toronto, canada - jamia ilmiya · toronto, canada course o ... istifal (lowering), ghonnah...

1

ادلروس اتلمهيدية يف المعارف االسالميةPrimer Course in Traditional Islamic Sciences

Toronto, Canada

COURSE OUTLINE, OVERVIEW

& SYLLABUS

3

Contents

Primer Course in Traditional Islamic Sciences Course Outline .............................................................................................................................. 4

Definition: ................................................................................................................................. 5

Goals and Policies: ..................................................................................................................... 5

Duration and Structure of the Course: .......................................................................................... 5

Chart of Course Modules and Credits ........................................................................................... 7

Qur’an Recitation .......................................................................................................................... 9

Selections from the Qur'an ........................................................................................................... 10

Introduction to Hawza ʿIlmiyya ...................................................................................................... 11

Ādāb al-Taʿlīm wa Taʿallum ........................................................................................................... 12

Islamic Theology (1) ..................................................................................................................... 13

Islamic Ethics (1) .......................................................................................................................... 15

Islamic Law (1) ............................................................................................................................ 16

Introduction to Arabic Morphology ............................................................................................... 17

Hifz (1) ....................................................................................................................................... 18

World Religions ........................................................................................................................... 19

Introduction to Islamic Sciences .................................................................................................... 20

Logic .......................................................................................................................................... 21

Islamic Theology (2) ..................................................................................................................... 22

Islamic Ethics (2) .......................................................................................................................... 23

Islamic Law (2) ............................................................................................................................ 24

Introduction to Arabic Syntax........................................................................................................ 25

Hifz (2) ....................................................................................................................................... 26

Occidentology ............................................................................................................................. 27

Islamic History............................................................................................................................. 28

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Part One:

Course Outline

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Course Outline

Definition:

The Primer Course in Traditional Islamic Sciences (PCTIS or the Course for short) is not only a

comprehensive introductory course for Hawza studies, but also a good overview of some major

Islamic studies subjects that are important for any and all Muslims to know about. Hence this

course is beneficial for two groups:

1. Those who want to study in a traditional seminary school (the Hawza); this course gives

them a real opportunity to become acquainted with the content and teaching methods

of subjects currently taught in seminary schools and their prerequisites.

2. Those who have graduated from a secular high school and are either pursuing post-

secondary education or are employed but who have a great thirst for religious

knowledge and a burning desire for a deeper understanding of Islam.

Goals and Policies:

- Familiarizing participants with the general subjects of Islamic studies.

- Familiarizing participants with the living tradition of the Hawza.

- Acknowledging participants who exhibit exceptional ability and aptitude for religious

studies.

- Introducing participants to other aspects of the Hawza, such as the ethical decorum of

seminary students or tullab al-‘ilm.

- Helping participants to analyse and critique the different perspectives found within the

sub-cultures of Western Muslims in their encounter with the modern world, while

guiding them to discover the moderate way of traditional Islam through scholarly

research and intellectual effort.

Duration and Structure of the Course:

The Course will be conducted over two semesters consisting of 43 credits in total. All courses

will be in English.

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Part Two:

Course Overview

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Chart of Course Modules and Credits

No Module Name Credits Cr. Hrs

Prerequisite Term

1 Qur’an Recitation 2 32 - 1

2 Selections from the Qur’an

1 16 - 1

3 Introduction to Hawza ʿIlmiyya

1 16 - 1

4 Ādāb al-Taʿlīm wa Taʿallum

1 16 - 1

5 Islamic Theology (1) 4 64 - 1

6 Islamic Ethics (1) 2 32 - 1

7 Islamic Law (1) 4 64 - 1

8 Arabic Morphology 3 48 - 1

9 Physical Training (1) 2 32 - 1

10 World Religions 1 16 - 1

11 Introduction to Islamic Sciences

1 16 - 2

12 Logic 2 32 - 2

13 Islamic Theology (2) 4 64 Islamic Theology (1) 2

14 Islamic Law (2) 4 64 Islamic Law (1) 2

15 Islamic Ethics (2) 2 32 Islamic Ethics (1) 2

16 Arabic Syntax 3 48 Arabic Morphology 2

17 Hifz 1 16 Qur’an Recitation 2

18 Occidentology 1 16 - 2

19 Physical Training (2) 2 32 Physical Training (1) 2

19 Islamic History 2 32 - 2

Total 43 688

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Part Three:

Course Syllabus

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Qur’an Recitation

Credits: 2

Course Type: Practical

Prerequisite: None

Objectives: An acquaintance with reading the Qur'an (reading, fluency, and introductory

Tajweed rules).

