Zaytuna College 2.0: Preparing for the Future by Zaytuna College

Zaytuna College 2.0: Preparing for the Future Pr e s i de n t ’s Re port 2021 N

NA C

L OL

The greatest, truest, and only permanent good bestowed upon humanity is that of sound knowledge. From such knowledge, all other goods flow, even faith. And this is why, at Zaytuna College, we have adorned our seal with the Qur’anic prayer, Wa qul Rabbī zidnī ‘ilman (And say, “O Lord, increase me in knowledge”) (20:114). For it is our knowledge of the world alone that enables us to discern a creator; hence, true knowledge will always lead to true faith. The greatest Qur’anic commandment is “Know that there is no god but the One True God” (47:19). It is knowledge alone—and most importantly, knowledge of God—that differentiates us from beasts, making us unique among God’s glorious creation. President Hamza Yusuf

I n the Na m e of G od , the Be nef icent, the Mercif ul

Zaytuna College 2.0: Preparing for the Future Presiden t’s Report 2 0 21 N co n te n ts Letter from the President....................................................................................... 5 Voices from the College......................................................................................... 7 Commencing a De-Pixelated Education.................................................................. 9 A Campus Full of Life........................................................................................... 11 More Applicants, More Milestones........................................................................12 Liberal Education: The Antidote for “Two Minutes Hate”..................................... 13 A BA-MA Partnership with Hartford.................................................................... 15 Programs to Awaken the Heart.............................................................................. 16 Ramadan: A Month of Mercy and Light................................................................ 17 First Spring at Zaytuna......................................................................................... 19 The Legal Path......................................................................................................20 Zaytuna’s 12000 Strong Community: Fulfilling a Prophetic Promise.......................21 Imam Zaid Shakir Returns to Campus...................................................................23 Classical Learning Test Partners with Zaytuna College...........................................24

Looking Inward to Plan Ahead..............................................................................25 The Zaytuna College Bookstore: A Book Lover’s Sanctuary...................................27 New Leadership Orients Zaytuna Toward Community..........................................28 The Quest for Truth: Zaytuna at Heterodox Academy...........................................29 Presidential Highlights..........................................................................................30 Five Years of Renovatio: A Journey in Gratitude......................................................32 The Emir-Stein Center: A Forum for Exchange.....................................................34 The Zaytuna MA Program: Teaching the Best of Both Worlds...............................35 Zaytuna Center for Ethical Living and Learning: A Year of Harvest and Honey......36 Financial Review..................................................................................................38 The Zaytuna Community Garden.........................................................................43 Lights, Camera, Education!...................................................................................44 The Zaytuna Curriculum Series............................................................................45 Building Anew.....................................................................................................47 Beyond Borders: Bringing the Tools of Learning to You........................................48 Directory..............................................................................................................49

Letter from the President P Dea r F ri en d s an d S u pport e r s : Salam alaykum. We have lived through another year under the lingering cloud of a pandemic that has been woeful and wearying for many. Yet we are asked as believers to see the light that shines amidst the darkness of adversities as the Qur’an reminds us: “Surely with hardship comes ease; surely with hardship comes ease” (94:5–6).

implementation of technology, safety, and social measures to reinstate in-person learning in 2021. As we continue to grow and strategically plan for the future, we will take heed of their recommendations for greater capacity in personnel, more diversified revenue streams, stronger disability accommodation practices, and increased measures of student learning.

By the grace of God, we have witnessed this ease at Zaytuna College as we reopened our campus in August and students once again arrived to study and learn with our faculty in the classrooms, albeit with the requisite precautions for health and safety. That is only one of many gratifying openings God the Generous blessed us with. As a result, we look to the future of Zaytuna College with hope and optimism.

Meanwhile, our public engagement and education initiatives have had a productive year, with the Emir-Stein Center continuing to produce videos dispelling ignorance and misunderstandings about Islam. In 2021, the Center produced seven new videos, and its videos have received nearly 12 million views since its inception.

“In October, we had a successful visit from a team representing the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) to assess our progress in implementing their recommendations from 2019, when they had reaffirmed our accreditation for eight years.”

We welcomed a new freshman class to Berkeley, one of the most distinguished classes to date in terms of preparation and qualifications, and we bid an online farewell to graduates of both the MA and the BA programs last May. Meanwhile, our alumni who chose to pursue graduate study elsewhere are thriving at major universities such as Oxford, Georgetown, Harvard, University of Chicago, University of Texas, and Rochester Medical School.

Our journal Renovatio—which publishes original work inspired by the philosophical and ethical traditions of the great world religions, especially Islam—had its most productive year yet, nearly doubling its archive on the website in 2021 to almost two hundred pieces. It also released a major seven-part series of conversations with scholars and writers on the Seven Deadly Sins entitled, “One Is Enough to Kill You.”

