Course Description:
What does it mean to engage in politics as a Muslim—especially in a non-Muslim society like the United States? Should Muslims participate in elections, advocate for social causes, or challenge unjust laws? Or does true faith require political withdrawal?

For many Muslims, these questions stir deep tension between loyalty to divine guidance and the realities of modern governance. Yet Islamic tradition offers a framework not of retreat, but of principled engagement. Rooted in Qur’anic imperatives to command good, forbid evil, and stand for justice, civic participation can be understood as part of our divine mandate of khilāfah—to act as God’s stewards on earth.

In this course, Imam Tom Facchine explores how classical Islamic legal concepts—such as al-walāʾ wa-l-barāʾ, territorial classifications, and the duty to uphold justice—intersect with contemporary political realities. You’ll see how the freedoms afforded by the U.S. Constitution, especially the First Amendment, create a unique opportunity for Muslims to live, advocate, and share their faith publicly—an opportunity that demands both gratitude and vigilance.

Through this study, you’ll gain a framework for engaging in civic life with conviction, strategy, and sincerity—rooting your activism not in partisanship, but in prophecy.

Join us to discover how prophetic values can guide Muslim participation in shaping a more just and faithful society.

About The Instructor:

Imam Tom completed his BA in Political Science from Vassar College in 2011 and was granted the opportunity to study at the Islamic University of Madinah from 2015-2020, where he obtained his BA from the Faculty of Shariah. Imam Tom is from Southern New Jersey. Brought up a Christian, he left Christianity as a teenager and became an atheist. During this period he had a political awakening and developed a passion for leftist political theory and activism, particularly Marxism, anarchism, and feminism. It wasn’t until he reached university and began studying European colonialism and secularism that his commitments started to loosen, leaving him open to the influence of Malcolm X and Islam. This culminated in his conversion to Islam in 2010.

Imam Tom’s research interests remain secularism, European colonialism, feminism, and all things political theory, but now his research is anchored in an Islamic paradigm and informed by the Islamic scholarly tradition. He serves as Research Director of Islam and Society at Yaqeen Institute.

Course Description:

The Prophet ﷺ called dua the essence of worship — the act that defines our need, hope, and trust in Allah. No believer ever outgrows it.

In this course, you’ll explore how the Prophet ﷺ taught us to make dua with sincerity, presence, and adab. You’ll learn how to ask more beautifully, how to persist with patience, and how to avoid common mistakes that block the acceptance of our prayers.

Grounded in the Prophet’s ﷺ own supplications, this class revives the art of calling upon Allah — not just with words, but with the heart.

About The Instructor:

Ustadh Majed completed a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Windsor, a Bachelor’s in Islamic Studies in Islamic Jurisprudence and Legal Theory from Al-Madinah International University, and a Master’s in Business Administration from Wayne State University. As he travels worldwide lecturing about different aspects of Islam, Majed works full-time as a mechanical engineer and teaches with Al-Maghrib Institute. He currently lives in Michigan with his wife and children.

Course Description:

History remembers those who transform challenges into triumphs. The story of Umar b. Abd Al Aziz is one such story, a tale of courage, integrity, and reform in an era when the values of the Prophetic model seemed lost. Born into privilege yet driven by a higher purpose, Umar rose to restore justice, governance, and compassion, earning the title of the “Fifth Rightly Guided Caliph.”

This course will take you through the ebbs and flows of the Umma during his time, including the setbacks, the crises, and the extraordinary successes that shaped generations. You will discover how Umar revolutionized the zakah system, ensuring no one was left in need, and how his unwavering commitment to justice and ethics offers timeless lessons for our own struggles today.

Join us to explore the life of a man who stood against the currents of his era and learn how his example can guide you to lead, act, and inspire in your own life. Do not just study history, learn from it, and find the courage to face your challenges with clarity and purpose.

About The Instructor:

Shaykh Hamzah Imtiaz is the Resident Scholar at the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis (IFGSTL). He is known for his popular Monday Night Seerah series, an in-depth study of the life of the Prophet ﷺ now spanning over 100 sessions. He is also the founder and director of the annual Ilm Intensive, the region’s first immersive program in the traditional Islamic sciences. Shaykh Hamzah plays an active role in mentoring youth and fostering a culture of knowledge and tradition within the community. He also teaches as an Instructor with Miftaah Institute. Alongside his community work, he enjoys baseball, poetry, and historical biographies.

Shaykh Hamzah began his lifelong journey of Islamic knowledge at a young age, starting with the memorization of the Qur’an. He later pursued advanced Islamic studies abroad. He dedicated six years to the Dars-e-Nizami curriculum, a rigorous  program equivalent to a BA and a MA in Arabic and Islamic Studies, studying at multiple prestigious seminaries in the subcontinent, including the Al-Hasanayn Institute for Advanced Islamic Studies in Faisalabad, Pakistan, and Jamiʿah Dar al-ʿUlum in Karachi. He studied under renowned Islamic scholars such as Mufti Muhammad Taqi al-ʿUthmani, the late Mufti Muhammad Rafiʿ al-ʿUthmani, and Mawlana Tariq Jamil, earning diplomas and teaching licenses (ijazat) in Islamic studies. He also studied under the tutelage of Mufti Muhammad Zahid, a leading authority in Hadith studies today.