- AlMaghrib Institute
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AlMaghrib Institute 
Type Non-Profit Educational Industry Education Founded 2001 Founder(s) Muhammad Alshareef Headquarters Houston, Texas, Ottawa, Ontario, London, England, United States, Canada, United Kingdom Area served United States, Canada, United Kingdom Key people Muhammad Alshareef, Founder
Waleed Basyouni, Vice President
Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi, Dean of Academic AffairsProducts Seminars Website www.almaghrib.org AlMaghrib Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which focuses on teaching Islamic Sciences to Muslim communities within United States, Canada, United Kingdom and now Malaysia.[1][2] It currently conducts seminars in over 30 cities across 5 countries.[3]
AlMaghrib takes the traditional semester long course and condenses it into six days, and produces an Islamic educational experience that is unique. Their aim is to empower Muslims, two weekends at a time and carry the knowledge back to their communities.[4]
History
AlMaghrib Institute was founded in 2001 by Muhammad Alshareef in cooperation with Dar-us-Salaam in College Park, Maryland. The Islamic Institute offers double weekend degree style seminars to Muslims located in Canada, the United States, and the UK.[5]
Methodology
AlMaghrib is known for organizing their seminars in either single or double-weekend seminars. Instructors assign recommended reading and share tips on how to prepare academically, mentally, and spiritually for the seminar, so that students can familiarize themselves with the material and maximize the benefit they acquire from the seminar.
The seminars usually consist of six days of instruction: with classes on Friday evening and all day Saturday and Sunday for two consecutive weekends. The two-weekend seminar consists of 35–45 hours of class time. The seminars include interactive sessions and activities such as Jam sessions and Gem boards, which encourage students to interact with the material they have learned and introduce them to innovative, reflective ways of expressing their thoughts and feelings about the seminar.
An on-site exam of the material is administered approximately one month after the seminar, to ensure that students retain the information learned, and to evaluate the level of the students' comprehension. For the seminar to count towards a bachelor's degree in Islamic Studies, the student is required to take the exam and receive a passing grade.
Power Point presentations and other Audio/Visual methods are routinely used during the seminars. Each student registered for the seminar receives a binder that outlines the material and facilitates absorption of the information taught.[6]
Academics
AlMaghrib Institute is a self accredited Bachelors program, expected to gain acceptance among other institutions by virtue of its own merit and excellence. Students will be awarded a degree from AlMaghrib Institute after completing the required number of credit hours and memorizing a portion of the Holy Qur'an.[7]
Seminars
They offer many courses that range from different topics based on Islam.
Ilm Fest
AlMaghrib Institute has held a yearly conference known as IlmFest over the past few years starting with Chicago, IL in 2006, Toronto, ON in 2007, New York City in 2008 and Baltimore, MD in 2009, and in Toronto again in 2010.[8]
IlmFest is an opportunity for the AlMaghrib instructors to come in with different topics. It allows AlMaghrib Institute to pick up on some current issues. IlmFest separates itself from other Muslim conferences by the tendency of those coming to the event to be more focused on seeking knowledge. Even though it's a conference setting, you'll actually see people with notebooks and pens. The objective of IlmFest is to give a public space to make Muslims feel there's nothing wrong at all with being who they are and there's nothing wrong with expressing your beliefs, with being proud of being who you are.[9]
Ilm Week
Ilm Week is a five day seminar taking place between a double weekend seminar at a specific student body location. Ilm Week addresses various contemporary and academic topics in areas of Islamic sciences taught by various instructors.[10]
Ilm Summit
Ilm Summit is a yearly intensive retreat headed by Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi - the Dean of Academic Affairs at AlMaghrib Institute. The objective is to teach and train a focused group of people on specific subjects of Islamic sciences and train them how to teach their communities on the same subjects. Ilm Summit aims to be the best academic experience that people have seen in the English language. The ultimate goal is to teach a group of dedicated teachers who are effective callers and teachers of Islam to take Islamic knowledge back to their communities while having a connection with orthodox Islam.[11]
Online Media
AlMaghrib Institute as part of its marketing efforts offers a lot of different forms of content for free online for prospective students to become familiar with the different Instructors, teaching styles and student culture.
