Introduction

The goal of all sacred knowledge is to aid you on your journey of self-improvement as you make your way through this life into the afterlife. This series of three courses succinctly summarizes the stages of this spiritual journey and its most important milestones, such as certainty in the afterlife, the stages of spiritual development, presence of heart in acts of worship, good character with other people, and sincerity, gratitude, and love of God, all in the 32 short chapters of a masterpiece of Islamic spirituality, The Book of Assistance. This third part focusses on how to breathe sincerity into your dealings with other people and how to develop your love of God.

Curricular Context

  • This is a first-level course in Step Two
  • Complete Step One before taking this course

Course Outline

Lesson 1: On Pilgrimage (Chapter 20)

Lesson 2: On Scrupulousness (Chapter 21)

Lesson 3: On Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil (Chapter 22)

Lesson 4: On Social Duties (Chapter 23)

Lesson 5: On Kindness and Charity (Chapter 24)

Lesson 6: On Counsel (Chapter 25)

Lesson 7: On Salutations and a Salutary Opinion (Chapter 26)

Lesson 8: On Repentance, Hope and Fear (Chapter 27)

Lesson 9: On Patience and Gratitude (Chapters 28 & 29)

Lesson 10: On Renunciation (Chapter 30)

Lesson 11: On Reliance on God (Chapter 31)

Lesson 12: On Divine Love and Contentment (Chapter 32)

What You Will Learn:

  • Learn how to turn this world into a journey to your afterlife
  • Learn the key terms of the science of Islamic spirituality
  • Learn what it means to have good character with people
  • Learn how to turn away from this world and focus on Allah Most High
  • Appreciate the depth of the Muslim spiritual tradition

Course Requirements:

  • Students are required to take Book of Assistance (Parts 1 & 2) ISKMG15A/ ISKMG15B before registering for this course.

Course Format: 12 downloadable lessons, 3 live sessions

About the Course Text

The course is an exposition of The Book of Assistance by the great scholar, saint, and renewer of the twelfth Islamic century, Imam ‘Abdullah b. ‘Alawi al-Haddad [link to: https://www.amazon.com/Sufi-Sage-Arabia-al-Haddad-Spiritual/dp/188775265X](d. 1132 AH / 1720 CE). Imam al-Haddad’s profound mastery of the sacred sciences was condensed into this masterpiece, in which he maps out various acts of devotion and the spiritual path in 32 succinct chapters. Long considered a summary of Ghazali’s seminal Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din, and translated from its original Arabic into Malay, Swahili, and English, this short treatise has been used as a manual of practical spirituality by Muslims all over the world ever since it was written. For a summary of the book and this course, watch Shaykh Yahya Rhodus’ introduction [ link to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W7Neu4TirE ]