ISLAMIC ONLINE UNIVERSITY

ISLAMIC ONLINE UNIVERSITY Anyone...Anywhere...Anytime... BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ISLAMIC STUDIES WWW.ISLAMICONLINEUNIVERSITY.COM

TABLE OF CONTENTS Dean s Message... About Islamic Online University... Founder... The Mission... The Method... Advisory Committee... Instructors... Curriculum... Enrollment & Fees... Frequently Asked Questions... Accreditation... 03 04 05 06 08 10 11 12 16 17 19

Dean s Message Salaam alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh. It is my great pleasure to welcome you Islamically to the Islamic Online University s learning experience in which the various gates of divinely-revealed knowledge have been thrown open for you. This opportunity has been made possible by the accidental invention of the Internet, a human creation resulting from divine intervention. At a time when Islamic teachings are caught between fossilization and revival, hijacked by modernism and extremism, a chance to promote true Islam in its original unadulterated form was born. Allahu Akbar - surely this is a mercy from Allah. I sincerely hope that you will take full advantage of this unique opportunity to please God by deeply understanding the major disciplines of Islamic academic study, applying whatever you learn in your lives, and by sharing this divine legacy with the world around you. Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips Founder & Dean 02 03

ABOUT ISLAMIC ONLINE UNIVERSITY The Islamic Online University (IOU) is the brainchild of Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips who envisioned an institution of learning that would offer online intensive diploma, undergraduate, and graduate courses in Islamic Studies completely free. The IOU was launched in 2007 from Qatar offering more than 22 completely free diploma short courses. In 2007 over 1,500 students registered in the diploma program. By the end of 2008, over 4,500 students were registered and 15,000 students from over 160 different countries in 2009. And in 2012, less than 5 years since its inception, its student body has reached over 60,000 from over 207 countries. It is also worth noting that in 2010 the Islamic University of Madeenah, of which Dr Bilal is a graduate, celebrated its fortieth year of operation during which it had taught 30,000 students from various countries. In March 2010, the IOU broke new ground by launching the world s first tuition-free, online Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies. This path-breaking initiative utilizes the worldwide presence of the Internet and advanced open source online learning technology to bring incredibly low-cost, university level Islamic education within reach of virtually anyone on the planet who has access to a computer and the Internet. 04

FOUNDER Dr. Bilal Philips Founder and Dean Dr Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips is a Jamaican Canadian Islamic Scholar who converted to Islam in the early seventies after journeying politically and intellectually from Christianity to Communism. Shortly after his reversion to Islam, he embarked on a spiritual academic journey to the other side of the world seeking Islamic knowledge. This journey took him to Saudi Arabia where he completed a BA in Islamic studies in Madeenah, and an MA in Islamic Theology in Riyadh, then to the University of Wales, UK, where he completed a PhD in Islamic Theology in the early nineties. After graduation from Madeenah, Dr Bilal became a teacher of Islamic studies for 10 years in an Islamic High School, Manaret Riyadh, and a lecturer of Arabic and Islamic studies in the American University in Dubai, UAE, for another 10 years. During his 10 years in the UAE, he founded and taught at the Islamic Information Center in Dubai, and during his subsequent 7 years in Qatar he has been an Islamic consultant and lecturer for the Islamic Information wing of Sh. Eed Charity. Dr Bilal Philips has written, translated and commented on over 50 published books on various Islamic topics. He has also edited and published the 56 book Eemaan Reading Series for children and presented Islamic programs for a number of years on Riyadh Channel 2TV, Sharjah TV for ten years, as well as Peace TV, Huda TV, Islam Channel, UK, and the Deen Show, Chicago, USA. In 2002 Dr Philips founded and headed the Islamic studies department of Preston University, Ajman, UAE, and in 2007 he founded and headed the Islamic Studies Academy, Doha, Qatar, while simultaneously launching the Islamic Online University () which is currently offering free Islamic courses to over 60,000 registered students from over 207 different countries world wide, and for which he was included in the Jordanian publication, The 500 Most Influential Muslims (rissc.jo/muslim500v-1l.pdf). Dr Bilal subsequently founded and headed, in 2008, the English medium Islamic studies department of Knowledge International University (www.kiu.org), who s Chancellor is Shaikh Dr. Abdur-Rahman ibn Abdil- Azeez Al Sudais and who s President of the board of trustees is Shaikh Abdul-Azeez ibn Abdullah Al Shaikh, Mufti of Saudi Arabia. More recently, in 2009, Dr Bilal Philips founded and headed the College of Da wah and Islamic Culture (English Section), Omdurman Islamic University, Sudan, and established and directed Preston International College (www.prestonchennai.ac.in) in Chennai, India. In March of this year (2010) Dr Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips launched, for the first time in history, an accredited tuition-free BA in Islamic Studies degree course at the Islamic Online University (bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com). 05

