SUHBA ONLINE

Guidebook | October 2022—May 2023

 In the Name of Allah, the Entirely-Loving, the
Especially-Loving and may His peace and salutations
be upon His Beloved ‫ﷺ‬

Contents
1. Introduction to Suhba Online, its intent and curriculum

2. ‘Ilm (Knowledge): Modules of Study in Suhba Online

3. Akhlaq (Inner Character) and ‘Amal (Spiritual Works)

4. Suhba (Fellowship)

5. Five Components of the Program

6. Course Schedule

7. Make the Most Out of The Program: Priorities and

Study Suggestions

8. Streams of Study: Participation and Completion

9. Sponsorship Requirements

10. FAQs

11. Etiquette for Sacred Study

12. Biographies of Teachers and Staff

Introduction to
Suhba Online

Suhba Online

Suhba Online (both first and second Beginner, intermediate and advanced
year streams are intended by this students of Islamic knowledge will find
Guidebook, unless otherwise the program intellectually stimulating,
specified) is an 8-month interactive spiritually inspiring, relevant, practical,
Islamic curriculum of study, practice and life-transforming, insha’Allah.
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. Fellowship and Practice (FP)
classes are taught by Dr. Ali Hazratji, Dr.
Amir Abdelzaher, Sidi Naeem
Saloojee, Sidi Moutasem Atiya, Dr.
Zulekha Jalal, Sayyida Kamrun Nahar
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).
The Curriculum

The curriculum of Suhba Online was The program’s four-module curriculum

the core curriculum of Al-Madina provides the spiritual and rational
Institute’s renowned one-year intensive essentials to navigate the incredible
Suhba Fellowship Program in Istanbul, challenges of our age. It does this in
which has over 300 graduates from all four ways:
over the world.
a. By situating all knowledge within an
Suhba Online translates this envelope of experiential spirituality
tried-and-tested transformative and character transformation;
experience for the needs of a global b. Turning all knowledge into
student base. It facilitates committed consistent action through a guided,
and customized learning through gradual, progressive program of
lectures, interactive classes, student implementation;
reflections, a fellowship discussion c. Promoting fellowship, interaction
board, detailed lecture resources, and support with like-minded
different learning streams, and much learners from all over the globe; and
more. d. Offering ongoing mentorship
through teachers to translate,
project, and contextualize learning
material.
‘Ilm (Knowledge):
Modules of Study in
Suhba Online
‘Ilm
(Knowledge)

Modules of Study in
Suhba Online
There are four core modules of study, Below is a brief description of each
each about two months long, taught module for the Suhba Online 1 stream.
primarily by Shaykh Mokhtar. For second year students, each module
will involve a deeper, more advanced
discussion of the material.

2. The Mind:
1. The Heart: Legal Theory (Usul al-Fiqh),
The Science of the Legal Maxims (al-Qawa‘id
Purification of the Heart al-Fiqhiyya) and the Higher
(Tazkiyat al-Nafs) Objectives of the Law
(Maqasid al-Shari‘a)

3. The Guide: 4. The Book:

The Reality of the A Spiritual Exegesis of
Messenger ‫ﷺ‬ the Qur'an
1.The Heart:
The Science of the Purification of the
Heart (Tazkiyat al-Nafs)

The spiritual heart (qalb) is the subtle, Topics include the Islamic psychology
Divine creation that is the seat of all of the self; the attainment of khilafa
cognition, emotion and will. It is our (vicegerency) in the realization of the
greatest and most precious gift, by Divine Names and Attributes at the
which we know Allah, experience Him, human level; the destructive vices and
and seek Him. salvific virtues (akhlaq) of the heart;
inner dimensions of worship; and a
Drawing from the rich legacy and practical, holistic model of the
practice of Islamic spirituality (Tazkiyat essentials of Islamic spirituality such as
al-Nafs) from the Messenger ‫ﷺ‬, the ‘Ilm (Knowledge), Tawba
Companions (Allah be pleased with (Repentance), Mujahada (Personal
them) and the early and later Striving), Dhikr (Divine Remembrance),
generation of Scholar-Saints (Allah Muraqaba (Divine Mindfulness), Du‘a’
sanctify their souls), this module (Supplication) and Khalwa (Spiritual
discusses the essential principles and Seclusion), among others.
practices of the science.
2. The Mind:
Legal Theory, Legal Maxims, The Higher Objective of the Law

The Islamic principles of textual appreciation of the importance of

interpretation (Usul al-Fiqh), the legal these noble sciences, their aims and
guidelines (al-Qawa‘id al-Fiqhiyya) purposes, their basic concepts, and a
induced from the corpus of general understanding of their
jurisprudence, and the universal application to specific cases.
objectives in the attainment of human
welfare through the promotion and This module will give us an
preservation of faith, life, intellect, introductory grounding in these
honor and wealth (Maqasid al-Shari‘a) sciences and illustrate key theoretical
are anchored in a historically concepts through a critical analysis of
unmatched method of rational analysis contemporary issues. Time permitting,
and synthesis. it will also include discussions and case
studies of key principles and axioms
For our spiritual journey to the Divine that assist in rational and spiritually
to be deeply rooted and fruitful in the sensitive decision making in personal
modern age, we must gain an and collective life.
3. The Guide:
The Reality of the Messenger ‫ﷺ‬

