Essentials of Islam (Hanafi)

• A key first-step in your religious learning according to the Hanafi school of law
• Brings clarity to your faith, worship, and practice
• Identify the basic concepts of belief
• Understand the basic functioning of law
• Realize the need for spirituality or ihsan
• Become familiar with the basic terminology used in the sciences of belief, law and spirituality
• Learn the basics of purification, how to perform a valid prayer and a valid fast, and the basic functioning of zakat

• There are no required prerequisites.
• Understanding Islam is a highly recommended prerequisite for new and returning Muslims.
• The Absolute Essentials of Islam: A Basic Hanafi Primer on Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation by Faraz Rabbani (White Thread Press, 2004) is a required text.
• Estimated Commitment Per Week: 3-4 hours for core requirements
• Learn how to make sure your computer is ready.

• Lesson 1: Introduction to the Course
  • How we understand and live the Qur`an and Sunna
  • Religion in three dimensions: Islam, Iman, and Ihsan in the Hadith Jibril
  • Author's Introduction
• Lesson 2: Belief
  • Belief in Allah, the Prophet, and the Afterlife
• Lesson 3: Rulings of the Shariah
  • What is the Shariah?
  • Understanding the rulings
  • Living the law with love
• Lesson 4: Purification - Part I
  • Importance of purity
  • Ritual ablution
  • Invalidation of ablution
• Lesson 5: Purification - Part II
  • The ritual bath
  • Wiping over footgear, dry ablution, and menstruation
  • Removing filth and using the lavatory
• Lesson 6: The Prayer - Part I
  • Obligatory elements
  • Integrals
  • Necessary elements
• Lesson 7: The Prayer - Part II
  • Importance of sunnas in prayer
  • A complete player
• Lesson 8: The Prayer - Part III
  • Disliked and invalidating matters
  • Other supererogatory prayers, witr, group prayer, Friday, and ‘Id
  • Mistakes in the prayer
• Lesson 9: Fasting
  • Definition, invalidation, and exceptional cases
  • Sunnas of fasting, and the month of Ramadan
• Lesson 10: Zakat
  • Zakat in Islam
  • Effects of Zakat
  • Paying Zakat
  • Manners of giving and taking
• Lesson 11: The Path to Salvation
  • Disciplining the soul
  • Keys to success

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and give him peace, said "Whoever Allah wishes well for, He gives understanding of religion" [Bukhari and Muslim]. The most beneficial knowledge a person can obtain is knowledge related to how one should properly worship one's Lord, for worship is not possible without knowledge. Learn the absolute essentials of worship in this short but vital course on the basics of faith, purification, prayer, fasting, Zakat, and central points related to your everyday life.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani's The Absolute Essentials of Islam: A Basic Hanafi Primer on Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation is a short work that outlines the fundamentals of Islam based on the methodology of traditional Sunni Islam and according to the largest school of Islamic law. Its 64 pages are divided into five main sections: belief; the rulings of the sacred law; purification; prayer; and the path to salvation. It also includes three short appendices: the sunna prayers; dealing with doubts and misgivings; and selected prayers and chapters from the Quran.

This course on the absolute essentials of Islam will use Shaykh Faraz's book to cover what is personally obligatory for a Muslim to know immediately regarding matters of faith, purification, prayer, and some central points related to everyday life according to the Hanafi school. As this course is meant as an introduction or a review of the basics, it will not delve into a great deal of detail except in cases where detail will further understanding.

Imam Ghazali's moving Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship, translated by Muhtar Holland, will also be used to discuss the sections related to the inner dimensions of the various acts of worship.

Lessons with Shaykh Sohail are pre-recorded, and Shaykh Sulayman Van Ael will manage the weekly live sessions. There are no required prerequisites: but new and returning Muslims are highly recommended to take Understanding Islam or equivalent first. Together, these courses are the perfect introduction to the faith and practices of Islam.

• New Downloadable Format: All recorded lessons are downloadable to your mobile device (such as iPod, mp3 player, or cell phone) in mp4 and mp3 formats.
• New Easy-to-Use Media Page: New interface makes it easy to download all media and material for the course using one simple interface.
• Recorded lessons will be conducted by Shaykh Sohail.
• Weekly live sessions will be conducted by Shaykh Sulayman.
• Printable course slides will add structure to lessons.
• Self-study drills help you retain key lesson points.
• Assignments solidify your understanding of the material.
• All live lessons will be recorded, so that you can hear lessons you miss or review key concepts.
• You can post questions and engage in discussion in the course forum.
• Imam al-Ghazali's the Foundations of Islamic Belief will be provided in electronic format.
• You are recommended to have a copy of Abdul Wadod Shalabi's Islam: Religion of Life and Imam al-Ghazali's Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship translated by Muhtar Holland.
• Shaykh Sulayman will hold weekly office hours.

