Ribaat Islamic Sciences

 

Program Description:

The Ribaat Academic Program is comprised of four levels, with each level offering one or more courses in the following disciplines: Sīra, Tazkiyah, Fiqh, ʿAqīdah, Hadith, Tafsīr, Education, Communication, History, Social Science, Tajwid and Arabic.

Some courses are covered in one term, while others are divided into two or more parts. 

 

Certification:

The Ribaat Academic Program offers two certification tracks. A number of core courses and electives are required at each level to earn certification. Students seeking certification must complete all courses listed in the certification requirements. To earn credit for a course as part of a certification program, students must complete the exams and major projects and receive a passing grade of 60% or above.

All courses may also be taken independently for students not seeking certification.

 

Level 1 Courses

 

SIR 101 & 102 – Companions of the Prophet ﷺ | Parts 1 & 2

Offered: Part 1 of this course is offered in the Fall term of each year, and Part 2 is offered in the Spring.

Prerequisites: Students should be women above the age of 17.

Course Description: An in-depth study of the sixty companions discussed in the book Stars in the Prophet’s Orbit. Students will learn their stories, draw conclusions about Islamic precepts from their lives, understand their relationship to the Prophet ﷺ, and derive personal lessons from their lives. Students will apply same to an additional companion upon whom research will be done.

The first thirty companions of this text are covered in Part 1 of the course, and the second thirty are covered in Part 2. It is not required to complete part 1 before part 2.

 

PUR 101 – Training the Tongue, Purifying the Heart

Offered: This course is offered in the Fall and Spring terms of each year.

Prerequisites: Students should be women above the age of 17.

Course Description: An introduction to the concept of tazkiya, or purification of the self/heart in Islam. It is an introductory look at diseases of the heart and sins of the tongue as well as the relationship between the two. Students will learn some general cures, and understand some of the skills necessary to begin the path of tazkiya.

 

AQD 101 – Foundations, Flounderings & Faith

Offered: This course is offered in the Fall and Spring terms of each year.

Prerequisites: Students should be women above the age of 17.

Course Description: Belief and practice are the essential building blocks for Muslims and, as such, in order to build a fortress of faith, we need solid building materials. This course will cover basic ʿaqīda (tenets of belief), discuss issues of practice, and attempt to answer controversial questions. We will build a community of faithful friends, quell the floundering heart, and revive the faithful heart.

AQD 103 & 104 – The Prophets: Lives & Lessons | Parts 1 & 2

Prerequisites: Students should be women above the age of 17.

Course Description: This course is designed to create an experience like no other by enhancing students' relationships with each of the prophets of Islam. From Adam (as) to Muhammad ﷺ, the message of tawhid was brought to generations of believers by specially blessed individuals. Now we can get to know each of them and their unique challenges through in-depth lessons and thought-provoking exercises which will bring the legacy and history of Islam to life.

TAF 101 – Reflections from the Quran

Offered: This course is offered in the Fall and Spring terms of each year.

Prerequisites: Students should be women above the age of 17.

Course Description: This course takes students on a journey with the Quran, gain deeper understandings of its words and derive lessons from Allah's ﷻ words. Each term, students will be guided through an in-depth study of a surah/surahs from the Holy Quran and reflect upon the lessons learned from its verses.

 

FQH 101 – Fast & Friendly Fiqh: An Introduction to Worship Essentials

Offered: This course is offered in the Fall and Spring terms of each year.

Prerequisites: Students should be women above the age of 17.

Course Description: A quick and fun introduction to Shafi'i fiqh for the beginner, this course will go over the main rules of worship, covering purification (ṭahāra), prayer (ṣalāh), and fasting (ṣawm).

 

COM 101 – Writing Your Story: Creative Writing

Prerequisites: Students should be women above the age of 17.