Our Master Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬is the Allah’s Beloved ‫ ?ﷺ‬And why is He ‫ﷺ‬
Beloved of Allah and the most perfect so fully deserving of our fullest love
created expression of His Names and and both external and internal
Attributes. He ‫ ﷺ‬is the door to obedience?
experiential tawhid (Divine unicity) and
to refined, exalted character (akhlaq). This new perspective on the
Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬will grant us a fuller
Conventional studies of the Prophetic appreciation of the sublime majesty
Biography (Sira) typically treat his life and beauty of his character ‫ ;ﷺ‬change
‫ ﷺ‬as a chronology of events, crises or the way in which we relate to his words,
military engagements with scant deeds, and life ‫ ;ﷺ‬and truly make him
attention paid to his reality ‫ﷺ‬. This ‫ ﷺ‬the emulative archetype for our
module will be an intensive hearts, minds, and bodies throughout
introduction to his reality ‫ ﷺ‬and our lives. And with Allah is all success.
special station with Allah. Why is He
4. The Book:
A Spiritual Exegesis (Tafsir) of the Qur’an

The Qur’an is Allah’s eternal speech to The Qur’an unfolds with profound
us, our most direct experience of His and transformative spiritual
Names and Attributes, and the cure meanings that develop an
and remedy for all our spiritual experiential awareness of Allah’s
ailments. Names and Attributes together with
the akhlaq (inner character) essential
This module of Qur’anic exegesis for one’s individual and collective
(Tafsir) studies some chronological growth. As we internalize and
revelations of the Qur’an in Mecca, as actualize these meanings, we will
well as a selection of the Medinan build an emotional, personal
Qur’an. Both address the personal connection to the words of the
and collective challenges of the first Qur’an and feel that it is revealed for
believers and provide them — and us us, and to us, in real-time and
— with the spiritual meanings, real-life. And with Allah is all success.
strength and inner composure to
navigate the environment around
them.
 Akhlaq
(Inner Character)
and
‘Amal
(Spiritual Works)
Akhlaq
and ‘Amal

Suhba Online is not about gaining In essence, this will comprise of a

information. It is about genuine daily schedule of ‘ibada that includes
spiritual transformation through all the essential elements for a life of
internalizing, practicing, and living spiritual excellence. Each element
what we learn. will be introduced slowly and
gradually, over the course of the year,
In our Islamic tradition, knowledge is in order to build comfort, habit and
never intended for its own sake, but consistency with the schedule. We
to reform and transform our hearts will also be practicing elements
through beautiful akhlaq and together to build momentum and
heartfelt ‘ibada (worship). The resolve.
emphasis on akhlaq and ‘amal is as
important as the acquisition of Elements include an emphasis on
knowledge — and in some cases quality salah, Divine mindfulness
even more important. (muraqaba), fasting, supplication
(du’a’), morning and evening
The Curriculum of Akhlaq and remembrances (adhkar),
‘Amal self-accountability (muhasaba),
moments of seclusion (khalwa), and
The Suhba Online curriculum much more.
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.
 Suhba
(Fellowship)
Suhba
(Fellowship)

The Intent of Suhba

Suhba, or fellowship, is the Prophetic

paradigm of pedagogy — to learn
through fellowship and mentorship,
by projecting the theory of what we
learn onto the practice of our lives,
and changing our character.

The intent of suhba is to find spiritual

solace and strength in one’s learning,
understanding and practice through
fellowship with one’s teacher and
fellow students

Suhba

While online suhba can never replace 2. Monthly Sitting Still session: In our
in-person suhba, Suhba Online monthly Sitting Still session, we will
currently provides six avenues to learn how to sit still, focus and
maintain the pedagogy and ties of concentrate by doing a guided
fellowship: dhikr together.

1. The One-hour Weekly Fellowship 3. The Suhba Circle: The Suhba

and Practice (FP) Class: The weekly Circle is an online community
Fellowship and Practice (FP) class where students will be able to post
with our teachers — Dr. Ali their brief reflections and read the
Hazratji, Dr. Amir Abdelzaher, Sidi reflections of their companions.
Naeem Saloojee, and Sidi
Abdul-Basit Khan — is opportunity 4. Q & A: Students will have ample
for students to learn through opportunity to submit their
interaction, reflection, and questions to the teachers in the
discussion. The intent of the class program.
is to deepen knowledge by
personalizing. contextualizing and
customizing knowledge learned to
each student’s reality.
5. 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.

6. 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.

7. Sisters Only Monthly Suhba

Check-In: Students will meet
monthly with Dr. Zulekha Jalal and
Sayyida Kamrun Nahar for a
special, interactive learning
discussion catered to the concerns
and needs of sisters.

8. Jumu‘a Mubaraka: 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.
Components of the
Program
Components of
the Program

Please see the Thinkific platform for details about times and classes.

Study Components

There are five core study components:

1. Students will listen to a two-hour live (or recorded) lecture of Shaykh

Mokhtar every week.

2. Students will receive a Lecture Resource Materials (LRM) document after

every recorded lecture. The LRM document will contain the following:

a. A brief overview of the week’s lecture

b. The lecture’s key themes
c. A glossary of Arabic terminology
d. The primary Qur’anic texts used in the lecture along with their
translations
e. A point-form summary takeaway of the lecture
f. Questions to guide the student in writing a summary-reflection
g. Questions to guide the student in their participation in the Fellowship
and Practice (FP) class.

