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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Studying Islam |
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| Sparrow |
| 09/30/02 at 13:03:51 |
| Hello all, I'm on the hunt for any info regarding reputable places to study Islam from more of an academic/university style. All suggestions are welcome, including distance and on-line learning. Peace, Sparrow |
| Re: Studying Islam |
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| UmmWafi |
| 09/30/02 at 14:35:02 |
| [wlm] I am not really an expert on American Universities so perhaps for the time being I shall just give u a brief guideline. When I first wanted to do my MA on Islamic Thoughts/Philosophy, I was offered a place in some overseas universities. I was even looking at some distance or online degree. A friend told me this. "When u study Islam, it's never just as a subject. It's always because u want to evolve as a Muslim. Even if u are not a Muslim, Islam should be studied as a Deen, not just a matter of academic options. Only then will u get the full value of that education. To be able to study Islam in this manner, u have to apply for a centre of learning that teaches Islam from its sources, ie the Quraan and the Sunnahs. That being the case, the adab of teaching is also a very important consideration when choosing a centre. Thus, I strongly believe that distance or online learning are unsuitable means in that they are incapable of providing full justice to the treatment of the subject." Took his advice and went to study at an Institute that offers an education based on the Quraan and the Sunnahs. Oh btw, it is an academic/university kinda learning :) Wallahualam bissawab. Wassalam |
| Re: Studying Islam |
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| Julie |
| 09/30/02 at 19:49:08 |
| Hi Sparrow! My university (the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada) has a lot of distance education courses. I know there are a couple of courses on Islam taught on campus, but I'm not sure about distance education. If you're interested, check out the university home page at [url]http://www.uwaterloo.ca[/url] or the distance education page at [url]http://dce.uwaterloo.ca[/url]. Julie :) |
| Re: Studying Islam |
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| amatullah |
| 10/01/02 at 19:25:16 |
| hello I don't know if they are what you need, but here are some that do offer the online islamic universities: http://www.islamicau.org/ http://www.studyislam.com/iiu/university/uni/faculty.jsp http://www.open-university.edu/ obviously there is al-azhar in Eqypt and Ordan i think. there are sometimes free online courses given by witness pioneer darul albab http://www.wponline.org/school/courses.htm |
| Re: Studying Islam |
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| Sparrow |
| 10/02/02 at 10:08:46 |
| Thanks to all who replied...I checked out all the links. A couple of questions: places like American Open University seem to come from the point of view that one is a practicing Muslim. I think this was the place that requires a letter of recommendation from a member of the Muslim community. Also, I'm not familiar enough with Islamic traditions etc. to know if what these places offer is reputable...if they are teaching the correct information of Islam. Has anyone done any of these programs? Thanks again! Sparrow |
| Re: Studying Islam |
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| bhaloo |
| 10/03/02 at 22:21:41 |
| [slm] [quote author=Sparrow link=board=lighthouse;num=1033405431;start=0#4 date=10/02/02 at 10:08:46]Also, I'm not familiar enough with Islamic traditions etc. to know if what these places offer is reputable...if they are teaching the correct information of Islam. Has anyone done any of these programs? [/quote] I have seen some of the names that teach at AOU and have heard of people taking classes there and they are very good alhumdullilah. In fact just now I read this article about AOU, and the shaikh at the masjid near me teaches at AOU. He is the best Islamic speaker I have heard. He has a beautiful way of explaining things and expressing things with such beautiful passion. His name is Yassir Fazaqa . Here is part of a description I saw of AOU up: AOU has an accredited, distance learning, undergraduate and graduate program, and Zaytuna has a traditionally Islamic, non-western curriculum mode of “ijaza-style” program, of which courses may also be used for college credit. The AOU is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of Islamic higher education, making graduate studies accessible to every home through distance learning. The university offers 5 programs: Bachelors Degree in Islamic Studies (English medium); Bachelors Degree in Islamic Studies (Arabic medium); Ph.D. in Islamic Studies (Arabic medium); Masters Degree in Islamic Studies (Arabic medium), accredited by Al-Azhar University of Cairo; and Diploma in Islamic Education, a program designed for the training of academics. AOU's main objective is for students to retain Shariah-related knowledge and carry out missionary work through Islamic means. The university also advocates moderation and resists “westernization” and “religious extremism”. The AOU's distance learning program is based on the goal to provide educational services for all those who want to further their education and to reconcile living realities with knowledge. Media via the Internet, videos and audiotapes are provided for the students to partake in classroom sessions with professors. The Bachelors Degree program requires a completion of 132 credit hours (53 courses) and a comprehensive exam. The AOU curriculum comprises five fields of study: Aqeedah, Qur'an, Sunnah, Fiqh, and Arabic. AOU was established in 1995 with a total of 150 students in its primary programs. Currently, AOU's accreditation to Al-Azhar University celebrates its success with the enrolment of 2, 000 students from 24 countries, including the US, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Asia. AOU's professors are highly accomplished scholars from all over the United States and they include Yassir Fazaqa of California, Dr. Anwar Hajjaj of Virginia, Ali Suleiman Ali of Michigan, Dr. Robert Cooper of California and Dr. Ahmad Schleibak of Georgia. The founder of AOU is Sheikh Jafar Idris, well known for his publications, teachings and participation in various Islamic educational institutions such as the Institute for Islamic and Arab Sciences of America. |
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