Haifaa Younis – Year Of Transformation
AI: Summary ©
The speakers emphasize the importance of learning to be a scholar of Islam and prioritizing time to achieve success in life. They stress the need for flexibility and learning to be efficient, challenges of working in different countries, and the depth and richness of the Bible. The one year program on Islamic sciences is designed on a one-time schedule and recorded every day, and it is encouraged to ask for help and focus on learning and achieving knowledge to achieve success in life.
AI: Summary ©
rahmatullah wa barakato Bismillah Alhamdulillah wa salatu salam ala Rasulillah while he was sabe he woman voila Loma Linda my info now on fire now. Vemma Hello I'm Tina in Nikka Semyon would you would do our nominee Oh to become an MLA Amphawa I'll be live show when I've seen Leticia. Why do I use my Robin Allah to Zocalo banana Bader is had eaten our Hublin amulet and Kurama in Nicaragua hub, probably struggling Saudi UAE Selena Marie Watlow, the Tamil assignee of Cali cinematic Moroccan flora, everyone, just unlock it for joining us. It's a pleasure and lovely to be back again, when we take a break and whether it's in the summer or any other time. We all I personally will attest to
this miss this live interaction with
sisters and with the brothers and with the students and hemlock noble Alameen. It's a pleasure to have you with us all today. It's a Sunday at it's 11 o'clock in the pacific time of the United States. Allah subhanho wa Taala in the Quran had taught us a lot of doulas, but there is only one dua only one dua where he SubhanaHu Metalla total Rasul Allah, His Salah Tosa. And of course, he taught us to ask for something but not only asked for that thing, specifically, but to ask for this thing, a lot of it and continuously to increase it. And maybe a good number of you will know this. It's actually in surah Taha and Allah subhanaw taala said on to Rasul Allah He saw to sit and work
on or have B z Dnia, in your say, My Lord, Increase me in knowledge. Now you'll go to the Quran, look at all these applications and do out of the Quran, there is none zero, that Allah subhanaw taala taught us to ask for something more, except knowledge. And that teaches me and you and everybody that knowledge is something very precious, something very valuable, very virtuous, not in my site or your site, and the site of Allah's pantalla. And the proof that he asked us to ask him to give us more knowledge come from Allah subhanho wa taala. But I have to want it first. But he facilitated things for me. And then not only he gave it to me, but he wants me to continuously to
have it and to have more and more. He didn't say give me more children, or more wealth, or more beauty or more any of the dunya thing, even in Jannah he didn't give me more asked me to give me more, but in dunya he asked me to have more knowledge and the virtues of knowledge we have talked about it in many times, many times, it is beyond enough for me and this is one of my motivating
if you will say force or driving force years ago to start learning and up till now to continuously to learn is what I was what I saw to surround Titania Lee. Now saying that it is his cousin, his son in law and when you teach someone especially your relatives something then that has to be this thing has to be something very special and valuable. And he said it to him yeah it yeah the level we cannot do it anymore. He did that to you. By You, Allah, Allah will guide someone way better than if you have a collection of red camels or a herd of red camels and how I and you will be able to guide people to or how I will be guided first, let alone them guide others, change others and bring them
closer to Allah subhanaw taala there is no other way except by knowledge, by knowledge. And Allah subhanho wa Taala also taught us why they sought to serve in many verses in the Quran. wialon No, no meaning learn what Adam and now we know that there is no God but Allah. So what I want to share with everybody today and we have beautiful program that beautiful guests is I want you all to come with us in this trip if we're on this journey, when our journey what are we going to go and talk about why knowledge we're going to introduce to you what Jana Institute have for you all Illa Hamed starting in September, and we started it last year, we're lucky. And we are going to do second year
and another first year. I'll have some of my dear colleagues and I will say also my teachers who are also going to be honoring us to be one of our teachers in the program to share with us her or their journey of knowledge. Also they are Woman, why did they do it? What did it do to them? And then what will they be teaching with us in Jana Institute? And also I'm going to be having what is that? And I am honored also to have some of our students of last year and from different parts of the country in different parts of the world to share with you their experience and what did knowledge
due to them, so I don't want to take too much time. So I'm going to bring one of my favorite people. She has a number on sorry, said it because she has a you know
can we unmute? She has a
Salam Katusha Hey, how are you doing under the low
light all that I try to get you for how to PSA. Huttunen Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah higher could have had that.
hamdulillah Yes. And you also welcome back and hamdulillah Sheikh Hasina, I know you have been also probably more than I am in this process of learning. So if you can share with all all of our guests and our viewers was What is this journey for you? And then what did it how did you do it out? What did it do to you? And then now as Allah subhanaw taala used you to be a teacher. What do you see this knowledge is doing to the people around you?
Absolutely. Bismillah R Rahman r Rahim Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen wa sallahu Allahu Allah say nothing violent. It was obvious on this lemma. So Shayla, I love that question. And I have to say that in terms of my own studies, the number one inspiration, it's really my parents, because my parents converted to Islam in the 1970s. And they were very active as converts. In other words, they, they, they they went out and they sought teachers, and they sought knowledge. And they believed very firmly.
Well, total, fissile me CAFA enter into peace and Islam with all of your heart wholeheartedly. So they really believed that in order to be better as Muslims and believers that they had to study. So they traveled, they had teachers, they read very widely, and they they they believe very strongly in sending me and my sister to study. So that's really how it began Shayla that we first exhausted the resources we had here in the United States. And then we found ourselves in the Middle East, studying, especially in Syria. We were very, very blessed people to go to Syria at that time. So that's how the journey began. And, you know, in terms of why it's so important for women to study,
there's so many reasons Shangela it's whether it's women, as the as raising children or women as mothers, whether it's women, teaching the community, whether it's women as ambassadors of the faith. There are so many reasons why we as women have to study and I think about a Salah for Salah I think about the Soviet balloon, a balloon, the very first generation, you know, the women were always there, right alongside the men seeking knowledge. You know, in Mecca, for example, the Quran is being revealed. The Prophet Allah is selfless to them, is teaching everybody they've got to add, you know, men and women are, they're all learning, we know the example of say Naramata Lila, Huhtala and
who he becomes Muslim, After that encounter with his sister and her husband and, and they have the Quran, they're studying the Quran. And then we look at Medina and we look at how say that a Chateau de la hotel and her praises the woman of the unsought because they are so avid to seek their religion and they're not too shy to ask questions. So we have the very early historical precedent. And then every generation throughout Islamic history, we have women studying women who are scholars, women who are teaching women who are traveling even women who were establishing educational institutions. Jenner Institute is is like the era of that legacy. So there are so many reasons.
