Suhba Online (2022)
For more tuition and pricing options, please refer to the last section on this page.
Suhba Online is an 8-month interactive Islamic curriculum of study, practice and fellowship based on the acclaimed Suhba Fellowship Program that was run in Istanbul, Turkey.
The program is taught by Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui and Shaykh Riad Saloojee through both live and recorded class material. Fellowship and Practice classes are taught by Dr. Ali Hazratji, Dr. Amir Abdelzaher, Sidi Naeem Saloojee, and Sidi Abdul-Basit Khan.
Developed by Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui, this unique program consists of a four-module curriculum taught through three essential, interrelated components of ‘ilm (Islamic knowledge), akhlaq and ‘amal (character refinement and spiritual practice), and suhba (fellowship).
Beginner, intermediate and advanced students of Islamic knowledge will find the program intellectually stimulating, spiritually inspiring, relevant, practical, and life-transforming, insha’Allah.
The curriculum of Suhba Online was the core curriculum of Al-Madina Institute’s renowned one-year intensive Suhba Fellowship Program in Istanbul, which has over 300 graduates from all over the world.
Suhba Online translates this tried-and-tested transformative experience for a global student base. It facilitates committed and customized learning through lectures, interactive classes, student reflections, a fellowship discussion board, detailed lecture resources, different learning streams, and much more.
The program’s four-module curriculum provides the spiritual and rational essentials to navigate the incredible challenges of our age. It does this in four ways:
By situating all knowledge within an envelope of experiential spirituality and character transformation;
Turning all knowledge into consistent action through a guided, gradual, progressive program of implementation;
Promoting fellowship, interaction and support with like-minded learners from all over the globe; and
Offering ongoing mentorship through teachers to translate, project, and contextualize learning material.
Knowledge Modules
The Heart: The Science of the Purification of the Heart (Tazkiyat al-Nafs).
The spiritual heart (qalb) is the subtle, Divine creation that is the seat of all cognition, emotion and will. It is our greatest and most precious gift, by which we know Allah, experience Him, and seek Him.
Drawing from the rich legacy and practice of Islamic spirituality (Tazkiyat al-Nafs) from the Messenger ﷺ, the Companions (Allah be pleased with them) and the early and later generation of Scholar-Saints (Allah sanctify their souls), this module discusses the essential principles and practices of the science.
Topics include the Islamic psychology of the self; the attainment of khilafa (vicegerency) in the realization of the Divine Names and Attributes at the human level; the destructive vices and salvific virtues (akhlaq) of the heart; inner dimensions of worship; and a practical, holistic model of the essentials of Islamic spirituality such as ‘Ilm (Knowledge), Tawba (Repentance), Mujahada (Personal Striving), Dhikr (Divine Remembrance), Muraqaba (Divine Mindfulness), Du‘a’ (Supplication) and Khalwa (Spiritual Seclusion), among others.
The Mind: Legal Theory, Legal Maxims, The Higher Objective of the Law.
The Islamic principles of textual interpretation (Usul al-Fiqh), the legal guidelines (al-Qawa‘id al-Fiqhiyya) induced from the corpus of jurisprudence, and the universal objectives in the attainment of human welfare through the promotion and preservation of faith, life, intellect, honor and wealth (Maqasid al-Shari‘a) are anchored in a historically unmatched method of rational analysis and synthesis.
For our spiritual journey to the Divine to be deeply rooted and fruitful in the modern age, we must gain an appreciation of the importance of these noble sciences, their aims and purposes, their basic concepts, and a general understanding of their application to specific cases.
This module will give us an introductory grounding in these sciences and illustrate key theoretical concepts through a critical analysis of contemporary issues. Time permitting, it will also include discussions and case studies of key principles and axioms that assist in rational and spiritually sensitive decision making in personal and collective life.
The Guide: The Reality of the Messenger ﷺ
Our Master Muhammad ﷺ is the Beloved of Allah and the most perfect created expression of His Names and Attributes. He ﷺ is the door to experiential tawhid (Divine unicity) and to refined, exalted character (akhlaq).
Conventional studies of the Prophetic Biography (Sira) typically treat his life ﷺ as a chronology of events, crises or military engagements with scant attention paid to his reality ﷺ. This module will be an intensive introduction to his reality ﷺ and special station with Allah. Why is He Allah’s Beloved ﷺ? And why is He ﷺ so fully deserving of our fullest love and both external and internal obedience?
This new perspective on the Messenger ﷺ will grant us a fuller appreciation of the sublime majesty and beauty of his character ﷺ; change the way in which we relate to his words, deeds, and life ﷺ; and truly make him ﷺ the emulative archetype for our hearts, minds, and bodies throughout our lives. And with Allah is all success.
