Foundations Diploma

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, meaning that the material is taught in a manner that is applicable and understandable to our generation. 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.

Completing Foundations is required for anyone who wishes to pursue either the Seekers or Associate's Degree.

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

Step	Goal	Course Name	Course Code
Step 1: The Basics	Get a high-level understanding of the religion	Essentials of Islam (choose either Hanafi or Shafi'i or Maliki)	LAH101 LAS101 LAM101
Step 2: Core Learning	Receive a solid foundation in matters of belief, worship, and spirituality	Introduction to Islamic Belief	BLF101
		Introduction to Islamic Worship, Part 1 (choose either Hanafi or Shafi'i or Maliki)	LAH111 LAS111 LAM111
		Introduction to Islamic Worship, Part 2 (choose either Hanafi or Shafi'i or Maliki)	LAH112 LAS112 LAM112
		The Book of Assistance	SPR101
Step 3: Broadening Horizons [Choose one]	Enrich your knowledge by choosing an elective	Tafsir of the Short Surahs	QRN101
		40 Hadith of Imam Nawawi	HDT101
		The Dawn of Prophethood	HST101
		The Rise of the Ummah	HST102

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.

Successfully completing the Foundations Diploma also makes you eligible to enter the Seekers or Associate's Degree programs.

Course Details

The 5 Required Courses

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

Essentials of Islam (Hanafi) or (Maliki) or (Shafi'i) (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 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 (Hanafi) or (Maliki) or (Shafi'i) (LAH111/LAM111/LAS111) - Attain a solid grounding in the rulings of purification and prayer by studying an intermediate-level text on the fundamentals of worship. The Hanafi course will be based on Imam Shurunbulali's Ascent to Felicity, the Shafi'i course will be based on Imam Nawawi's al-Maqasid, and the Maliki on Al-Izziyya.

Introduction to Islamic Worship - Part 2 (Hanafi) or (Shafi'i) (LAH112 / LAS112) - Continue your study of an intermediate-level fiqh text to understand the rulings related to Zakat, fasting, and Hajj. The Hanafi course will be based on Imam Shurunbulali's Ascent to Felicity , the Shafi'i course will be based on Imam Nawawi's al-Maqasid, and the Maliki on Al-Izziyya.

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.

1 Elective Course

Choose one elective from the following 4 courses:

Tafsir of the Short Surahs (QRN101) - Designed to help you relate with the chapters that you recite most frequently, this tafsir course offers detailed and inspiring commentary of the short chapters at the end of the Quran. The meanings in these chapters will help you both gain insights about your own life and draw closer to Allah and His revelation.

The 40 Hadith of Imam Nawawi (HDT101) - Examine a selection from Imam Nawawi's cherished and timeless collection of hadiths, focusing on the language of the hadiths, their implications in Sacred Law, and their relevance to our lives as Muslims in the 21st century. By reflecting upon and implementing these hadiths, you will understand the beauty of Islamic beliefs, ethics, and morals.

The Dawn of Prophethood (HST101) - The first of a pair of courses focused on providing a detailed, historical look at the Prophet's life. Part 1 begins with a broader discussion of the 6th century world and Arab society, and then focuses on the Prophet's childhood, his household, the beginning of Prophethood, Islam in Makkah, and the migration to Madinah.

The Rise of the Ummah (HST102) - The second of a pair of courses focused on providing a detailed, historical look at the Prophet's life. Part 2 focuses on the creation of community in Madinah, battles and conquests, the reentering into Makkah, the farewell pilgrimage, and the last days of the life of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

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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