Shayla, the last thing that I'll say about this is that, you know, that's why the program agenda, the year of knowledge is going to be so important. Because this is a dean of a snad or knowledge has a chain of transmission. It's a dean of scholarship. And all of us have a responsibility that when we stand before Allah to Allah, we can say that we tried our utmost to learn that knowledge which is required of us or that follow the aim knowledge. Does that you know, here, I'm glad you said your journey, because this is one of the things that I think, especially in this day and age in literally 15 years ago, when Yeah, it's like 2010 Six when I decided I am going to move overseas and I don't
recall exactly what time is yours you have studied as Xena. But now the the difference in this 15 years ago and I remember when I was studying, I was like Yeah, wow, this is beautiful. Why don't we have this in the States, especially for a woman because how many woman can really, really leave and go for the journey?
of studying. I mean, I'm sure there's a lot of people who want to I see them. I talked with them. I had a program on yesterday in Cincinnati and I can tell you all the women were excited about learning, but the reality of the fact that we need to know a woman has their limitations in the freedom of movement, let's put it this way. And then when Allah subhanaw taala bring the the knowledge to your home, if there is anything COVID One of the blessings I call it of COVID that it to brought knowledge to the homes. I mean, we did actually Subhan Allah from 2017. In Ghana Institute, we started doing online on site, we always but then we always focus, I was like, No, we
need more on site. But then COVID taught us that you know what, knowledge has no boundaries, Allah grottoes the internet, let's learn. So I want to all the woman's push, especially in even sometimes men, also, although maybe more, they have more opportunity, but not necessarily everybody also, is to know the near the blessing of the knowledge, not only the knowledge, but the knowledge that comes to their home, the knowledge that it is, in your on your table, it the knowledge is in your house, that's on your time, and not only is available to you live, but for example, which now Hamdulillah, again, agenda Institute we offer, it's recorded. So if for whatever the reason, and everybody goes
through certain circumstances you could enjoy, then you can do it. And you go ahead and listen to it again, or even you were there. But you want to review when I studied and I'm sure you also started saying there was nothing, it was the class only. And we were not allowed to record we had to write and yeah, make sure you write everything you remember. And you have to go back and then study your notes and do this. So this is near Emma, have availability, and easy availability, and even affordability, you Subhanallah when you go and travel, and how much that cost will cost you not only financial, but even called adjustment you change go to a different country. I mean, I can write
books about the experience, and I'm sure also stargazing so every woman listening to us today, this is an opportunity, Allah subhanaw taala give it to us if we will not take it you know what will happen? Let you Shackleton as Eden Nico, if you are grateful, I'll give you more. And if you are not in Adobe Russia, de My punishment is severe. Allah said this. And the easiest thing Allah will take the knowledge and give it to someone else, or to another community or another country where they are more. What do you see yourself as a neighbor, and then I will bring one of our students also what do you say for somebody who will tell you that I really want to but I don't have time.
That's the communist. reason I'm here.
In shaker, I think that this is something that we have to really be very clear with ourselves. Because I have heard this too, sometimes I might find myself maybe there's some player I should be pursuing. But I find myself making an excuse.
You know, the next moment is never guaranteed My dear sisters. And what we have to understand is that even in the midst of very challenging circumstances, for example, in the early community, they always made time for what was of benefit for their for their souls. And they literally had to go and eke out an existence you think about Medina things were not easy for the Maharaja been coming in from Mecca. And just you know, there was these people who are constantly toiling and striving and sacrificing. But they they made the time to seek out that which was a benefit to them. I firmly believe that we as human beings, we will always make time for those things that are important to us.
Whether it's shopping, whether it's entertainment, whether it's watching TV, whether it's sleeping, whether it's exercising, whether it's vacations, whatever, if it if it is important, we will do everything we can and turn that schedule upside down to make sure that we can accommodate that and the beauty mightier sisters of the Jenner Institute program and the platform is that it's not like you don't have to Shangela if I had to go and study and go overseas, I went overseas a long time ago, you know, you really do have to you have to really change your life to do that. And in this day and age, all that it requires is that we have the internet connection we have the device and now we
can go and we can study that way. So it's about not putting off until tomorrow my dear sisters what you can I do today? Absolutely. Then I I want to actually put because one of the obstacles also off learning and this is another question I'm sure you get it is I don't know how to be
I will know Arabic, who I have to and I'm going to be very honest, I have to be told because Allah will take me accountable. Do I have to learn Arabic to be a scholar of Islam? The answer is yes. Do I have to be to know Arabic to be a comer to Allah? subhanho wa taala. On a larger scale? The answer is yes. Do I really need to know Arabic to worship Allah the way he wants me to be? The answer is not necessarily. I wouldn't say no completely. And this is one of the things we debated in the year of knowledge. And I remember the team and our coordinator started Amina, she's actually lives in Bosnia, you've met her before the southern Zeno, but she actually on vacation. So we said, You know
what, we have to respect your vacation because the program's starting next month. So I remember one of the debates we had with the team when we started, I mean, it was like, How can we teach people stomach studies? And they don't know how to be? My answer was, if we're going to wait till everyone learn how to be the majority of the Muslims will not learn. Because the majority of the Muslims these days, and correct me, Sheikh Hasina, if I'm wrong, they don't know how to be language. The number one country in the world that has the highest population of Muslims are actually Indonesia. And they don't speak English. They don't speak Arabic. And they speak English. But they don't speak
Arabic. So then came in the question is, so how are we going to do that? And let me see if I can, yeah, Hamlet, so what is the year of knowledge? I'm gonna go quickly through this. Because my main issue is to bring real people, the real students who really want to through this knowledge. Basically, it's a nine month program. And we started actually, it's an Islamic education, age 15. and above, no limit to the above. And I'm going to one of our students who's going to join with us, she's actually a grandmother, Al hamdu, lillahi, Rabbil aalameen. And the most important thing is what it's going to what are you going to be learning and students learn fundamental basics, Islamic
knowledge. That's what I want everyone to pay attention, What Every Woman Should Know, in every day, in everyday my life. Three things I always wanted, as I wanted to study is I wanted to know who's Allah? How to worship Him, and who's the Roswaal a Serato. So, these are my basics things. Again, basic, basic, then how did it all started? It's a dream actual. And this is was my dream. And I have to say this, I was actually sitting in the class. She has a job in Saudi Arabia, and we were 23 women in the class, taught by all woman martial arts about Allah, che heart, and most of my first time interaction with real woman scholars in Islamic Studies. I'm a physician. So I have seen a lot
of very qualified physicians, woman physician, but this was my first time where one live and the other comes in, they're all very qualified, they know what they are doing, spend years learning, and I made a dua to Allah subhanaw taala. And that class, I said, Your Allah, I wish we can have this in the United States. Subhan Allah. So that woman learn the same way Allah Tala opened it to me. So here we go. 2122. Last year, we started the whole dream started in March. And then we said, let's do a cannula. Let's go ahead and start. And we started in September, the registration opened in July, end of June, if I remember well, and we had 55 full time students, we had to close because we didn't
want to make it a very big class. We all felt as a team that we may not be giving the students their due right. Then the request and the discussion came in. Not everybody can do five
topics, which is 11 hours a week, then we did a part time where we opened it, you can choose one or two or more of the classes totally. We had the Hamdulillah 110 students.
