Foundations Diploma

The foundations for living in the modern world.

The goal of the Foundations curriculum is to teach the most essential religious knowledge that every Muslim must know. Upon completing Foundations, you will understand the islam-iman-ihsan categorization of our religion. You will learn the most important personally obligatory religious knowledge that a Muslim living in the modern world needs to know. This will allow you to both deal with and teach the most commonly encountered situations. You will also appreciate what it means to learn knowledge using a classical manual and be prepared for future higher-level studies.

The knowledge in the Foundations courses is geared towards a Muslim living in the modern world, meaning that the material is taught in a manner that is applicable and understandable to our generation. Content is taught in a relevant manner.

You must complete 6 courses as part of the Foundations curriculum. The following chart summarizes the courses:

Upon Completion

After successfully completing the Foundations courses, you are eligible to receive the Foundations Diploma. To receive full certification, first request a special code to take the course Muslim Scholarly Tradition for free. Afterwards, you will be ready to take the comprehensive Foundations exam (a $50 examination fee applies).

Receiving full certification in the Foundations Diploma means that you have been certified in your understanding of the material. It also means that you can now teach what you have learned to others: you may, for example, teach new Muslims, children at Sunday schools and Islamic schools, students in study groups, and your own children.

Auditing and course credit also available for anyone who wishes to complete the courses in the program without gaining full certification.

Course Details

Here are details on the course requirements for the Foundations Curriculum.

Essentials of Islam (LAH101/LAM101/LAS101, formerly LAH100/LAM100/LAS100) - Learn the absolute essentials of belief, worship, and spirituality so that you can gain a high-level understanding of the religion, as well as learn what you need to know immediately to make your purification and prayer valid.

Introduction to Islamic Belief (BLF101, formerly BLF110) - Learn the fundamentals of what a Muslim believes about Allah, His messengers, and the Day of Judgment. Deepen and strengthen your understanding of the core Islamic beliefs through studying the most celebrated and well-known classical manual on Islamic beliefs, the manual of Imam Tahawi.
Note: The course is currently and has in the past been based on Imam Ghazali's primer on belief. If you have taken this version of the course prior to the Fall 2008 semester, it will count towards the foundation's curriculum.

Introduction to Islamic Worship Part 1 and 2 (LAH111&LAH112/LAS111&LAS112) - Attain a solid grounding in the rulings of purification, prayer, fasting, Zakat, and Hajj. The Hanafi course will be based on Imam Shurunbulali's Ascent to Felicity and the Shafi'i course will be based on Imam Nawawi's al-Maqasid.

The Book of Assistance (SPR101) - This course provides an introduction to the discipline of Islamic spirituality. The focus is on the blameworthy traits of the heart and how to remove them, the praiseworthy traits of the heart and how to nurture them, and the fundamentals of developing good Muslim character.
Note: If you have taken any of the spirituality department courses with Shaykh Nuh Keller, Habib Ali, or Habib Umar prior to the Fall 2008 semester, you will be able to use it to fulfill this course requirement.

Electives - Choose one elective from the Hadith, Quran, or History departments.

Ready to Apply?

To apply into the Foundations program and get started, please fill out the short application form here. Our Admissions Department will contact you within one week. If you have questions about applying, read our FAQ.

Download Printable Guide

We've put all the details on a convenient, printable PDF guide. Download it here.

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