Shaykh Mohammed Nizami

December 1, 2020 ·
We're pleased to announce our new and exciting online curriculum!
*The Foundations of Submission to God (Usul al-Islam).*
This unique long term course intends to deliver knowledge that is obligatory on every person (fard
‘ayn), and in a way that is most relevant to contemporary life. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach,
we draw from various fields of enquiry. However, it assumes little about you except that you're an
intelligent human being. If you've recently converted or know little, it's perfect for you. If you feel you
know a lot it's even better - it'll either fill in the holes or offer you a variant perspective you'll find
deeply insightful. If you've studied formally it'll be very thought provoking!
The curriculum is neither academic nor overly content heavy, but constructive, interesting, helpful
and enlightening. Just because it's the basics doesn't mean it has to be boring. The true basic are
actually very deep with a lot to explore and consider, but in way that leaves you thirsty for more
rather than dying of boredom. We don't mythologise reality as God lays it out, but incorporate it
seamlessly into our understanding of the world around us.
The holistic curriculum:
Module 1: Context and purpose through the Great Overview
- The time before time and how it all began
- Who is God?
- The creation of humanity and spreading out through the earth
- The religion of Abraham
Module 2: The principles of submission to God:
- Whatʼs al-Islam?
- Imaan (faith), kufr (disbelief), nifaq (pretend belief)
- Monotheism vs polytheism
- religiosity vs godliness
- What we must know: the hadith of Gabriel
- The functionalist approach
Module 3: The principles of faith - what is it?
The purpose of the articles of Imaan (faith):
- Understanding God
- Who are Angels?
- The role of revelation
- Who are Messengers?
- What is the Day of Judgement?
- How does divine decree (qadr) work?
Module 4: The five foundations of submission - philosophy and functionalisation (fiqh and maqasid)
- Testifying
- Salat
- Zakah
- Fasting
- Pilgrimage
Module 5: Seeking excellence (ihsan)
- The undifferentiated whole
- ‘Methodʼ: Godly outlook in all matters
 - The states of the mind (aql) and heart (fu'ad) - outlook (taqwa, warʼ, zuhd) and emotion (ahwal
al-qulub)
- Holistic wellbeing
- What it means to ‘rememberʼ God: Dhikr and Dhakirin
Module 6: The hour
- The importance of teleology
- Analysing the trajectory of humanity
- How do we read ‘signsʼ?
Our intent is to deliver a learning experience that raises the bar and sets high standards, both in
quality and content. And the curriculum itself, given it to be exactly what the Prophet taught laymen
(but along with scholarly exploration), means it ought to be life shaping. My intent is not merely to
teach a dry course, but to help you on the journey, create a space for likeminded believers, and
perhaps show (as a tangential objective) that a common understanding and neutral ground (despite
variances) amongst believers is truly possible.
This course can be taken by ANY intelligent adult. Itʼs a journey for those who want to know the truth
(or have taken it for granted) whether Muslim or non-Muslim. We start from theistic first principles
and take nothing for granted. Every position is explored for the most compelling out of all the logical
scenarios and possibilities. It is a journey for truth and a civilisational approach to God and the
message - the way of the ancient Prophets of God.