THE MISSION Making authentic Islamic knowledge readily available to the world through the medium of the Internet solely for God s pleasure is a noble goal and a dignified mission worthy of sacrificing one s energies and means for. - Dr. Bilal Philips The Islamic Online University aims to grant global access to quality undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate level Islamic educational programs for students at virtually no cost. Its mission is to be a catalyst for change in the Global Muslim nation (the Ummah) in order to facilitate Islam s contribution to the progress of human civilization through appropriate education. The knowledge-related principles upon which the IOU is based are: Authenticity The foundation of the information conveyed in IOU is Divinely Revealed knowledge as found in the Qur aan and the Sunnah (Prophetic Explanations). God said: Indeed it is only the knowledgeable among His servants who truly fear Allah. (35:28) Prophet Muhammad said: Seeking knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim. Accessibility The Islamic Online University provides a golden opportunity for people to access Islamic courses wherever they may be and whenever they wish, without having to travel overseas or even leave the confines of their homes. Its goal is to be for anyone, in any place, at any time. The Last Prophet said: If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads to Paradise. Affordability The IOU demonstrates its firm commitment to spreading authentic Islamic knowledge by progressing from absolutely free certificate and diploma level Islamic courses to a tuition-free BA in Islamic Studies (BAIS), thereby making graduate Islamic education easily affordable to the world. Free tuition for all students provides equal access to an education previously available to only the few given the opportunity to attend traditional Islamic institutions of higher learning around the world. God said: Say: Are those who know equal to those who do not know? (39:9) 06

Community No student will be prevented from studying at the Islamic Online University, regardless of his or her religious, ethnic or social background. The IOU affirms that its doors will remain open for all, irrespective of the artificial borders erected in the real world. It has already spawned, in less than four years, a global community of over 60,000 students seeking Islamic knowledge from over 177 countries and sharing their knowledge and concerns in supervised student forums. Furthermore, the members of IOU s teaching staff come from all corners of the globe. God said: Cooperate with each other in righteousness and piety (5:2) Islamic ethics It is the fundamental belief of the Islamic Online University that the bond between the teacher and student is a sacred one. Therefore, the Muslim teacher and student must be essentially different from teachers and students who merely happen to be Muslim. The Last Prophet stated that the world and its contents are cursed except the remembrance of Allah and means to do so, the teacher and the student. Thus, the IOU expects all its students, teaching staff, administrators and volunteers to function as Muslims first and foremost in their respective positions and fields. Doing so will foster and maintain the highest standards of personal integrity, honesty and responsibility, as Prophet Muhammad said: Indeed, Allah loves from each of you that you work according to the best of your ability. Quality and Application The Islamic Online University is committed to providing a top quality online academic experience, suitable in its scope and depth to convey authentic and practical Islamic knowledge, while at the same time enabling its students to face the contemporary challenges of their era. IOU will assess and re-evaluate every aspect of its Islamic academic model on an ongoing basis and will not only encourage its students to study diligently, but also emphasize that they must strive their utmost to put the knowledge gained into practice. The Last Prophet said, The best of you is one who learns the Qur aan and teaches it to others. He also said, The best of you is the one most beneficial to people. 07

THE METHOD The University recognizes that many of its students may not have studied on the Internet before. Online education is a unique learning experience quite different from traditional classroombased learning. Therefore, it has produced a variety of demos every step of the way and organized a userfriendly learning environment to help newcomers to the field of online education. It is vital that IOU students are fully prepared for its online teaching methods and that they possess the required level of English to effectively and successfully study in this environment. Consequently, IOU has developed a series of orientation courses that are mandatory for all students as well as English courses (ENG 101 & 102) in the first year to help upgrade their language skills. The global student body learns through watching and listening to video and audio lectures as well as reading PDF format texts with the support of welltrained tutorial assistants. Within IOU s online study communities, students may share resources, exchange ideas, discuss weekly topics, submit assignments, and take exams. 08

