Love of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) and his companions
I credit AlMaghrib Institute through each seminar but specifically through the Conquest: History of the Khulafaa seminar with simulating my love for and interest in learning about the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) and his companions (may Allah be pleased with them all).
I converted to Islam simply because I believed in my heart that Allah the Exalted was true, one, undeniable, the creator and sustainer and not because I understood the role of the Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam). I could accept that the Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) was another prophet and man sent by Allah similar to Jesus, Noah, Abraham, and Moses.
Although my previous experience in Christianity had taught me about some other prophets, I knew next to nothing about the Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam), his companions, and those that followed them, and our scholars. And I had no great affection for them and wasn’t sure why I should pay particular attention to any of them.
It was through my experience with AlMaghrib Institute that I was introduced to these giants of our deen and that I was motivated to learn about them and emulate their excellent qualities. It was only then, that I came to love and respect them, want to defend them, and that I was equipped with a solid foundation built upon knowledge to do so.
It is through my experience with AlMaghrib, that now, so often when I read a hadith, I recognize the names of the narrators and I remember the details of their lives, their steadfastness, their truthfulness, and it brings the hadith to life for me. And I gain a deeper understanding when I read a group of verses that refer to the companions or an incident and I can draw on some knowledge we learned in a seminar to make connections and apply it to my own life.
Ify Okoye 
AsSalaamu Alaikum,
May Allah bestow His Mercy and Blessings upon those who seek Truth and Guidance
I also love Al Maghrib Institute. It is a great resource of ilm and I just love to be around my muslim community. I’ve been to 2 seminars and they’ve just been wonderful and inshaAllah I’ll be able to go to the next. The information gathered there and the sense of community amongst the muslims is what is needed in our community because it is soley for the sake of Allah and inshaAllah Allah will bless us all and guide us all aright inshaAllah.
I’m so glad you posted this.
AsSalaamu Alaikum
Abdul At-Tawwaab
Wa alaykum salaam,
I agree, the sense of kinship between the students seeking knowledge is amazing, in sha Allah the next post in the series will be about that feeling of brotherhood and sisterhood.
Wa alikum asalam,
So far I’ve taken 5 Al Maghrib courses and found that each and everyone of them had it’s own unique way of soothing your heart. Each of them went beyond course material, there was content that helped me to improve my charcter and strenghen my faith. It reminded me that no matter how small a good deed I do, it still counts. knowing that alone is quite reasuring.
Asalamu alaykum,
Most definitely, each class and experience soothes the heart and increases the emaan of the believer.
As-salaamu Alaikum
Unfortunately I haven’t been able to go to any AlMaghrib seminars–since AlMaghrib hasn’t made it to North Carolina, yet. The nearest is in Atlanta and with 6 hours drive time, it hasn’t been possible for me to make it down there. But I have been able to benefit from some CD recordings made from the classes. Specifically, the Four Imams, and Fiqh ad-Dawah. I’ve listened to each several times.
I had a similar experience to you though–it wasn’t immediately interesting to me to study the Prophet Muhammad (saws) or his Companions, since what attracted me to Islam was mostly the Qur’an. And my heart alhamdulillah is still attached to the Qur’an. I’ve tried to learn some of the sirah and have always stumbled, but inshaaAllah I can perhaps get a hold of a lecture from this class, the History of the Khulafa, or even something on the Sirah, that will help me to improve that aspect of my knowledge which is definitely the weakest.
Nice blog, by the way. 🙂
Assalamu alaikum,
Brothers and sisters please be wary of AlMaghrib and their pseudo-salafi/wahabbi teachings. The deviant bid’ah filled teachings of this dangerous cult/sect soils and created fitnah within the Ummah.
Wa alaykum salaam Amy
Yes, I have not found many books on seerah that engaging although several people have recommended The Sealed Nectar but I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. I have taken most of the seminars and the experience and the knowledge gained has shaped me and my Islam tremendously. I love listening to the cd sets of the classes as well and reviewing my notes with others. I pray that one day you will be able to attend a class in person, some might complain about the price but for me it is priceless.
AsSalaamu Alaikum,
May Allah bestow His Blessings and Mercy upon those who seek Guidance and Truth. May He bless and guide all of the organizing functions seeking to spread Islamic Ilm to do the straight path and keep their cause for the sake of Allah inshaAllah. InshaAllah May Allah bless our Ummah to Hear and Obey His command inshaAllah.
AsSalaamu Alaikum
Muslim Apple, ukhti JazakAllahu Khairun again for posting this. InshaAllah whereever we go for Ilm as may Allah bless us to avoid the temptings of Shaitan and bless us with Patience and Steadfastness inshaAllah.
Wa alaykum salaam
Abdul At-Tawwaab: Ameen.
Abdullah: Your rant is exactly another reason why I love AlMaghrib because through our studies and interactions with the instructors we have learned that this is not the way the people of knowledge disagree and as laypeople it would be best for us to leave these matters to the scholars and to work on improving our own emaan rather than trying to tear down others.
And furthermore, we are taught the gravity of speaking without knowledge about the deen and that if we do not know something that it is better to admit that we do not know, refer it to the people of knowledge, and to say Allahu Alam.It seems like you could benefit from these lessons Abdullah.
mashaAllah, awesome post. I agree with you!
@ Amy
Try Hamza Yusuf’s lectures based mainly upon Martin Ling’s book “Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources”. He also includes information from al-Waqidi & Shamail al-Tirmizi.
Anwar al-awlaki & Yasir Qadhi (of alMaghrib) have also given lectures on Seerah (available in CDs), but their series is still incomplete.
Other than that, two other Sirah books that seemed better than the rest (to me) are by Karen Armstrong & Tariq Ramadan.
ASA MA,
your BACK!! Masha~allah. I have yet to go to an Al-Magrib Institue due to the 3 day weekend. Insha~allah i’m working on it. Please let Amy know that Zaytuna is comming to NC in November. THey are having a Minara in Raliegh.
Truely to KNOW the Messenger is to KNOW the Creator. I went to an intensive give buy Dr. Sherman Jackson in NYC, given buy NYU MSA. It was beautiful. It helps to when and why surah’s came down and what the times were like.
Knowledge is power.
Ma salaama
Umm Amirah
They are mashAllah doing much good work in North America.
Mezba, they are, masha’Allah tabarak’Allah. I count myself as being very fortunate to have AlMaghrib in my life from the knowledge gained to the friendships formed to the myths debunked, it’s been very beneficial.
Mega goosebumps reading this. I had a bunch of amazing memories flood back into me. Baarak Allaahu feeki and may Allaah preserve our shuyookh. Ameen!
Bintwadee3, thanks for stopping by. A sister recently reminded me of this post, which I wrote more than three years ago, thinking I might write part two about the bonds of kinship formed between the students, insha’Allah.