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Islamic Literacy

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Overview

Gain In-depth Islamic Knowledge

Access Without Barriers

Young adults and professionals are capable of understanding intermediate and advanced topics in Islamic sciences, without spending years learning Arabic first, so they can serve as literate leaders, activist, and mentors in the community.

Unique Curriculum

Through the use of high-quality translations taught by qualified teachers, we cover the enitre corpus of the Quran, Sunnah, Islamic legal and Civilizational System, Aqidah, Hadith Collection, Tafsir, Usul-al-Fiqh, Logic, Islamic History, and Islamic Thought.

Revelation Revived

Graduates of the MDP will have demonstrated growth in activism, mentorship, and professional skills development. Regular assessments and projects test for University-level Islamic thought. The evening and weekend format will help make Islamic literacy a permanent part of their lives.



Perfect for Parents and Professionals

Year Program
Evenings and Weekends
hours per week
Classroom Instruction
Thursdays 7-10 PM
Online and In-person
Saturdays 10AM-Noon
Online and In-person
$150 Monthly
or $1500 per year
Starts Jan. 9
Limited Seats
ACADEMIC CALENDAR

Instructors

Subaib Webb
Suhaib Webb has a degree in Education from the University of Central Oklahoma, and Islamic Law from al-Azhar in Cairo. He was the resident scholar at the ICNYU and taught a course at NYU on Islamic Law and Ethics. He sits on the executive council of the North American Fiqh Council, is a member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars and sits on the advisory board of the Political Theology Network. His writings have appeared in the New York Times, and he has been on CNN, NBS, al-Jazeera, CBS and more. He runs an online school that focuses on functional religious literacy for English speaking Muslims, and currently serves as the Resident Scholar at Center DC in Washington DC.
Imam Suhaib Webb
Sciences of Hadith, Fiqh, Quran
Author
Dr. Abu Zayd is the founder and director of the Quran Literacy Institute. He holds degrees in Islamic studies as well as traditional licenses (Ijāzah) in the ten modes of Qurʼānic recitation, books of ḥadīth and many Islamic texts. He is the author of Childrens Bequest, a textbook on the science of Tajweed based upon the first English translation of the Arabic classic Tuḥfat al-Aṭfāl, and has translated and published numerous additional books.

He attained a bachelor’s degree in Islamic Studies from the School of Islamic and Arabic Studies and a master’s degree from the Islamic University of Minnesota under the direction of Shaykh Waleed Edrees. Under the tutelage of the renowned Dr. Muḥammad Akram Nadwi, he completed multiple programs, including a Diploma in Classical Islamic Texts from Cambridge Islamic College, an Advanced License in Islamic Scholarship (Shahādah al-ʿĀlimiyyah) and a License of Specialization in Legal Verdicts (Takhaṣṣus fī al-Iftāʾ) from Al-Salam Institute. In addition, he has had a life-long association with the late Maulānā Muḥammad Yūsuf Iṣlāḥī of India. Dr. Abu Zayd is a licensed medical doctor, a founding member of Young Muslims, and a long-standing member of ICNA.
Dr. Abu Zayd
Tafsir and Quranic Studies
Author
Hamzah Maqbul holds a Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry and a Bachelors of Arts in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. After graduation Shaykh Hamzah went on to pursue traditional Islāmic studies, which took him to a number of countries, including Syria and Egypt where he studied the Arabic language, Morocco, Mauritania, and UAE, where he studied the madhhab of Imām Mālik, grammar, usul al-hadith, and the two renditions of the qira’ah of Imam Nāfi’, Warsh and Qālūn, and finally Pakistān where he had the opportunity to study tafsīr, Usūl al-Hadīth, Hadīth, ‘Ilm al-Rijāl and Hanafī Fiqh. All of these studies culminated in him receiving an Ijāzat al-Tadrīs, literally meaning “a license to teach” which is the equivalent in Pakistānī Islāmic seminaries to a MA in Arabic and Islāmic studies, as well as an unbroken chain of transmission by which to narrate the Hadīth of such books as the Muwatta' of Imām Mālik, the Sihāh al-Sittah (Bukhārī, Muslim, Abū Dāwūd, Tirmidhī, Nasā'ī and Ibn Mājah), and the Sharh Ma'ānī al-Athār of Imām al-Tahāwī.