3. Students should submit a weekly half-a-page reflective summary of the

recorded lecture. Sponsored students must submit a reflective summary.

4. Students may participate in the Suhba Circle, a virtual spiritual community,

where they are able to post their reflections and read the reflections of their
companions.

5. Students will attend a one-hour, weekly Fellowship and Practice (FP) class.
The class will explore the real-life, personal, gradual, and progressive
practice of what is learned. Dr. Ali Hazratji, Dr. Amir Abdelzaher, Sidi
Naeem Saloojee, and Sidi Abdul-Basit Khan will share reflections of the
students and summarize the key points and themes in the weekly lecture by
Shaykh Mokhtar. Intermittently, the class will be a Q&A, facilitated by
 Shaykh Riad Saloojee, and devoted to addressing student questions
regarding the material and its application in daily life. Students are also
welcome to submit their questions to the teachers through our online form.
Questions will be answered after two to three weeks.

Students may also attend the monthly Suhba Check-Ins with Sidi Moutasem
Atiya, Dr. Zulekha Jalal and Sayyida Kamrun Nahar.

Program Duration

Suhba Online 1 and 2 is an 8-month program. Each module will be

approximately 2 months.

Weekly Commitment

For maximum benefit, students should strive to commit to as many of the

elements of the program that they can. Realistically, this may not be possible
— and their commitments may fluctuate over the course of the program
duration. The following are the expected time commitments for each
element.

1. Listen to Shaykh Mokhtar’s two-hour live or recorded lecture (2 hrs).

2. Review the Lecture Resource Materials (LRM) (15 min)
3. Write and submit the weekly reflective summary (15-30 min)
4. Post and/or read student reflections in the Suhba Circle community.
5. Attend the Fellowship and Practice (FP) class with Dr. Ali Hazratji, Dr. Amir
Abdelzaher, Sidi Naeem Saloojee, and Sidi Abdul-Basit Khan.

For the study priorities and recommendations, please see this section in this
Guidebook: Make the Most Out of the Program: Study Suggestions.

Student Q&A

Intermittently, the Fellowship and Practice (FP) class will be devoted to Q&A.
Students may also submit their questions through an online form to be made
available during the course.

Course Schedule

Please refer to Thinkific for the course schedule.

Make the Most Out of
the Program:
Priorities and Study
Suggestions
Make the Most out
of the Program:
The program, as emphasized earlier, is
devoted to the learning of beneficial
knowledge.

Beneficial knowledge is knowledge

that transforms the way we perceive,
5. The weekly Fellowship and Practice
reason, feel and act. It leads to an
(FP) class with Dr. Ali Hazratji, Dr.
experiential relationship with Allah and
Amir Abdelzaher, Sidi Naeem
His Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬and refines our
Saloojee, and Sidi Abdul-Basit Khan
character and conduct. Knowledge
that does not produce this change is
Component Priorities
not beneficial; it is only information or
data.
Ideally, a student will complete all five
components. Realistically, however, a
For this reason, the program
student may be unable to complete all
incorporates an integrated approach
five components and their
to Islamic learning through three
participation may fluctuate from time
parallel streams: Sacred knowledge
to time. A general order of priority is as
(‘Ilm), spiritual practice (akhlaq and
follows:
‘amal) and fellowship (suhba).
1. The weekly lecture by Shaykh
Each stream is important in the
Mokhtar (Essential for all students)
transformation of the individual. Each
2. The weekly Fellowship and Practice
stream is represented through the five
(FP) class with Dr. Ali Hazratji,
components of each module:
Dr. Amir Abdelzaher, Sidi Naeem
Saloojee, and Sidi Abdul-Basit Khan
1. The weekly lecture by Shaykh
3. The reflective summary of the
Mokhtar
lecture
2. The Lecture Resource Materials
4. The Lecture Resource Materials
(LRM) for the lecture
(LRM) for the lecture
3. The reflective-summary of the
5. The Suhba Circle community
lecture
4. The Suhba Circle community
 The Lecture Resource Materials
(LRM)

Suhba Online is committed to assisting

each student draw the most benefit
from Shaykh Mokhtar’s lectures. The
Lecture Resource Materials (LRM) are
an essential means to realize this.

The Lectures For each lecture, a student will be

provided with an overview, the key
The lectures by Shaykh Mokhtar are the themes, a glossary of Arabic
foundations of the program. The terminology, a translation of the main
serious student must strive for a strong Qur’anic texts used, a point-form
intellectual and experiential grasp of summary, questions to guide the
the knowledge in the lectures, which, in summary-reflections, and questions to
turn, provide the bedrock for practice guide participation in the Fellowship
and action and, insha’Allah, spiritual and Practice (FP) class.
transformation.
Here are five key recommendations:
Here are five key recommendations:
1. Take 15 to 30 minutes to read
1. Be consistent. Schedule the class through the Lecture Resource
into your weekly routine for a steady Materials (LRM) after the lecture.
diet of beneficial ‘ilm. 2. Highlight, italicize, or underline
2. Take your time when listening. You concepts that you feel you missed.
may want to listen to the lecture 3. Highlight, italicize, or underline
more than once. Take notes, if concepts that impact you
possible. intellectually or spiritually.
3. Don’t skip steps. The knowledge is 4. Read the questions for personal
cumulative. Listen to the classes in reflection before you write and
order. submit your reflective summary.
4. Try to listen as attentively as you 5. Read the questions for personal
can. Listen with your heart and reflection to prepare for the
mind. Fellowship and Practice (FP) class.
5. Make plentiful du‘a’ (supplication),
asking Allāh to open the hearing
channels of your heart and
transform what you learn into action.
The Reflective-Summary The Suhba Circle Community