The Book: A Spiritual Exegesis (Tafsir) of the Qur’an
The Qur’an is Allah’s eternal speech to us, our most direct experience of His Names and Attributes, and the cure and remedy for all our spiritual ailments.
This module of Qur’anic exegesis (Tafsir) studies some chronological revelations of the Qur’an in Mecca, as well as a selection of the Medinan Qur’an. Both address the personal and collective challenges of the first believers and provide them — and us — with the spiritual meanings, strength and inner composure to navigate the environment around them.
The Qur’an unfolds with profound and transformative spiritual meanings that develop an experiential awareness of Allah’s Names and Attributes together with the akhlaq (inner character) essential for one’s individual and collective growth. As we internalize and actualize these meanings, we will build an emotional, personal connection to the words of the Qur’an and feel that it is revealed for us, and to us, in real-time and real-life. And with Allah is all success.
Akhlaq (Inner Character) and ‘Amal (Spiritual Works)
Suhba Online is not about gaining information. It is about genuine spiritual transformation through internalizing, practicing, and living what we learn.
In our Islamic tradition, knowledge is never intended for its own sake, but to reform and transform our hearts through beautiful akhlaq and heartfelt ‘ibada (worship). The emphasis on akhlaq and ‘amal is as important as the acquisition of knowledge — and in some cases even more important.
The Curriculum of Akhlaq and ‘Amal
The Suhba Online curriculum contains practical written and audio resources for turning knowledge into transformative action. These will be introduced gradually over the course of the program through the teachers.
In essence, this will comprise of a daily schedule of ‘ibada that includes all the essential elements for a life of spiritual excellence. Each element will be introduced slowly and gradually, over the course of the year, in order to build comfort, habit and consistency with the schedule. We will also be practicing elements together to build momentum and resolve.
Elements include an emphasis on quality salah, Divine mindfulness (muraqaba), fasting, supplication (du‘a’), morning and evening remembrances (adhkar), self-accountability (muhasaba), moments of seclusion (khalwa), and much more.
While online suhba can never replace in-person suhba, Suhba Online currently provides six avenues to maintain the pedagogy and ties of fellowship:
The one-hour weekly Fellowship and Practice (FP) class: The weekly Fellowship and Practice (FP) class with our teachers —Dr. Ali Hazratji, Dr. Amir Abdelzaher, Sidi Naeem Saloojee, and Sidi Abdul-Basit Khan — is an opportunity for students to learn through interaction, reflection, and discussion. The intent of the class is to deepen knowledge by personalizing, contextualizing and customizing knowledge learned to each student’s reality.
Monthly Sitting Still session: In our monthly Sitting Still session, we will learn how to sit still, focus and concentrate by engaging in a guided dhikr together.
The Suhba Circle: The Suhba Circle is an online community where students will be able to post their brief reflections and read the reflections of their companions.
Q & A: Students will have ample opportunity to submit their questions to the teachers in the program.
The live weekly Remembrance with Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui: Students will have the opportunity to join our live weekly remembrance with Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui every Sunday. The weekly remembrance includes Qur’an, sending peace and blessings upon the Messenger ﷺ and reciting the daily litany of remembrance. It is a wonderful avenue to recharge spiritual energy for the week ahead.
The monthly Suhba Check-In: Students will meet monthly with Sidi Moutasem Atiya for an interactive discussion that charts their progress and listens to their concerns.
Jumu‘a Mubarak: Every Friday, students will receive a written reminder discussing an inner meaning of the blessed day of Friday, and how we can live that meaning to improve the spiritual quality of our week.
The 8-month Suhba Online program is scheduled to begin early October 2022 and conclude late May 2023.
The official start date will begin with an orientation class on Sunday, October 2nd, 2022.
The general classes with Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui and Shaykh Riad Saloojee will be every Tuesday at 12:15 pm, NY-time (varying throughout the year), beginning on Tuesday, October 4th, 2022.
The Fellowship and Practice (FP) class with Dr. Ali Hazratji, Dr. Amir Abdelzaher, Sidi Naeem Saloojee, and Sidi Abdul-Basit Khan will be every Sunday at 8:30 am, NY-time, beginning on Sunday, October 9th, 2022.
To convert the class times to your timezone, you can use the following link:
https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/?pl=1&lid=5128581
Program Related
Suhba Online II is the first-year program of an 8-month online program consisting of live & recorded weekly classes with Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui & Shaykh Riad Saloojee, coupled with the “Fellowship & Practice” session led by Dr. Ali Hazratji, Dr. Amir Abdelzaher, Sidi Naeem Saloojee, and Sidi Abdul-Basit Khan.
