As the Orientalist and civil servant Sir William Muir (1819–1905) served in India for the British government, it was not long before he realized the significance of Prophet Muhammad’s (p) sunnah for the day-to-day practice of Islam for the Muslims. Much of the sunnah is derived from the ḥadīth literature which constitutes one of the most significant bodies of work within the vast sea of Islamic disciplines. The majority of Muslims since the rise of Islam have relied heavily on aḥadīth to acquire religious knowledge pertaining to different aspects of their lives, be it theology, jurisprudence or ethics.
As such, 8 online sessions are being offered via Skype to introduce students to the development of ḥadīth sciences within a Shī’ī Imāmī context. By the end of the sessions, a student would ideally be acquainted with the basic discussions and sub-discussions that take place within Shī’ī Imāmī ḥadīth discourse. Please note, these lessons will be introductory in nature and if one already has a decent grasp of the subject it is advised they do not signup.
There will also be an opportunity for questions and answers.
Fees: The course is being offered for $10 USD and payments can be made through Paypal http://paypal.me/AliImranSC/10USD – if you are in Canada and want to pay through Interac, please send payments to syed_ali_in@hotmail.com and as well as send the details of the security question & answer on that e-mail. Deadline to sign up is July 14th, 2018.
When making the payment, please mention your name and e-mail address so that the private link to the Skype conversation can be sent to you.
Timing: The 60-minute sessions will take place on Sundays, via Skype. My personal suggestion for time is 12 PM EDT (Toronto), which is 5 PM EST (London). They will be recorded so those who paid but missed a session for whatever reason, can access it later.
Course Outline
Session 1: July 15, 2018
- Definition, Significance & Branches
- Brief History of Development & Compilation
- Role of the Shī‘a in Ḥadīth Development
Session 2: July 22, 2018
- Major Books of Ḥadīth
- Akhbārī & Uṣūlī Views on Ḥadīth Books
Session 3: July 29, 2018
- ‘Ilm al-Rijāl
Session 4: August 5, 2018
- ‘Ilm al-Dirāyah
Session 5: August 12, 2018
- Fiqh al-Ḥadīth
Session 6: August 19, 2018
- Fiqh al-Ḥadīth – Case Studies
Session 7: August 26, 2018
- Muslim “Reformists” and Ḥadīth
Session 8: September 2, 2018
- Orientalists and Ḥadīth Studies
Sayyid Ali studied in the seminary of Qom from 2012 to 2021, while also concurrently obtaining a M.A in Islamic Studies from the Islamic College of London in 2018. In the seminary he engaged in the study of legal theory, jurisprudence and philosophy, eventually attending the advanced kharij of Usul and Fiqh in 2018. He is currently completing his Masters of Education at the University of Toronto and is the head of a private faith-based school in Toronto, as well as an instructor at the Mizan Institute and Mufid Seminary.
