Religion
Arabic as a Second Language
This course is designed to give students the best possible teaching experience to access and build a relationship with the Glorious Quran. It aims at giving students essential syntactic, morphological, lexical and analytical tools to access Quran, Hadith and further comprehend simple Arabic and Islamic texts in English. This is achieved by developing a strong foundation in the theory of Arabic grammar, morphology and rhetoric. This is further implemented through the application of a theory to read texts in classical Arabic including the Quran, with supplemental reinforcement through writing and listening. It is also based on equipping students with a broad vocabulary of words found in the Quran and Islamic disciplines.
(Prerequisite: Placement test)
Quran Memorization and Tajweed
This introductory course to Tajweed covers key rules in Quran recitation including the vocal points of articulation for each Arabic letter (makharij), rules associated with meem and noon, rules of madd, and the rules of Hamzat Al-Wasl, etc
Students will be able to focus on the translation as well for the entire Quran by the end of 12th grade.Students will memorize the last Juz’ of the Quran and read a portion of Surah Al-Kahf with the implementation of the rules mentioned above.
(Prerequisite: Placement Test)
Biography of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Formerly Fiqh of Seerah (3 Credits)
This course is a biographical analysis of the Last Prophet ﷺ based on authentic sources, allowing students to develop love and appreciation for the Prophet ﷺ, understand why particular Qur’anic passages were revealed, develop the ability to compare and contrast his times with ours in various respects, and fortify one’s knowledge on the compelling reasons to believe in his prophethood.
Introduction to Islamic Sciences
This course aims to introduce students to the classical Islamic sciences. The historical development of some of the main Islamic sciences will be covered, including the most important scholars and texts of those sciences, with a special focus on law and its development. Students will become familiar with the works they can refer back to for their future research as students at Al Salaam Academy.
Islamic Creed I – Formerly 'Aqeedah
This course is an introduction on the Islamic creed (‘Aqeedah) focusing solely on the first pillar of faith: belief in Allah. It will cover the fundamental categories of monotheism (tawheed) in Islamic theology and their practical applications, such as proving the existence of the Creator and His exclusive right to be worshiped. It will also present critiques of various contrary theologies, especially atheism and secular deism, as well as philosophical and mystical approaches to understanding Allah.
Islamic Pedagogy and Public Speaking
This course is a comprehensive review of Islamic pedagogy and education, including its concept, virtue, philosophy, tools, institutions, and scholars. The course highlights how excellence can be achieved in Islamic education, analyzing a number of challenges facing Islamic education, including education of Muslim children in the West, Islamization of the curriculum, and co-education. The course also covers various aspects of public speaking as a tool of teaching and conveying knowledge to others and for religious and da’wah-oriented purposes.
Manners /Adaab
This course explores the sources, principles, and importance of good manners in Islam, as well as the means of acquiring high moral character with Allah and with society. It aims to produce Muslims that are versed, conversant, and capable of applying Islam’s ethical framework and its details through revelation-based knowledge relating to a set of daily manners. It is designed to equip a Muslim with what they may need in worship, when alone in private, and when engaging others inside or outside their home.
Tazkiyah (Spiritual Nurturing)
The course explores the mechanics of the spiritual heart, and the fundamental qualities of a healthy heart and a diseased heart. It will also deepen our understanding of the primary everyday poisons that compromise the purity of one’s heart, and how to guard ourselves against them. Finally, the bulk of this course will be a primer on the actions of the hearts, and their rankings on the spiritual ladder. It is geared to set our aspirations on the upward climb through the various spiritual stations that are essential for a Muslim’s devotion to Allah.
Authority of the Sunnah
This course is designed to help the students understand the meanings of Sunnah and Hadith and the relationship between the two; establish proofs of the importance and authority of the Sunnah; and understand the role of the Sunnah in Islamic Legislation and the basics of how it was transmitted and recorded. Through this course students will appreciate the efforts of the scholars to purify and authenticate the Sunnah, will be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to refute arguments and claims of those who reject it or trivialize its role, and will be prepared to clarify the prominent misunderstandings concerning the Sunnah.
Islam and Science
This course will offer a framework for looking at how Islam and science interact with one another. It includes looking at various ways science intersects with Islamic thought and the challenges that are raised therein. This includes how science is used in atheism-theism polemics that Muslims can understand to defend their faith better.