Using Imam Shurunbulali's intermediate-level text on the fundamentals of worship, master all the essential details needed to make your purification and prayer valid, sound, and proper, both inwardly and outwardly.

At-A-Glance

• Develop a strong understanding of the important details of purification and prayer
• Learn how to pray in accordance with the Sunna of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him
• Bring meaning to your worship through understanding the inner dimensions of worship
• Answer commonly asked questions related to purification and prayer
• Learn how to deal with the common matters that affect your worship
• Ascent to Felicity both provides comprehensive coverage for those seeking to know all the important and every-day details of worship and acts as a useful bridge to more advanced texts for more committed students of knowledge

How can I pray as the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed? How do I improve my presence of heart in prayer? Can I wipe over my normal socks during wudu or must I be wearing something special? When must I take a purificatory bath rather than simply making wudu? If I fall asleep while sitting, is my wudu still valid? How do I perform the witr prayer? The istikhara prayer? How do I make the most of Friday prayer?

These are common questions many people have about their day-to-day worship. A proper understanding of these matters is important for us to ensure that we are fulfilling our duty to Allah in the best of ways, in accordance with the Sunna of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. This course will help you understand and answer these and many other questions related to purification and prayer.

Imam Shurunbulali’s Maraqi al-Sa’adaat (Ascent to Felicity) is an intermediate-level text on the fundamentals of worship according to the Hanafi school. Unlike much longer texts, such as Shurunbulali’s own Nur al-Idah, this text will not overwhelm you with its detail. At the same time, all important and every-day details are clearly discussed.

This text also acts as a useful bridge for more committed students of knowledge. Before studying a more detailed fiqh book, it is highly useful to have all the essential details clearly learned and understood. This way, the nuances of longer texts are more likely to be mastered. This graduated approach is fundamental to sound traditional learning.

In accordance with traditional modes of teaching, the instructor will unpack the text of Imam Shurunbulali, explaining his intent and clarifying details. This course will give you a solid presentation of everything you should know to make your worship valid, sound, and proper, and to know how to deal with the common matters and situations that affect your worship. There will be a lot of emphasis on the spiritual dimensions of our purification and prayer, and how to improve our presence of heart with Allah Most High at each step of our acts of worship, in order to strive to fulfill the command of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, to "Pray as you see me pray."

• LESSON 1
  Purification
  • introduction to purification & its virtues
  • types of water
  • virtues of ablution & its obligatory actions
• LESSON 2
  Ablution & the Purificatory Bath
  • the sunna actions, proprieties, & disliked actions in ablution
  • conditions for the validity of ablution
  • when it obligatory, necessary, or recommended
  • means of its nullification
• LESSON 3
  The Purificatory Bath, Dry Ablution & Footgear
  • how to perform dry ablution (tayammum) & excuses that allow its use
  • wiping over footgear (khuffs): its rulings & method
  • the rulings associated with bandages & casts
• LESSON 4
  Menstruation, Post-natal Bleeding, & Irregular Discharge
  • definitions & examples
  • rulings of impermissibility/ permissibility
• LESSON 5
  Removal of Filth and the Lavatory
  • removing filth
  • proper manners of going to the toilet
  • five essential points on purification
• LESSON 6
  The Prayer
  • the time of prayer: obligatory, recommended & disliked times
  • the call to prayer
• LESSON 7
  The Conditions & Integrals of Prayer
  • the meaning and differences between conditions & integrals
  • the seven conditions of the prayer; exceptional conditions
  • the five integrals of the prayer
• LESSON 8
  The Necessary Actions of the Prayer
  • the meaning & implications of wajib actions
  • the various actions of the prayer described
• LESSON 9
  The Sunna Actions of the Prayer
  • the various sunna actions described
  • the differences in prayer between men & women
• LESSON 10
  The Complete Description of the Prayer
  • having proper manners during the prayer
  • the optimal method of prayer
• LESSON 11
  Disliked & Invalidating Actions of the Prayer
  • the rulings on excessive action
  • the general principles of disliked actions
• LESSON 12
  Witr, Sunna, and Supererogatory Prayers
  • the witr prayer
  • the emphasized & non-emphasized sunnas
  • the supererogatory prayers

• Recorded lessons will be conducted by Sh. Sohail.
• Live sessions will be conducted by Ustadh Qays.
• All live sessions will be recorded, so that you can hear lessons you miss or review key concepts.
• Printable course slides will add structure to lessons.
• Self-study drills help you retain key lesson points.
• A mid-term assignment will be used to solidify your understanding.
• A translation of The Ascent to Felicity will be provided.
• Related recommended readings and an archive of supplementary lessons will also be provided.
• You can post questions and engage in discussion in the course forum.
• Ustadh Qays will hold weekly office hours.