Definitely it exceeded my expectations personally. And these are actually feedback from the students by December. So we started in September. Basically it is four days a week. And we have Sunday. And then we have Monday. And then we have Tuesday. And then we have Wednesday break and we have Thursday, Friday and Saturday This was last year, Friday and Saturday is off. And the BI septum or do they study we'll come to it is five main main topic. What do I believe in as a Muslim leader? What do I believe in? How do I worship Allah subhanaw taala and we covered for school of thoughts so we can accommodate all the sisters with their different backgrounds. Then what was what is Saito
said and taught me so we chose the 14 Eloise the Hadith, but the commentary on it. And then we also test here, purification of the heart, purification of the heart. What does all this knowledge does?
to my heart and my relationship with Allah subhanho wa Taala
in Dubai December, and I was and I remember, some of the students will share this, I'll give them the platform in a second, I kept saying myself, the drop rate usually is 50% in standard courses Alhamdulillah rebranding by December, we had only two from the 110. So we sent
a can evaluation. And these are some of the what we got the year of knowledge exceeded my expectation, I gained a deeper insight into what is my name, this is the most important thing I personally are added. And did see it on the students is this one, my relationship with Allah has improved. And again, because of the time I can read to you, but I can tell you when the students send it back, and they send it to me first is this was the communist thing is my relationship with Allah has changed. I am more aware of my roles and responsibility as a Muslim woman. That's the most important thing, because we always juggle Muslim woman, I can do this. I'm always giving to the
others. There's nothing for me, my relationship with Allah. We learned throughout all these. They are topics but the whole idea when we teach is we bring it practicality. What does it mean to me living in the 21st century, so I am much more aware of that. I wish I had this knowledge. 20 years ago, my life would have changed. These are students testimony, I feel like I'm alive after so many years of heedlessness. So the knowledge has changed the year of knowledge for me was a dua answered, and I am so humbled and grateful to have had this opportunity to learn our beautiful game. And most importantly, myself emphasize always to take action on what we learn, apply it, if I only have it
here, nothing will happen. Unless it is here and I struggle I will put the word struggle not easy to change. To get close to Allah, the gift of gaining a foundation in Islamic knowledge is something that simply cannot be quantified. And I pray that I can utilize the knowledge I have gained to be a better Muslim to serve Allah subhanho wa Taala and goodness in whatever small way I can. That's also a student, they did not allow us to put their names, but then you will read some of them. That's another one just for the sake of time. I'm gonna I'm gonna be reading every one year of knowledge was an eye opening experience for me. I don't thinking it's a shortcut, over a year one year to
learn basics of Dean to teach my child Subhanallah but this course was so much more it was a journey to know Allah subhanaw taala which was a code of conduct for me to live my life. I'm grateful to Allah subhanaw taala for walking me waking me up from heedlessness and putting me on this path.
Now in 20 and 22, we required the following we required that the student attended 80% of the classes. And also there is quizzes and there is a final exam and end of semester exam. So from the 55 Alhamdulillah 40 of the woman met these qualifications from the 55 part time 37 Are you know and Camilla we built up a very beautiful relationship with the students again woman we have our obstacle so not everyone was able to join 80% of the time, things change throughout the year but I'm so glad because this is more than 80% of the students completed the whole one year course what it will mean so basically that's as simple in a shell in a nutshell. I'm going to bring one of our favorite to me
one of my favorite students sister night I can you move your camera system Naira so she can so you can see you know, go to you. Yep, perfect. I'm gonna share this with everybody so sister NIDA, I met her just before we started about three weeks where the function in St. Louis she came to me and I know her for years of course and she said sister Eva, do you think I can do this?
And my answer says why not? Why not? Right and I will leave the rest tonight properly and either unmute
now you know just unmute my view
I will
fi send I'll bring some Jana by the time we get a lot always test us and the students in Europe knowledge know how much Allah test us with this technology.
Do we struggle we lost pantalla make it easy, we'll get the reward cynjohn Introduce yourself to everybody. Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah layer bad cat.