A reflective summary is an excellent We are spiritual mirrors to one another.

way to organize, synthesize, analyze, Learning from others is an essential
and reflect upon the knowledge in the element on the path of one’s own inner
lecture. When shared, they are also transformation. The Suhba Circle
profound ways to learn from one community provides a forum for
another – which is an essential students to post their own brief
dimension of fellowship. reflections as they listen to and absorb
the weekly material, and to read the
Reflective summaries are submitted on reflections of their companions who
our educational platform. Instructors are doing the same. This process leads
will read excerpts of the summary to a spiritual synergy and often opens
reflections in the Fellowship and us to new horizons of deeper
Practice (FP) Class. understanding and personal growth.

Here are three key recommendations:

1. After you have listened to the

lecture and reviewed your notes,
write down the main ideas that you
took from the lecture and connect
those ideas to your own personal
journey.
2. Try to write and submit a brief
summary-reflection after each
lecture. Half a page to a page is
sufficient.
3. A summary-reflection is not a direct
summary of the lecture. It is your
personal interaction with the core
knowledge concepts in the lecture.
The Fellowship and Practice (FP) Class

The weekly Fellowship and Practice class

will have multiple aims: to emphasize the
practical dimension of practicing what is
learned; to focus attention on core
concepts; to discuss case studies; to
make connections between the
knowledge to see the big picture; to
encourage and share personal and
group reflection and introspection; to
intermittently review the material; to
practice what we learn collectively
through our Sitting Still sessions; and to
field questions regarding the learning
material and its implementation.

Here are five key recommendations:

1. This class is a supplement to Shaykh

Mokhtar’s lecture. Listen to the
lecture before you come to class.
2. Be consistent for class. Schedule it
into your weekly routine.
3. Reflect on any questions assigned as
prior homework for the class. These
will help focus your mind and heart on
key concepts for practice.
4. If possible, complete your
summary-reflection of the lecture
material.
5. Make plentiful du‘a’ (supplication),
asking Allāh to open the hearing
channels of your heart and transform
what you learn into action.
Streams of Study:
Participation and
Completion
Suhba Online offers two streams of study,
depending on the student’s schedule,
commitments and goals.

To attain a Certificate of Completion, a

student must listen to Shaykh Mokhtar’s
weekly lecture, submit the
weekly summary reflection, listen to
the weekly live interactive class and
submit the module summaries.

In the participation stream, the

student must listen Shaykh Mokhtar’s
weekly lecture.
Scholarship
Requirements
The program will be accepting scholarship
applications.

Please note that, at a minimum, any

student who applies for a scholarship must
satisfy the following criteria:

1. Completion of all recorded lectures.

2. Submission of all weekly reflective
summaries.
3. Attendance in the Fellowship and
Practice (FP) classes.
4. Completion of module summaries.
FAQs
Are there any prerequisites for this Is the Tazkiya module, and the
program? program in general, taught through a
particular tariqa?
No. This is an introductory course.
Shaykh Mokhtar does not call
Why were the modules chosen? towards, teach, or emphasize a
particular tariqa. He focuses on the
The module subjects provide principles and practices of the
essential and relevant Islamic science of tazkiya that are taught by
knowledge that addresses the needs the traditional scholars and masters in
of both the mind and the soul and the field.
provides the foundations necessary
for a life of intellectual certitude, Is there a study of the inner
spiritual transformation and striving dimensions of fiqh?
for nearness to the Divine.
Many of the inner dimensions of
Why does Suhba Online not use a worship are addressed in the module
text-based study? of Tazkiyat al-Nafs. Some
supplemental resources are also
Each module contains a summary of available on the website.
decades of study of countless
classical and modern texts. The intent What if I already have devotional
of the program is not to restrict the remembrances assigned to me by a
student to one text but to acquire spiritual teacher?
essential knowledge necessary for
spiritual development and growth in a The devotional remembrances
modern context. included in the curriculum are for
those who wish to use them and are
not following anything prescribed to
them by their spiritual guides. Please
consult your spiritual teacher if you
wish to make any changes.
FAQs
Can I apply for a scholarship?
Does the program teach a particular
madhhab?
Yes. For basic scholarship
requirements, please see Scholarship
Suhba Online does not teach fiqh.
in this Guidebook.
The usul al-fiqh module does not
focus on the principles of any one
Why is usul al-fiqh taught?
school.

A basic study of usul al-fiqh is

Why is ‘aqida not taught?
necessary in modern times to regain
an appreciation for our intellectual
‘Aqida is not addressed as an
and spiritual scholarly heritage,
independent, theoretical subject of
acquire certainty in the rational
study, but many principles in ‘aqida
foundations of our faith, and provide
are included in the modules through
us with basic tools to understand a
a pedagogy that emphasizes their
number of critical and misunderstood
practical and experiential application.
issues, such as bid‘a.

