Al-Mahdi Hawza - UK Syllabus
Al-Mahdi Hawza - UK Syllabus
Al-Mahdi Hawza - UK Syllabus
Fiqh
In scholarly terms, fiqh is defined as a detailed knowledge of Sharia laws with their specific evidences and justifications. Throughout the four years of the course, students are given a comprehensive and progressively detailed study of these laws and the debates surrounding their justifications. After an introductory module on the historical development of fiqh, students go on to study Baqir Irwanis al-Fiqh al-Istidlali. Here, they will critically engage with the justifications of the entire breadth of fiqhi laws, ranging from the method of wudhu (ablution) to the conditions governing the validity of financial transactions. In the fourth year, students will move on to read selected themes from more advanced texts, such as Sharh al-Lumaa and al-Maqasib.
UsUl Al-Fiqh
Usul al-Fiqh is a discipline which studies the general principles involved in the inference of the laws of fiqh. An in depth study of Usul al-Fiqh has been a central part of the training of scholars throughout the history of Shii scholarship. Following this tradition, students are given a comprehensive grounding in all the theoretical discussions of Usul al-Fiqh based on a traditional curriculum, supplemented by relevant discussions from philosophy of language, hermeneutics, moral philosophy and epistemology. Introductory courses are based on Abd al-Hadi al-Fadlis Mabadi al-Usul, and Baqir alSadrs Halaqat al-Uwla. This is followed by a close and complete reading of Muhammad Rida Muzaffars text Usul al-Fiqh.
hAdith stUdies
The Hadith are defined as the reports which transmit the sayings, actions and tacit approvals of the Prophet and the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt. Above and beyond the analyses and contextualisation of the content of traditions, the study of Hadith at the Al-Mahdi Institute entails a further detailed study of both the classical disciplines involved in the categorisation and authentication of these traditions i.e. ilm al-diraya and ilm al-rijal. These theoretical studies are supplemented with supervised practical training in the application of the rigorous traditional method of authenticating Hadith, ensuring that students gain the skills required to independently conduct this process. Through this practical training, and with reference to broader studies, students can engage with the criticisms levelled at this system, as well as gain a thorough firsthand experience of the meticulous nature of the traditional approach.
history
Although not a central part of the traditional Shii Hawza curriculum, the course at Al-Mahdi Institute places great emphasis on the study of history. The central themes and periods covered include Pre-Islamic Arabia, The Life of the Prophet, Post-Prophetic Period and The History and Development of Shiism and its Schisms. Beyond the subject specific knowledge that this study brings, students are equipped with the bibliographical and analytical tools needed to critically engage with a breadth of primary source material in Arabic, as well as with the secondary surveys written in the English language.
irFAn (MysticisM)
This course examines the origins, history and development of Mysticism in Islam. Students will be taught the central motifs of its divisions (theoretical and practical) in the mystical literature, with a critical reading of key texts. The major themes in theoretical mysticism are taught from the renowned works of Jalal al-Din al-Rumi and Ibn Arabi, and practical Irfan from Abu Nasr Abdullah bin Ali al-Siraj al-Tusis al-Lumaa fi Tarikh al-Tasawwuf al-Islami.
FAlsAFA (PhilosoPhy)
This course introduces students to the historical origins of Muslim philosophy, including the major philosophers and their works. It critically examines the philosophical ideas of the Peripatetic, the Illuminationist and the Transcendental Schools of philosophy in Islam. After the first year, students are given a comprehensive insight into the transcendental philosophy of Mulla Sadra, through a close reading of al-Tabatabis Bidayat al-Hikma.
qUrAnic stUdies
The Institute has a Quranic Studies program, which is composed of two key elements. The first of these consists of a study of Ulum al-Quran, a classical theoretical discipline which tackles questions such as the authenticity of the Quran and its compilation, the nature and manner of revelation and the structure and themes in the Quran. The course is based on readings from al-Talkhis wa al-Tamhid of Hadi Marifa, combined with extensive reference to works of the most prominent Orientalists and contemporary scholars of Quranic studies. The second element introduces students to Ilm al-Tafsir, studying the theoretical principles and different approaches to the exegesis and interpretation of the Quran. With this background, students begin their study of Tafsir al-Quran itself. This not only involves the traditional atomistic and thematic approaches to Tafsir, but also allows a critical engagement with the application of emerging hermeneutical approaches to the Quran at a stage where students are expected to draw upon the theoretical skills acquired in their studies of Arabic, Hadith, Usul al-fiqh, Theology, Mysticism and Philosophy, to enrich their appreciation of what Muslims believe is the Word of God.
MAntiq (logic)
Logic is defined as the study of the rules and principles governing sound thinking. This classical science is taught throughout Shii seminaries as the epistemological framework for the Muslim intellectual disciplines. The course at Al-Mahdi Institute gives students a deep insight into this framework, critically engaging with all the major themes of the discipline including Concepts, Assents, and the Five Arts based on readings from Muhammad Rida Muzaffars al-Mantiq.
other coUrses:
Beyond the above core subjects, the Al-Mahdi Institute offers a variety of modules which are not taught in traditional Muslim educational seminaries. These modules include; Issues in Contemporary Philosophy and Ethics, Political Economy and International Politics of the Islamic World, Moral Economy & the Phenomenon of Islamic Banking and Finance, Women and Gender Studies, Comparative Religion, Islam and Pluralism, and Methodological Issues in the Study of Religion and Islam
Al-Mahdi Institute is a place for serious attempts to learn about the most fundamental and important classical Islamic, and particularly Shii texts through a close and critical study - always keeping our contemporary concerns and questions in mind.
