Inheritors Degree - Inherit Real Scholarship
Overview
The inheritors track allows one to work towards mastery of a particular religious discipline by studying its classical teaching texts in their original Arabic, the language of Islamic religious scholarship. One gradually progresses to higher level texts aiming to reach a level of independence, enabling one to use and reference the authoritative works of the discipline to answer questions and to teach these texts to others. This is the tested path to scholarship, and true inheritance of our scholarly tradition.
What is mastery?
What we mean by mastery is the Arabic word malaka, meaning a deeply-imbued ability and competence in a particular knowledge or field. Mastery is a marker of oneís deep understanding in a discipline. It reflects oneís familiarity with the scholars in the field, their works, how their works fit together in the history of the discipline, what the main discussions of the discipline are, and knowing where to look to find answers. Mastery is being at home with the full corpus of oneís chosen field. It comes with time, tutelage, effort and God-given success. There is no single time frame for achieving mastery, as a key component is the fath ñ or God-given illumination ñ in understanding. Our time, tutelage and effort is but laying down the foundation for receiving Godís gift of understanding. But all great aims have tried and tested methods; those who tread them with good faith and clear resolve reach their destined goals. Such is the matter with mastery.
Mastery is by working through the known texts of a field under oneís teacher in the original language of these books as the corpus and discipline will never be unlocked in other than its language. As one advances the teacher pushes one to work with other texts in the field, research, review, and comment. As one grows the teacher might encourage one to teach at a particular level in recognition of oneís understanding, and the teacher will remain a reference to return to with questions. Thus is the organic growth under which one becomes a teacher and scholar. One teaches and writes under the shade of oneís teacher and the scholars of the field, just as oneís own teacher is in the shade of his teachers and the scholars of the field, and on up. Mastery is in recognizing the brilliance of the scholarly tradition and finding oneís place in it. Mastery is attained through maintaining oneís connection to masters.
The inheritors track takes one by the hand towards this mastery.
How inheritors courses work
Courses in the inheritors track follow a classic Islamic educational model. Books are covered until completion, texts are not edited or simplified, they are taught as they are. Classes take the length of time needed for students to understand, they are not rushed for the sake of meeting a pre-determined time frame. Active class forums allow students to ask questions and present research for teacher and pear review. By means of specialist forums and direct teacher contact, students can grow and develop in the field at their own pace, without holding back or being held back by others. At the completion of a text, they move on to the next.
The inheritors class forums form a unique, active, scholarly online-community where students and specialists meet and discuss and come back to time-after-time for enrichment and contribution. The inheritors track is a community moving together to scholarly excellence.