Why is fiqh not taught?

Suhba Online focuses 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.
Etiquette
for Sacred Study
The two most essential aims of Suhba 3. Be punctual and do not be late for
Online are to transform both our the class. Students should be
experience of Allah’s unicity (tawhid) online at least five minutes before
and our character and etiquette the main lecture and Fellowship
(akhlaq and adab). and Practice (FP) class.

Our study of sacred knowledge is 4. As you participate in the live main

meant to assist us in both endeavors. lecture and Fellowship and Practice
A beautiful saying reads: “Good (FP) class, try to conduct yourself in
etiquette (adab) secures a good share behavior as you would in real-life.
of knowledge; bad etiquette (adab) Try not to drink, eat, or check your
secures a bad share.” Without cellphone during classes.
character and etiquette (akhlaq and
adab), the knowledge we obtain will 5. Character and etiquette (akhlaq
be barren and fruitless. and adab) with your teachers are a
training ground for character and
In this spirit, the following etiquettes etiquette with Allah and His
of sacred study are noteworthy: Messenger ‫ﷺ‬.

1. As a general principle, a student of 6. Please include your first and last

sacred knowledge is studying the name during the online Fellowship
noblest and most exalted and Practice (FP) class.
knowledge that draws him or her
closer to the Divine, the Infinite in 7. Please be patient in receiving
Majesty and Beauty. Our pursuit of answers to your questions.
sacred knowledge, in all its Questions may be answered in
dimensions, must be worthy of class, through email or voice
Allah’s Majesty and Beauty. messages, and certain questions
may be deferred at the instructor’s
2. Try to listen to the recorded lecture discretion and answered later in the
in a state of minor ritual purification course.
(wudu’) with as much focus of your
mind and heart as possible.
BIOGRAPHIES
OF TEACHERS AND STAFF
The biography of any Islamic scholar is at
once inclusive and reflective of the
biographies of their teachers. The transfer
of Islamic knowledge from teacher to
student is meant to engender an
experiential tawhīd (Divine unicity) that
reforms and transforms the student’s
character and etiquette (akhlāq). In other
words, the teacher is the means to
illuminate the student’s heart (qalb) – its
faculties of perception, emotion and will –
and, consequently, his conduct with Allāh
and His creation.

Spiritual mentorship or suhba is the ideal

Islamic pedagogy. The necessity of this
mentorship, unfortunately almost alien to
modern Muslim sensibilities, is a truth that
has never, until post-colonial times,
required debate or defense. It was an
axiomatic truth that each Muslim knew
intuitively. The evidence was nothing less
than the miraculous transformation of
untold numbers of Companions under the
guiding hand and heart of our Master
Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬.

The spiritual inheritance of the

Scholar-Saint is a lineage of shared
suhbah, link-by-link, to the illuminating
reality of the Messenger ‫ﷺ‬. In this spirit,
it is only befitting that the biography of
Shaykh Mokhtār Maghrāoui begins with
his spiritual father and mentor, Shaykh
Muhammad Emin Er (may Allāh bless and
sanctify his soul).
 dwindling financial resources. The
economic situation became ruinous,
resulting in severe material hardship
throughout the country, not least in the
impoverished regions of Eastern Anatolia
where Shaykh Muḥammad Emin grew up.

Shaykh Muḥammad Emin spent his early

life in straightened circumstances, first
under the care of his stepmother, and
later under the care of his elder brother.
High up in the mountains surrounding his
village, Shaykh Muḥammad Emin
shepherded goats to help support his
family.