In October, we had a successful visit from a team representing the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) to assess our progress in implementing their recommendations from 2019, when they had reaffirmed our accreditation for eight years. Every WASC review results in commendations and recommendations, and the commendations on the improvements made in the past two years were heartening: more efficient management, more effective fundraising, faculty expansion, increased student support, upgraded recruitment, refined student assessment mechanisms, an almost seamless transition to online learning in 2020, and a holistic

We were delighted by the warm response from the community to the programs we hosted during the blessed month of Rabi’ al-Awwal on the teachings and the biographical study of Prophet Muhammad s. On the operational side, we have been blessed with some extraordinary new additions to our staff, 5

including Dr. Aisha Subhani, who now serves as our new vice president, and Feraidoon Mojadedi, our event and volunteer manager. We have also added new members to our Board of Trustees who bring great experience and guidance to the College.

the government of Pakistan as advisors for their school curriculums, including a groundbreaking program the Prime Minister has instituted that will introduce prophetic ethics to students around the country. These highlights—the reopening of our campus, the commendations from WASC, the growth of the Emir Stein Center and Renovatio, the permaculture garden, the expansion of our senior staff, the new library and audiovisual studio—and many others create, to borrow a Silicon Valley term, Zaytuna College 2.0, allowing this ambitious institution to spread its wings and soar, God willing.

Looking to the future, we have new initiatives that will benefit both our students and our supporters in the United States and abroad, God willing. In our ongoing effort to restore and beautify our campuses so they stand as testimony to the beauty of our faith, we plan to begin artful renovations in the coming months. A permaculture garden replete with fresh fruits and vegetables has been designed to extend and encompass over three acres on the upper campus.

None of us knows what the future holds and the possible trials and tribulations it may bring, but whatever may come, we are filled with gratitude to our Lord for all that has been bestowed upon us, and we pray that we are made judicious and dutiful stewards of this sacred trust and the Muslim endowment. We ask that our exalted and generous Lord continue to bless, support, grow, and sustain our work for this community, for our Prophet— God’s peace and blessings upon him—and for Him, our beloved Creator, for the short time we have been allotted here on earth.

“We are nearing completion of a beautiful, state-of-the-art audiovisual studio, and we are excited to offer online courses and public programs that we can film in that new studio, starting early in 2022, God willing.” We are excited about building a library at our lower campus next year to house thousands of books gifted to Zaytuna on Islam and its rich intellectual tradition. The generosity of a couple from Nevada has allowed us to launch the project this fall with architectural designs. By the grace of God, we acquired the bulk of the library of the late Dr. Shahab Ahmad of Harvard University, who had designated his collection for a worthy institute, through his executor’s decision to gift it to Zaytuna. We have also received the libraries of three others who donated to add to our collection.

With gratitude,

Hamza Yusuf P r e si d e nt, zay tuna c olle ge

We are nearing completion of a beautiful, state-ofthe-art audiovisual studio, and we are excited to offer online courses and public programs that we can film in that new studio, starting early in 2022, God willing.

In the coming year, we also plan to publish new books in the Zaytuna Curriculum Series, including our first Arabic editions, which will help place our College on the academic map of the Arab world. And we continue to collaborate with 6

Voices from the College A Means of Enlightenment, Peace, and Salvation

An Answer to a Du‘ā’ Alhamdulillah, we have been blessed to be on this journey with Zaytuna since its transformation into a college in 2009.

Zaytuna is the olive tree, limited neither to the East nor to the West. It aims to spread and deliver knowledge to shine as light upon light that is linked across time to the root of Scripture. Such sacred knowledge exists to save humanity.

With each passing year, I have become more convinced of how vital institutions like Zaytuna are for Islam to thrive in the West. I heard a Friday sermon several years ago in which the imam raised concerns about Muslim youth leaving their religion, and I simply could not believe it. But, unfortunately, over the years I have personally witnessed young adults who have completely stopped practicing and even a few who no longer believe in the existence of God.

The first command revealed to the Prophet Muhammad s was, “Recite!” (96:1). From this command, the imperative for Muslims to read and to learn was established at the very beginning. The Holy Prophet s was a teacher who instilled in his Companions, may God be pleased with them, the knowledge of spiritual development, leadership, and statecraft. His teachings are the foundation of every chain of knowledge, which is preserved to this day. These lessons are a means of enlightenment, peace, and salvation.

We all hope and pray for our future generations to succeed in their dīn and dunyā, but this requires more than du‘ā’ alone. I sincerely believe that the answer to that du‘ā’ is Zaytuna, a college where students receive a rigorous higher education with a strong foundation in Islam.

The founders of Zaytuna College did not enter this for personal, political, or worldly gain but to obey that divine command by teaching and preserving sacred knowledge. This is a trust given to every generation to pass on to the next. In dark times, these chains connect us to the Prophet s, and his teachings are the means for reviving and rebuilding society.

