Training the Tongue, Purifying the Heart

Course Description:

This course is an introduction to tazkiya in Islam (the purification of the heart and soul). Students will explore the major diseases of the heart and their cure, understand how they connect to the sins of the tongue, and learn why purifying speech is essential for purifying the heart. Through practical guidance and foundational principles, this course equips students with the skills needed to begin the lifelong journey of purification of the heart and soul and to walk the path of true inner transformation.

What will be covered:

• Diseases of the heart: Anger, Rancor, Envy, Ostentation, Miserliness, Vanity & Arrogance
• Means of Purification
• Realization of the diseases
• Prohibitions of the Tongue
• Reflection on Relationships

Get ANSWERS to questions like:

• How do I know which diseases of the heart I have?
• What are the practical solutions to fix them?
• How do I interact with those around me without allowing my diseases to interfere?

Course Logistics:

• Designed in an easy to follow format.
• Interactive Q&A
• 11 one-hour live classes
• Recordings available until end of term
• Based on the aqida of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’a.

Course Prerequisites:

Students should be women above the age of 17.

Course Requirements:

Live attendance is recommended whenever possible for the best learning experience. Recordings of the sessions will be made available for registered students who cannot attend live. Students will have access to course forums, recordings, and files until May 31st, 2026.

To be successful in this course, students need to attend the live class or watch the recordings, and complete the coursework as defined in the course syllabus. This may include: weekly assignments or reflections, a term paper, project, or midterm, one or more quizzes, and/or a final exam.

Please note that daylight savings time will begin in the United States on Sunday, March 8, 2026. Depending on where you live, this may or may not affect your class timing. In countries where DST is not applied at all, class will be one hour earlier starting March 8.

This is an online course so students will need:

• Access to internet with an internet speed of at least 2 Mbps recommended for best performance.
• Headphones, camera and microphone may be required for in-class participation.
• To access the live class and recordings, students will need a computer, smartphone, or tablet/iPad with the Zoom app.

Text:

The Marvels of the Heart, by al-Ghazali, translated by Walter James Skellie.

Students are responsible for ordering their textbooks before the start of class. Ribaat textbooks are available to enrolled students at a discounted rate through Rabata Bookshop. Once enrolled, students will have access to the discount code through the course forum.

Registration:

Registration Fee: Non-refundable, non-transferable

• $125.00 (not including the cost of the course materials)
• $20.00 late registration fee on January 18th (if seats are available)
• Registration closes February 8th.
• Additional $5.00 auditing fee.

Before enrolling, please read the Registration Fees & Policies.

For inquiries, contact registration@rabata.org