dr AkrAMi
Ali FAnAei
Dr Fanaei has completed seventeen years of seminary studies. He graduated from the renowned Fayziyeh School of the Hawza Illmiyah in Qum, followed by seven years of Dars al-Kharij study under teachers such as the Grand Ayatollah Tabrizi, Grand Ayatollah Haeiri, Grand Ayatollah Vahid, Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, and the Ayatollah Ahmad Mianeji. During this time, he was also awarded an MA in Islamic Theology from the University of Qum, taking special interest in Modern Theology and Philosophy of Religion. He then moved to the UK to conduct research in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield. He was awarded an Mphil for research on Moral Scepticism and Moral Realism, and obtained a PhD for research regarding the epistemic justification of moral beliefs. Dr Fanaeis teaching and research interests include; Philosophy of Fiqh, Hermeneutics, Usul al-Fiqh, Tafsir, Moral Philosophy, and Epistemology. He has a wide range of cutting edge publications in both English and Farsi, which include numerous journal articles and monographs.
Muhammed Khalid
Dr. Khalid has received an MA from the University of Birmingham and a PhD from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. Prior to this, Dr. Khalid received an MA in Islamic Studies from Markez-e-Uloom Islamiyah, Pakistan, and a BA in Islamic Studies from Idara Ishaatul Uloom, Pakistan. For over twenty years, he has served as a Minister of Religion and a visiting lecturer in local schools. Dr. Khalid also holds the post of a senior consultant in Islamic issues and has extensive experience in community-wide affairs. Dr. Khalid has written articles for a leading Urdu newspaper Daily Jang London on contemporary topics such as Education, Problems of Muslim Youth, Islam and Extremism. He continues to write articles and features in English for the Azan magazine and Naveed-e-Sahar, on topics such as Muslim Youth and Education, Youth and Crimes, Islam and Terrorism and other community related issues. Dr. Khalids research and teaching interests include; History, Hadith Studies, Ulum al-Quran and Ulum al-Hadith.
iAn WilliAMs
Educated at the universities of London, Kings College, Nottingham, and Derby, Dr Williams has previously taught Religious and Islamic Studies at the universities of Chester, Derby, and Birmingham City University. His doctoral research focussed upon contemporary perceptions of Ali ibn Abi Talib amongst Sunni and Twelver Shia traditions in the UK. He is currently working on a second doctoral project that focuses on the modern Turkish ReligioSocial Movement. Dr Williams teaching and research interests include; Historical and Contemporary Expressions of Sufism, Research Methodologies in the Study of Religio-Social Movements, Contemporary Turkish Islam and its Implications for a European Muslim Identity, and Christian-Muslim Inter-Religious Dialogue. Dr Williams has an established track record of publications and continues to publish his work in a wide range of academic journals.
MohAMMed shUkri
Shaykh Mohammed embarked on his advanced religious education in the Hawza of Najaf, Iraq in 1993. During the next six years, he studied under the direct supervision of illustrious scholars such as the Ayatollah Shahid Muhammad Sadiq al-Sadr and Ayatollah Kalantar. His other instructors during this time included Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqubi, Seyed Mohammad al-Sistani, and Seyed Ahmed al-Safi. In the year 2000, he travelled to the Hawza of Seyeda Zainab in Damascus, where he spent the next two years studying within the institutions affiliated to Ayatollah Jawad Tabrizi and Ayatollah Muhammad Hussein Fadl-Allah. During this time, he also taught at the al-Sadr Institute. Since 2003, he has been teaching across the range of traditional Hawzawi disciplines at the Al-Mahdi Institute. Shaykh Mohammed has also delivered religious sermons throughout Europe, is a regular participant and discussant on numerous Arabic Satellite TV Channels, and has contributed to international conferences relating to the Role of Religion in Iraq. Shaykh Mohammeds research and teaching interests include; Logic, Fiqh, Comparative Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh and Philosophy, maintaining a particular emphasis on Arabic Grammar, Language and Rhetoric.
The greatest benefits of studying Islam at an advanced level is the potential for self development (spiritual and intellectual). It is also a gateway to discovering and understanding issues pertaining to the world, society and rights, and insha Allah, it aids the student to himself or herself become a guide towards the right path...
shAykh MohAMMed shUkri
The institute has given me the opportunity for both intellectual and spiritual development. Its unique character lies in the teachers from diverse backgrounds giving the students an insight into different perspectives, and encouraging them to think outside the box.
tAreq Miernik grAdUAte oF Al-MAhdi
iMrAnAli PAnjWAni
Imranali joined the Al-Mahdi Institute after completing his degree in Law (LLB) at the University of Sheffield. Whilst studying Arabic and Islamic Studies at the Institute, Imranali also completed his LPC at the College of Law in Birmingham, UK. Upon graduating from the Al-Mahdi Institutes Four Year Hawza Programme, Imranali was given a place at Kings College, London to undertake his doctoral research. He is currently in the process of finishing his PhD, which focuses on The Role of the Self in International Human Rights: a comparative ShiaMuslim and Christian-Western perspective Imranali continues to serve the grass roots by giving lectures to Shia communities in the UK and around the world. He teaches at the Madrassa in Chelmsford, and is regularly invited to share his knowledge and expertise on Ahlul Bayt TV and Press TV. Furthermore, Imranali has also presented numerous academic papers at leading universities and has published extensively in a range of formats.
The seeking of knowledge is a responsibility upon every Muslim, and surely Allah loves the desirers of knowledge
the ProPhet MUhAMMAd
Al-Mahdi Institute 532 Moseley Road Balsall Heath Birmingham B12 9AE Tel: +44 (0)121 446 5047 Fax: +44 (0)121 446 5085 www.almahdi.edu