The Last Prophet s disciple, Ibn Mas ood said, We used to learn knowledge and its application together. Imaam Sufyaan ath-thawree related that as a youth, when he first began to attend formal Islamic classes, his mother advised him, If you write down 10 words and your faith hasn t improved, check your intentions. 09

ADVISORY COMMITTEE Dr. Jafar Shaikh Idrees (Sudan), Founder of the American Open University, Washington, USA Dr. Abdul Hakim Quick (Canada), Peace University, South Africa Dr. James Jones (USA), Chair of World Religions, Manhattanville College, USA Dr. Ibrahim Al-Nu aimi (Qatar), Former Chancellor of Qatar University Dr. Saad Al-Shithri (Saudi Arabia), Founder of Knowledge International University, Riyadh 10

INSTRUCTORS Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, JAMAICA, W.I. PhD Aqeedah (Islamic Theology) Wissam El Tom LEBANON MA TAJWEED Daud Abdullah GRENADA, W.I. PhD SEERAH Shafiq Flynn NEW ZEALAND MA USOOL AL-HADEETH James Jones USA D.Min, PhD COMPARATIVE RELIGION Imran Asif UNITED KINGDOM MA EDUCATION M Anwar Sahib FIJI PhD FIQH Abdussalam Ghouse INDIA MA HADEETH Altijani Hussin SUDAN MA ISLAMIC ECONOMICS Riaz Ansary USA PhD CANDIDATE USOOL AL-FIQH Sis. Aisha Utz USA PhD ISLAMIC PSYCHOLOGY Rasheeda Mubeen INDIA M.Phil ENGLISH 11

CURRICULUM YEAR 1 SEMESTER I SEMESTER II COURSE CODE DESCRIPTION COURSE CODE DESCRIPTION TAJ 101 Tajweed I TAJ 102 Tajweed I AQD 101 Aqeedah I (Ibaadah) AQD 102 Aqeedah II (Asmaa & Sifaat) FQH 101 Fiqh I (Math habs) FQH 102 Fiqh II (Ibaadaat) ARB 100/ ARB 101 Arabic I(Reading & Writing) Arabic I (Grammar I) ARB 102 Arabic II (Grammar II) CMP 101 Computer Studies SER 101 Seerah I (Prophetic Biography) ENG 101 English I ENG 102 English II YEAR 2 SEMESTER III SEMESTER IV COURSE CODE DESCRIPTION COURSE CODE DESCRIPTION TAF 101 Tafseer I: Uloom al-quraan RMY 101 Research Methodology AQD 201 Aqeedah III (Tahaawiyyah) AQD 202 Aqeedah IV (Heresiology) FQH 201 Fiqh III (Mu aamalaat I) FQH 202 Fiqh IV (Mu aamalaat II) HAD 101 Hadeeth I: Terminology HAD 102 Hadeeth II (Forty Hadeeths) SER 102 Seerah II (Prophetic Biography) PSY 101 Islamic Psychology ARB 201 Arabic III (Grammar III) ARB 202 Arabic IV (Grammar IV) 12

YEAR 3 SEMESTER V SEMESTER VI COURSE CODE DESCRIPTION COURSE CODE DESCRIPTION TAF 201 Tafseer II (Soorah Yaaseen) TAF 202 Tafseer III (Soorah al-kahf) AQD 301 Aqeedah V (Comparative I) AQD 302 Aqeedah VI (Comparative II) FQH 301 Fiqh V (Usool al-fiqh) FQH 302 Fiqh VI (Maxims & Maqaasid) BSA 101 Islamic Management HAD 201 Hadeeth III (Forty Hadeeths) DHD 101 Da wah & Du aat PSY 102 Islamic Counselling ARB 301 Arabic V (Grammar V) ARB 302 Arabic VI (Grammar VI) YEAR 4 SEMESTER VII SEMESTER VIII COURSE CODE DESCRIPTION COURSE CODE DESCRIPTION HST 101 Islamic History I HST 102 Islamic History II AQD 401 Aqeedah VII (Angels, Jinn & Humans ) FQH 402 Fiqh VIII (Criminal Law) FQH 401 Fiqh VII (Inheritance) EDU 101 Teaching Methodology ECM 101 Islamic Economics I ARB 402 Arabic V III (Grammar V II) ARB 401 Arabic VII (Grammar VII) CVN 101 Islamic Civilization DHD 102 Contemporary Da wah Movements THS 400 BA Thesis 13