He is currently collaborating with the Imam Ghazali Institute and the resident scholar for Ribāt, a center for learning and remembrance in the Midwest United States.
Mawlana Hamzah Wald Maqbul
Hadith Studies
Author
Ustadh Abdul Sattar has been pursuing Islamic studies formally at Darul Qasim since 2007, studying Arabic, Fiqh, Aqidah, Tafsir, Hadith, and the other Islamic sciences. He has also studied the Islamic sciences at Al Salam Institute and with other teachers privately, completing various books in the ‘ulum. He continues to pursue the completion of the ‘alimiyah degree at Darul Qasim on a part-time basis.

Abdul Sattar Ahmed is a member of ICNA and part of the board at the Islamic Leaning Foundation. He also serves as an advisor to Young Muslims of North America on matters of Islamic studies and Tarbiyah, where he was a member for over a decade serving in roles at the local, regional, and national levels. He graduated in 2007 double-majoring in Finance and Information Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and is currently working as a software engineer for a major cloud computing provider in the United States. His interests include Tafsir, Law, and the Kalam Creedal tradition.
Ustadh Abdul Sattar
Theology / Aqida
Author
Dr. Arif Hussain received his training in social activism and youth mentorship during his years as a member of Young Muslims (YM). While in YM, he served as a Neighbornet Coordinator, Chicago City Coordinator, and National Coordinator. He was also a founding member of the Islamic Learning Foundation in Chicago where he helped develop the curriculum for the faculty of Arabic studies. He completed a rigorous course of Arabic study at the Qortoba Institute in Cairo, Egypt.

He has a special educational interest in Islamic theology and spiritual sciences. He has received a teaching certificate for the “Why Islam is True” course under the instruction of Shaykh Hamza Karamali (Basira Education). He is currently a student in the Alimiyyah program at Al-Salam Institute under the auspices of Dr. Akram Nadwi. Professionally, He is a practicing Physician.
Dr. Arif Hussain
Hanafi Fiqh

Frequently Asked Questions

This program is available as a fully-online program as well as in-person at ICNA Center (and hybrid). All classes are live-streamed and recorded for later playback.Students have 5 hours of class each week. Students local to the Chicagoland area are encouraged to attend in-person whenever feasible at the ICNA Center (1S270 Summit Ave, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181).

Thursday night classes are 7 PM to 10 PM and Saturday morning classes are 10 AM to 12 PM.

Yes, all classes are recorded and available same-day.

Yes, our classroom accomodates both men and women. For parents taking the program together, we have space within the facility if they'd like to arrange their own private child care.

Each class requires a passing grade to maintain enrollment in the Murabbi Development Program. There are homework assignments, tests, projects, and final exams that are adminstered through our learning management system.

No, learning Arabic is not a requirement of this program. We utilize high-quality translations combined with a qualified teacher to “skip” the Arabic aspects, allowing students to access more advanced texts without struggling to read.

The result is an Islamic literate activist who is conversant in all major Islamic topics and is able to lead community efforts alongside scholars and Imams

ICNA Chicago will offer a separate 3-year Quranic Arabic program that students can choose to take.

We affirm that Arabic is an uncompromisable requirement for scholarship in Islam and to gain authority to represent the Islamic tradition.

This program fulfills a need to provide the scale necessary to have Islamically literate community members who can provide thinking, leadership, and activist work to benefit the community, spread the message of Islam, and combat anti-Islamic efforts.

After you submit your registration, our administrative team will schedule a time for a 15-minute interview. Each applicant must fulfill this program's criteria for classroom-fit. This includes alignment of vision, commitment towards the end-to-end completion of the program, and agreement to the program's specific requirements. The final step is to process the applicant's payment and ICNA Chicago will issue your Welcome Package.

Success Criteria Discussed in Interview

Understand that this program does not aim to:
  • To be a substitute for complete scholarly study in a madrasa or Islamic University system
  • To create fully credentialed Imams and scholars
  • To act as a counterbalance to scholarly authority


We hope that a graduate of this program has a strong grounding in the Qur’an, Sunnah, Shari’ah, ‘Aqidah, and the sciences of Islam.

Because students are forced to deal with University-level arguments and discussions against Islamic thought in the English language, we believe that equipping students with Islamic thought in the English language will be a scalable, achievable goal.

