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 Faraz are pre-recorded, and Ustadha Zaynab Ansari will manage the weekly live sessions. There are no required prerequisites: the course is perfect for new Muslims, those starting out on the path of Sacred Knowledge, and anyone desiring a good introduction to the faith and practices of Islam.