ISLAMIC ONLINE UNIVERSITY Anyone...Anywhere...Anytime...
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ISLAMIC STUDIES
WWW.ISLAMICONLINEUNIVERSITY.COM
TABLE OF CONTENTS Dean’s Message .............................................................................................. 03 About Islamic Online University........................................................................
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Founder ...........................................................................................................
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The Mission .....................................................................................................
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The Method .....................................................................................................
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Advisory Committee ........................................................................................
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Instructors .......................................................................................................
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Curriculum .......................................................................................................
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Enrollment & Fees ...........................................................................................
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Frequently Asked Questions ............................................................................ 17 Accreditation .................................................................................................... 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
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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 2010, less than 4 years since its inception, its student body has reached over 30,000 from over 177 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.
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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 (www.islamiconlineuniversity.com) which is currently offering free Islamic courses to over 30,000 registered students from over 177 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 ‘AbdilAzeez 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).
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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)
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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 30,000 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.”
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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.
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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.”
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ADVISORY COMMIT TEE 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
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INSTRUCTORS Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, PhD, Canada Aqeedah (Islamic Theology)
Sheikh Uthman Khan, Alim, Canada Tajweed (Qur’anic Recitation)
Daud Abdullah, PhD, United Kingdom Seerah (Prophet’s Biography)
Shafiq Flynn, MA, New Zealand Usool al-Hadeeth (Science of Prophetic Traditions)
Dr. James Jones, D.Min, USA Comparative Religion
Abu Musa Imran, MSc, United Kingdom Teaching Methodology
Muhammad Anwar Sahib, PhD, New Zealand Fiqh (Islamic Law)
Imtiyaz Damiel, MA, United Kingdom
Riaz Ansary, PhD candidate, USA Usool al-Fiqh (Principles of Legislation)
M. Abdussalam Mohmed Ghouse, MA, India Hadeeth (Prophetic Traditions)
Altijani Hussin, MA, Sudan/USA Islamic Economics
Aisha Hamdan, PhD, USA Islamic Psychology
Rasheedah Abdul Hakeem, MA, USA English
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CURRICULUM
2010
YEAR 1 SEMESTER I COURSE CODE
TAJ 101 AQD 101 FQH 101 ARB 101 CMP 101 ENG 101
DESCRIPTION
Tajweed I Aqeedah I (Ibaadah) Fiqh I (Math’habs) Arabic I (Reading & Writing) Computer Studies English I
SEMESTER II COURSE CODE
TAJ 102 AQD 102 FQH 102 ARB 102 SER 101 ENG 102
DESCRIPTION
Tajweed I Aqeedah II (Asmaa & Sifaat) Fiqh II (Ibaadaat) Arabic II (Grammar I) Seerah I (Prophetic Biography) English II
YEAR 2 SEMESTER III COURSE CODE
TAF 101 AQD 201 FQH 201 HAD 101 SER 102 ARB 201
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DESCRIPTION
Tafseer I: Uloom al-Quraan Aqeedah III (Tahaawiyyah) Fiqh III (Mu’aamalaat I) Hadeeth I: Terminology Seerah II (Prophetic Biography) Arabic III (Grammar II)
SEMESTER IV COURSE CODE
TAF 102 AQD 202 FQH 202 HAD 102 PSY 101 ARB 202
DESCRIPTION
Tafseer II (Quranic Metahphors) Aqeedah IV (Heresiology) Fiqh IV (Mu’aamalaat II) Hadeeth II (Forty Hadeeths) Islamic Psychology Arabic IV (Grammar III)
YEAR 3 SEMESTER V COURSE CODE
TAF 201 AQD 301 FQH 301 BSA 101 DHD 101 ARB 301
DESCRIPTION
Tafseer III (Soorah Yaaseen) Aqeedah V (Comparative I) Fiqh V (Usool al-Fiqh) Islamic Management Da’wah & Du’aat Arabic V (Grammar IV)
SEMESTER VI COURSE CODE
TAF 202 AQD 302 FQH 302 HAD 201 RMY 101 ARB 302
DESCRIPTION
Tafseer IV (Soorah al-Kahf) Aqeedah VI (Comparative II) Fiqh VI (Maxims & Maqaasid) Hadeeth III (Forty Hadeeths) Research Methodology Arabic VI (Grammar V)
YEAR 4 SEMESTER VII COURSE CODE
HST 101 AQD 401 FQH 401 HAD 202 ECM 101 ARB 401
DESCRIPTION
Islamic History I AqeedahVII(Angels,Jinn&Humans) Fiqh VII (Inheritance) Hadeeth IV (Forty Hadeeths) Islamic Economics I Arabic V II (Grammar VI)
SEMESTER VIII COURSE CODE
DHD 102 HST 102 FQH 402 CVN 1O1 EDU 101 ARB 402 THS 400
DESCRIPTION
Contemporary Da’wah Movements Islamic History II Fiqh VIII (Human Rights) Islamic Civilization I Teaching Methodology Arabic V III (Grammar V II) BA Thesis
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From the second year onwards, students must choose to do an additional 5 subjects (electives) - one per semester - depending on the type of degree they wish to get, or he/ she may do all five electives together at the end of the basic BAIS program and do them as an additional semester along with the BA thesis. IOU Degrees Offered: 1. BA with a Minor in a particular field consisting of 54 courses: An additional course per semester will be required from the electives depending on the Minor the student wants his/her degree to be in, from the second year onwards. E.g., BAIS, Minor in Aqeedah, means that all his/her electives are from the Aqeedah group of elective courses. 2. Standard BAIS consisting of 54 courses: If the student does not want to specialize in a particular area, but wishes to get a normal BAIS, he/she may choose the electives from any of the Minor areas they wish.