Contents:

- Reading

Overview (necessity, significance of reading, explanation of reading terminology, fluency in reading and Tajweed)

- Familiarity with the letters - Short vowels (Fatha, Kasra, Dhumma) - Long vowels (Madd letters) - Sukoon (Consonants) - Shadda (Accentuated) - Tanween (Nunnation) - Madd (Extended vowel) - Unpronounced letters - Phonological process for dealing with two consequent consonants - Full pronunciation of "ha'" pronoun - Pause (quality, signs) - Fluency in reading

Practicing the regulations of fluency in reading (individual reading or group reading)

- Introductory Tajweed

How to pronounce letters

Familiarity with Isti'la (Elevation) , Istifal (Lowering), Ghonnah (Nasalization), Leen (Softness), Qalqalah (Echo)

Heavy and light pronunciation of letter Laam “ل”

Regulations of letter Stationary (Al-Sakina) Noon “ن” with emphasis on Idghaam

Familiarity with kinds of extended vowels (Madd)

Suggested References:

Primary:

- Qur’an Recitation Skills, Mohammad Reza Sotoudehnia

Secondary:

شهيدى محمدرضا و اسدى حسين كريم؛ قرآن قرائت آموزش

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Selections from the Qur'an

Credits: 1

Course Type: Theoretical

Prerequisite: None

Objectives: Familiarity with some of the stories of the Qur'an regarding the prophets of the

past, and lessons that can be drawn from these stories

Contents:

- Different styles of presentation in the Qur'an - Storytelling in the Qur'an: Philosophy and Techniques - Selections from the stories of the Prophets (a) such as: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Lot,

Shu’aib, Job, David, Moses, Joseph, and Jesus


- God's Emissaries: Adam to Jesus, Sh Rizwan Arastu

11

Introduction to Hawza ʿIlmiyya

Credits: 1


Prerequisite: None

Objectives: To become familiar with the history of the Hawza and its major figures, and how it

compares and contrasts with other educational systems.

Contents:

- History of the Hawza - Subjects taught in Hawza - Development of the Hawza throughout the centuries - Great personalities of the Hawza - The Hawzas of Najaf and Qum - Hawza vs. University - The Hawza in the contemporary era


Primary:

- Ten Decades of Ulama's Struggle, Aqiqi Bakhshayeshi

- The History and Development of Shi’a Thought: From Imam al-Sadiq to Shaykh al-Tusi,

Alexander Khaleeli

Secondary:

- Fiqh and Fuqahaa

- The Shi'ah and Islamic Disciplines, Sayid Hasan al–Sadr

- History of Islamic Culture and Civilization, Mohammad Reza Kashefi

- Ulama Prior to 100 Years

12

Ādāb al-Taʿlīm wa Taʿallum

Credits: 1


Prerequisite: None

Objectives: Introducing students to the general aspects of intellectual interaction and the

decorum of seminary students

Contents:

- Excellence of knowledge and the scholar - Etiquettes and Responsibilities

Common between the teacher and student

Particular to the teacher

Particular to the student - Etiquettes, conditions and drawbacks of discussion - Etiquettes, guidelines and preservation of book


Primary:

- Munyat ul-Murīd Fī Adāb il-Mufīd wal-Mustafīd (What the Seeker Desires Concerning the

Etiquette of the Beneficial and the Beneficiary), al-Shahīd al-Thāni

Secondary:

معاونت فرهنگی تربيتی مجتمع آموزش عالی امام زی طلبگی در سخنان امام خمينی و مقام معظم رهبری، -

خمينی

13

Islamic Theology (1)

Credits: 4


Prerequisite: None

Objectives: Introduction to discursive and dogmatic theology and its foundations pertaining to

the knowledge of God.

Contents:

- Why Should We Know God?

