This advanced series of courses deepens and broadens knowledge acquired in the Foundations curriculum. It provides solid, reliable, and comprehensive knowledge.

Seekers is about “seeking knowledge and scholarship.” Seekers is designed for English-speaking students seeking scholarship, i.e. mastery of the scholarly tradition, taking them on the shortest path to Inheritors. Seekers is also for students who want to pursue other fields of study but want to learn the most important communally obligatory knowledge for Muslims living in the modern world.

Courses allow you to cover a main classical manual in each Islamic discipline. Specialized courses also provide knowledge extremely relevant to living your life as a Muslim.

The goal of the Seekers Degree is to give you a broad overview of all the central religious disciplines using classical texts and to move you slowly to Arabic reading fluency so that you can smoothly transition to the Inheritors Ijaza program. You will be given sufficient understanding of your religion for you to be able to speak coherently about all aspects of your faith.

This program will also equip you to answer challenges that are prevalent in modern times, such as questions regarding the preservation of the Quran and hadith or concerns regarding the justice and equity of Islamic Law.

Upon Completion

After successfully completing the Seekers courses and taking the final assessment and oral interview, you are eligible to receive the Seekers Degree.

At the personal level, successfully completing the Seekers Degree means that you have acquired a sound religious context within which to navigate the modern world. At the community level, you will be able to effectively discharge leadership roles such as public speaking, community activism, teaching, and explaining Islam to people of other faiths. Most of the knowledge taught in this learning track is communally obligatory for Muslims to acquire.

In addition, if you are interested in going abroad for in-depth religious studies, you will find that these courses give you a solid preparatory grounding in the various religious disciplines, saving you precious time in your later studies.

Specifically, you will be ready for the Inheritors Ijaza track at SunniPath or for intensive study with scholars in the Muslim world. You will also be ready to pursue academic degrees at universities across the world.

Auditing and course credit also available for anyone who wishes to complete the courses in the program without gaining full certification.

Arabic

Basic Arabic Reading (ARB101)
This gateway to the Introductory Arabic courses will teach you how to read the Arabic script and articulate the Quran. By the end of the course, you will be able to open and read any vowelled Arabic text, as well apply basic tajwid rules to both the Quran and standard Arabic texts.

Introductory Arabic – Part 1 (ARB111)
The first step in a multi-year Arabic program that will take students from no knowledge of Arabic to a high-level of proficiency. Introductory Arabic 1 focuses on understanding simple sentence structures, word constructions, verb conjugations, and pronouns.

Introductory Arabic – Part 2 (ARB112)
The second step in a multi-year Arabic program that will take students from no knowledge of Arabic to a high-level of proficiency. Introductory Arabic 2 will build on the first part of this series and will delve further into grammatical states; verb forms; word roots; sentence breakdowns; and more.

Intermediate Arabic – Part 1 (ARB201)
Go beyond the basics and apply introductory Arabic theory to read, understand, and grammatically analyze a hundred noun-sentence hadiths.

Intermediate Arabic – Part 2 (ARB202)
Go beyond the basics and apply introductory Arabic theory to read, understand, and grammatically analyze a hundred verb-sentence hadiths.

Intermediate Arabic – Part 3 (ARB203)
In this study of a famous classic primer of Arabic grammar, gain a comprehensive map of the theory of Arabic grammar that you will refer to for the rest of your life and use as a basis for further study.

Belief

The Pearl of Divine Oneness (BLF201)
Gain a comprehensive and systematic overview of orthodox Muslim creed using a classical manual that was a standard text of instruction across the Muslim world for hundreds of years. Learn to clearly identify where the beliefs of others differ from orthodox Islamic positions. This will allow you to negotiate, dialogue, and interact with people of different sects, faiths, and worldviews.

Islamic Law

Modern Financial Transactions (LAW120)
Contemporary issues and practical applications are the main focus of this course, in which you will receive indispensable instruction on fulfilling your financial duties and ensuring that your earnings, transactions, and investments are halal.

Family Law (LAW160)
Look at the laws related to marriage and marriage contracts, divorce, child custody, alimony, lineage, and adoption through the lens of the Shariah in the context of today’s world where a pro-active knowledge is essential. The goal of this course is to give Muslims practical guidance on marriage and divorce—namely, an understanding of how the laws of the fuqaha are implemented in real life situations.

Living Islam (LAH140)
Live in the modern world in accordance with the radiant example of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessing be upon him, through learning the rulings related to food, dress, gender interaction, earning a living, and more.
Also available in Shafi’i School.

The Objectives of Islamic Law (LAW201) – Drawing on classical works of maqasid—particularly Shatibi’s Mawaqif and ‘Izz bin ‘Abd al-Salam’s al-Qawa’id al-Kubra—as well as advanced manuals of legal methodology, this course will explain the wisdom and rationale behind misunderstood rulings of Islamic Law, particularly those that relate to women, conflict, non-Muslims, and criminal laws. The goal is clarify how the intent of the Lawgiver is not oppression and hardship, but justice, equity, and social well-being.

Quduri’s Manual Explained (Hanafi) or The Reliance Explained (Shafi’i) (LAX211, LAX212, LAX213, & LAX214) – This series of four courses (Part 1: Worship, Part 2: Transactions, Part 3: Personal Law, and Part 4: Justice) will cover the subject matter of a classical manual of Islamic Law from cover-to-cover. You will leave with a real understanding of what it means for Islam to be a “way of life” and how we are responsible for fulfilling the command of Allah Most High with every single action that we do. By gaining a comprehensive understanding of Islamic Law, you will be able to attain godfearingness (taqwa) in your lives because you will know how Allah’s command relates to everything you they do. In addition, you will become familiarized with more and more fiqh terminology in Arabic. Each course is a double course-load (meaning it involves double the number of instructional hours than a regular full-course). Choose either Hanafi or Shafi’i.