I joined the year of knowledge. This past year, I joined the full time program. I am a wife, a mother, I'm a practicing physician. And this past year, when I heard about the year of knowledge, it was like Alliance certified. So I made you know, during especially during the pandemic, I doubled down on my dua to
gain knowledge gained knowledge gained have gained divine knowledge and alliances, read my dua in ways that were far greater than anything I asked for, he gave me sort of sisters who were all much, much better than me. And he gave me a year with che ha, where, you know, whereas I went in wanting to just wanting to learn for Dine, wanting to become more grounded in Islamic knowledge, so that, you know, I can teach my daughter, I can be a good example to my family. And I can be grounded in knowledge when I help patients. And you know, from day one, all that was kind of
destroyed, because I realized the real emergency was between me and Allah subhanaw taala, and needing to prepare myself for facing him. And then this year has made me realize how little I know and you know, how much Allah can bless us with knowledge. It's changed me and it's changed my life. It's changed the life of my family. So it's, you know, it's taken me in a completely different trajectory. And I think what I want to share anyone who's in doubt about whether they can do it, you know, last year when I heard about this, and I wanted to do it, the first doubts that came to me was, this is probably not the best time for me to do it. You know, I was working full time.
And between working, I was homeschooling my daughter, there was illness in my family. And, you know, I kept thinking, Maybe I should join not the first year, but after the program is settled next year, and then this thought came to me, you know, I started medical school 20 years ago, around the same time, I wanted to get study Dean to at that time, the knowledge that opportunity wasn't there. And Allah gave me this opportunity and 20 years, I didn't want to wait another 20 years. So I'm, I'm happy, I went forward. And I started out with the intention of going to the classes on weekends, and then we're still listening to the recordings in the weekdays. And somehow law gave me such Baraka in
my time. You know, he also gave me not just parka and with the knowledge of the, the dean, but also the ability to have relief in my life somehow, you know, I, I got focus in my life, I got relief from my difficulties, and I got the ability to, you know,
look at everything that happens in my life through the lens of Allah. That's what she always says, and nothing that happened, good or bad.
shook me the way I thought it would shake me. And this is why I'm inshallah hoping to do the second year of knowledge because once I've gotten this namah from a lie, I don't want it to go away. So Syngenta the question that I get a million times, where do you find the time to do that? You're a physician, you're a mother, you have extended family? How did you do it? I have to say, Sanjana, there was almost always in the classes. And sometimes we have an addition to the class, which is usually sometimes comes in the back, and I was like, okay, Hamdulillah this is a future student. So what do you tell the people who are listening to him? How did you balance that? You know, I've
sacrificed so much in my life for other things before and the knowledge right I sacrificed sleep time. I mean, I've you know, a lot of us we work like 30 hour shifts, we do all these things for other things, we'd prioritize. And then this time, I realized I would prioritize my day and I would prioritize the connection Tala. If I wanted, if I wanted to be close to Allah, I have to work for it. I have to sacrifice something. If I wanted this knowledge, I have to prioritize it. So whenever Yeah, if you look back now for the whole year, and again, it is four days a week, it's two three hours a day except on Monday, we had two hours the end and again, it's five subjects we studied
Aqeedah creed and we studied the basics of physical and by that as we say, the the standard claw of the basics, practical things we have to do. And then we studied science of the Quran test here and the 14 hours. So what's what went out of the window so I can bring this 11 hours in my time
you know, 11 hours
compared to like, the 24 hours in a day, seven days a week is almost nothing, right? I wonder how much time I used to spend on the phone. I wonder how much time I spent with leisure or entertainment, or just sometimes being tired? Right? I think, you know, in the very beginning, a lot of the sister a lot of my fellow sisters gave us a lot of tips about how to prioritize our time, how to be efficient, you know,
how to, you know, outsource, but what didn't matter. And all of that helped. Exactly, I will, I will add one thing, if I look back, please, because you share your experience, if you look back on your days in Syria, didn't you say Now you say, how did I do it?
Why?
SubhanAllah? You know what it? Is it we didn't have social media? Yes. So I always say, you know, if the the dilemma and times in previous times, I don't know, if they had had Facebook and things I just don't know. But you know, there's the idea of Baraka, right? That having back and one's time, and this is this is it, this is something that really has a lot of support in our religion, right? That time is not something that we waste, or we don't take it seriously. But it's really something that we pay attention to, we organize our time. And
in our day and age, I would humbly submit that we probably have to work a lot harder to make sure that we have that type of Buck and our time because there are so many distractions around us. So what I would suggest and you see, the inspiring example is to Sanjana, in front of you that what I would suggest my dear sisters, sometimes it's really a matter of saying, You know what, I have to prioritize this lesson right now. So I'm going to turn this, these notifications off, I'm not going to go on this website, you know, I'm going to in other words, whatever we need to do, to make sure that that is prioritized in that moment is very important. Exactly. And subhanAllah.