Khutbah.com
Khutbah.com is a non-profit website, devoted to Muslims world wide and provided by AlMaghrib Institute. This website provides visitors with speeches written or translated by AlMaghrib Professors to be used in any Friday Prayer khutbah (sermon). Most speeches and articles on this website are provided in English and many other languages, including French, Spanish and German.[12]
IlmCast.com
IlmCast.com is a website full lectures and series by AlMaghrib Institute instructors are readily available for streaming or download via iTunes.[13]
AlMaghrib Web TV
Is a website that allows existing students of AlMaghrib institute to get random streaming videos from various AlMaghrib instructors 24/7.[14] Once signed in, the student can view videos on various topics including fiqh of Prayer, guidance, and other events.[15]
GemReel.com
GemReel.com is a student run website dedicated to capturing of different AlMaghrib videos, advertisements and documentaries by the students and volunteers into one single place.[16]
Instructors
All 17 of its instructors have degrees from Islamic universities and/or have studied for many years around the globe under renowned shayoukh and scholars.–5 from the Islamic University of Madinah, 2 from other Saudi Arabian universities, 2 from American Islamic universities, and 2 from Al-Azhar University.[17]
Abdullah Hakim Quick PhD
Abdullah Hakim Quick was born in the United States of America and accepted Islam in Canada in 1970.[18]
Dr Abdullah Hakim Quick is a historian, social activist and religious leader of African and Native American descent. He has travelled to over 58 countries doing research and delivering lectures to various communities. His qualification in Islamic Studies comes from a BA from the Islamic University of Madinah, Saudi Arabia and his history background is shaped by an MA and PhD from the History Department of the University of Toronto, Canada.[18]
Presently he is a Senior Lecturer at The True Dawn Institute (Islamic Training & Development) in Cape Town and a member of the Muslim Judicial Council, Cape Town, South Africa. Shaykh Abdullah is also the Director of the Discover Islam Centre (Cape Town) and Ameer of the Dawah Coordinating Forum of South Africa.[18]
AbdulBary Yahya
AbdulBaryYahya was born in Vietnam during the Vietnam War, and very soon thereafter immigrated to the U.S. with his family. He grew up in Seattle, WA and after completing his primary and secondary education there, began his studies at the Islamic University of Madinah. It was at the University that he befriended Muhammad Alshareef. Upon graduation from the Islamic University of Madinah's College of Shariah, AbdulBary Yahya returned to Vietnam and Cambodia and became a teacher and director of the Umm al-Qura Charity Organization in Vietnam.[19]
He presently resides in Seattle, WA with his family, and is an instructor with AlMaghrib Institute. He also holds the positions of President of the Cham Refugee Community and Vice-President of the Islamic Center of Washington State.
Yasir Qadhi PhD
Yasir Qadhi was born in Houston, Texas and completed his primary and secondary education in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He graduated with a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston, after which he was accepted as a student at the Islamic University of Madinah. After completing a diploma in Arabic, he graduated with a B.A. from the College of Hadith and Islamic Sciences. Thereafter, he completed a M.A. in Islamic Theology from the College of Dawah.[20]
Qadhi completed his doctorate, in Religious Studies, at Yale University in New Haven, CT.[20]
Mohammed Faqih
Mohammed Faqih is the doctor of etiquettes and mannerisms. His style in fashion and stride in walk makes you say “that man’s fit to be president”. Living in California, he has much material for class jokes and light-hearted jabs to make his life-learning lessons hit home. Above all else, Shaykh Mohammed has melted the hearts with lessons in tazkiya, akhlaq, and even self-discovery and psychology.
Hailing from a lineage of scholarship, Shaykh Mohammed traces his roots back to the ancient city of Harar in the Horn of Africa. Originally from Yemen, his forefathers immigrated to East Africa and played a central role in the Islamic history of the region.
He completed a B.A. in Islamic Studies from the Institute of Islamic and Arabic Sciences in America in Fairfax, VA, and graduated in Qur’an Memorization and Recitation from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Previously, he has held the positions of Imam at the Islamic Community Center of Laurel in Laurel, MD and at the Islamic Center of San Diego in San Diego, CA. He has also acted as an assistant Imam at the Islamic Association of Raleigh, NC and as a teacher at the Al-Iman School in the same community.