SHAYKH MUHAMMAD EMIN ER Throughout these difficulties, Shaykh

Muḥammad Emin’s singular desire was to
Shaykh Muḥammad Emin Er was born learn to read and write. Enjoying neither
around the outbreak of World War I, paper nor pen, he used stones to etch
possibly in 1914 and perhaps as early as words and sentences on flat rocks while
1909. The official records of the time are tending goats on the mountainsides. He
not always accurate, and the exact date of would shed bitter tears imploring Allāh to
his birth is uncertain. He was born in the help him learn to read the Qur’ān.
late Ottoman era in the village of Külüyan
near the town of Çermik, Diyarbakır, in He missed no opportunity to seek out
what is today southeastern Turkey. those whom he thought could teach him.
Shaykh Muḥammad Emin would journey
When Shaykh Muḥammad Emin was a on foot for days at a time to visit
child of three or four, his mother passed knowledgeable people in the vicinity of his
away; at the age of ten, his father died, village, however briefly. Eventually, he
leaving him an orphan. learned to write letters and read books in
the Ottoman script. But there was no one
At the time, the Ottoman state extended at the time to introduce him to the Arabic
from North Africa to Yemen, from the language and traditional Islamic
Balkans to the frontiers of Persia. But the disciplines, and he sought what
coordinated attacks that it faced on knowledge he could from books.
multiple fronts led to the depletion of its
When World War I came to a close, the In the years that followed, Shaykh
nascent Turkish Republic abolished the Muḥammad Emin studied Arabic and the
traditional Ottoman script and outlawed all rational and Islamic sciences with a
Qur’ānic and Islamic education with number of scholars. He studied
harsh, and sometimes mortal, morphology (ṣarf), syntax (naḥw),
punishment. Families feared teaching the propositional logic (manṭiq), philology
Qur’ān to their children even in the privacy (‘ilm al-waḍ‘), figurative usage (isti‘ārah),
of their own homes. literary style (adab), lexicology (ma‘ānī),
rhetoric (bayān), refined usage (badī‘),
While the first awakenings of his spiritual fundamentals of religious belief (uṣūl
quest came to him at a very young age, al-din), doctrinal philosophy (kalām),
Shaykh Muḥammad Emin recalled that Qur’ānic exegesis (tafsīr), the science of
few opportunities to learn were available: Qur’ānic recitation (tajwīd), theoretical
jurisprudence (uṣūl al-fiqh), the sciences
From my early childhood, I was anxious of the prophetic traditions (uṣūl al-ḥadīth),
with respect to death and the life to come, jurisprudence (fiqh) and the laws of
so I would visit certain teachers and inheritance (farā’iḍ).
inquire with them about all this. I asked
them how to prepare myself for the next He spent considerable time with Molla
life. From early childhood I was curious Rasūl, a classmate of Shaykh
about such things. I kept asking older Bediüzzaman Sa‘īd Nursī. In 1951,
people why we are so interested in this life Shaykh Muḥammad completed the last of
and the things of this world, when we are his studies with Shaykh Muḥammad
going to die, absolutely, every one of us. Ma‘shūq who granted him an ijāzah, the
So, it became my main goal to seek out a traditional diploma and authorization to
teacher and gain a religious education. teach, in all of the rational sciences and
traditional Islamic disciplines.
But at that time everything was forbidden
in Turkey. Even to read and to learn the Concurrent with his studies in the Islamic
Qur’ān was forbidden in those days. It sciences, Shaykh Muḥammad Emin
was not easy, like it is today. devotedly pursued the study and practice
of taṣawwuf, tazkiyat al-nafs, or iḥsān –
Shaykh Muḥammad Emin resolved to the normative discipline of spiritual
seek his religious learning in Syria but he purification, which is the essence of Islam.
was declined entry. When he returned at He had a number of spiritual teachers, all
the age of twenty-five from his first Ḥajj, he from the Naqshbandī order. Following the
undertook extensive travels in eastern death of Shaykh Aḥmad Ghaznawī, whom
Anatolia and later in Syria to seek out he met while he was in Syria, he became
Islamic scholars.
a student of Shaykh Muḥammad Sa‘īd Ṣuḥbah with Shaykh Sa‘īd was
Saydā al-Jazarī and remained under his instrumental in shaping Shaykh
tutelage until he was granted an ijāzah to Muḥammad Emin’s scholarship,
guide students of his own. spirituality, character and pedagogy.
Shaykh Muḥammad Emin would later
Shaykh Muḥammad Emin was profoundly affirm that every spiritual path has its own
affected by Shaykh Sa‘īd’s character methods of remembrance (dhikr) and
(akhlāq): his immense kindness and love practice, but among all of them, the
for all, selfless service towards others, practice of ṣuḥbah is indispensable and
boundless patience, genuine humility, uniquely effective.
unaffected sincerity, innocent
self-effacement, and his continuous Until the last breath of his life – and he
forbearance and forgiveness. lived to be over 100 years old – Shaykh
Muḥammad Emin lived the character
Shaykh Muḥammad Emin related that he (akhlāq) that he inherited from his teacher:
never heard Shaykh Sa‘īd utter a harsh or He was in a state of perpetual Divine
disparaging word against another, nor did remembrance (dhikr); lived a life of
he ever defend himself. When he heard of rigorous worship; fasted whenever
others slandering him, his only response possible; regularly observed the night
would be: “I have more faults than they vigil prayers (tahajjud); ate, spoke and
know.” slept little; counseled all those who sought
his advice; magnanimously hosted a
Once, when he was quite elderly, Shaykh steady stream of guests in his modest
Sa‘īd learned that fellow villagers were Ankara apartment; traveled far and wide
building a house but did not have enough to join family and fraternal ties; tirelessly
stone to complete the construction. He taught students, sensitive to each
went to a ruined house, asked his student’s needs and aptitude; and
students to place two stones from it on his continued to write on a variety of subjects.
back, and carried them to the house
being constructed. Those who had the Divinely-gifted grace
to spend time with him attest that he did
Shaykh Sa‘īd rode on donkeys, never everything, and lived every moment, with
horses, due to a constant concern to an unmatched poetic, innocent, spiritual
preserve his humility and ward off any elegance. Shaykh Mokhtār testifies:
ostentation.
The most wonderful experience I had in
the presence of Shaykh Muḥammad Emin
was observing his character. He was
beautiful in the way he spoke, ate, smiled,
and walked. Everything he did was done
with beauty. Allāh imbued him with
elegant majesty and elegant beauty. I
have never encountered anyone as
spiritually and morally elegant as him. He
was a living friend of Allāh.

The source of Shaykh Muḥammad Emin

Er’s rare majesty and beauty came from
his lifelong quest to emulate, to the fullest
extent possible, the outer and inner
character of Allah’s Beloved ‫ﷺ‬. Dr.
Recep Şentürk – one of Shaykh
Muḥammad Emin’s closest and most
beloved students, who himself received
an ijāzah to guide seekers to Allāh –
remembers Shaykh Muḥammad Emin’s
parting advice to him on his death bed
before he passed away:

The summative advice of my life is this:

Let us be wise, follow the Messenger of
Allah, our Master Muḥammad ‫ﷺ‬, and
enter the Paradise of our Lord. Let us not
be foolish, disobey him ‫ﷺ‬, squander this
incomparable grace, and instead enter
the Hellfire.