• "I would recommend this particular course to others because it was truly benefited and changed me for the better. I have acquired an amount of knowledge I did not know existed and would not have been capable of acquiring were it not for SunniPath."
  Rami Koujah
  Student, Irvine, USA
• "LAH101 opened my eyes to many aspects of salat, zakat, sawm, and tahara that i was not aware of before. It really helped me to further perfect my ibadah."
  Hallie Pape
  Housewife, Canton, USA
• "I would recommend this course to anyone as a basic yet very helpful and useful primer in the essential knowledge that we all need to know to be able to worship our Lord."
  Simon Dewar
  IT Professional, Canberra, Australia
• "I would recommend this course to anyone as a basic yet very helpful and useful primer in the essential knowledge that we all need to know to be able to worship our Lord."
  Simon Dewar
  IT Professional, Canberra, Australia
• "The course gives a fantastic breakdown of the basics of Islam. The course covers all the need to know information for a new Muslim or one who just does not know."
  Anthony Olivas
  Financial Service, Liverpool, US
• "I would recommend this particular course to others because it provides those looking for a strong grounding in their religion. It helps remove any worries or doubts about whether one is praying correctly or whether one has purified themselves according to the Sunnah. It really allows one to go through their daily lives soundly without worrying about whether one is practising their faith correctly."
  Basim Salim
  Student, Markham, Canada
• "I would recommend this particular course to others because first of all, it was an excellent review of everything we learn as children but don't really know why we do what we do. Second, I think that the instructors not only give you the academic reasoning and understand behind an action, but also the spiritual reasoning. This really helps me motivate myself from every aspect when I go to practice what I've learned in my daily life."
  Saman Farouqi
  Student, Gainesville, USA
• "I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is a follower of Hanafi fiqh, as well as others, as this course covers very basic things that we need to know. Myself, having been born into a Muslim family and having been active in the mosque the past few years, I still found the course to provide me with knowledge on basic and fundamental things as belief, purity and prayer at a rather high level. After carrying out the course, I have become aware of many things, things I previously did not even consider, and thus I actually feel that my worship, in particular my prayer, have improved a lot."
  Qamar Ali
  Shop Assistant, Oslo, Norway
• "I would strongly recommend this course, LAH 101, because it teaches us the essentials of deen in terms of practice and beliefs. If taken seriously, it encourages us further to learn about the daily practices and rituals."
  Obaidullah Mohammed
  GIS Urban Planner, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• "I didn't know so many details of fiqh which I learnt in this course and Alhamdulilah I started applying it also as I was in the process of learning. This course really helped me a lot."
  Ayesha Khan
  Housewife, Peshawar, Pakistan
• "It gives you a firm grasp of the necessary knowledge that no Muslim can afford to be without. If you have any questions on the five pillars you will get them answered InshAllah by taking this class."
  Zachary Dupont
  Caretaker, Youbou, Canada
• "I would recommend it because it teaches you the basics of Islam and allows you to expand your islamic knowledge from there. even if you think you may know the basics, after taking this course you will realize how much you did not know."
  Mubushar Raza
  Registered Nurse, Bayside, USA
• "Although this is a basic fiqh course, my wife (who also took this course) and I felt like we've learned so much! One of the things that really stood out for me was learning about the gradations within Islamic law: obligatory, necessary, sunnah mu'akkadah, etc. These were key in helping me understand how to grow within Islam in a steadfast manner, and how Islam really is a complete way of life."
  Muhaafiz Khan
  Teacher, Washington DC, USA
• “I would recommend this particular course to others because I have become more consistent in my salat, Alhamdolillah, and know the right way to pray and have a better knowledge of the requirements of our daily worship. This all enabled me to become more steadfast, Alhamdolillah. Ustadah Zaynab Ansari was brilliant, Mashallah, May Allah reward her for her efforts and the patience she had. She was very clear at all times and her support was very valuable along with her encouragement.”
  Hajra Azim
  Housewife, Slough, UK
• “I would recommend this particular course to others because all the basics of Hanafi madhhab are dealt with fully...a lot of questions were answered and doubts and confusions sorted out”
  Hajira Mahomed
  Medical Doctor, Cape Town, South Africa
• “This is another exceptional course and I will recommend it to everyone who has some confusions regarding basic fiqh an who wants to learn fiqh systematically.”
  Ali Ishtiaq
