Year 2 - Foundational Islamic Sciences

Begin Your Journey

The Qalam Seminary's Year 2 program provides students with a strong foundation and comprehensive understanding of the major Islamic Sciences. Students develop the ability to read and benefit from classical Arabic works on Islamic law, theology, Quranic exegesis, Hadith, sīrah, and tazkiyah. Our curriculum and pedagogy is rooted in tradition while also preparing students for the modern context. The Year 2 program is a strategic exit point in the five-year Seminary program that equips the community leader and activist with the tools and knowledge required to serve in a meaningful capacity.

What Will Graduates Accomplish?

Graduates will be prepared to: 

  • Pursue advanced Islamic studies. 

  • Serve their communities as educators, youth directors, or assistant Imams. 

  • Teach classes and workshops on the Foundational Islamic Sciences in their local communities. 

  • Deliver effective Khutbahs. 

  • Produce Islamic educational material. 

  • Provide Islamic education at Islamic schools. 


Part-Time and Remote Options

We understand that not every interested and motivated student will be able to commit to a five-year program full-time. As such, we offer a part-time option for Year 2 and up. Students can enroll in individual subjects working towards the completion of the Foundational Islamic Sciences year. Part-time students often take two to three years to complete all six mandatory periods. Accepted students meet with academic advisors to determine the most suitable part-time option.

The Qalam Seminary also offers a remote learning track for all years. Students attend classes live via Zoom and complete all the same class assignments. Instructors and Teaching Assistants are accessible via online office hours.

Year 2 Course Catalog, 2023–24

Aside from minor modifications, the course catalog remains the same every year.

  • Course Title: QUR–201: Ulūm al-Qur’an (Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur’an)

    Instructor: Ustadha Rabbia Razzaque

    Texts: al-Tibyān fī ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān, al-Fawz al-Kabīr (naskh)

    Course Description: Students will study the process of revelation, preservation, and miraculous nature of the Qur’an. They will also be introduced to the styles and methods of Quranic exegesis. 

    Expectations: Students will have occasional quizzes throughout the year along with essay assignments to critically analyze and address topics like the authenticity and inimitable nature of the Qur’an. Along with quizzes and essay assignments, students are assessed on their class participation and attendance. Students are expected to prepare a minimum of two pages of the text before each class period in order to read and translate when asked as the text is covered. 

    Frequency: 3 days a week, 35 weeks.

  • Course Title: QUR–211: Tafsīr al-Jalālayn I (Scholarly Analysis of the Qurʾān)

    Instructors: Ustadha Fatima Lette

    Text: Tafsīr al-Jalālayn

    Course Description: Students will be introduced to the science of Tafsir through the study of a traditional commentary of the Qur’an, Tafsir Jalalayn. In Jalalayn I, students will cover Juz 11 - 20. The objective of the class is for students to gain the ability to translate the verses of the Qur’an, fluently translate the commentary, and develop a connection to the Qur’an by reflecting and relating it to their personal lives. 

    Expectations: Students are expected to prepare a minimum of a page of the tafsir before every class and be able to participate during class by reading and translating the text. Students will also be given four examinations throughout the year in which their skill of translation and reflection will be assessed. Other written assignments may also be given as per the instructor’s discretion.

    Frequency: 5 days a week, 35 weeks.

  • Course Title: QUR–212: Tafsīr al-Jalālayn II (Scholarly Translation and Analysis of the Qurʾān)

    Instructors: Shaykh Mikaeel Smith

    Text: Tafsīr al-Jalālayn

    Course Description: Students will be introduced to the science of Tafsir through the study of a traditional commentary of the Qur’an, Tafsir Jalalayn. In Jalalayn II, students will cover Juz 21 - 30. The objective of the class is for students to gain the ability to translate the verses of the Qur’an, fluently translate the commentary, and develop a connection to the Qur’an by reflecting and relating it to their personal lives. 

    Expectations: Students are expected to prepare a minimum of a page of the tafsir before every class and be able to participate during class by reading and translating the text. Students will also be given four examinations throughout the year in which their skill of translation and reflection will be assessed. Other written assignments may also be given as per the instructor’s discretion.

    Frequency: 4 days a week, 35 weeks.

  • Course Title: HDTH–211: 40 Hadith of Imam al-Nawawī

    Instructor: Ustadh AbdelRahman Murphy

    Texts: 40 Ḥadith of Imām al-Nawawī

    Course Description: Students learn the fundamentals of the religion from the famous 40 Hadith collection of Imām al-Nawawī.

    Expectations: Students are expected to regularly review terminology and participate in class by reading the text. They are expected to memorize the narrations in order to receive credit for the course. There are 2-3 content based exams throughout the year along with regular quizzes to assess the memorization of the 40 Ḥadith of Imām al-Nawawī.

    Frequency: 2 days a week, 20 weeks.

