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Following the passing of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and therefore the conclusion of revelation, the companions and those who followed them went through a diligent process to intricately preserve and pass on the knowledge of religion to subsequent generations. Thus, Muslims were left with the Islamic imperative to seek knowledge. In contrast to most faiths that call upon their adherents to "have faith" and "just believe and you'll understand", Islam emphasizes seeking knowledge and knowing God as the path to awareness thus leading to true, sincere and deeply imbedded faith.

Cordova Academy is pleased to present The Garden of Delight, a four week program introducing students to the elementary sciences of Islam; Introduction to Theology, Introduction to Islamic Law and Jurisprudence (Shari'ah &Fiqh), and an Analysis of Prayer (Fiqh of Salah) in accordance with the four orthodox schools of thought (Al-athahib-ul-Arba'ah). It is said that a lecture is the process of transmission of the professor's notes into the notes of the student, without passing through the mind of either. Though that may be the sad fact at most Academic institutions and Universities around the world, in contrast to the status quo, at Cordova Academy, we pride ourselves on defining a lecture as the tender process of transmission of thoroughly researched, authentic information and its cognition from the mind, heart and soul of the instructor to the mind, heart and soul of the student.

Program Structure:

Week One: Introduction to Theology (3 Credits)

Theology is a field that touches upon the heart and soul of religion. It is the basis and foundation upon which faith is built. In this course, students will go through a brief analysis of the religious ideas of ancient civilizations including beliefs of the Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Ancient Egyptians, Maya, Aztecs, Hindus, Jews, Christians and Pagan pre-Islamic Arabs. Thereafter students will familiarize with the history & etymologies of Islamic Theology, and an overview of the main Islamic Theological groups. An elaboration of Islamic creedal concepts will be taught, with the proofs of beliefs taken directly from the Sacred Sources of Islam; theQur`an, the prophetic tradition, consensus of scholars and creeds of early scholars.

Week Two: Introduction to Islamic Law & Jurisprudence(3 Credits)

Islamic Law and Jurisprudence are the Fabric of Islamic thought and society. When asking any common Muslim about the sources of Islamic law, they may merely answer with "Qur`an and Sunnah". Though these two are the chief "raw" sources, there is a wide dynamic range of intricacy, deep thought and unparalleled intellectual and creative power of analysis involved. In reality the sources of Islamic law & Jurisprudence are many; varying from Qiyas, the highly prolific and analytical process of scale comparison, to 'Urf, the socioeconomic, environmental and sociopolitical context of the people and places to which the law is to apply. This course will delve into the foundations, methodology of extraction and methods of application or lack of application of laws in Islam. It will also explore the origins, history, development and evolution of Islamic thought and its schools; namely the Hanafi, Maliki, ;Shafi`i, Hanbali andJa`fari schools.

Week Three & Four: The Divine Connection(6 Credits)

The word Salah, symbolizing the Islamic act of worship, is derived from the root-word Wasala meaning 'to connect'. Thus, the Islamic prayer is regarded as a direct connection between the creation and the creator. From its inception, Islam has always promoted the belief that the creation have direct access to commune with the Divine, without the need of intermediaries, such as demigods, priests and saints. This course will provide a synopsis of the jurisprudence of prayer in accordance with the four orthodox schools of thought, collated with other schools. Every pillar, movement, incantation, supplication and position in the prayer will be thoroughly examined, employing the evidences utilized by the various schools of thought and from the books of compiled prophetic traditions. This course will not only provide the student with an in-depth comprehension of the Islamic prayer, moreover it will make them more understanding and open-minded to the variations that exist among the diverse schools of thought. The course will commence with an examination of the process of ablution and purification, methods of determination of the times of prayer, the call to prayer, the prayer itself and tips to assist one to concentrate during the prayer.

All material taught in these courses has been approved by Al-Qarawiyyin University (Fez, Morrocco), Muhammadiyyah University (Indonesia), Al-Azhar University (Bekaa, Lebanon), The Department of Islamic Endowments (Lebanon), University of Islamic Sciences: Qur`an & Sunnah Department (Malaysia) and the Islamic University (Aloe Setar, Malaysia).

Intrigued?

Join us for a month of knowledge and spirituality as we delve into the sciences of religion!

Taught by Imam Mohamad Jebara,University of Ottawa, Mont Petit Room 203,Saturday June 9^th, 16^th, 23^rd, and 30^th  Courses begin at 10 am SHARP! And end at 3 pm.

****For A LIMITED Time, take advantage of our early registration DISCOUNT! Register by May 15^th, and pay only $160. Price thereafter is $240. All proceeds will go towards the purchase of a building to be utilized as a community center.

A MAXIMUM of ONLY 50 students will be admitted, seats are filling FAST, REGISTER NOW!

Join the TENS of THOUSANDS of students around the world, who have benefited and continue to benefit from Cordova Academy's QUALITY courses, programs and seminars.

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