And people working woman say this with a and they say when we were working, we were able to utilize the time much more because you have the list that to do list and you have like 510 things and then you will be very cautious and aware of the time and I see this are also when the day I'm not teaching or liking other days off and there isn't much you don't know what how did they end it? And it's like, what did I do? And then the day I have to teach and work and do the unstructured cannula. It's the baraka, the focus the balance, I will add the number one which I'm sure all the students did it and we we kept reminding them and myself make a do out for yourself that Allah makes it easy,
because no one makes it easy except Allah subhanho wa Taala Allahu Allah salah, ulama, Giotto, Salah, Sanjana, where are you joining us remind me, which part? Bay Area California from California. And there was a question here and I'm gonna bring back sister Nyla is where are the students from? It's amazingly, I will tell you, there were 40% if I'm remembering the numbers 40 or 50%, less than that is from the US and Canada. In really I was very happy about that. We had the second largest group came from the UK, actually, the students asked, that's why our classes are in the morning, because we wanted to accommodate as many as timezone. And then again, we couldn't accommodate
everybody. We had students from Australia, New Zealand, we had from Malaysia, Indonesia, Africa, Tanzania, South Africa, we had from the Middle East from what we had from auto with everybody. And we had the youngest with 15 red in the 70s. We have two sisters Subhanallah the Isla who they reached out to me, I met them when I was visiting one of the states and she said my English is not very strong. I read the Arabi, but um, my English is not very strong. I was like, You know what, you really want to do what she said? Yeah, I said to her Korea Hola. And guess which class she took. She took the Arcadia which is the most challenging one lie Didyma she excelled? She said she read the
book in Arabi. And this is one of the things we do. We have the original books, the Arabic books, and Alhamdulillah the net amount of Allah that these books are translated. So we normally read the book that the translated book, and also we have the Arabic Book. So those students will prefer to read any Arabic we have, but we conduct the class usually in English. So the point is, yes, wherever you are, and this is one of the reasons for the year two, and actually for the year one and two we changed that we put the bulk of the classes are in the weekend because that's one of the feedback we got that the working woman wanted to join. And so we put about 60% of the classes are actually on
weekend. We still had to put some during the week because we cannot put all these topics in two days. And also we couldn't do it in the evening in case you wonder the
because if I were to do it in the evening, the people were overseas is really difficult for them. The people in Europe will be in the middle of the night. And the some in the Middle East will be way early in the morning. So I keep asking Allah use US Europe be in a way that we can accommodate everybody. I'm going to bring back sister now you don't short law, Sister Nyla is
her mic? Yes. Hamdulillah. Assalamu Aleikum, can you hear me? Yes, we hear you very well, my buddy, Todd. readded. So I'm gonna say this my
my disclaimer, so we were in this. It was a fundraising program in St. Louis. It was last summer. And I noticed the NIDA for years, we were together in St. Louis. And then she came to me after the program says, I want to register what do you think? And I was, like, probably heard the best in us in my life. And she said, Do you think I can do it? I was like, why not? And so the rest is history. And you talk about DNA. Okay, so
I was actually we were with a group of other ladies in St. Louis. We were studying Arabic and like the Quran,
like, Arabic, the seer.
And like, so when other friend was joining, and then
they kind of like, I thought I should do it too. And I wasn't sure if I would be able to. So that's when I met shaker Haifa. And, and after meeting her, I was like, okay, I can do it, I came back, and I registered right away. But I was not really aware of all the undertaking I was going through. I didn't know there'll be exams and amount of studying. But once it started, it's just like, your, your heart is just like, it's, it's, there's a transformation happening. And you're like, every day is like, I found myself enjoying the classes and enjoying the process and learning. And it was just awareness that how much I didn't know and, and it just just made me feel like I need to put in more
effort. And
didn't you say, didn't you say to yourself, or someone I'm sure came to you and says, now you are learning Ghana? Isn't that too late? though? No, nobody really said that. But they weren't.
Just like, oh, it's like, there's there's so much studying and you you do exams and
but it's like, I don't think there's like any time that you should study or not study. It's just that I think it's just, it's maybe it's just from Allah subhanaw taala. Like, whenever it's like, meant for you, you're kind of I think I was just kind of pushed into it. But
maybe it maybe it's, I take it as a blessing that it it happened and I was able to do it. And I'm just I'm grateful for the classes for shakers, lectures, and they help from other students, especially with, I think technologies, like, like everyone saw, I just know that I couldn't get in. So it is a it is a drawback. But I think I learned a lot about technology as well, with with Islamic studies, but it like I was able to do it and I think anyone can who puts their mind to it. And I know I'm gonna put a question this because this is this course suitable if you're a beginner, what will you say? Yes, definitely.
I think that anyone can do it. It's just, it's just you want to have the desire to do it, and just put in that necessary amount of time that is required. So that's your next question and put both you can do and I'll bring the other students in a second, how much time you put in a week outside the 11 hours of the study. So we had every topic is two hours a week. So again, if Quranic science tests here, Quran and Arcada is two hours a week. And then we had one hour a week, which is usually on Sunday is for questions and answers for all the topics. So students send them and then if we didn't cover it in the class, because also in the class, we allow questions and answers, then we cover on
Sunday. So this is 11 hours. Right? So how much more you put outside this because that's another question is going to come. Right. And do you regard yourself as a beginner when he joined?
I would say
in a lot of things like I think I knew just the basic things that like we learned as well growing up in a Muslim household and we do the basic things, but there's so many things that I didn't know and they there's still so much to learn but I
would say that I would be at a basic level. So is it suitable for a beginner? The answer is yes. Because the first thing in the first class when I met with all the students, I said, Listen, the goal is not to graduate scholars. This course is not meant for scholarship, meaning after four or five years, you're going to be go with joining a PhD program, no, this program, mainly the the goal, and inshallah it will continue to be this way is to teach the ordinary woman, young or old, this beautiful Dean, and especially woman, because if you don't know, I can reassure you that or I can assure you, the children will not no one, because the first and the best school is the mother
school. So yes, as a beginner and even for second year now, the students from the first year come to love, we have the majority, almost everybody joins second year. And we are accepting second year if you have studied our one year program, and then we are looking at those who applied but majority of the people even think of yourself as a beginner and even if you studied before studied again, it's worth it because these are the basics, it will make you a stronger Muslim, with all the challenges we are facing all of us living in the West or the east, I need to be grounded in my relationship with Allah in my relationship, how to worship him correctly, and who is a Roswaal as autosound and
how I keep my heart focused on Allah subhanaw taala and not get distracted. So I agree with you. I mean, I when I was studying it, the way I was teaching, it is making it much simpler than what usually you study in, let's say in a university woman in an institute that the goal is to graduate scholars. And one of my question was how many assignments there is, this was very common? How many assignments how many exams? Remember you all were asking? I can I'm gonna bring sorrow and then I will answer this question. Surah Surah LaShana familia surah.
So
while he goes around, so good to see you. So good to see you. Can you hear me? Okay? Yes. Hamdulillah. Allah.
Can you share with us your sorrow what others shared with us?
share with you what other shared shares your your experience? Yes. And tell people who are you?
Yeah, so I am 29 years old. I'm a Palestinian American woman. I live in Cleveland, Ohio, so in the midwest of America.
And I wasn't, I'm not working now. But I was working before. And I felt very antsy in my previous job. I was taking a class or two in Islam every now and again at my local measured, but I wanted to do something more. And I took that leap of faith. I didn't know what was gonna happen. I didn't know where I was going to learn. But I just thought, you know, I just need to leave after talking to my husband making a lot of die, I left my job.
