadh Samir Hussain

This course provides a study of the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and the early Muslim community. It explores key events such as the emigration to Habasha, the migration to Medina, establishment of the Muslim community, and significant battles like Badr, Uhud, and the Trenches. Additionally, it covers the final Sermon of the Prophet, the emergence of the Muslim community after his passing, and the subsequent Khilafas of Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, as well as the dynasties of Banu Umayyah, Banu Abbas, and the Ottomans.
Islamic Jurisprudence - Fiqh
Instructor: Shaykh Suleiman Yaqub

This course covers Fiqh-ul-Ibadat (Islamic Law related to acts of worship) and Fiqh-ul-Mu'amalat (Islamic Law related to daily practical issues). It discusses topics such as purification, prayer, fasting, zakat, financial transactions, marriage/divorce, and food, drink, and clothing. The course also includes an overview of Islamic legal theory (Usul al Fiqh).
Qurʾanic Guidance & Gems of Hadith​​
Instructor: Dr. Nazir Khan & Ustadh Samir Hussain

This course offers students an understanding of the Qurʾanic sciences, encompassing the preservation of the Qurʾan, Qur’anic themes, as well as the preservation and compilation of Hadith and an introduction to Hadith literature. 

Register:

Foundations Program in Islamic Studies - Full Program Bundle

CA$800.00
Register

Foundations Program in Islamic Studies - Islamic Theology (Aqidah) Course - September 2023

CA$250.00
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Foundations Program in Islamic Studies - Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh) Course - January 2024

CA$250.00
Register

Instructors:

Ustadh Samir Hussain
Ustadh Samir Hussain earned his Hon. BSc in the Life Sciences from McMaster University in 2009 but was never content with just learning biology. He also took courses in Ecology, Anthropology, History, Political Science, Cosmology and Astronomy. After graduating he moved to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for 6 years where he studied the sciences of the Arabic language, Shafii Fiqh and Usul in private lessons with scholars & received ijazāt to teach them. He then moved to Cairo where he received ijazāt to teach texts in Hadith and Sunni theology from scholars at Al-Azhar University. Currently, he teaches Islamic Studies with his own curriculum at a private high school and also conducts research in Islamic theology & philosophy.
Shaykh Suleiman Yaqub-Suleiman
Shaykh Suleiman Yaqub-Suleiman holds a Masters in Sharīʿah from the renowned Al-Azhar University with intermediate specializations in al-Fiqh al-Muqāran, Usūl al-Fiqh, Tafsīr, the Seven Qira'at, Ḥadīth Sciences and Modern Fiqh Issues and Rulings. Shaykh Suleiman has also studied at Damascus University (Syria), the Institute of Islamic Studies and Training of Islamic Preachers (Egypt), Sana’a Institute (Yemen), and the Higher Institute for Qurʾānic and Sharīʿah Sciences (Egypt). Alongside his academic studies, Shaykh Suleiman has studied the traditional Islamic sciences at the hands of senior scholars and specialists from across the Muslim world, including Shaykh Muhammad Isma’eel Al-Amrani, Shaykh (Dr) Abdul Kareem Sayyid Ahmad Sulaiman, Shaykh (Dr) Abdul Azeem Ibn Badawi, Shaykh Fauzi Abdul Khaliq, Shaykh (Dr) Ali Gomaa, Shaykh Subhi, Shaykh (Dr) Sabree Abdur Ra-oof, Shaykh (Dr) Mustafa Rif'at, amongst others. 
 
Shaykh Suleiman is also a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and the Project Director of the Proposed Islamic Credit Union in Ontario and has more than twenty-five years of accounting and finance experience. He has worked as an auditor for over fifteen years for the Government of Canada & Ontario and has worked for over a decade at different chartered accounting firms in a supervisory role. Shaykh Suleiman is also the first-ever treasurer of the Canadian Council of Imams and currently teaches the Islamic sciences and Arabic language across the Greater Toronto Area. Shaykh Suleiman is a core scholar at the Centre for Islamic Knowledge and an Imam and Director of Education at two Toronto Masajid and a visiting speaker at other centres.
Dr. Nazir Khan
Dr. Nazir Khan is the President of Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research in Canada. He is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University and the Head of Diagnostic Neuroradiology at Hamilton Health Sciences. He is a medical doctor and clinical neuroscientist. He is also a PhD candidate in Islamic theology at the University of Nottingham. He has memorized the whole Qur’an and has received certification (ijāzah) in all ten readings of the Qur’an through both major and minor routes of transmission (ashara sughra and kubra), and has also received other certifications (ijāzāt) in Qur’anic studies (ʿUlūm al-Qurʾan), Hadith studies, and Islamic theology (ʿaqīdah). His non-medical research interests include the relationship between theology, science, and contemporary philosophical discourses.
Shaykh Zahid Abu Ghudda
Shaykh Mohammad Zahid Abu Ghudda is the eldest son of the late Shaykh ‘Abd al-Fattaḥ Abu Ghudda,  who is widely recognized as one of the leading Muslim scholars of the 20th century. Shaykh Zahid has studied the Islamic sciences extensively under the guidance of his late father and has been blessed to meet and learn from many Muslim scholars from around the world.

Shaykh Mohammad Zahid's lectures cover various Islamic sciences, including Fiqh, Ḥadith, Akhlaq, Ulum al-Qur'an and History. He is a frequent Khateeb and speaker at numerous Masajid in the Greater Toronto Area. He has authored and translated several books in both Arabic and English. He also holds an MBA from the University of Toronto and has been residing in Canada since 1991.