May Allāh sanctify the soul of Shaykh

Muḥammad Emin Er and benefit us by
him. Āmīn.

This is a re-worked biography of Shaykh Muḥammad Emin

Er taken from his work entitled, The Soul of Islam:
Essential Doctrines and Beliefs, translated by Joseph
Walsh. Shifa Publishing, 2008. Pages 13-40.
 his late father (may Allāh be pleased with
him) could recite the entire Qur’ān from
memory like others recite Sūrah
al-Fātiḥah. His mother’s most fervent
desire is to live and die in steadfast
adherence (thabāt) to Allāh’s obedience.
She constantly implores all to please
remember her request in their
supplication – may Allāh grant her the
steadfastness (thabāt) she seeks. Āmīn.

An exemplary student, Shaykh Mokhtār

was granted a scholarship to study in
Germany and then the United States,
where he obtained an MA in physics and
a PhD in electrical Engineering from
SHAYKH MOKHTĀR Syracuse University. As a graduate
student and thereafter, he lectured at
MAGHRĀOUI Union College, St. Rose College, and
Syracuse University in the fields of
Shaykh Mokhtār Maghrāoui was born in engineering, math, physics and religion.
1955, in the outskirts of what is now the
current province of Ghriss, Algeria. He While reading about the sacred sciences
comes from the lineage of the children of during his undergraduate studies, he was
the famous saintly scholar Shaykh profoundly affected by the consistence,
Muḥammad ibn ‘Umar al-Huwārī, who coherence and clarity of Islamic legal
traces his lineage to our Master theory (uṣūl al-fiqh) and jurisprudence
Muḥammad ‫ ﷺ‬through his grandson, (fiqh). He began to immerse himself in the
Ḥasan (May Allāh be pleased with him), study of Islam and its rational sciences.
through his grandson, Idrīs (May Allāh be
pleased with him). By Allāh’s grace, his intellectual discovery
of Islam’s sacred sciences altered the
Shaykh Mokhtār’s childhood and youth course of his life. Shaykh Mokhtār
were spent with his family and siblings in implored Allāh to open for him the
Algeria. The stories he recounts of his pathways of beneficial knowledge; and he
parents tell of their traditional Islamic devoted all his available time and energy
character and piety. He remembers that to its pursuit. He read as widely and
deeply as he could. Whenever possible, Muḥammad Emin had an intense love for
he sought the counsel and Shaykh Mokhtār. A scholar who was
companionship of scholars in their fields. present relates: “Shaykh Muḥammad
Emin would seek Shaykh Mokhtār with
The late ḥadīth scholar Shaykh Musṭafā ardor and longing, like a mother for her
al-A‘ẓamī (may Allāh be pleased with him) child.”
was one of his teachers at whose hands
Shaykh Mokhtār delved deeply into the In the sacred sanctuary of Makkah during
science and critique of prophetic Ḥajj in 2006, Shaykh Muḥammad Emin
traditions (ḥadīth). Shaykh Musṭafā loved granted Shaykh Mokhtār an ijāzah (a
Shaykh Mokhtār as his son, valued and traditional diploma and authorization to
sought his scholarly opinion on his work, teach) in taṣawwuf and licenced him with
and bequeathed to Shaykh Mokhtār his spiritual authority to guide seekers to
library. Allāh. In 2010, Shaykh Muḥammad Emin
conferred upon him an ijāzah of sacred
Shaykh Mokhtār first met Shaykh knowledge.
Muḥammad Emin Er on one of Shaykh
Muḥammad Emin’s many journeys to the On one occasion, Shaykh Muḥammad
United States to visit his students. As time Emin said: “Mokhtār is God-conscious, a
passed and their encounters became scholar (‘ālim).” When North American
more frequent, Shaykh Mokhtār gained students would approach Shaykh
deeper insights into Shaykh Muḥammad Muḥammad Emin to entreat him to take
Emin’s character and etiquette (akhlāq). them as his students, he would answer:
His heart began to witness more and more “Why are you coming to me? You have
of Shaykh Muḥammad Emin’s rare beauty, Mokhtār with you.”
and he acquired an indescribable love
and reverence for him that, to this very Shaykh Mokhtār has taught and offered
day, he finds emotionally and spiritually spiritual guidance in the United States for
overwhelming. decades. He was the Imām and
Scholar-in-Residence in Albany and Troy,
“He was Allāh’s gift to me,” Shaykh New York; Boca Raton, Florida; and
Mokhtār once stated. Plano, Texas. For many years, he served
as a member of the Fiqh Council of North
The ṣuḥbah between them continued for America. Muslims across the United
many years. Those who knew Shaykh States and Canada have experienced
Muḥammad Emin and attended his and benefited from his retreats, seminars
gatherings narrate that Shaykh and lectures.
The distinctiveness of Shaykh Mokhtār’s harmonized and unified. Islām, Imān and
teaching and spiritual guidance lies in its Iḥsān. This is the Prophetic pedagogy.
unity of purpose. Every field of knowledge
– whether theoretical, legal, historical, Since 2009, Shaykh Mokhtār has been the
exegetical or spiritual – must serve the Senior Scholar at Al-Madina Institute
twin, inseparable constants of our faith: (almadina.org) and is currently the
experiential (and not merely intellectual or teacher and spiritual mentor of the
academic) tawḥīd (Divine unicity); and ongoing Ṣuḥba Program that the Institute
beautiful, refined character (akhlāq). This runs in Istanbul, Turkey. Under his
is the Prophetic legacy. guidance, students and their families in
the Ṣuḥba Program undergo a year-long,
The essential means to realizing these intensive study along with spiritual
twin constants is through the purification practice. Participants study four
of our lower selves, or tazkiyat al-nafs. foundational subjects that provide the
The heart is the seat of our normative and unified intellectual and spiritual bedrock
rational perception, emotional experience of their path to seeking Divine nearness;
and will. Its purification – and only its and they couple their studies with spiritual
purification – will ensure correct thought, practice and character refinement
feeling, will and consequently, conduct. through spiritual mentorship in a real-life
Without learning to live every aspect of our environment.
lives within an envelope of inner
purification, our individual and collective And to Allāh belongs all success.
reform will flounder and be futile. Only in .
reclaiming this lost legacy will Islam’s
exoteric and esoteric, material and
spiritual, rational and supra-rational,
praxis and practice be reconciled,
SHAYKH RIAD SALOOJEE
(INSTRUCTOR)