And I actually took one course at Gen Institute. And at the end of the course, I remember Shaco, you said like, oh, well, we have a surprise for everyone. And that was when you were first introducing the year of knowledge. And I thought, like, that's a lot answering my dot. And I was so scared. And I applied, I wasn't sure if I was going to get in or not, you know, thinking like going back to that question, you know, is this suitable for beginners? In my mind, I'm thinking all of these courses and programs that I see, you know, it's for scholars as people who've learned, but it's obviously it's not like that at all.
So Hamdulillah I, I took that leap of faith I applied, and I'm the light got in and yeah, you're a Oh, what was the challenge? Yes, sir. challenges, challenges.
The big thing was something that we talked about, literally the first class, which was test Skia, and it was something that was
reiterated time and time again, which is training the neffs actually, for me, you know, I had to go through like the pains of training my neffs during this whole year.
You know, I had to work on how to manage my time.
You know, how to even manage myself, manage my own emotions, manage my own stress, things like that. And throughout the whole year, that was a huge emphasis. So it wasn't, you know, what you were saying before Shaco about like, you weren't trying to, you know, graduate scholars, you know, it's about bettering ourselves, you know, improving our relationship with a loss, finding what the island hamdulillah was able to do that and, you know, I prayed to a lot to continue that journey for me, if I will ask you and I'll ask everyone is what is the
Number one, if someone asks you what did you learn?
In this year? What did you learn one thing? Now you see it?
What would you say is
the big thing this was so I actually wrote some notes off to the side for myself. So something that we did talk about is we, you know, as Muslims, we need to submit to Allah, we need to obey Him. But before doing that you must first learn about him and learning about him, increases your love for him. So that was the number one thing for me was that I learned about a law I learned that he is there for me that he makes things easy for me.
Yeah, it's actually the classifier p then I'm also making a disclaimer. I was so worried about the class of Aki there she has, because we taught them lucky the how we and I was worried that this may be too much for the student, and how it is translated, summarized and translated, which is really easy to read. But the concept and you know, when we studied when you study, Rokita is usually something that you really have to dig in the language they use, it's not easy, and I was very worried and I keep making dua to Allah Subhana Allah, the highest number of students from the part time they registered was an athlete. And we continue to have new students coming to Arcadia, because
that's the whole idea is that in that class, I didn't learn what I believe in which I know I believe in a lot, but what does it mean? And who is he? And where? What was I missing? Subhanallah and we had, by the way, we have a lot of tears in a couple of classes. Teskey for sure was one of them. Especially when the students read there we always ask the students to share with us they're not the only feelings but what did they learn some thoughts, reflections is some of reflections. I reached out to the student afterward and I said you need to be a writer. This is a very talented human being Subhanallah sent Jonah one thing you say I learned
I think I learned really if I haven't internalized though hate and it's changed my
Subhanallah same thing I told you that the the class is you know, that your life
there is this there's a sign that all the students learned it from me by heart now, this one right now you also see see you when I when I give talks, and I said make your life as a circle. And the circle of course Allah Subhana Allah is Exalted from every analogy, but this is as if this is Allah subhanho wa Taala and everything in your life goes through it, even including why I'm learning and why I'm not learning why I chose to be a physician and why I'm not an all these things goes to Allah and that's the total hate they are talking about. That's the toe hate when every decision in my daily life, I do it based upon what he wants me to do or what he thinks of me, not what I like and
don't or what people want and are not neither one more same thing. One thing you want to share that this course changed that transformation. That's what we call a transformation
can't hear you now. Yeah, that's okay. Now, you know, we always have this issue. So okay.
I got it.
So, I felt like every subject that we were studying, be it like fake or Quran science or herpes, like everything was leaving us to know Allah subhanaw taala better and in a different way, but
like, like, through the teachings of the Prophet or, like, even like classes of fake where it was like, like Allah subhanaw taala to and sacrifice, like to sacrifice an animal not to separate animals that are friends, they just like little things that just made you feel like Who Who is Allah subhanaw taala. And you just felt like you're getting to a little bit more aware of his existence, and then you're putting him first and everything.
Like, your daily activities, your prayers, your interaction with people, like everything was being like,
taken over and you're like looking at everything through the lens of Allah. So this is one of our students. Remind me is Rene era is from where did she live? I don't remember now. Do you remember your Sarah? She's from Canada, Canada. So just put this because the name and mashallah she was one of the excellent students. I learned how to make easy act throughout the day, an act of worship. It's one of the things we learned, you all remember, is like I'm cooking, I don't like cooking. I'm going to see a patient I'm so tired. How can this be an act of force?
This is what we learned. I learned how to make an act through every act throughout the day an act of worship. I learned to worship Allah, the way he wants to be worshipped, not how I want to worship him out of my house that we learn the syntax here out of my house is my desire my own inclination Subhanallah and this is also the Viva Masha Allah Tabata kala who is very active students, you all remember her Tamara Kala, and de vivre. I think she joined us from Minnesota, I don't remember. I'm a student of Teskey. And I learned how to ask repentance from your sin and be closer to Allah subhanho wa taala. It tests Kia was actually we studied also
analyze a book, which is in Arabic is really not an easy read. And it was translated very well may Allah reward them all. It's called modality just so they can remember. Again, it's basically the path of the seekers. And we studied only the chapter of repentance, October, and I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it before anyone Subhanallah so tempted like a brand. I mean, and this is all and this is why I wanted to share with everybody the reality of learning, because this is not to me, and Sheikh Hasina of you know, Allah subhanaw taala took us overseas. These are women like you, like everybody else who went through all the challenges. I can't tell you how many challenges I went
through throughout the year, because I was still I'm still working. And then I give other programs and I travel. And I still have to do all this. And when I look back, I also Allah knows how he made it easy, but it happened. And we continue with the hamdulillahi rabbil aalameen. She has a in a after you heard this, what do you want to say?