The 8-month Suhba Online program is scheduled to begin in October 2022 and conclude in May 2023. The official start date will begin with an orientation class on: - Sunday, October 2nd, 2022 The official first class of the will begin on: - Tuesday, October 4th, 2022 The live class with Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui and Shaykh Riad Saloojee will be held on Tuesdays for the first two modules. The second two modules will be in a recorded format. The “Fellowship & Practice” session with Dr. Ali Hazratji, Dr. Amir Abdelzaher, Sidi Naeem Saloojee, and Sidi Abdul-Basit Khan will be held on Sundays. The days and timings for the two classes are as follows: A. Shaykh Mokhtar and Shaykh Riad’s weekly class Day: Tuesdays Time: 12:15 pm to 1:45 pm, NY-time; 7:15 pm to 8:45 pm, Istanbul-time B. Sunday Fellowship & Practice session Day: Sundays Time: 10:30 am to 11:45 am, NY-time; 5:30 pm to 6:45 pm, Istanbul-time **Please note: class times will vary throughout the year, to account for Daylight saving time shifts and local salah timings.
Some classes are recorded while others will be live. The classes are conducted in a Zoom Webinar format. Interactive classes will take place at various points in the program.
All classes are recorded and made available on the Suhba Online course page for students to watch and review the material at their convenience. Recorded classes will be posted between 2-3 days after the live class or on the day for the recorded classes.
Due to the nature of the Suhba Online program, its individual course components and weekly submissions that are personal to each student, each registration will be for one student. However, couples and family plans are available. Please see below.
Yes. If you are planning to register as a husband and wife or a family of three or more members living at the same residence, please review the pricing options at the bottom of this page: Spousal pricing One-time option: $1,043 / Monthly option: 8 x $149 // Family (3+) pricing One-time option: $1,393 / Monthly option: 8 x $199
Students will be required to commit to between 3 and 5 hours of learning every week. Every module will be taught in the following format: A. Students will listen to a live lecture (between 1-2 hours) of Shaykh Mokhtar or Shaykh Riad every Tuesday. Students will attend a one-hour weekly “Fellowship & Practice” session every Sunday with Dr. Ali Hazratji, Dr. Amir Abdelzaher, Sidi Naeem Saloojee, and Sidi Abdul-Basit Khan. This review session will unpack and explore the real-life, personal, gradual and progressive practice of concepts taught in the Tuesday class.
The module subjects provide essential and relevant Islamic knowledge that address the needs of both the mind and the soul and provide the foundations necessary for a life of intellectual certitude, spiritual transformation and striving for nearness to the Divine.
Content & Applications
A basic study of Usul al-fiqh is necessary in modern times to regain an appreciation for our intellectual and spiritual scholarly heritage, acquire certainty in the rational foundations of our faith, and provide us with basic tools to understand a number of critical and misunderstood issues, such as bid‘a. The usul al-fiqh module does not focus on the principles of any one school. The focus is on foundational areas of study that are either generally neglected or not taught within a holistic intellectual, spiritual and practical paradigm. The study of essential fiqh is readily accessible through a variety of different avenues so we won't cover it as a standalone subject in this module.
Each module contains a summary of decades of study of countless classical and modern texts. The intent of Suhba Online is not to restrict the student to one text, but to acquire essential knowledge necessary for spiritual development and growth in a modern context.
Students will receive brief, weekly, practical advice and food for thought. Students will also have the opportunity to join our live weekly remembrance with Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui every Sunday. The weekly remembrance includes Qur’an, sending peace and blessings upon the Messenger ﷺ and reciting the daily litany of remembrance. It is a wonderful avenue to recharge spiritual energy for the week ahead.
No. This is an introductory level course.
Yes, past Suhba Online students may re-register to attend Suhba Online 2022/23.
Sponsorships are now open for Suhba Online. Please apply at the link below: https://AlMadina.formstack.com/forms/suhbaonline2022_sponsorship_request_form
Refund & Access
Full refunds will be provided to those that request it up until after the first class on October 4th, 2022 . No refunds will be provided after October 5th, 2022.
All registered students will have access to this course for 365 days after registration.
Do you have any special pricing for husband & wife or family registrations.
Yes, please see our pricing options for two (2) applicants and for three or more (3+) applicants. Once you have registered for either the couple (2) or family (3+) pIan, please submit the full name(s) and email address(es) of spouse or other family members under your plan via our Course Inquiry Form, here: https://almadina.formstack.com/forms/suhba_online_inquiry_form