Course Description: From orientalist exoticism to hijab-bashing tales of "liberation" to terrorist thrillers, the literary landscape is littered with other people's attempts to tell our stories (or to tell their own stories using Muslims as counterpoints). Often these charlatans down out our own attempts at representation. But in these tumultuous times, we can't afford to whisper any longer. It's time for us to raise our voices with stories that are authentic and entertaining, marketing that is clever and effective, and outreach that is sincere and productive insha'Allah. This course features weekly readings and writing exercises that each focus on an individual aspect of writing, along with semester-long work on a creative project. Lessons on submitting your work, choosing a publication route and effective marketing ideas round out the syllabus. By the end of this course, students will have sharper writing skills and a firmer idea of what to do after the writing is done.

COM 102 – Public Speaking & Community Outreach

Prerequisites: Students should be women above the age of 17.

Course Description: This course has two main goals. 

It is designed to help students become comfortable speaking publicly in any situation - from intimate gatherings to public addresses to chatting with people on the street.

 It provides students with opportunities to become active members of their Muslim and mainstream communities via outreach activities that facilitate positive, joyful interactions.

Course Structure

Public Speaking assignments will all be related to writing speeches, speaking, and listening to others speak. Outreach activities will be focused on involvement in one’s local community.

Mid-term will be an extemporaneous speech in class

Final Exam will cover topics we have discussed. Format will be T/F, FITB, Short Answer, and Matching.

Final Project is to attend or host an event where the student can give a speech and submit it via video recording. The final project can be done anytime throughout the term. Students may choose their audience - non-Muslim, Muslim, adult, children, etc. 

EDU 101 – Teaching Skills and Methodology

Offered: This course is offered in the Fall and Spring terms of each year.

Prerequisites: 

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
2. Successful completion of at least one Ribaat Level 1 Core course

Course Description: This introductory level course provides aspiring, novice, and veteran teachers opportunities to learn and practice effective teaching strategies for students enrolled in Islamic Studies programs. During this course we will examine components of skillful teaching including deep learning, lesson planning, classroom management, nurturing the Prophetic model of emotional and moral intelligence, assessment, professionalism, and upbringing within an Islamic framework.

HAD 101 – The Prophet ﷺ Speaks: Selected Hadith

Prerequisites:

1. Students should be women, above the age of 17.

Course Description:

This is an introductory course that takes the learner into the profundity of the Prophetic Teachings, helping us position ourselves as humble listeners. The focus will be on how to learn from the Hadiths in a holistic manner and how to appreciate the great Guidance they offer.

HAD 102 – Conversations with the Prophet ﷺ

Prerequisites: Students should be women above the age of 17.

Course Description: This course will explore selected hadith of the Prophet ﷺ and conversations as reported by his companions (r). Through study of these hadith, students will learn prophetic etiquette in communicating with others and learn lessons to apply in daily life. They will also learn how the Prophet ﷺ used kind and gentle words to guide others, communicate effectively, and build positive relationships.

HIS 102 - Lessons from the Tabi’in: Those who Carried the Legacy of the Prophet ﷺ

Prerequisites:

1. Students should be women, above the age of 17.

Course Description:

An introduction to some of the historical figures who carried the legacy after the Prophet ﷺ and his companions. These men and women came in the generation after the companions, knew them personally, and were raised by them. This course will introduce some of these inspiring personalities and glean the lessons learned from their lives.

PUR 103 – Islamic Spirituality: History & Practices

Prerequisites:

1. Students should be women, above the age of 17.

Course Description: Islamic spirituality is an important part of religious life. This course will take a birds-eye view of the origins of Islamic spirituality and explore the principles and practices which developed soon after the death of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Students will take a historical look at this development, investigate some branches of spiritual practice, and develop an understanding of the related terms and practices.

CRT 101 – Orientation: Ribaat Teacher Certification

Offered: This course is offered in all terms.

Prerequisites: 

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
2. Students enrolling in this course are pursuing the Ribaat Teacher Certification.

Course Description: An orientation course into the Ribaat Teacher Certification Program, this course serves as the first step of the registration process into the certification program. Through brief recordings and activities, the course forum will provide an introduction to the program as well as a platform for submitting the required documentation to enroll in the program. Completion of this course is a requirement for earning the certification, and all course activities must be completed before graduation.

CRT 102 – Ribaat Retreat

Offered: The Ribaat Retreat takes place once in the summer of each year.

Prerequisites: 

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
2. Students enrolling in this course are pursuing the Ribaat Teacher Certification.