ELECTIVES (FOR MINORS) COURSE CODE
COURSE CODE
AQD 501
Aqeedah VIII (Sufism)
TAF 301
AQD 502
Aqeedah IX (Shi’ism)
TAF 302
AQD 503
Aqeedah X (Usool al-Bid’ah)
TAF 401
AQD 504 AQD 505
Aqeedah XI (Sahaabah) Aqeedah XII (Tawassul)
TAF 402 TAF 501
COURSE CODE
HADEETH
HAD 402
Hadeeth V (Islamic Excellence I) Hadeeth VI (Islamic Excellence II) Hadeeth VII (Islamic Excellence III) Hadeeth IX (Takhreej)
HAD 501
Hadeeth X Books of Hadeeth
HAD 301 HAD 302 HAD 401
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AQEEDAH
COURSE CODE
TAFSEER
Tafseer (Subjective: Jesus) Tafseer (Subjective: Satan) Tafseer (Subjective: Adam) Tafseer (Soorah al-Mulk) Tafseer (Soorah an-Noor) SHAREE’AH
FQH 501
Human Rights
FQH 502
Maqaasid
FQH 503
International Relations
FQH 504
Sharee’ah Governance Qadaa, Hisbah & Mathaalim
FQH 505
COURSE CODE ISLAMIC BANKING & ECONOMICS
ECM 102 ECM 201 ECM 202 ECM 301 BSA 301 COURSE CODE
Principles of Economics (Macro & Micro) Money and Banking Accounting Financial Management Intro to Business Administration BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
COURSE CODE
EDU 102
Child Psychology
EDU 201 EDU 202 EDU 301 EDU 302
Subject Knowledge (Pedagogy) Managing Children Professional Development Differentiated Instruction
COURSE CODE
BSA 102 BSA 201 BSA 202 BSA 301
Human Resources Marketing Communications Marketing Research & Sales Intro to Business Administration
CVN 102 CVN 201 CVN 202 CVN 301
ECM 202
Accounting
CVN 302
COURSE CODE
DHD 201 DHD 202 DHD 301 DHD 302 DHD 401
DA’WAH
Modern Da’wah Institutions Mass Media & Communications Orientalism Muslim Minorities Practicum
EDUCATION
COURSE CODE
TAJ 201 TAJ 202 TAJ 301 TAJ 302 TAJ 401
HISTORY
Modern Middle-Eastern History The Ottomans Muslim Spain Cordova Muslim Contributions to Civilization TAJWEED
Tajweed III (Intermediate I) Tajweed IV (Intermediate II) Tajweed V (Advanced I) Tajweed VI (Advanced II) Tajweed VII (Graduate)
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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. For BA students there are two areas which require modest fees, enrolment and exam processing. The fees are on a sliding scale based on UNESCO’s categorization of living standards in the students’ country of residence: Semester Enrolment Fee: Enrolment for every semester has a registration fee which ranges from US$20 to $60 based on the students’ country of residence, not origin. Exam Processing Fee: The semester’s courses end with comprehensive externally supervised examinations for which students must pay a flat fee, regardless of the number of subjects taken and based on the same UNESCO categorization’s sliding scale. 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 $160 for Africans to $800 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.
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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%.
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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? Class quizzes and mid-term examinations are done online from the comfort of the student’s home. However, all final exams are administered online at IOU designated examination centers across the globe. IOU will appoint centers in every city that has even one student, if they exist and are suitable. Students are required to pay associated fees to the center. IOU will charge a modest examination fee of $10 or more per semester (according to a sliding scale based on the UNESCO economic categorization of nations). This is a flat fee that will remain the same, irrespective of whether the student is taking the exams of 1 course or all courses of the semester. 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.
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ACCREDITATION
Wisdom International School for Higher Education Studies (WISHES)
The Wisdom International School for Higher Education Studies (WISHES) and the Islamic Online University (IOU) are pleased to announce their strategic consortium by virtue of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between them signed on 30th July 2010. 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. WISHES is an accredited institution of higher learning recognized by the Philippine government through the Commission on Higher Education, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (CHEDARMM) for higher Islamic Studies degree programs. By virtue of the MOA, WISHES will award BAIS degree certificates to IOU students who complete all the requirements mandated by Philippine laws. WISHES will also secure from the Commission on Higher Education, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (CHED-ARMM) documentation of degree authentication, namely the Special Order (SO) and the Certificate of Authentication and Verification (CAV).
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Islamic Online University Office of Admissions P.O. Box 4096 Doha, Qatar
Admissions: Registrar@islamiconlineuniversity.com Sponsorships: Asst.Dean@islamiconlineuniversity.com General Enquiry: Registrar@islamiconlineuniversity.com