The program is nevertheless demanding in terms of weekly hours and content and will select for hard working students who wish to make Islamic literacy a permanent part of their lives. Graduates are expected to be leaders, teachers, educators, da’ees, and mentors in the community

Upong graduation of the Murabbi Development Program, students will receive a certificate of Islamic Literacy and Activism by the Islamic Circle of North America. This will enable students to demonstrate proficiency in each subject taught in the MDP. For students pursuing advanced degrees in Islamic scholarship at institutions of higher education, they will have the opportunity to demonstrate their competency in core topics in order to continue in more advanced areas of study.

The ICNA Education team is in discussions with a number of education providers to form partnerships for students to continue their journey of Islamic Scholarship. This includes pursuing specializations through ICNA education on a national scale, such as AMAL in Dallas as well as well-known Islamic seminaries and acreddited Islamic universties.

Each course is taught by an expert who specializes in that particular topic. The first year staff includes Imam Suhaib Webb, Sheikh Dr. Abu Zayd, Mawlana Hamzah wald Maqbul, Abdul Sattar Ahmed, and Dr. Arif Hussain. Seminars and Workshops are taught in close collaboration with organizations and academic institutions such as Dr. Asif Hirani of AMAL Dallas, Professor Omer Mozaffar, Sh. Hamza Karamali of Basira Education, etc.

Click here to view pricing and make payments

Need based financial aid available

Discounts for students, YM, ICNA, and other organizations.

Enrollment Form

Curriculum

Click the images below to view course details.

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3
Project
42 Hours

Theology - Aqidah

Project
42 Hours

Law and Ethics - Fiqh

Project
42 Hours

Spirituality - Tazkiyah

Project
126 Hours

Scriptural Studies

Project
14 Hours

Quranic Methodology - Ulūm

Project
14 Hours

Hadith Methodology - Usūl

Project
14 Hours

Fiqh Methodology - Usūl

Project
42 Hours

Theology

Project
42 Hours

Law and Ethics

Project
42 Hours

Fiqh Methodology

Project
14 Hours

Islamic Personality Development

Project
28 Hours

Islamic Personality Development

Project
42 Hours

Theology

Project
28 Hours

Law and Ethics

Project
42 Hours

Scriptural Studies

Project
14 Hours

Law and Ethics

Project
28 Hours

Islamic Personality Development

Project
14 Hours

Islamic Personality Development

Project
3 Hours

Workshop

Project
3 Hours

Workshop

Project
3 Hours

Workshop

Project
1 Hour

Seminar

Project
1 Hour

Seminar

Project
1 Hour

Seminar

January 9, 2025 - December 18, 2025

Academic Calendar

14-week trimesters

First Term

January 9, 2025 to
May 17, 2025

No classes in Ramadan

  • Available Online and Onsite at ICNA Center
  • Thursdays 7 PM to 10 PM
  • Class 1: Hadith Reading and Commentary
  • Class 2: Creed & Worldview
  • Class 3: Methodology of Jurisprudence
  • Saturdays 10 AM to Noon
  • Class 4: Tafsir: Comprehension of Complete Quran
  • Class 5: Fiqh of Worship
    (Hanafi Focus)

Second Term

May 22, 2025 to
September 6, 2025

No classes
6/5/25 - 6/7/25 and 7/3/25 - 7/5/25

  • Available Online and Onsite at ICNA Center
  • Thursdays 7 PM to 10 PM
  • Class 1: Hadith Reading and Commentary
  • Class 2: Sciences of the Quran
  • Class 3: Creed & Worldview
  • Saturdays 10 AM to Noon
  • Class 4: Tafhim: Grasp the Quran
  • Class 5: Fiqh of Worship
    (Hanafi Focus)

Third Term

September 6, 2025 to
December 18, 2025

No classes on 11/27/25

  • Available Online and Onsite at ICNA Center
  • Thursdays 7 PM to 10 PM
  • Class 1: Hadith Reading and Commentary
  • Class 2: Sciences of Hadith
  • Class 3: Creed & Worldview
  • Saturdays 10 AM to Noon
  • Class 4: Tafhim: Grasp the Quran
  • Class 5: Fiqh of Personal Law
    (Hanafi Focus)

Timings may be adjusted up to 15 minutes for each salah

Year 1 Books

Click the image below to open book list

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