Course Description: The annual Ribaat Retreat is a unique opportunity for learning, deep spiritual growth, and enjoying the community of our beloved teachers and fellow students. Days will be filled with lessons focusing on personal growth, worship, group activities, and face-to-face time with teachers. Evenings and nights will be filled with worship, prayer, and Quran reading.

Level 2 Courses

 

SIR 201 & 202 – Lessons from the Life of the Prophet ﷺ | Parts 1 & 2

Prerequisites:

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
   
2. SIR 101 and SIR 102: Companions of the Prophet  ﷺ | Parts 1 & 2.
   
3. Part 1 of this course is suggested but not required for Part 2.
   

Course Description: A survey of the life of the Prophet ﷺ, beginning with an understanding of the political and social layout of the Arabian Peninsula at the time of his birth and concluding with a deeper understanding of why he was indeed "the chosen one". Throughout Part 1, students examine the major events and incidents that took place up until the hijra of the Prophet ﷺ to Medina, extrapolating the wisdom and lessons one can gain from them. In Part 2, students will examine the major events and incidents that took place after the hijra to Medina, extrapolating the wisdom and lessons one can gain from them. Weekly assignments focus on these lessons learned, enabling students to draw parallels to modern day struggles in their own lives and make lasting changes, following in the footsteps of the Prophet ﷺ.

FQH 201 & 202 – Fiqh al ʿIbādāt: al-Madhhab al-Shāfiʿī | Parts 1 & 2

Prerequisites:

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
2. Successful completion of at least one Ribaat Level 1 core course.
   
3. Part 1 of this course is suggested but not required for Part 2.

Course Description: An introduction to the foundation of Islamic law as the basis for a life of devotion and servitude to God. The student will learn about the reasons Islamic schools of law evolved and the nature and rationale of the legal schools.  Students will learn the detailed rulings relating to purification (ṭahāra) and prayer (salat), fasting (ṣawm), alms-giving (zakat) and hajj, along with an examination of some of the textual proofs for those rulings. The class will also introduce the student to reading legal manuals in Arabic.

 

HAD 201 & 202 – The Forty Hadith of Imam al-Nawawī | Parts 1 & 2

Prerequisites:

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
   
2. Arabic Novice High or equivalent knowledge.
   
3. Successful completion of at least one Ribaat Level 1 course.
   
4. Part 1 of this course is suggested but not required for Part 2.
   

Course Description:

An in-depth study of the forty-hadith compilation of Imam al-Nawawī, this course is meant to provide students with a foundation in the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ was given jawāmiʿ al-kalim ( جوامع الكلم), or the ability to say much in very few words. The hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ combine eloquence with deep, encompassing meanings in a uniquely simple way. This particular compilation was chosen because it includes ṣaḥīḥ hadiths, and it covers a variety of subjects.

By the end of this course, students will be able to translate, understand, and draw practical life lessons from the text of the forty hadiths in this compilation. The first twenty hadith are covered in Part 1 and the second twenty hadith are covered in Part 2.

AQD 201 & 202 – Introduction to Islamic ʿAqīda | Parts 1 & 2

Prerequisites:

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
   
2. Successful completion of at least one Ribaat Level 1 core course.
   
3. Part 1 of this course is suggested but not required for Part 2.
   

Course Description: The development of ʿaqīda in the heart and mind of the believer is the development of her way of life and the ability to communicate and spread the joy of faith to those around her. In this intensive Level 2 Ribaat course for advanced students, this course comprises an academic study of the tenets of Islamic belief, beginning in Part 1 with a study of the Islamic concept of God and tawhid.

The course will continue in Part 2 with a detailed look at revelation, the unseen world, the Day of Judgment and qaḍāʾ and qadr, concluding with a look at variant beliefs and some theological dimensions of law.

