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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
On-site (Oakbrook Terrace)
Saturdays 10AM-Noon
Online
$150 Monthly
or $1500 per year
Starts Sept. 12
Limited Seats
ACADEMIC CALENDAR

Frequently Asked Questions

It's a hybrid format. Students have 5 hours of class each week. 3 hours a week are on-site and 2 hours a week are online.

The Thursday night class from 7 PM - 10 PM is at the ICNA Center (1S270 Summit Ave, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181).

The Saturday morning class from 10 AM to 12 PM is completely online.

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.

Residents outside the Chicagoland area may enroll as 100% online students. Each session will be live-streamed with the ability to interact with classmates and ask the instructor questions. High-quality recordings will be available for all students.

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.

We have commitments from scholars in the top of their field. Each course will be taught by an expert who specializes in that particular topic. This includes current instructors at prestigious institutions around the Chicagoland area, AMAL Dallas, and Islamic Universities abroad.

The full list of instructors for each course will be announced shortly.

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

September 12, 2024 - August 28, 2025

Academic Calendar

14-week trimesters

First Term

September 12, 2024 to
December 21, 2024

No classes on Thursday 11/28 and Saturday 11/30

  • Thursdays 7 PM to 10 PM
    Onsite at ICNA Center
    Online for remote students
  • Hour 1: Quranic Sciences
  • Hour 2: Hadith Reading and Commentary
  • Hour 3: Creed & Worldview
  • Saturdays 10 AM to Noon
    Online for all students
  • Hour 4: Spirituality 101
  • Hour 5: Fiqh of Worship
    (Hanafi Focus)

Second Term

January 4, 2025 to
February 27, 2025

and April 3, 2025 to
May 10, 2025

No classes in Ramadan
2/28 to 3/31

  • Thursdays 7 PM to 10 PM
    Onsite at ICNA Center
    Online for remote students
  • Hour 1: Hadith Sciences
  • Hour 2: Hadith Reading and Commentary
  • Hour 3: Creed & Worldview
  • Saturdays 10 AM to Noon
    Online for all students
  • Hour 4: Spirituality 102
  • Hour 5: Fiqh of Worship
    (Hanafi Focus)

Third Term

May 15, 2025 to
August 28, 2025

No classes on Thursday June 19, July 3, and Saturday July 5

  • Thursdays 7 PM to 10 PM
    Onsite at ICNA Center
    Online for remote students
  • Hour 1: Methodology of Jurisprudence
  • Hour 2: Hadith Reading and Commentary
  • Hour 3: Creed & Worldview
  • Saturdays 10 AM to Noon
    Online for all students
  • Hour 4: Spirituality 103
  • Hour 5: Fiqh of Personal Law
    (Hanafi Focus)

Timings may be adjusted up to 15 minutes for salah



Want to teach at ICNA Chicago?

Female teachers and hafidhas encouraged to apply.

Contact us to discuss working together ✨.

Let's Talk