  • Course Title: HDTH–211: Hadith Sciences

    Instructor: Ustadh Sohaib Sheikh

    Texts: Nuzhat al-Naẓar fī Tawḍīḥ Nukhbat al-Fikr, 40 Ḥadith of Imām al-Nawawī

    Course Description: Students will study the primary discourses surrounding the Science of Ḥadith - it’s history, authority, preservation, and criticisms. Students will study important Ḥadith terminology through the text Nuzhat al-Naẓar fī Tawḍīḥ Nukhbat al-Fikr and are expected to read, translate, and understand key terminologies and concepts from the text.

    Expectations: Students are expected to regularly review terminology and participate in class by reading the text.

    Frequency: 2 days a week, 15 weeks.

  • Course Description: FIQH–201: Mukhtaṣar al-Qudūrī (Islamic Jurisprudence)

    Instructor: Mufti Hussain Kamani

    Text: Mukhtaṣar al-Qudūrī

    Course Description: Students will complete an in-depth study of legal rulings according to the Hanafi school of thought through the famous treatise of Imam Al-Quduri. Students will cover legal methods and rulings pertaining to devotional and transactional law including rulings related to purification, fasting, Hajj, and business transactions.

    Expectations: Students are expected to read and translate the text during class and will be given weekly quizzes to assess their comprehension of the material. Along with weekly quizzes, students will also be given two comprehensive exams at the end of each semester to assess their retention and application of the material covered during the course.

    Frequency: 5 days a week, 35 weeks.

  • Course Description: FIQH–211: Comparative Uṣūl al-Fiqh (Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence)

    Instructor: Shaykh AbdulNasir Jangda

    Text: Al-Wajīz fī Uṣūl al-Fiqh

    Course Description: Students will explore the methodologies used by Muslim jurists in order to understand the sources of Islamic law. They will gain familiarity with the theoretical principles of Islamic law and their practical implications & application in the modern context.

    Expectations: Students are expected to prepare two pages of the text before class, take notes during class, and present their comprehension of the material through regular assigned summaries. There will also be two major non-comprehensive exams to assess the student’s understanding and application of core concepts.

    Frequency: 3 days a week, 35 weeks.

  • Course Title: TAZK–201: Tazkiyah I (Spiritual Development)

    Instructor: Ustadh AbdelRahman Murphy

    Texts: Ayyuhā al-Walad, Taʿlīm al-Mutaʿallim

    Course Description: Students will spend the first and last quarter of the year covering the Tazkiyah module during which they will read and reflect over texts by Imām al-Ghazālī, Imām al-Zarnūjī, and other assigned readings. The objective of these readings is to train the student of knowledge by helping them learn practical tools to purify their hearts and build a stronger relationship with Allah.

    Expectations: Students will be expected to complete assigned readings and will be given regular reflection based quizzes in order to assess their understanding and application of the material.

    Frequency: 2 days a week, 35 weeks.

  • Course Title: HIST–201: al-Sīrah al-Nabawīyah (The Prophetic Biography)

    Instructor: Shaykh Mikaeel Smith

    Text: Mukhtaṣar al-Jāmiʿ fī al-Sīrah al-Nabawīyah

    Course Description: Students will be guided through a complete survey of the Prophetic Biography from classical texts using Samira al-Zayid’s Mukhtaṣar al-Jāmiʿ. Students will be presented with multiple perspectives and accounts of the Prophet’s life in a manner that relates to the modern context, focusing on the practical implications of the Prophetic life in our current times. 

    Expectations: Students will be expected to read and translate at least two pages of the text before each class. Students will also be given weekly guided questions for homework along with four - five examinations throughout the year to assess their memorization of key names, quotes, and places covered in the Sirah. Students are expected to show a chronological understanding of the rise of Islam and be able to build familiarity with different opinions that are presented by the author.

    Frequency: 5 days a week, 35 weeks.

  • Course Title: THEO–201: ʿAqīdah (Doctrines of Faith)

    Instructor: Ustadh AbdelRahman Murphy

    Text: al-ʿAqīdah al-Ṭaḥāwīyah

    Course Description: Students will spend the second and third quarter of the year covering Aqeedah where they will dive into a detailed study of the core tenets of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah. The course will provide students with the historical and spiritual background of this science and introduce students to the principles of Islamic belief from a theoretical and applied perspective. 

    Expectations: Students will be given four assessments throughout the module to assess their understanding and are expected to engage in class discussions by preparing the assigned readings before classes.

    Frequency: 2 days a week, 35 weeks.

  • Course Title: ARAB–201: Intermediate Arabic I

    Instructor: Ustadh Obaidullah Ahmad

    Text: TBA

    Course Description: In this course, students will cover an overview of fundamental concepts of Nahw (syntax) and Sarf (morphology). The objective of the course is to reinforce a student’s understanding of basic Arabic grammar and morphology principles through writing.

    Frequency: 1 day a week, 35 weeks.

Years 2–5 Academic Timetable, 2023–24

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