Islamic-studies

Why choose ISNAD?

ISNAD is a contemporary Islamic education provider. Our aim is to help Muslims worship Allah correctly, increase their love and attachment to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and to become beacons of lights in their communities. The ISNAD teachers & team endeavour to provide the best platform to educate all those who choose to study with us.

We understand that intellectual and personal development can be difficult, so we have designed courses which take our learners on a gradual journey of discovery and self-development; one step at a time. From the beginner wanting to learn the basics of Islam to the advanced student of the Liberal Arts, ISNAD is able to support each individual’s intellectual and spiritual growth.

Islamic Studies For Everyone

This course is for students seeking to deepen their understanding of Islam and build on their foundational studies. We will cover a variety of units which explore aspects of Islamic finance, doctrine, poetry, take a look at halal & haram and study the Prophetic Character.

1. Prophetic Characteristics

Introduction
Muhammad: The individual who Allah adorned every beauty; inner and outer, hidden and apparent, subtle and manifest. Some companions said that his face was brighter than the moon, while others found no words to describe him except, “we did not see anything like him; not before him, nor after him.”
This is his outer form and physical appearance which left nations in awe. What about his inner beauty and character? Allah Himself declares in the Quran, ‘And indeed you [Muhammad] are upon an immense character”. [Surah Qalam: 4]
The companions preserved every intricate details about both these aspects of the Prophet , from his physical features to his noble character. In this course, we take a journey through several narrations (hadith) known as Shama’il Muhammadiyya.
Unit Aims:

Understanding outer and inner characteristics of the final Messenger of Allah .
Understanding why he is the best of creation and increasing in reverence for him .
Developing a deeper and stronger connection with the Prophet .
Understanding how to emulate the Prophet .

What will I learn?
You will learn about:

The physical description of the Prophet , including his height, complexion, hair, countenance, physique, walk, and much more.
The items used and worn by the Prophet , including his garments, rings, scent, utensils, armour, swords and much more.
The food and drink the Prophet preferred and his manner of consuming it.
The manner in which the Prophet sat, spoke, slept, prayed, fasted and more.
The noble characteristics of the Prophet , including his modesty, his humility and his interaction with others.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:

Describe the physical appearance of the Prophet .
Explain the detail in which the all aspects of the Prophet’s life have been preserved.
Understand the prophetic diet and its benefits.
Apply the prophetic manners and etiquettes of eating, drinking, reclining, speaking and sleeping to your own life.
Embody some of the noble prophetic character traits.

Develop your knowledge and reverence for the Prophet

2. Aqeedah Sanusiyyah (Islamic Doctrine)

Introduction
By accepting core Islamic doctrines, a person becomes a believer. These doctrines include beliefs about Allah, angels, divine books, prophets, the day of resurrection, and destiny. It is through studying these fundamental beliefs that we can strengthen our faith in Islam, especially in these testing times. This course will equip you with foundational knowledge needed to answer questions such as:
What did the Prophet (peace be upon him) teach us about Allah?
What is meant by the Speech of Allah?
What is the Islamic belief about scriptures such as the Bible and the Torah?
Why did Allah send prophets?
Where did this universe come from?
Who is the Creator?

Unit Aims:

Understanding the core beliefs about God’s attributes.
Understanding the essential characteristics of the Prophets.
Furnishing proofs for our beliefs as Muslims.
Knowing the importance of the ‘Word of Tawheed’.

What will I learn?
You will learn about:

The attributes of Allah based on the Quran and Sunnah and rational deduction.
All created beings need a Creator & why.
The causes of misguidance.
The true nature of Prophetic Miracles and their significance.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:

Explain the Oneness of Allah and other Divine Attributes.
Describe key qualities of prophets and messengers.
Define the concept of cause & effect.
Explain why Prophets were given miracles.

3. Halal & Haram

Introduction
This unit furthers your understanding of important everyday activities and the legalities that surround them.
From essentials of learning, making a living, borrowing and lending items, to food & drink, meeting & greeting, hairstyles and competitions, this unit brings to reality the practices of a Muslim on a daily basis
The unit also covers rulings of hunting, slaughtering and sacrificing animals in order to make them permissible to eat, as well as the rulings and implications of swearing oaths and vows.
Unit Aims:

Knowing the rulings of speech, consumption of food, employment and other daily activities.
Understanding the rulings of trusts and lending.
Understanding the correct methods of hunting, slaughtering and sacrificing animals according to the Sacred Law.
Understanding the severity of taking oaths in Islam.
Understanding vows and how they become binding.

What will I learn?
You will learn about:

The Sacred Law rulings of, trusts and lending.
The permissible, disliked & impermissible rulings related to hunting, slaughtering and sacrificing of animals.
Islamic Inheritance Law and writing a will.
The different types of oaths and their effects.
The different ways of expiating a broken oath.
The difference between oaths and vows.
The types of vows.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:

Explain the differences between entrusting and lending, and the rulings related to each transaction.
Explain the correct methods of hunting, slaughtering and sacrificing animals in order to make them permissible to consume.
Stunning animals before slaughter and how this effects the animal and ruling.
Define the different types of oaths and explain the effects they procure.
Describe the methods by which an oath can be expiated.
Explain how a vow becomes binding and how to fulfil it.