He currently serves as Imam at the Islamic Institute of Orange County, otherwise known as Masjid Omar Farouk.
Dr. Waleed Basyouni
Dr. Waleed Basyouni is the Vice President of AlMaghrib Institute and the Head of our Aqeedah and Adab Department. Students know him well for his sincere care for their well-being and progress in studying. His smile is always heart-felt and his unique methods for keeping them engaged are always greeted with appreciation. If you pass by him in the hall, expect to be asked, “How are you finding the class so far?”
He graduated with a Bachelor’s in Islamic Sciences from Al-Imam Muhammad University, KSA; did his Masters in Islamic Theology, World Religions and Modern Religious Sects from Al-Imam Muhammad University; and acquired a Doctorate in Theology. Shaykh Waleed has Ijaazahs in reciting the Holy Qur’an and in several books of Hadeeth, awarded by various scholars. He studied under great scholars of our time such as Shaykh Ibn Baz, Abdul-Razzaq Afify and others.
Shaykh Waleed Basyouni has made an appearance in media around the world including Al-Huda Channel, Islam Channel, PeaceTV, and many other radio talk shows and television programs in both the English and Arabic languages. He is also a member of the North American Imam Federation (NAIF), Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America (AMJA)-Fatwa and Research Committee, Director of Texas Dawah Convention, and Advisor to numerous Islamic Societies/Organizations around the US.
Riad Ouarzazi
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Said Rageah
Said Rageah was born in Somalia, Shaykh Said later moved to North America in the late 1980s. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Islamic Studies and a Masters degree in Shari'ah (Islamic Law). He has had several posts over the years, including founder of Masjid Huda in Montreal and Masjid Aya in Maryland, advisor for Muslim Youth magazine, and member in the Aqsa Association. He is also the founder of both Muslim Magazine and Al Aqsa Association. Furthermore he was a Chaplain at both the University of Calgary and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). Currently, he serves as Imam at the Abu Hurairah Mosque in Toronto and Chairman for the Journey of Faith Conference.
Suhaib Webb
Imam Suhaib Webb was born and raised in the State of Oklahoma, USA. Suhaib William Webb accepted Islam at the age of twenty. He graduated with a degree in Education from the Central Oklahoma University and has studied Arabic and Islamic Sciences under many notable scholars.
Imam Suhaib is a dynamic and inspiring speaker and is a Lecturer at the Islamic American University (IAU) in California. He is currently studying Shariah at Al-Azhar University (Egypt) and is the author of the best selling audio CD album 'Mothers of the Believers'.He appeared in mbc show of hamaz yusuf on MBC.
Navaid Aziz is from Montreal, Quebec, where he obtained a degree in Economics and Social Science. After which he attended Islamic University of Madinah where he spent three years attaining an associates degree in Arabic before attaining his Bachelor's Degree in Islamic Law. Aziz serves his the community as a marriage and youth counselor.[21]
His most recent project is myspiritualfix.com[22] where he helps Muslims deal with spiritual issues they may have.
Reda Bedeir PhD
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Abdurrahman Al-Hejazy
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Ahsan Hanif
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Abu Eesa Niamatullah
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Shpendim Nadzaku
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Dr. Ali Shehata
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Controversy
Stance on Terrorism
AlMaghrib Institute has spoken out against extremist acts of violence in the name of Islam. In one of the largest conventions in the US, Vice President Waleed Basyouni used evidences from the Qur'an and recognized Muslim scholars to prove that extremism in Islam is considered an innovation (i.e. a concept outside of the permissible parameters of the religion). It is AlMaghrib's stance that anyone who carries arms and recruits individuals in order to bring disturbance and violence to a community is not tolerated by the laws of Islam.[23]