Bismillah R Rahman r Rahim. I just think it's so inspiring. Because as our dear sisters can see here, we have students from diverse backgrounds, you know, students that mycologist students or students that have, you know, work related obligations, family, I mean, so what you're seeing my dear sisters is that it's fully possible, right? With work obligations, with family obligations with the work that you're doing in your community, you know, being from multiple time zones, that you know, you don't have to be 1617 1819 years old to do this. It's fully possible to come back and to study. And here's the thing. Another thing that I want to say about this is that sometimes we think
if I just have my photo that I acknowledge, I put that behind me, I don't have to come back to it. No, in fact, you'll find that with a lot of scholars, I'm not amongst them, I bother with the the LMS student knowledge. But with a lot of scholars, they're constantly revising, they're going back to those basics back to those foundations. Because you realize that this deen is so deep, and it's rich, and it's layered. And you constantly have to go back and revise. And then the other thing to my dear sisters, is that when you are seeking sacred knowledge, it's not just about seeking knowledge so that we have, look you can so that I come and say for example, look at my notebooks
look at my library Look, no, no, it's about am I acting on the on the on the basis of that knowledge? You know, emammal has added on him a whole lot, writes a lot about the idea of acting on the basis of knowledge and he he categorizes knowledge and he says that the knowledge that that that has fruit in other words, that you're looking for knowledge that's really beneficial. And how do we know that knowledge is benefiting? Us? It's because the fruit of that knowledge is its guidance. It's not knowledge just for the sake of knowledge, but it's knowledge that is directly leading to what to guidance and that guidance leads to what inshallah salvation and the alcohol. So I'm going
to put some of the questions here and this is, can you please tell me more about the difference between full time versus full time, part time so the full time program is we have five topics year one have five topics, you two have five topics, and the topics is in year one is as I said, and I'm going to say it one more time science of the Quran does for Sheikh Hasina is going to be teaching and then we have that she Hi Isha was was and then we have upgraded and this year we're going to do a smart lighthouse. Now I will be teaching it Teskey I will be teaching it. And also we have for the first year the commentary of the 14 hour weeks I'll be teaching for second year. We're going to now
move a little bit more. Since we learn the science of the Quran. Now we are doing tafsir so we chose the three sorrows that has more related to the woman let's put it this way you have so to Lisa and we have sought to know that we have sorted her giraffe sorter for Georgia is not only for a woman, it's for the all Muslims. So we have seen we also have aqidah the names of Allah we also have test here and we also we have a Shama and in mohammedia. Now we learned about what he taught us words now we're going to learn Who is he and his salatu salam, the timings all the other details you can find it no matter if you can put the link on the on the screen you go to our website, John institute.org
and you will find all much more data
hills, the books, the planners, all these things. And normally in every week, we study between 20 to 30 pages of the subject. And we have a planner we follow and you're required, you're asked, you're highly recommended to read the class before you join. But most of the time I read it from the book and make it easy. Some of the classes we make slides, and we make summaries, the students make beautiful summaries, and we share it with all of you. Another question is, how many hours per day would it be? It is online only or also in person? May Allah reward you Yahara? The I think it's the same here I find no. And I don't know if we will have time to do on site yet. But this is definitely
in in the coming future that we will open it also wherever Allah's pantalla will allow us to be that it is also on site in general it's 11 hours of classes, live or recorded classes. And usually I will recommend, at least for every hour of class, you need to read one hour, but that you can do it on your leisure. We also make groups we have supporting group. We have a study Amina who's our coordinator mashallah Tabata cloths are so good. She studied herself to and she's a happy about the Quran, she gives a lot of support to the students, we meet with them, they can reach out to me I'm available throughout the email, there's any issues, we try to support the woman because we are all
woman and we know the difficulty and the challenges.
And then we have another question that's from consumers. Is it a one time payment? Or do we have payment in installments? All these are on our website? You can do with one time there is Stallman and there is also financial aid unfortunately, we had overwhelming requests for financial aid. We had to close it by August 1 Because we couldn't accommodate everybody and may Allah subhanaw taala make it free for everyone but go and again check our website and you will find that
let's see this one may Allah please Baraka I mean your OB I mean desert La Jolla Azhar or
how much let me see I'm just putting the how much it cost. These are all these informations on the website is Jana institute.org year of knowledge you will find everything including the books, including all the detail, can we do actually the only what we have decided this year, and based on the experience of last year that we will require the students part time to register for at least two of the classes because I want you to this is how I said it. When we had this discussion with a team I said I want the students a little bit more effort. Allah has knowledge worth to put a little bit more so we require two classes. So you can do aqidah and Teskey Arcada and for pocket of Quan
whatever you like, but we require two classes. Registration. This is the registration link. Here you go. You have it here. And this year of knowledge agenda Institute if you go agenda institute.org That's our website, you will find it there. Last words I will leave it to Sheikh Hasina first and then every student and Subhanallah it's already an hour I can't believe it. But for that he or she saying
I'm so excited an honor. So the class I'll be teaching in sha Allah to Allah is our lwml Quran. And you know, the Allah Matlow often discuss which is the most noble of of our loom shudder idea of Islamic sciences. You know, is it is it athlete as elemental hate isn't hadith is it limited Quran? And really, you know, there's an argument you could make about each branch of the Islamic sciences, but what I have to say about our lwml Quran, because I seem to think okay, I'll be learning Taj weed or Arabic, and you know that there's many branches under elemental Quran but primarily, what this class is, it's not so much a class on the mechanics or the phonetics of how to articulate the Quran
that would be a different class. Instead, what this class does this class makes sure that we understand the fount the kind of fundamental
principles of the science and ultimately how the Quran is actually revealed to the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him. That's the idea. In other words, we interact with the Quran every day. Why? Because we recited both inside of our prayer and outside of our prayer, and we teach our children I mean, the Quran is literally the center. It's the foundation of Islamic civilization. And, you know, a lot of us might not actually know those details about how the Quran is revealed.