- The Ways of Knowing God

- Natural Disposition (Fiṭrah) and Knowing God

- Order in the Universe and Knowing God

- Assessment of Hume’s Objections to the Argument of Design

- The Argument of Contingency

- The Argument of Possibility and Necessity

- The Unity of God’s Essence and Attributes

- The Unity of God in Creation

- The Divine Unity in Lordship

- The Divine Unity in Worship

- The Attributes of God

- The Knowledge of God

- God’s Power and Will

- Life, Pre-existence and Eternity

- Divine Will and Decree

- Divine Speech and the Word

- The Attributes of Khabariyyah

- Negative Attributes (Al-Ṣifāt al-Salbiyyah)

- Divine Justice and Wisdom

- Rational Goodness and Evil

- Proofs of Divine Justice and Wisdom

- Creation as Goal-oriented

- Evil and the Best Order

- Evil and the Justice of God

- Man and Freewill


Primary:

Discursive Theology: Volume 1, Ali Rabbani Gulpaygani

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Secondary:

Doctrines of Shi'i Islam: A Compendium of Imami Beliefs and Practices, Ay. Ja’far Sobhani

Al-Babu 'L-Hadi 'Ashar: A Treatise on the Principles of Shi'ite Theology, Al. al-Hilli

The Faith of the Imamiyyah Shi'ah, Al. Muhammad Rida al-Muzaffar

Islam and the Contemporary Man, 'Allamah Muhammad Husayn Tabataba’i

Shia, ‘Allamah Muhammad Husayn Tabataba’i

Theological Instructions, Ay. Misbah Yazdi

Principles of the Shi’ite Creed, Ay. Ibrahim Amini

The Philosophy of Islam, Sh Behishti and Sh Bahonar

Fifty Lectures on the Principles of Faith for Youth, Ay. Makarim Shirazi

Lessons on Islamic Doctrine Series, Ay. Mujtaba Musavi Lari

Divine Justice, Sh Murtada Mutahhari

Shi’ite Creed, Sh Saduq

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Islamic Ethics (1)

Credits: 2


Prerequisite: None

Objectives: Overview of Ethics in Islam and exposition of moral virtues and vices.

Contents:

- The Meaning and Origin of Akhlaq The Purification and Adornment of the Soul (psyche) Faculties of the Soul: Their Effects and Characteristics The Soul and Its Powers Pleasures and Pains Goodness and Happiness

- Moral Virtues and Vices Moderation and Deviation The Various Types of Vice

o Deficiency o Moderation o Excess

The Importance of Justice Various Kinds of Justice Self-development

- Diseases of the Soul and their Treatment - Diseases of the Power of Cognition and Their Treatment

A. The Condition of Excess B. The Condition of Deficiency C. The State of Moderation D. Other Vices Related to the Power of Cognition

1. Compound Ignorance 2. Perplexity and Doubt

Stages of Certainty 3. Shirk (Polytheism) 4. Satanic Temptations and Consciousness 5. Trickery and Slyness

Suggested References: Primary:

- Jami' al-Sa'adat (The Collector of Felicities), Al. al-Naraqi Secondary:

- Ethics and Spiritual Growth, Ay. Mujtaba Musawi Lari

16

Islamic Law (1)

Credits: 4


Prerequisite: None

Objectives: Introduction to the practical rules and daily obligations according to the verdicts of

Ay Sistani and Ay Khamenei.

Contents:

- Introductory topics e.g. importance of Jurisprudence (Fiqh) and it’s place in Islamic Sciences, conditions of the obligations, classification of the rules.

- Following a religious leader (Taqleed) - Rules of Purity (Taharah) and Impurity (Nijasah) in Islam - Preliminaries of Prayer like;

Ablution(Wudu’) *rules, conditions and types+

Bathing (Ghusl) [rules, conditions and types]

Dry Ablution (Tayammum) [rules and conditions]


Primary:

- A Guide to Religious Laws, Mohammad Hussain Falah-Zadeh

Secondary:

- Islamic Laws, According to the Verdicts of His Eminence Ay Syed Seestani,

- A Code of Practice for Muslims in the West, Ay Syed Ali Husseini Seestani

- Practical Laws of Islam, Ay Syed Ali Khamenei

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Introduction to Arabic Morphology Credits: 3


Prerequisite: None

Objectives: Brief introduction of the Arabic word’s structure (the verb and the noun)

Contents:

- Definition of morphology and its advantages - Word and it’s three types - Main and additional letters - Past tense verbs (definition, formation and meaning) - Imperative tense verbs (definition, formation and meaning) - Active and Passive Tense - Transitive and Intransitive verbs - Imperative and Prohibitive tense - Pronouns of verbs. - Structure of Verb and their meanings (verbs with three main letters, and most important

forms of verbs with additional letters) - The sound and the weak verbs - Singular, dual and plural nouns - Masculine and feminine nouns - Definite and indefinite nouns (the important points should be explained) - Structure of Nouns ( Subject, Object, Time, Place, Instrument) - Table of composition


Primary:

- Arabic Grammar (Imdad us Sarf), Muhammad Imdad Hussain Pirzada

Secondary:

- AL-MUJAZ, A Summary of Tasreef: A Concise Treatise on the Morphology of the Arabic

Word, Ali Abdur-Rasheed

- From the treasures of Arabic Morphology, Maulana Ebrahim Muhammad.

- Arabic verbs and essential of Grammar, Jane Wightwick and Mahmoud Gaafar

صرف مقدماتی محید حممدی -

18

Hifz (1)

Credits: 1


Prerequisite: None

Objectives: To familiarize the students with the method of memorization of the Qur’an and

memorizing the first half of 30th Juz of Qur’an

Contents:

- Overview:

Need and importance of memorization

Introduction to the principles and overall methods of memorizing the Qur’an

Memorizing the first half of the 30th Juz of Qur’an in sequential order (one page a week)


- The Qur’an - Thematic Memorization of the Qur’an, Sayyid ‘Ali Mirdamad Najafabadi

19

World Religions

Credits: 1


Prerequisite: None

Objectives: To become acquainted with World Religions from their own perspective and to

compare them to find their commonalities and differences; to assay modern secular, profane

and pluralistic interpretations of the differences, and to contrast such appraisals with the

integral and universal vision of the final and ultimate religion of Islam.

Contents: - Overview of the world’s religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism,

Christianity, and Islam.

- Revelation, orthodoxy, heterodoxy, and heresy

- Commonalities and discrepancies between the religions

- Religious Pluralism and the modern “irrelevance” of religion

- Islam as the ultimate religion


Primary: - Our Religions: The Seven World Religions Introduced by Preeminent Scholars from Each

Tradition, Arvind Sharma

Secondary:

- Din Shinasi, Ay Jawadi Amuli - The World's Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions, Huston Smith - Islam and Religious Pluralism, Muhammad Legenhausen. - Islam and Religious Pluralism, Shahid Murtada Mutahhari - Imaginal Worlds: Ibn al-‘Arabi and the Problem of Religious Diversity, William Chittick

20

Introduction to Islamic Sciences

Credits: 1


Prerequisite: None

Objectives: Briefly introducing the various Islamic sciences, in particular: the Principles of

Jurisprudence, Logic, Philosophy, and Mysticism

Contents: - The nature and reality of science and knowledge in Islam - Unity and hierarchy of the sciences - The intellectual and traditional sciences - The religious and secular sciences - Logic, Philosophy, Theology, Mysticism, Principles of Jurisprudence, Jurisprudence,

Hadith and … - The Principles of Jurisprudence (Usul Fiqh)

Definition

Importance of the Principles of Jurisprudence

History of the Principles of Jurisprudence

Introduction of the major theorists and their books

Issues within the science of the Principles of Jurisprudence - Islamic Philosophy

Definition

Importance of Islamic Philosophy

Short history of Islamic Philosophy

Difference types of Islamic Philosophy

Introduction to the important philosophers and their books - Mysticism

Definition

Importance of Mysticism

A short history of Mysticism

Introduction to important mystics and their books

Issues pertaining to Mysticism

Pseudo-mysticism Suggested References: Primary:

An Introduction to the Islamic Sciences, Sh Murtada Mutahhari Secondary:

Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence, Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr

Islamic Philosophy from its Origin to the Present, S. H. Nasr

Mysticism in Islam, William C. Chittick

21

Logic

Credits: 2


Prerequisite: None

Objectives: To become familiar with the terminologies and methodologies of Aristotelian logic

and to see how it compares with modern logic

Contents:

- The short history of the Aristotelian and modern Logic - Definition, advantages and the subject of the Logic - The value of Aristotelian Logic - The effectuality of Aristotelian Logics in countering the errors of the mind - Apprehension (Tasawwur) and Affirmation (Tasdeeq) and its division into the Simple

(Badehi) and Cognitive (Nazari) in the Logic - Meaning of the Universal Concept (Kulli) and the Divisive Concept (Juz’i) in Logics - The Four Relationships - Definition of the Species (Naw’), Genus (Jins), Differentia (Fasl), Common Accident

(Aradh Aam) and Particular Accident (Aradh Khas) - Definition of the Term (Hadd) and Description (Rasm) in Logic and its types - Definition of Proposition (Qadhiya), its types and its rules in Logic - A look at the Proposition and its divisions - Definition of Attributive Proposition (Qadhiya Hamliya), Conditional Proposition

(Qadhiya Shartiya) and stating the types of Conditional Proposition - The Contradictory Opposition (Tanaquz) - Types of Evidence (Syllogism (Qiyas), Inductive (Isteqra), Analogy (Tamtheel)) in the

Logic - Types of the Syllogism (Qiyas) and reviewing the Four Figures (The Four Figures in Logic) - The difference of opinion between the Empiricists and Sensationalists with the

Rationalists and Syllogism in the way of gaining information - The objections to Aristotelian Logic and responses to them - Bertrand Russell’s criticism of Aristotelian Logic and a response to it - The Five Skills (Sana’at Khams) - The Fallacy (Mughalita)


- Learning Logic: A Short Course, Moḥsin Garawiyān Secondary:

- Al-Mantiq, al-Muẓaffar, Ay Muḥammad Riḍā al-Muẓaffar

22

Islamic Theology (2)

Credits: 4


Prerequisite: Islamic Theology (1)

Objectives: Theological subjects pertaining to Prophecy, Imamate and Resurrection.

Contents: - The Nature and Usages of Religion

- The Truth and Philosophy behind Prophethood

- Revelation and Prophethood

- Prophethood and Miracles

- Prophethood and Infallibility

- Specific Prophethood

- Finality and Prophethood

- The Truth and Philosophy of Imamate

- The Traits and Distinctive Features of the Imām

- The Process of Determining the Imām

- Textual Bases of Imamate in the Qur’an

- Textual Bases of Imamate in the Traditions

- The Twelve Imāms in the Traditions

- The Twelfth Imām (‘atfs)

- The Cause and Philosophy behind the Imām of the Time’s Occultation

- Preliminary Points about the Return (ma‘ād)

- Proofs That Affirm the Resurrection

- Corporeal and Incorporeal Resurrection

- Transmigration and Resurrection

- Death, Purgatory and the Grave

- Signs of the Day of Resurrection

- Stations of the Resurrection, Reckoning and Accounting of Deeds

- The Day of Judgment in the Embodiment of Deeds

- The Day of Resurrection and Intercession

- Paradise and Hell


Primary: - Discursive Theology: Volume 2, Ali Rabbani Gulpaygani

Secondary:

- Same as Islamic Theology (1)

23

Islamic Ethics (2)

Credits: 2


Prerequisite: Islamic Ethics (1)

Objectives: Moral virtues and vices continued.

Contents:

Diseases of the Power of Irascibility and Their Treatment a. The Condition of Excess b. The Condition of Deficiency c. The Condition of Moderation d. Other Vices of the Power of Irascibility

Diseases of the Power of Concupiscence Joint Diseases of the Powers of Cognition, Irascibility, and Concupiscence


- Jami' al-Sa'adat (The Collector of Felicities), Al. al-Naraqi Secondary:

- Ethics and Spiritual Growth, Ay. Mujtaba Musawi Lari

24

Islamic Law (2)

Credits: 4


Prerequisite: Islamic Law (1)

Objectives: Introduction to the practical rules and daily obligations according to the verdicts of

Ay Sistani and Ay Khamenei.