  Government Officer, Lahore, Pakistan
• “The course material is excellent in providing the foundation to ones Hanafi learning in a simple and easy manner.”
  Asma Arif
  Orthoptist, Peterborough, England
• “I learnt a great deal. I'm only a new Muslim...so I've been able to learn all about the basics I need to know, and acquire more learning on worship. The fasting and zakat lessons were very helpful as I didn't know much about those subjects. The last lesson on the spirituality was nice too, I've always been a more spiritually inclined person. It is a great convenient way of learning in your own time, lots to learn and goes into detail on everything, the lessons on prayer were very insightful, you can recognise where your going wrong and change that.”
  Kayleigh Robinson
  Sales Assistant, Keighley, England
• “I took this course to refresh my understanding on the basic elements of our belief and worship. If you want to learn how to worship Allah in accordance to the Quran and Sunnah then this is the course for you! Highly recommended for those who have never studied fiqh before.”
  Rozina Shabbir
  Professional Fundraiser, High Wycombe, UK
• “I would recommend this particular course to others because the teaching material was great with an emphasis on the context of the essentials of Islam. The course was timely, well organised and we were made very comfortable. If we didn't understand anything we were strongly encouraged to ask questions, no matter how small or silly it may feel to one. All avenues of communication was exercised so we didn't feel that the instructors were not reachable. The instructors were very pleasant and approachable.”
  Nancy Kamal
  Research Associate, London, England
• “I would recommend this course to others because it helps solidify our everyday practice according to a specific madhab.”
  Shannen Espelien
  Technical Support Supervisor, Burnsville, USA
• “I would recommend this particular course to others because it re-enforces the basics to all those who have been practicing Islam for most of their lives, and at the same time is a great starting point for those new to the Faith.”
  Rehnuma Hossain
  Student, Birmingham, United Kingdom
• “I would recommend this course to others because it gives the basic understanding for different law school which is important to know and because the way of teaching is interactive and encourage student participation”
  Shaimaa Ali
  Teaching Assistant / Research Assistant, London-On, Canada
• “I think it gave a thorough overall understanding of the obligations of a Muslim. It is a excellent introductory class as well as a good reminder of what our duties and practices should entail. I think Ustadha Zaynab is very professional, precise, and well informed in her understanding as well as her ability to convey to others.”
  Fatima Abdul-Kareem
  Hospital Admitting Officer, Baltimore, USA
• "I would recommend this course to anyone as a basic yet very helpful and useful primer in the essential knowledge that we all need to know to be able to worship our Lord."
  Simon Dewar
  IT Professional, Canberra, Australia
• "I would recommend this course to others because it covers the core practices of Islam. It helps us to understand why we do certain things, how to practice and implement it in the correct manner in our routine day to day lives."
  Runi Motin
  Biomedical Scientist, Cambridge, UK
• "This course has allowed me to learn the essentials of Islam, in a way that it makes application easy."
  Mohammad Aslam
  Systerms Engineer, Bristol, UK
• "It provides a wealth of knowledge about the basic elements of faith, and helps one improve and master the obligatory elements."
  Rumana Saley
  Interior Designer, Johannesburg, South Africa
• "I would recommend this particular course to others because it has changed my life and the way I practice my Deen as it has made me realise how to worship Allah being spiritually and physically present and to maximise the connection with Allah. It has definitely made my acts of worship more meaningful."
  Aminudin Abd Majid
  Parole Officer, Sydney, Australia
• “It gives an overview of what is required of you in regards to worship in your everyday life. Every Muslim needs to know the details of actions such as ritual prayer, fasting, etc... We need to know what is obligatory, recommended, etc... and cannot live in ignorance of such relevant rulings. Ustadha Zainab is excellent, may Allah bless her. She was teaching right up to her pregnancy and immediately afterwards, she truly has a self-sacrificing personality.”
  Yusaf Bhatti
  Student, Amman, Jordan
• “I would recommend this course to others because it increased my knowledge about every aspect of Islam according to hanafi fiqh and helped me to follow my deen better.”
  Salma Khan
  Housewife, London, UK
• “I would also recommend the Essentials of Islam (Hanafi) to others. There is so much to everything in Islam that one can never learn everything in my opinion. Even when one attends classes or has personal help, eg, learning to pray, all the reasoning between it is not taught to us.”
  Yvonne Jami
  Healthcare Reimbursement, New York, USA
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