School of the Foundations of Islam
By Shaykh Hamza Yusuf , Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad, Tariq Ramdan and Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf

An Introduction to the foundations of Islam by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Professor Tariq Ramadan, Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf, Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad and others
Hamza Yusuf: Vision of Islam
Hamza Yusuf’s commentary on Murata’s and Chittick’s “The Vision of Islam” makes crystal clear the meanings of a Muslim’s beliefs, actions, and spiritual journey through life. Wonderful for Muslims interested in a more thorough understanding of their religion, this set is also an excellent introduction to Islam for people of other faiths who wish to gain a clear understanding of Islam’s basic principles and practices.Remembered by students for its liveliness and clarity, this set is filled with fascinating insights into Islam.
Introduction to Islam: What It Means to Be Muslim
*Term course — Check for dates
New to Islam? Or just looking to brush up on the basics? This course features an explanation of the most clear, concise and comprehensive introduction to Islam in print, Being Muslim, by Ustadh Amjad Tarsin.
Being Muslim presents content that is both reliable — rooted in Islamic scholarship — and not obscured in jargon and difficult terminology.
Using the Hadith of Gabriel as a basic framework. It covers the basics of Islamic belief, essentials of worship, spiritual refinement, a brief examination of the life of the Prophet Muhammad, an introduction to the Qur’an, and guidelines for living an Islamically ethical lifestyle.
The course is designed to include what every Muslim should know as well as those things that are essential to a proper understanding of the overall vision and spirit of Islam.
Prescribed Reading: Being Muslim: A Practical Guide — Asad Tarsin
Hamza Yusuf: Foundations of Islam Series
One of the most popular and effective series for teaching the basics about Islam. Given at the annual Dar al Islam Teachers’ Institute in New Mexico, these lectures are meant to provide a comprehensive overview of the religion and world of Islam for non-Muslims. The classroom style presentation covers five main areas: the Holy Qur’an, basic practices, core beliefs, spirituality and the end of time.
The program is based on the well-known hadith (prophetic saying) of Angel Gabriel that teaches Islam, iman (faith) and ihsan (spirituality). Although he focuses on the basic teachings, his deeper exploration of the subject results in a series which any non-Muslim, new Muslim or life-long Muslim can appreciate and benefit from.
These lectures are essential for any person or organization seeking to educate others about the true teachings of Islam. Some of the topics discussed: Islam as the teaching of previous prophets, rationalizing God’s rulings, the problem of evil, God’s imminence, capital punishment, suicide, losing the spirit of the Law, Dajjal (anti-Christ), and secularization in the Muslim world. (Duration: 8 hours, 55 min)
Islam: The Essentials — Professor Tariq Ramadan
- Islam: The Essentials (Part II)
- Islam: The Essentials (Part III)
- Islam: The Essentials (Part IV)
- Islam: The Essentials (Part V)
- Islam: The Essentials (Part VI)
Professor Tariq Ramadan gives a lecture about the ideas presented in his new book Islam: The Essentials.The book provides answers about what Islam is and isn’t in a short and extremely accessible format. In simple, direct language it introduces readers to Islam, to its spirituality, its principles, its rituals, its diversity and its evolution. At this crucial time when civilizations are clashing and misunderstandings are rife, Professor Ramadan’s book could not be more timely.
- Prescribed Reading: Islam: The Essential Introduction — Tariq Ramadan
- Prescribed Reading: Introduction to Islam — Tariq Ramadan
Introduction to Islam (by Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad)
These lectures are part of a complete series of 8 lectures entitled “Understanding Islam”:
The first in a series of classroom-style lectures held at the world famous Abiquiu Madressa in New Mexico. The primary objective of this series was to educate non-Muslim teachers about the fundamental Islamic beliefs and practices within the context of an interactive and intensive spiritual retreat. In introducing this ambitious topic, Abdal Hakim Murad, a lecturer in theology at Cambridge University in England, asks two very engaging questions: What happens when you try to grasp the meaning and reality of another faith and why is Islam worth studying?
After providing a more than adequate answer, he proceeds on to the much anticipated overview of the five pillars of Islam. Murad provides a highly intellectual perspective that is useful for non-Muslims as well as Muslims. (Recorded at the Dar al Islam Teachers’ Institute seminar).
Other topics discussed: Islamic “clergy”, humility in studying another religion, the modern Muslim resurgence, Islamic “fundamentalism”, “Muhammadanism”, the Hadith of Gabriel, the idea of original sin, mosque architecture, and wudu (ablution)
- Prescribed Reading: Islam, Religion of Life — Abdal Hakim Murad
- Prescribed Reading: Unveiling Islam — Roger Du Pasquier & Abdal Hakim Murad
- Prescribed Reading: Understanding Islam and the Muslims: The Muslim Family and Islam and World Peace- Abdal Hakim Murad
The Lives of the Human Being— Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
Prescribed Reading: The Lives of Man: A Guide to the Human States: Before Life, In the World, and After Death by Imam ‘Abdallah Ibn Alawi al-Haddad (Author), Abdal-Hakim Murad (Editor)
How to read a book — Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
Prescribed Reading: How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading — Mortimer J. Adler
The Book of Knowledge — Shaykh Hamza Yusuf*
14 Episodes (*monthly subscription with Deen Intenstive)
This course will covering the opening book of Imam al-Ghazali’s monumental Revivification of the Religious Disciplines entitled, The Book of Knowledge. In this text, Imam al-Ghazali lays out the centrality of knowledge as the focal point of religious development as a basis for the forthcoming books. In this course, students will learn which types of knowledge are the duty of each person to learn, which are a duty for the community to preserve, and the important distinction between beneficial and blameworthy knowledge. For students, this course will serve as a blueprint for the knowledge acquired in the other courses, as well as the knowledge to be attained throughout our lifetime.
Prescribed Reading: The Book of Knowledge: Book 1 of The Revival of the Religious Sciences — by Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali
The Essence of Islamic Education — Abdal Hakim Murad
Recommended Reading
- What Islam is All About — by Yahiya Emerick
- Submission, Faith & Beauty: The Religion of Islam Paperback — by Joseph Lumbard (Author), Zaytuna Institute (Editor), Hamza Yusuf (Editor)
- Even Angels Ask: A Journey to Islam in America —by Jeffrey Lang
- Islam — by Fazlur Rahman
- An Introduction to Islam, 4th Edition” By Frederick Denny
- What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam — by John Esposito
- Islam and the Destiny of Man — by Charles Le Gai Eaton
- God, Islam & The Skeptic Mind: A Study on Faith, Science, Religious Diversity, Ethics and Evil — by Saiyad Fareed Ahmad , Saiyad Salahuddin Ahmad
- The Road to Mecca — by Muhammad Asad
- The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley — by Malcolm X
- Islam: A Concise Introduction by Huston Smith
- Understanding Islam by Cafer S. Yaran
- Islam: The Alternative by Murad Hofmann
- Islam and Peace — by Wahiduddin Khan
- The Hadj: An American’s Pilgrimage to Mecca by Michael Wolfe
- A Faith for All Seasons: Islam and the Challenge of the Modern World — by Shabbir Akhtar
- Islam: The Straight Path by John L. Esposito
- Gardens of Delight a Simple Introduction to Islam by Idris Tawfiq
- Instruction of the Student: The Method of Learning by Imam al-Zarnuji (Author), G.E. Von Grunebaum (Translator), Hamza Yusuf (Foreword)