Students may choose to do an additional five or six elective subjects from any single minor or more during the course of their 4 years of study, and they will be awarded a BA with a minor or minors in the discipline(s) from which they completed all five or six electives offered. IOU Degrees Offered: Standard BAIS consisting of 48 courses: Students who have been granted a waiver for English or Computers course(s), due to their having already done advanced studies in them on a university level will have to take one or more (equal to the number of courses waived) of the courses offered in the electives and make up the required 48 courses to be able to complete the BAIS. BA with a Minor in a particular field consisting of 53 or 54 courses: An additional group of electives will be required from the available electives depending on the Minor the student wants their degree to be in. E.g., BAIS, Minor in Aqeedah, means that the student has done all the electives of the Aqeedah Minor. The courses of the minor may be taken as a separate semester after completing the BAIS courses. ELECTIVES (FOR MINORS) COURSE CODE AQEEDAH COURSE CODE TAFSEER AQD 501 Aqeedah VIII (Sufism) TAF 301 Tafseer (Subjective: Jesus) AQD 502 Aqeedah IX (Shi ism) TAF 302 Tafseer (Subjective: Satan) AQD 503 Aqeedah X (Usool al-bid ah) TAF 401 Tafseer (Subjective: Adam) AQD 504 Aqeedah XI (Sahaabah) TAF 402 Tafseer (Soorah al-mulk) AQD 505 Aqeedah XII (Tawassul) TAF 501 Tafseer (Soorah an-noor) COURSE CODE HADEETH COURSE CODE SHAREE AH HAD 301 Hadeeth V (Islamic Excellence I) FQH 501 Human Rights HAD 302 Hadeeth VI (Islamic Excellence II) FQH 502 Maqaasid HAD 401 Hadeeth VII (Islamic Excellence III) FQH 503 International Relations HAD 402 Hadeeth IX (Takhreej) FQH 504 Sharee ah Governance HAD 501 Hadeeth X Books of Hadeeth FQH 505 Qadaa, Hisbah & Mathaalim 14

COURSE CODE ISLAMIC BANKING & ECONOMICS COURSE CODE EDUCATION ECM 102 Principles of Economics (Macro & Micro) EDU 102 Child Psychology ECM 201 Money and Banking EDU 201 Subject Knowledge (Pedagogy) ECM 202 Accounting EDU 202 Classroom Management ECM 301 Financial Management EDU 301 Professional Development BSA 301 Intro to Business Administration EDU 302 Differentiated Instruction COURSE CODE BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION COURSE CODE HISTORY BSA 102 Human Resources CVN 102 Modern Middle-Eastern History BSA 201 Marketing Communications CVN 201 The Ottomans BSA 202 Marketing Research & Sales CVN 202 Muslim Spain BSA 301 Intro to Business Administration CVN 301 Cordova ECM 202 Accounting CVN 302 Muslim Contributions to Civilization COURSE CODE DA WAH COURSE CODE TAJWEED DHD 201 Modern Da wah Institutions TAJ 201 Tajweed III (Intermediate I) DHD 202 Mass Media & Communications TAJ 202 Tajweed IV (Intermediate II) DHD 301 Orientalism TAJ 301 Tajweed V (Advanced I) DHD 302 Muslim Minorities TAJ 302 Tajweed VI (Advanced II) DHD 401 Practicum TAJ 401 Tajweed VII (Graduate) 15

ENROLLMENT & FEES The Islamic Online University is a tuition-free institution that does not charge students to take classes. Audio and video recordings of lectures and reading materials are available online free of charge. There is just one modest fee that students pay per semester, a semester registration fee that ranges from 40$ to 120$ per semester based on the standard of living in the student s country of residence. Sliding Scale Fee structure The cost of an Islamic Online University BA program will be only a fraction of the cost of a comparable degree from a public university, even for students who live in countries with a very low standard of living.the total fee for the whole program will range from $320 - $960 depending on the student s country of residence. The semester s courses end with comprehensive externally supervised examinations.. Therefore the cost of an Islamic Online University BA degree will be only a fraction of the cost of comparable degrees from other public and private universities, even for students who live in countries with very low standards of living. The IOU BA degree cost, according to current fee rates, will vary from $320 for Africans to $960 for Americans. In the Sudan, for example, a 4 year BA degree costs approximately $4,400 for foreign students and $2,200 for locals, while in India the 3 year BA costs approximately $1,200 for locals and $2,000 for foreigners. 16