Contents:

- Prayers (Sala’h)

Time of the prayers

Direction of the prayers (Qibla)

The clothes for the prayer

The place of the prayer

Obligatory acts of the prayers (A’rkaan)

Cancellers of the prayers (Mubtilaat)

The Doubts in the prayers

The Traveler’s prayers (Qasr)

Prayers out of time (Qadha’)

Congregational prayers

Friday (Jum'a) prayers

Some recommended prayers - Fasting [definition, kinds, cancellers, expiation (kaffarah), Zakaat al-fitrah ] - Zakaat - Khums - Enjoining the Good and Forbidding the Wrong - The Defence - Eating and drinking with special emphasis on the Muslims living in the West.


- Same as Islamic law (1)

25

Introduction to Arabic Syntax

Credits: 3


Prerequisite: Introduction to Arabic Morphology

Objectives: A brief introduction to the structure of words and sentences.

Contents:

- Definition of syntax and its advantages - The Active participant (definition and important characteristics) - Subject and predicate (definition and important characteristics) - The Direct object (definition and important characteristics) - Genitives governed by a preposition - Genitives governed by a possession - Adjective and noun qualified by it (definition and a brief explanation of following the

Noun Substantive) - Conjunction - Letters (definition, important samples of active and inactive Letters) - Nominal sentences and verbal sentences - Identification of agents - Table of synthesis


Primary:

- Al-ajrumiyyah, Abi ‘Abdullah Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Ajermoon Secondary:

- The Guidance in ‘Arabic Grammar: A Compilation of the Rules of Arabic Syntax (Al-Hidayah)

مقدماتى زبان قرآن؛ محید حممدىحنو

26

Hifz (2)

Credits: 1


Prerequisite: Hifz (1)

Objectives: To memorize the second half of 30th Juz of Qur’an

Contents:

- Memorizing the second half of 30th Juz of the Qur’an in sequential order (average one page a week)


Primary:

- The Noble Qur’an - Thematic Memorization of the Qur’an, Sayyid ‘Ali Mirdamad Najafabadi

27

Occidentology

Credits: 1


Prerequisite: None

Objectives: To delve into the history and the foundational modes of thought that gave rise to

the West and to understand the roots of the crisis of the modern world.

Contents:

- Orientalism vs. Occidentalism—Occidentology - Literature Review of Occidentology in Eastern and Muslim Lands - The Civilizational Cradles of the West—Classical Greece and Rome - Seminal Periods of the Transfiguration of Western Thought

Antiquity (Ancient Greece, Western Roman Empire)

Middle Ages (Western Christendom and the Rule of the Church)

Renaissance (Profound changes in modalities of thought and method: from sacred society to profane society); the Reformation, the Enlightenment—Humanism

Modernity (The Age of Scientific and Industrial Revolutions; The Age of Revolution—Liberal Democracy)

Post-modernity (The Age of Relativity and Alienation) - The Process of the Entry of Western Culture into the Muslim World—A Study of the

Responses:

Acceptance

Rejection

Selective Approach - The Formation of Parties and Groups based on their Approach to the West (Westoxified,

Eclectic/syncretic, Islamic, …)


The Rise of European Liberalism, Harold J. Laski

The Third Wave, Alvin Toffler

Our Oriental Heritage: The Story of Civilization, Will Durant

The Legitimacy of the Modern Age, Hans Blumenberg

How You Can Find Happiness During the Collapse of Western Civilization, Robert J. Ringer

The Crisis of the Modern World, Rene Guenon

Profit Over People: Neoliberalism and Global Order, Noam Chomsky and Robert W McChesney

28

Islamic History

Credits: 2


Prerequisite: None

Objectives: To briefly introduce the students to the life and practice of the Holy Prophet (s) and

Imam Mahdi (‘a).

Contents:

- The Life of Holy Prophet PBUH&HP

From Birth to Be’that

From Be’that to Migration

From Migration to Demise - The Life of Imam Mahdi PBUH

Birth

Occultation (grounds, minor, major)

The four delegates (duties)


Primary:

- A Glance at the Life of the Holy Prophet of Islam, by Dar Rah Haqq's Board of

Writers

Secondary:

- The Prophet of Mercy, Ay. Jawadi Amuli - History of Islam up to the Demise of the Prophet, Mahdi Pishva'i - Noble character of the Holy Prophet of Islam, Sh Murtada Mutahhari

حفظه اهللساله، آیت اهلل خامنه ای ۰۵۲انسان -

toronto, canada - jamia ilmiya · toronto, canada course o ... istifal (lowering), ghonnah...

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