4. Islamic Finance

Introduction
The Prophet said “The honest merchant will be risen with the martyrs on the Day of Judgement”.
Financial dealings are an essential aspect of human life. We are all involved in financial transactions on a daily basis; buying and selling, taking up employment, hiring and leasing, etc.
However, do we know the Islamic regulations and ethics relating to these types of dealings? Are we following the commands of Allah in this aspect of our lives? We all know that unlawful income, which is earned by flouting Islamic regulations, is a sin and has severe spiritual implications from supplications not being accepted to the Anger of Allah Almighty.
This imperative unit comprehensively break down these regulation and rulings for you in an engaging manner. It covers everything you need to know in order to fulfil your responsibilities in financial matters and provides you with a firm basis in the foundational principles, rulings and etiquettes of Islamic Finance.
Unit Aims:

Understanding the underlying principles that govern Islamic financial transactions.
Understanding how to ensure financial transactions are valid and lawful.
Learning about different types of contracts and transactions and their rulings.
Differentiating between the principles of Islamic Commercial Law and those of modern financial systems.

What will I learn?
You will learn about:

The goals of Islamic Jurisprudence and Commercial Law.
The foundational principles of financial transactions.
The core elements of a valid contract.
The 3 types of financial contracts and their implications.
The different types of options in a contract.
Specific contracts such as currency exchange, advance payment and manufacturing contracts and trust sales.
The rulings of employment, hiring and leasing.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:

Explain the principles that ensure that Islamic financial transactions are fair, ethical and protect the wealth of the contracting parties.
State the elements that are required in a financial contract in order for it to be valid.
Describe the factors that render a contract irregular or void.
Explain the different types of options that may exist in a contract and their effects.
Ensure any contracts you undertake in buying and selling are lawful according to the Sacred Law.
Understand how to conduct a number of different specific contracts.

Apply the rulings of employment, hiring and leasing.

5. Poet's Delight

Introduction
Whether it's Islamic or from other cultures, poetry is one of the most effective ways to tell the world how you feel. Since the beginning of Islam, Muslims have been casting poetry about Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him), the Quran, divine love, and beliefs. In this unit, you will explore the rich poetic tradition of the Companions, Sufi masters, and Muslim writers, from across the last 1400 years. So join this unit if you want to for in love with Allah and the Beloved Prophet (peace be upon him).
Unit Aims:

Understanding the importance of poetry according to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
Exploring the Arabic and Persian poetry of the Sufi poets such as Rumi, Shirazi, and Sadi.
Understanding the intimate relationship between humans and Allah, through the lense of poetry.

What will I learn?
You will about:

The poetry of the Companions such Hassan b. Thabit.
The early Muslim female poetesses in Iraq, Arabia, and India.
The epic Mathnavi of Rumi and it's history.
The poetry of the Sufi Shaykh Sadi.
How to express yourself in poetic form.
and so much more.

Course Structure

The course take place on Tuesday Evenings for a period of 30 weeks divided into 3 terms. Each term consists of 10 weeks and each week contains 2 sessions of study. The tables below explain how this is set out and the subjects studied each term:

TERM 1 - 10 Weeks
(Sept 15th 2021 – Nov 23rd 2021)

TERM 2 - 10 Weeks
(Nov 30th 2021 – Feb 15th 2022)

TERM 3 - 10 Weeks
(Mar 1st 2022 – Jun 1st 2022)

Start Date & Time

Tuesday 15th September 2021 (30 weeks)
7.30 pm - 9.30 pm (Weekly)

Location

Waterloo Centre, Manchester
389 Waterloo Road, M8 9AB

Course Fee

Fee: £275
Instalment option: 10 payments of £27.50

Please note that we endeavour to make Sacred Knowledge accessible and available to everyone, so if you are genuine unable to afford the fee you may be able to access our Sponsorship Fund which can offer partial payment of fees.
You can get it contact with us if you require such assistance, email: education@guidancehub.org

Sponsorship Fund

Please consider donating towards our Sponsorship Fund, your contribution will help to achieve our aim of providing accessible Islamic Education to everyone regardless of their financial circumstances.

Not only will potential students benefit from your generosity but you will insha'Allah reap the rewards from this wonderful Sadqah Jariyah.

SPONSOR A STUDENT

ACCESS THE FUND

Our Teachers

Our teachers convey traditional Islamic knowledge, which they have learnt from their teachers, who learnt from their teachers with an unbroken chain all the way back to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ

Course Instructor: Shaykh Waseem Ahmed

Shaykh Waseem started his search for sacred knowledge studying Arabic in the UK for a more than two years before leaving for Damascus in Ramadan 1426 (Oct 2005) to further his Arabic language studies at the Abu Nur institute.

In 2007 Shaykh Waseem started studying privately under his teachers, Shaykh Ahmad Al-Khatib, a graduate of the Fath institute and faculty of Shari’ah and a Friday speaker in the mosques of Damascus as well as a teacher in various Islamic institutes, and Shaykh Anas Al-Sharfawi, a graduate of the Fath institute, a teacher, Friday speaker and a research scholar. He completed works in Aqidah (Doctrine), Fiqh (Jurisprudence) , Spirituality, Arabic Grammar and Rhetoric.

In 2008 alongside his private studies he attended the accelerated programme at the Dawli Institute for Arabic and Islamic sciences in Damascus. He completed a traditional curriculum and graduated in the summer of 2012. Read more..

Venue Information

All our classes are based within a classroom environment giving you the best opportunity and comfortability to make the most of your learning experience. Getting here will be easy whether you are travelling by car or public transport.

Address
Waterloo Centre, 389 Waterloo Road, Manchester, M8 9AB

Getting Here
The Centre is easily accessible from the motorway and the local bus service.

Parking
There is a free car park available onsite. Please do not park in the reserved spaces on the left of the entrance marked with blue signs. Please avoid parking on the side of the building as this has caused problems and issues in the past. Please us the front (approx. 5 spaces) or rear (approx. 15 spaces) of the building. Parking on surrounding streets is also available free of charge.