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Where is the Islamic Online University based? Although our head office is in Qatar, the Islamic Online University is accessible anywhere a computer and Internet connection exists and its administrative and academic staff live all around the world. Where does the study take place? Islamic Online University classes take place wherever you are! Because study is completely online, people can learn wherever an Internet connection is available. To ensure that even those with slow Internet connections can fully participate, the IOU has provided audio and video lectures which may be played online or downloaded. How does full-time and part-time study work at the IOU? An IOU semester usually has 6 courses and lasts for a total of around 5 months. Each course consists of 2 recorded lectures and one live lecture per week. Fulltime students are expected to devote at least 3 hours per week per subject - or preferably 4 hours, in which they will listen and or read the lecture materials, take the lecture quiz and prepare class assignments. This translates into between 18-24 hours per week of study. Part-time students taking half of the full load of 6 courses (i.e. 3 classes) would need to spend half of that (i.e. 9-12 hours). The BAIS degree is a four year degree which may be completed in a minimum of 3 years (if students take more than a full course load) and a maximum of 8 years. Within that period, students may study at their own pace and time, with the exception of live sessions which must be attended when offered. The recorded sessions which comprise the bulk of the study material are available 24/7. Thus, the student may study whenever he or she is free and students may even take breaks during lectures! Live sessions are conducted weekly or bi weekly on Fri, Sat and Sun at two different times (morning and evening) and students may join whichever session suits them. Grades are assigned for class participation in live sessions accounting for 5% of the total grades, with the exception of Tajweed in which it counts for 30%. 17

The BA course offered by IOU was designed to accommodate a wide range of study schedules. However, there are some deadlines that must be met. For example, mid-term and final exam dates, add and drop course dates and assignment submission dates. How do I take exams? Module tests and Midterm exams can be taken anywhere within the prescribed time. The final exams must be taken only in an IOU approved exam center. There are several designated IOU centers present across the globe. You may look for a center near your place before the semester exams and register for it. If there is no IOU approved exam center nearby, you can suggest an exam center and we will approve it even if you are the only student taking exams in it, Insha Allah. When will enrolment begin and classes start? Islamic Online University has two terms each year (Fall: September January and Spring: March July). Registration in each semester will continue until the end of the first month of classes. Please visit the website for dates and deadlines. If my transcripts are not in English, will you still accept them? Any non-english transcripts of the high school Certificate must be fully translated into English and authorized by a notary public or any other attesting body. You must also send an authorized notary copy of the original attested transcript with the translated copy. The copy of the translated notarized copy should be uploaded during online registration procedures. 18

ACCREDITATION Universitas Muhammadiyah Sukabumi (UMMI) The Universitas Muhammadiyah Sukabumi (UMMI) and the Islamic Online University (IOU) are pleased that a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) has been signed between them on 04th May 2011. They have agreed to embark on a strategic alliance to provide curricular programs designed to promote core competence and excellence in authentic Islamic education and other disciplines from the Islamic perspective. The IOU has recently launched the world s first tuition-free, online Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies (BAIS). This path-breaking initiative plans to utilize the worldwide presence of the Internet and advanced open source online learning technology to bring low-cost, university level Islamic education within reach of anyone on the planet who has access to a computer and the Internet. In line with this, IOU has embarked on a consortium with UMMI an accredited institution of higher learning recognized by the Indonesian government for higher Islamic Studies degree programs relevant to professional growth, well-balanced personality and ultimate success. By virtue of the MOA, UMMI will award BAIS degree certificates to successful IOU students who meet all the requirements mandated by Indonesian laws. UMMI will secure from the Indonesian Higher Educational Authorities the essential documentation of degree authentication. 14 19

Islamic Online University Office of Admissions P.O. Box 4096 Doha, Qatar Student Affairs Department Email: student.affairs@islamiconlineuniversity.com +91 8688429865 (8am to 12pm, Qatar Time, Mon to Sat) Admissions: Registrar@islamiconlineuniversity.com +91 9849331289 (12pm to 4pm, Qatar Time, Mon to Sat) Sponsorships: Asst.Dean@islamiconlineuniversity.com