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who in December 2009 attempted to detonate plastic explosives on board Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit, once took an AlMaghrib Class.[24] Yasir Qadhi, the Dean of Academic Affairs at AlMaghrib Institute was quoted by CNN saying, "The 16-day conference organized by the Al Maghrib Institute was a series of courses and workshops to teach young Muslims "the nuts and bolts of Islam." Regarding Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab he Qadhi was quoted saying, "At some level, we did not convince him of the validity of our views," and that is cause for regret"[25]
Daniel Maldonado, also known as Daniel Aljughaifi An American citizen arrested by the Kenyan military in January 2007 and handed over to the US authorities. He later pleaded guilty to a charge of receiving training from a foreign terrorist organization and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.[26] charged with receiving terrorist training at an Al Qaeda camp in Somalia. Daniel has been noted to attend seminars by AlMaghrib Institute in the past in Memphis, TN[27]
Stance on Holocaust
Yasir Qadhi, who is currently the Dean of Academic Affairs at the AlMaghrib Institute,[27] and a frequent public spokesman for the AlMaghrib Institute, made headlines in 2001 when he made public claims doubting the extent of the Holocaust; he later recanted those statements saying his past views were based on misinformation.[28]
In the UK Qadhi was told directly, "You’ve been accused of denying the Holocaust and being an anti-Semite." to which he responded, "I honestly could not help smile at this outlandish accusation. My specialty is Islamic theology, which I frequently teach. I also speak about Quranic exegesis, the life of the Prophet salla Allau alayhi wa sallam, the sciences of the Quran, the explanation of the hadith traditions, and other such topics. I rarely get involved with Christian or Jewish polemics because I do not view it as being my area of expertise. Just to clarify: I firmly believe that the Holocaust was one of the worst crimes against humanity that the 20th century has witnessed.[29]
References
- ^ http://almaghrib.org/locations.php AlMaghrib Locations
- ^ http://www.amarrazali.com/tag/almaghrib%20malaysia AlMaghrib Malaysia
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7P32Cn6nDw AlMaghrib Institute Trailer 2010
- ^ http://almaghrib.org/aboutus.php#Page_1 What Is AlMaghrib
- ^ Hasan, Irtiza (2005-11-08). "AlMaghrib Institute's Relationship with other educational institutions". AlMaghrib Institute Student Forums. http://forums.almaghrib.org/showthread.php?t=11774. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
- ^ http://almaghrib.org/aboutus.php#Page_3 AlMaghrib Method
- ^ http://almaghrib.org/curriculum.php AlMaghrib Curriculum
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kf471xQGac IlmFest 2009 Trailer
- ^ http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bal-md.muslim03oct03,0,1048740.story IlmFest 2009
- ^ http://forums.almaghrib.org/showthread.php?t=33296 IlmWeek - 5 Day Intensive Program
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veyszGlvBo0 My Vision For Islam - Ilm Summit Day 04
- ^ http://www.khutbah.com/aboutus.php About Khutbah.com
- ^ http://ilmcast.com/about About IlmCast
- ^ http://groups.google.com/group/almaghrib_florida/browse_thread/thread/b40d409164f48d24?fwc=2&pli=1 AlMaghrib WebTV Launch
- ^ http://www.zaufishan.co.uk/2010/08/launched-today-almaghrib-web-tv.html Launched today AlMaghrib WebTV
- ^ http://gemreel.com/ About GemReel.com
- ^ http://www.almaghrib.org/instructor_MA.php AlMaghrib Instructors Profiles
- ^ a b c http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shaykh-Abdullah-Hakim-Quick/434141020173?v=info Abdullah Hakim Quick Facebook
- ^ http://almaghrib.org/instructor_AY.php AlMaghrib Instructors Profiles: AbdulBary Yahya
- ^ a b http://almaghrib.org/instructor_YQ.php AlMaghrib Instructors Profiles: Yasir Qadhi
- ^ http://www.facebook.com/navaidaziz Navaid Aziz Facebook
- ^ http://www.myspiritualfix.com Navaid Aziz Website Project
- ^ http://ilmcast.com/violence-in-the-name-of-god-21.htm Violence in the Name of God
- ^ Terror suspect was student in Houston, Detroit Free Press, December 31, 2009
- ^ Terror suspect attended 2008 Islamic 'knowledge fest' in Houston, CNN, December 31, 2009
- ^ My Imprisonment 2008
- ^ a b Plans to Build Massive Islamic Centers Raise Concerns in Tennessee. Fox News, August 9, 2010
- ^ Muslim leaders visit concentration camps as part of effort to combat Holocaust denial, Washington Post, August 21, 2010
- ^ GPU ’08 with Yasir Qadhi: When Islamophobia Meets Perceived Anti-Semitism, MuslimMatters.org, November 10th, 2008
External links
Categories:- Islamic organizations
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