Our Curriculum

Muslim scholars over the ages have distilled the most important knowledge for Muslims to learn and implement in their lives. The Sunday Ribat focuses on this all-important knowledge base and sets out to deliver it in a period of three years, or six semesters, tailored for working adults and students. The Sunday Ribat curriculum is derived from the larger and more complex curricula taught in Ribats and other institutions of learning from East Asia to North Africa, and connects the students to living chains of oral transmission (sanad) that reach back to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Our courses cover the basic essentials of Islam, Iman and Ihsan. The courses range from Fiqh and Tawhid to Hadith and Sira. Other courses offered include History of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, Da’wa and Tafsir. Students have the option to engage in a variety of activities connected to their weekly classes. In the past Sunday Ribat students have participated in archery lessons, nature hikes, fishing outings, soup kitchens and volunteering at events for visiting speakers and scholars.

The Sunday Ribat seeks to develop a community atmosphere that provides for both the social as well as spiritual needs of those who attend.

To better serve the needs of our students we have divided the curriculum into two steps. Ribat Essentials (Year One) and Ribat Fundamentals (Years Two & Three).

Ribat Essentials – One Year Program

Ribat Essentials, the first year’s curriculum, is now offered as a stand alone program. The student will take a course in each of the three areas of the Sacred Disciplines (Tafsir, Hadith and Fiqh) while also completing three texts (mutun), the summary of which gives them a thorough grounding in Islam, Iman and Ihsan. Upon completion of the Ribat Essentials program the student will receive a certificate of completion.

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Semester 1 - Fall of the First Year

  • Ribat 101
    • Text: Glorious Treasure by Habib Umar bin Hafiz
  • Tafsir 101 - Surah Fatiha and Chapters 102-114
    • Text: Tafsir Jalalayn
  • Fiqh 101 - One of the Options Below
    • Shafi’i
      • Text: Essentials of Islam by Habib Ahmed ibn Zayn Al-Habashi
    • Hanafi
      • Text: Ascent to Felicity by Abu 'l-Ikhlas al-Shurunbulali

SEMESTER 2 - Winter OF THE FIRST YEAR

  • Hadith 101
    • Text: The Light of Faith compiled by Habib Umar bin Hafiz
  • Tawhid 101
    • Text: Belief in Islam by Imam Abdullah ibn `Alawi al-Haddad
  • Fiqh 102 - One of the Options Below
    • Shafi’i
      • Text: Essentials of Islam by Habib Ahmed ibn Zayn Al-Habashi
    • Hanafi
      • Text: Ascent to Felicity by Abu 'l-Ikhlas al-Shurunbulali
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