Shaykh Riad Saloojee is a lawyer by

training and has worked in the fields of
media and political activism. He studied
the Islamic sciences at Dar al-‘Ulum
al-‘Arabiyya al-Islamiyya (DUAI), a
well-known Islamic seminary of higher
learning in Strand, Cape Town, South
Africa, where he also taught for a number
of years after graduation. His teachers
include Shaykh Muhammad Emin Er (may
Allah sanctify his soul), Shaykh Mokhtar
Maghraoui, Shaykh Taha Karaan (may
Allah sanctify his soul), Shaykh Muaadth
Allie and Shaykh Abdurragman Khan,
among others.

SIDI MOUTASEM ATIYA

(INSTRUCTOR)

Sidi Moutasem Atiya has devoted his

entire life to Islamic activism, organization
and education, and has spent time and
studied Islamic sacred knowledge with
many of this century’s luminary scholars.
He is the founder of Al-Madina Institute
whose goal, as he says, is “to forge a truly
global, spiritual community, and to bring
individuals and families together to live
the spiritual reality of Islam in a modern
context.”
DR. ALI HAZRATJI
(INSTRUCTOR)

Dr. Ali, a neurologist by profession, was

born in India to a respected family whose
lineage reaches to Rasulullah ‫ﷺ‬. Since
his early years, he has been an avid
student of sacred knowledge and studied
with various teachers, including Shaykh
Mokhtar, with whom he has enjoyed an
intimate companionship for close to two
decades. Dr. Ali has traveled the world
extensively in the service of da’wa.

DR. AMIR ABDELZAHIR

(INSTRUCTOR)

Dr. Amir obtained his Ph.D from the

University of Miami, taught at several
universities, and was a teacher and
Director of Planning at the Islamic School
of Miami. He currently lives in Istanbul,
where he is continuing his studies under
the mentorship of Shaykh Mokhtar
Maghraoui.
SIDI NAEEM SALOOJEE
(DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING AND
INSTRUCTOR)

Sidi Naeem Saloojee left his position as

CEO of a start-up company in artificial
intelligence to join the Suhba Fellowship
Program in Istanbul with his family. Before
that, he was the Director of Operations for
a successful national Islamic advocacy
organization. He currently lives in Istanbul,
where he is continuing his studies under
the mentorship of Shaykh Mokhtar
Maghraoui.

DR. ZULEKHA JALAL

(INSTRUCTOR)

Dr. Zulekha lives with her family in the

United States where she practices
pediatric medicine. She is a lifelong
student of Islamic sacred knowledge, has
been a student of Shaykh Mokhtar
Maghraoui for many years now, and
continues to study under his mentorship.
SAYYIDA KAMRUN NAHAR
(INSTRUCTOR)

Sayyida Kamrun was a top-student at an

Islamic seminary in Cape Town, South
Africa, where she studied full-time for four
years. A mother of two, she also has a
degree in early childhood education.
During her time in South Africa, she
worked extensively with women and
youth. She currently lives in Istanbul,
where she is continuing her studies under
the mentorship of Shaykh Mokhtar
Maghraoui.

SIDI ABDUL-BASIT KHAN

(INSTRUCTOR)

Sidi Abdul-Basit is a prominent lawyer with

his own private practice in Canada. For
many years, he was a dedicated social and
political activist, and the chair of the board
of a national Muslim advocacy
organization. He lives with his family in
Toronto where he continues his
mentorship under Shaykh Mokhtar
Maghraoui.
SIDI SALMAN KHAN
(TEACHING ASSISTANT AND DIRECTOR
OF STUDENT AFFAIRS)

Sidi Salman Khan is the Director of

Operations and Student Affairs for the
Suhba Fellowship Program in Istanbul, a
role that he continues to play in the
Institute’s family and adult programming.
He graduated from an Islamic seminary in
Cape Town, South Africa, where he
studied full-time for four years; and he also
has degrees in both electrical engineering
as well as education.