Spirituality

Ghazali’s Kitab al-Arba’in Explained (SPR201) – A second-level course on Islamic Spirituality that will cover Imam Ghazali’s summary of the fundamentals of religion. Organized into forty chapters, Imam Ghazali—the master of Islamic psychology and spirituality—covers a spectrum of issues that relate to outward works, good character, Islamic psychology, and closeness to Allah Most High. The book is essentially a synopsis of his magnum opus, the Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din.

Quran

Tafsir of the Short Surahs (QRN101) – Designed to help you relate with the chapters that you recite most frequently, this tafsir course offers detailed and inspiring commentary of the short chapters at the end of the Quran. The meanings in these chapters will help you both gain insights about your own life and draw closer to Allah and His revelation.

The Quran and Its Disciplines (QRN111) – An introduction to the Sciences of the Qur’an, including its revelation, collection, arrangement, writing down, types of verses and chapters, occasions of revelation, styles of recitation, and methods of interpretation.

Hadith

The 40 Hadith of Imam Nawawi (HDT101) – Examine a selection from Imam Nawawi’s cherished and timeless collection of hadiths, focusing on the language of the hadiths, their implications in Sacred Law, and their relevance to our lives as Muslims in the 21st century. By reflecting upon and implementing these hadiths, you will understand the beauty of Islamic beliefs, ethics, and morals.

Hadith and Its Disciplines (HDT111) – Learn about the history of hadith transmission, its development into various disciplines, and how hadith literature is organized in this introduction to hadith science. Lessons will increase your appreciation of the intricacy, depth, and sophistication of hadith science and our scholarly legacy, as well as your understanding of the claims of orientalists and modernists.

The Bayquniyya Explained (HDT201, formerly HMT111) – The course details the science of haidth methodology (mustalah al-hadith) using al-Bayquniyya, a 34-line poem covering over 30 different hadith terminologies, as well as an abridged translation of one of the most famous commentaries of al-Bayquniyya. You will cover key concepts, terminology, and methods of analysis in how hadiths are authenticated, and then apply the theoretical concepts to practical case studies of hadith analysis.

Legal Methodology

Historical Development of Islamic Law (LMT101) – This course will examine the foundation of the legal schools through a historical analysis of Islamic law in the era of the Prophet, rightly guided caliphs, tabi’in, and the great imams. Using the Hanafi school as the model, you will see how a legal school was developed and refined over time. Short course.

Sources of Islamic Law (LMT102) – Along with LMT101, this will serve as an introduction to LMT201. You will be given an overview of Islamic Law and how its rulings are derived, and and overview of the four agreed-upon sources of Islamic Law, namely the Quran, the Sunna, scholarly consensus (ijma’), and analogy (qiyas). Short course.

The Waraqat Explained (LMT201, formerly LMT112) – Discover the fascinating methods by which legal rulings are derived through studying the legal methodology that has been used by scholars over the centuries.

History

The Dawn of Prophethood (HST101) – The first of a pair of courses focused on providing a detailed, historical look at the Prophet’s life. Part 1 begins with a broader discussion of the 6th century world and Arab society, and then focuses on the Prophet’s childhood, his household, the beginning of Prophethood, Islam in Makkah, and the migration to Madinah.

The Rise of the Ummah (HST102) – The second of a pair of courses focused on providing a detailed, historical look at the Prophet’s life. Part 2 focuses on the creation of community in Madinah, battles and conquests, the reentering into Makkah, the farewell pilgrimage, and the last days of the life of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

1. What are the steps for entering a degree program?

1. Fill out and submit the Degree Program Application form at Will be made available soon. You will receive a response from our admissions department within one week from the date you submit your application.
2. While awaiting your response, you may register for the next semester.

2. Can I pass out of certain courses?

Yes. If you feel you have previously covered the course material, you may request to take an assessment exam after applying into the degree program. By passing the exam, you will not need to take the course, and it will count towards your degree.

3. Can I skip the Foundations Diploma and go directly into the Seeker’s Degree Program or the Ijaza Program?

No. To enter the Seeker’s Degree Program, you are required to successfully pass the comprehensive exam for the Foundations Program. To enter the Ijaza Degree Program, you are required to successfully pass the comprehensive exam for the Seeker’s Degree.

4. I’ve studied the subject matter covered in the Foundations Diploma at a different institute. Can I just take the comprehensive exam and receive the certification to teach?

No. By taking courses at another insititute, you can test into the Seekers program. But in order to receive certification from Qibla to teach Foundations level content, all Foundations courswork must be completed at Qibla.

5. Can I skip the Miftah Diploma and apply directly to the Sibawayh Degree Program?

No. To enter the Sibawayh Degree Program, you are required to successfully pass the Miftah Diploma Program.

6. I have already taken courses with Qibla in prior semesters. Do these count towards my degree?

Yes. If you have successfully passed courses required for a degree program, these will count towards your degree.

7. Can I take courses in any order?

Other than courses with prerequisites, courses can be taken in any order.

8. Is there a final exit exam?

Yes. To complete the degree program, you will need to first take a comprehensive examination.