Advanced Seminar: Muslim Men Scholars

Course Description:

The history of Islam is rich with the histories of scholars who played a prominent role in preserving the religion, documenting it, and excelling in its categorization, so that it has reached us, the later generations, in this magnificent form. The companions (rA) were the first teachers after the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, conveying what they heard and witnessed from the Prophet ﷺ and establishing what they transmitted as the foundational proofs of Islamic teachings alongside the Quran (the primary source of Islam). Through their efforts, they became role models for the generations that followed, including the tabiʿīn (followers) and those who came after them, continuing through to later eras.
This course is a comprehensive study of more than forty prominent male scholars of Islam who played a significant role in preserving the faith and establishing various Islamic studies, including hadith, jurisprudence, principles of jurisprudence, language, tajwīd, tafsīr, and sīra, spanning a period from the time of the companions (rA) to the eleventh century AH.
Students will learn about their biographies, their fields of expertise, and their most famous scholarly contributions.
They will apply what they have learned by conducting a study on a specific scholar they choose.

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to:

1. Recognize the prominent scholars from various branches of Islamic knowledge (such as usul al-fiqh, fiqh, hadith, Arabic language, tajweed, tafsir, and sira) and understand their contributions.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of more than 40 prominent scholars of Islam and their most important works.
3. Classify scholars according to their fields of expertise and name some of their famous compilations
4. Apply what they have learned to a scholar their choice for study.

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 August 31, 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.

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: 

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

• $150.00 (not including the cost of the course materials)
• $20.00 late registration fee on June 5th. (if seats are available)
• Registration closes June 28th.
• Additional $5.00 auditing fee.

Before enrolling, please read the Registration Fees & Policies.

Contact: For inquiries, contact registration@rabata.org