 

SSC 201 – Understanding the Muslim World

Prerequisites: 

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
   
2. Successful completion of at least one Ribaat Level 1 course
   

Course Description: This course will provide an overview of the human geography of the Muslim World, with an emphasis on cultural, historical, economic, and political geography. Utilizing a world-historical approach, the course will challenge students to rethink certain assumptions about the way the world is mapped, bounded, and defined. The central thesis guiding the course is the contention that the features we take for granted on the world map (continents, countries, directions, and borders) are more a product of various ethnocentrisms rooted in the ideologies that shaped the modern world rather than a reflection of natural and inherent divisions. A variety of materials will be assigned to explore this thesis, including a chronicle of the travels of Ibn Battuta, premodern maps, and scholarly articles highlighting key events and processes in the shaping of the premodern Muslim World.

 

HIS 201 – Mujaddidīn: Crises and Cures in Muslim History

Prerequisites: 

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
   
2. Successful completion of at least one Ribaat Level 1 course.
   

Course Description: A survey of the crises and trials that have challenged Islamic civilization over the centuries, along with an account of the Muslim “renewers” of the faith (mujaddidīn) whom Allah ﷻ sent as a cure for each, and how they were able to overturn the current situation, renew the religion, and restore peace and faith to the Muslim ummah. Students will learn about the factors that contributed to each trial, how each mujaddid was able to overcome the trials of the time and gain an understanding of the characteristics that enabled each to succeed.

PUR 201 – The Spiritual Journey with Ibn Ata'

Prerequisites: 

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
   
2. Successful completion of PUR 101: Training the Tongue, Purifying the Heart.
   

Course Description: This course is a continuation of the journey of tazkiyah, which is the purification of the heart/ self. The course consists of a series of the wisdoms of Ibn Ata’illah, that will be explained, discussed, and reflected upon.  Students will have insights to the wisdom of Ibn Ata’Illah.  This will advance the understanding and the practice of the state that results in Allah’s ﷻ satisfaction.

PUR 202 – Falah: Seven Fundamentals of Personal and Spiritual Excellence

Prerequisites: Students should be women, above the age of 17.

Course Description: An all-new approach to successful and happy living. This course is a thorough examination of the barriers that stand in the way of a happy spiritual and material life as well as a clear discussion of the tools necessary for the happy spiritual and material life we all crave. The concept of Falah as a course was created and developed by Anse Sawsan Imady. This course includes new material and has been expanded and developed by Anse Tamara Gray. It is a life changing course. Snap in your seatbelt and get ready to speed along the straight path in company with others seeking Falah! 

This course is an expansion on the Falah 7 Steps to Success Workshop with new modules and resources.

TAF 201 - Tafsir Juzu Amma

Prerequisites: 

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
   
2. Successful completion of at least one Ribaat Level 1 course.
3. Arabic Novice Beginner or equivalent knowledge.
   

Course Description: This course offers an in-depth analysis of each surah within the last Juzu' where students will learn about the linguistic aspects, unique vocabulary, and metaphors that make each surah a masterpiece. They will explore the connection between linguistic choices and the theme of each surah and discover the historical background of some surahs and their relevance to the Messenger's mission  ﷺ. Through active engagement and reflection, students are invited to represent the teachings of the Quran in their daily lives, enriching their spiritual journey and connection with the divine message.

AQD 203 - The 99 Names of Allah ﷻ

Prerequisites: 

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
   
2. Successful completion of at least one Ribaat Level 1 course.

Course Description: This course will take an in-depth look at the Asmaa' al-Husna - the 99 glorious names of Allah ﷻ- and how they can render us a better understanding of Allah and our deen.  Each week will focus on a few of the names with a deep explanation and a class discussion about what they mean to each of us. The class will include homework assignments that help to bring about further reflection and understanding and a term paper.

AQD 204 - The Soul's Journey After Death

Prerequisites: 

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
   
2. Successful completion of at least one Ribaat Level 1 course.
3. AQD 101: "Foundations, Flounderings & Faith"

Course Description: This course is a trip into the “Book of the Soul” (Kitab al-Ruh) where we escort the human soul on its journey from start to finish in both the material world and the Hereafter. The course will discuss the spirits of both the living and the dead and the relationship between them with emphasis on the spirit of the dead, the questions and controversies that surround its departure, the grave, the Barzakh, and what the living should (and should not) do in regards to their own souls and to the souls of others. 
The unique book of Ibn al-Qayyim is unparalleled in its coverage of the above subject while firmly adhering to the Quran, Hadith and the interpretations of the righteous Salaf.