You know how it comes down to the Prophet alayhi salaatu wa salaam, you know how the suitors are arranged, for example, issues of say abrogation in the Quran. In other words, there are lemma in the past what they did was they very comprehensively began to
study how the Quran comes to us. And you think about this is a miracle that Allah Allah says, Verily We reveal this vicar and verily We shall preserve it. And this is the only scripture. This is the main thing that I want to emphasize here, and the history of Scripture and the history of Revelation. This is the only scripture that remains intact, and it's not human authored. People will often make the mistake, you know, maybe they're out from outside the tradition. They'll make the mistake of associating that scripture with human authorship. No, this is literally the only book
that remains in its original form, that every single line in the Quran, every single area, every single word, every single verse, this is the same as what was given to the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wasallam. So it's going to be a one year in the one year program year of knowledge, we're going to spend the better part of a year in sha Allah to Allah, studying our ultimate Quran, the merits of the science, and how the most half that we hold in our hands today was revealed to the Prophet alayhi salaatu wa Salaam 1400 years ago inshallah this probably answered this question How to it's
a normal part uncover the literally the miracles of the Quran.
Not every miracle in the Quran. It's the miraculous nature of the Quran. That's it, we are teaching the book of Imams so yoti which is basically it's, there's a demand mazurka Shamima sliotar these are the the
what do I say is that the pillars of a woman Quran and he it's very detailed book, so we're trying to make it as simple and but still we learn the basics then Quran itself is by itself is is a miracle, the miraculous nature of the Quran, but every miracle of the Quran is not in this and even if you look at the Illumina Quran, the books it's not there is another science, sub science or subtitle from the alula Quran is the miracles of the Quran, like stories of the Quran, or the things that is the same with the Shabbiha to the Quran. We don't go into a lot of that detail again. Because remember, the goal is not to graduate scholars when you go and enroll in universities
Absolutely you study all that this is to teach women the basics what they need to learn there's one more question and she twice you said it so I have to honor her Is there anything for girls who are 12 We're looking into that
it's just you know what Subhan Allah and you check as any of you know, that's how many things we have to do but it's only 24 hours a day. And we have other things we have to do. So may Allah subhanaw taala because I have the same thing for boys actually, I was reached out by by mothers is like are you going to do anything for the boys? Are you going to do anything for the girls? Actually, I might. We have a plan B the law it's not something like the exactly but inshallah make dua that Allah put Baraka in the offers and may He subhanaw taala. Accept. Last thing we have one minute everyone, we pass the dollars. Okay. Yulia, St. Jana, can you say one more thing.
I just want to say dear sisters, if you're on the fence about doing this, and you are in need of higher in your life, do this. Because none of us are good enough, I was not good enough for this, this did not come from Me won't come from you. Allah will give baraka in your life. If you take the step towards him, you know, you take one step and Allah will take you the rest of the way. Absolutely. It's not our it's not our efforts is not our the only thing he wants to see in. And I say this to myself all that he wants to see in me that desire, I want to do it. And of course, if I'm going to come and bring million blocks, and people and we, he wants to see I really wanted, then
he makes it easy for somebody else. And Jana,
I'm sorry, I saw
if I could say one thing, it's kind of echoing off of what you said, which is, you know, don't let the West was so don't let the stray at the end gets you. This is a means of getting closer to a law. So take it trust the law, he will make it easy
to learn. handler now ILA the last but not the least.
I feel like if I could do it, anyone can do it. And I would. And it's the feeling you get by getting knowledge. It's, it's priceless. That and it just, it's, it's of benefit to so many people that are affiliated with you, your, your family, your children, your husband, and your friends. So like you could help so many other people.
When you gain knowledge, as a sister Nyla is very humble. She was very good students. You all know that, right? Because we the way we teach also, this is something for all it's not one way
We always try to make it interactive. So I always try to ask the students not to put them on the spot. But what do you think? How do you feel? And one of the ones who always answer was always sister night, and she didn't miss except few times again because family issues is a grandmother mashallah Tamara cola. And
now not a grandmother yet, but you will be Shawa.
But the point is you have family I remember your family, family, visitors coming out of town, you know, the usual life we all have, right. And then when you have a guest in your home, they have the right of home, so you're not gonna leave them says I'm gonna go on and study but Subhanallah Annie, the only time she listened from remember, same thing with St. John, the same thing with surah. There is by the way, all the students are amazing. And we reached out to all of them for one reason or the other, they couldn't join. But from Dr. O'Brien, if anything, I'm so grateful to Allah subhana wa Tada and many things, definitely, that he made it this is that dream made it through. And we
continued, and I was blessed to meet all these beautiful sisters Subhanallah I learned from them way more that I don't say this to them. But I am not saying it to me. But I learned from them. Because you learn from the students. She has a number you know that you learn from the students all lot, sometimes even more than what you teach them. So what I am going to ask everyone, everyone that don't put any obstacle
do let's say fine, put an obstacle that you cannot do it. Not this year, next year. I don't know if I'm leaving, I'm leaving tomorrow. And this is actually was the question. When we started the program, the team. When I said we are starting with they said SR high for 2020 threes. And I said no 2021 They looked at me and said this is less than six months. I said I don't know if I'm living on Oahu if we are living and when you want to do something for Allah subhanaw taala and you have the pure intention and you rely on him impossible became becomes possible. Allah Allah, Allah of anything I learned from the year of knowledge is the impossible was possible. And by Allah only. And
don't underestimate your ability, beautiful systems, you can do it, you all can do it. Even if you attend one class, or you have two classes and you attend as much as you can, but we have a way also of monitoring if they are viewing the classes questions are not very hard, but it's a good review even the final exam doesn't go that hard. I looked at all the scores mashallah, tomorrow, everybody did beautiful me why people take 9998 The whole
topics so so what cannot ALLAH ask Allah for open the to open this path of knowledge for you whether again through generic Institute or any other online Institute, if you have it or locally in your place, also look into local because local in person, there is even more in it. And may Allah pantalla users all and not replace us is that Kamala Harris she has enough as always lovely seeing you looking forward to work together and may Allah make this the beginning of even more and more and more clear that Kamala Harris and Jana and Zara and SR nine that was a pleasure looking forward and we're starting Inshallah, September it will be Subhanak along Morbihan they should one Yeah.
Rucola today salam ala Sayidina Muhammad, Allah Allah He was hard