EDU 201 – Mentorship Matters: How to Guide, Support, and Help Others

Prerequisites: 

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
2. EDU 101: Teaching Skills & Methodology.

Course Description: Students in this course will learn a variety of techniques for understanding and managing their roles, including the learning and implementing of spiritually mature practices, alongside practical components of community and religious service.  Scholarship, service, and support are the key components that form the foundation from which this comprehensive course will introduce and explore the various psychological and spiritual elements of helping different audiences in varying walks of life.

SSC 202 - Shaykha Nana Asma'u: Her World, Writings and Legacy

Prerequisites: 

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
   
2. Successful completion of at least one Ribaat Level 1 course.

Course Description: This course is an introduction to the world into which Shaykha Nana Asma’u is born.Participants will then study her life. Over 60 works of Shaykha Nana have been preserved. We will examine the genres she wrote in and read excerpts to see how she used poetry in her mission. As we read these writings we will attempt to understand the story behind the pieces and how it was used in the education system she developed. We will wrap up the course with a look at the legacy Shaykha Nana Asma’u has left the world.

CRT 201 - Advanced Seminar: Contemporary Issues

Prerequisites: 

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
   
2. Successful completion of at least one Ribaat Level 1 course.

Course Description: This course will take an in-depth look at a pertinent issue around the world today. The focus is on the Muslim's and the da'iyas understanding or and role in issues effecting society and how we can be positive forces of change in various arenas.

CRT 202 – Oral Assessment: Ribaat Teacher Certification

Offered: This course is offered in the Spring Term of each graduation year.

Prerequisites: 

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
2. Students enrolling in this course are ready to graduate from the Ribaat Teacher Certification track upon recommendation from their designated academic adviser.

Course Description: Students who wish to graduate with the Ribaat Teacher certification will be required to sit for an individual oral assessment. The assessment will be conducted by Dr. Tamara Gray, Rabata founder, Executive Director, and Chief Spiritual Officer. Dr. Gray will determine each student's level of competency and subject material proficiency based on the coursework she has completed.  Students need to attain satisfactory results in this assessment to receive clearance for graduation.

Level 3 Courses

 

SIR 301 & 302 – Sira: An Academic Study of the Life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ | Parts 1 & 2

Offered: This course is offered continuously over a full year. Classes do not stop during the regular semester breaks, but students need to re-enroll in each subsequent part.

Prerequisites:

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
   
2. Successful completion of all Ribaat Level 1 and Level 2 Core course.
   
3. Successful completion of at least one Ribaat elective.
   

Course Description: An in-depth study of the life of Prophet Muhammad (s). Part 1 provides a detailed study of the political and social layout of the Arabian Peninsula before Islam. It concludes with Prophet Muhammad’s birth and the events of his life up until the revelation. Throughout Part 2, students examine in detail the major events and incidents that took place up until the hijra to Medina, extrapolating the wisdom and lessons one can gain from them. 

FQH 301 – Usul al-Fiqh: Foundations of Fiqh 

Prerequisites:

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
   
2. Successful completion of FQH 201 & FQH 202: Fiqh al ʿIbādāt: al-Madhhab al-Shāfiʿī | Parts 1 & 2.

Course Description: Usul al-Fiqh has always occupied a prominent place in the teaching curricula of Islamic institutions of legal learning.  As a discipline of shari’a, Usul al-Fiqh is concerned with the sources of Islamic law, their order of priority, and the methods by which legal rules may be deduced from the source materials of the shari’a. It is also concerned with regulating the exercise of ijtihad.

This course offers an advanced study of Usul al-Fiqh in which the students will be introduced to the legislative sources of Islamic Law, rules of interpretation, and the methodology used by the jurist to produce the rules of fiqh.

Studying Usul al-Fiqh enables the students to develop a profound appreciation of the Islamic law and the high standards applied by the jurists throughout Islamic history in their effort to adhere to the commands and goals of the shari’a while proving its miraculous flexibility and responsiveness to the ever-changing needs of the Muslim community. 

TAF 301 - Ulum al-Quran: The Sciences of the Quran 

Prerequisites:

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
2. Successful completion of all Ribaat Level 1 and Level 2 Core course.
3. Successful completion of at least one Ribaat elective.

Course Description: An introduction to the sciences related to the Quran and its understanding. Students will learn about different definitions of the Quran and modes of revelation, the history of the written and oral text and its transmission, variant readings of the Quran (qira’at) and it's miraculous nature (I’jaz). The second half of the summer semester will introduce the students to different aspects of knowledge that is related to the understanding of the Quranic text: the concept of abrogation (naskh), distinct and ambiguous verses (muhkam and mutashabihat), occasion of revelation (asbab al-nuzul), chronology of revelation, beginnings of Surahs. Excerpts and discussions stemming from contemporary scholarship on the Quran will be addressed as these are important to understand and deal with most of the controversies revolving around the Quran. 

CRT 301 – Orientation: Ribaat Scholar Certification

Offered: This course is offered in all terms.

Prerequisites: 

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
2. Students enrolling in this course are pursuing the Ribaat Religious Leader Certification.

Course Description: An orientation course into the Ribaat Ribaat Religious Leader Certification Program, this course serves as the first step of the registration process into the certification program. Through brief recordings and activities, the course forum will provide an introduction to the program as well as a platform for submitting the required documentation to enroll in the program. Completion of this course is a requirement for earning the certification, and all course activities must be completed before graduation.

Level 4 Courses

SIR 401 & 402 – Sira: An Academic Study of the Life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ | Parts 3-4

Offered: This course is offered continuously over a full year. Classes do not stop during the regular semester breaks, but students need to re-enroll in each subsequent part.

Prerequisites:

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
   
2. Successful completion of all Ribaat Level 1 and Level 2 Core course.
   
3. Successful completion of at least one Ribaat elective.
4. Successful completion of SIR 301 and 302: Sira: An Academic Study of the Life of Prophet Muhammad (s) | Parts 1-2.

Course Description: A continuation of the Level 3 Sira courses, this course continues the study of the life of Prophet Muhammad (s) in detail. In Parts 3 and 4, the course will examine the major events and incidents that took place after the hijra to Medina, extrapolating the wisdom and lessons one can gain from them. Weekly assignments focus on these lessons learned, enabling students to draw parallels to modern day struggles in their own lives and make lasting changes, following in the footsteps of the Prophet (s).

EDU 401 – Counseling: Marriage & the Family

Prerequisites: 

1. Students should be women above the age of 17.
2. Successful completion of AQD 101: Foundations, Flounderings and Faith.
3. Successful completion of PUR 101: Training the Tongue Purifying the Heart.
4. Successful completion of EDU 101: Teaching Skills & Methodology.
5. Successful completion of EDU 201: Know Your Audience: The Psychology and Spirituality of Helping Others

Course Description:  This course is designed to prepare future religious leaders to effectively understand and respond to psycho-social issues in their community. The course will orient students to provide preliminary counseling to individuals and families. It will provide a framework for building a trusting relationship, setting safe and healthy boundaries, developing effective listening skills, identifying and managing crisis situations, increasing awareness of limitations/boundaries, understanding mandated reporting, and screening and identifying potential serious mental health issues. In addition, the course will familiarize students with resources and referrals to mental health professionals in situations when a licensed professional is required.

 

Please Note:

• Courses and course schedules may be changed as the program develops.
  
• More courses are added every term.
  
• For inquiries, contact registration@rabata.org.
  

(Edited by Ribaat Registration - original submission Monday, February 15, 2016, 8:22 AM)

(Edited by Ribaat Registration - original submission Monday, February 15, 2016, 8:22 AM)

(Edited by Ribaat Administrator - original submission Monday, February 15, 2016, 8:22 AM)

(Edited by Ribaat Administrator - original submission Monday, February 15, 2016, 8:22 AM)

(Edited by Ribaat Administrator - original submission Monday, February 15, 2016, 8:22 AM)

(Edited by Ribaat Team - original submission Monday, February 15, 2016, 8:22 AM)