The Qur’anic verse, “Where, then, are you going?” (81:26) shakes me to my core. I sincerely pray that institutions like Zaytuna will be a guidepost for our future generations. Those individuals who come out of Zaytuna will lovingly practice this beautiful faith, making them the best ambassadors of Islam.

The Qur’an instructs us to turn to those who have knowledge to teach us. And it is an obligation for those who have that knowledge to teach it. Likewise, to support such teaching is an obligation upon the community.

What better śadaqah jāriyah could I ask for? Dr. Farah Rana is a member of the Zaytuna College Board of Trustees.

Let us be among those who spend in the cause of Allah during both ease and hardship. Let this be the means by which we gain His pleasure. Dr. Suhail Obaji is a member of the Zaytuna College Board of Trustees.

Finding a Spiritual Home

love our broader community has for this College. The support and prayers of patrons inspire all of us at Zaytuna to do our best and to be accountable for our responsibilities.

Six years ago, the hand of providence brought me to Zaytuna College, which became my spiritual home. I had become Muslim just a few months before, and Zaytuna provided me with a community to help me follow the path of the Almighty.

At the office of public programs and outreach, we are aware of the desire of our supporters to better their understanding of Islam and other subjects. By the grace of God, we will soon address this need through upcoming programs that connect our supporters with our scholarship. I sincerely look forward to sharing this treasure chest of knowledge with my fellow brothers and sisters in the religion.

At the College, I interact with many supporters— both donors and non-donors—via phone calls, emails, and travel. Each one of these conversations warms my heart, because I witness the palpable

Seema Duhan is the public programs manager at Zaytuna College. She currently spearheads the expansion of online learning initiatives for Zaytuna supporters.

Seema Duhan managing a recording session for the Rabi’ al-Awwal video series.

Commencing a De-Pixelated Education The 2021 Zaytuna College Commencement She spoke on the nature of a liberal education marked an important transition as, God willing, and shared lessons from her own extraordinary the last commencement of the College’s remote life, recounting her arrival in America as a Jewish period. It was a fond and heartfelt farewell to the refugee from Germany, whose first language was BA and MA graduates, recognizing the difficulties German. Underscoring the importance of the that they endured as virtual learning overtook trivium, she related her experience of learning their usual collaborative model. As President English grammar and drew a parable from the Hamza Yusuf aptly put it, “Our graduating class deceptive simplicity of the verb “to be.” She today persisted through the challenge of learning highlighted the contrast of “to be,” which is online, and you made it. You persevered, and you both “the most colorless… the merest auxiliary kept your heads down in the books as well as your or copula, and the most determinative and selfeyes up listening and conferring with our teachers sufficient of all the words in the world.” on these pixelated screens of your computers. Dr. Brann instructed students about the value The pandemic, it seems, of asking questions, has caused all of us to distinguishing between become a little pixelated.” questions that reflect the He drew a contrast sincere search for truth between this unplanned and those that do not. She transition and the usual explained how “questiondialectic classroom asking should be, and experience, explaining is primarily, an act of that “the education we care, even of love.” Such have attempted to offer earnest questioning, she Dr. Eva Brann gave the commencement address to you here at Zaytuna is Zaytuna’s class of 2021. explained, is inherently designed to help you different from the quasiexperience the profound pleasures of deep study.” aggression that presents itself as “questioning Despite the challenges and uncertainties, the class of 2021 carried forward, with excellence, the techniques that had been instilled in them at the start of their Zaytuna journey. President Yusuf congratulated them on this achievement and prayed for their continued success.

everything.” “Not only is Zaytuna a true college of liberal education, but it is also faith-based,” she concluded. “Though its intellect is gathered from all the world, its soul is Islamic. And finally, in normal times, it is a living community. Face-toface and tangible.”

In her commencement address, the inimitable Dr. Eva Brann—who has represented St. John’s College for more than sixty years as arguably one of the greatest revivers of the liberal arts in the modern age—spoke on the importance of learning. She explained to the graduates, “You’re a certified candidate for admission to a life of learning. For learning, being educated, is one of those strange experiential activities. The more you engage in it, the more of it you’re ready for. The more you’ve learned, the more you both want to and are prepared to learn.”

The great scholar’s encouragement of Zaytuna’s graduates, students, faculty, and staff was palpable even through the lens that pixelated the ceremony. A commencement is both the end of something and the beginning of another; this year, that was so not only for the graduating students but for all of Zaytuna College as it emerges from remote learning de-pixelated—and perhaps, even, with a heightened awareness of the real.

d 9

10 Khan in Zaytuna’s lush outdoor garden. Students enjoying their final sirah class of the semester with Shaykh Faraz

A Campus Full of Life While the interruption of remote learning for the past three semesters affected everyone, by the grace of God, the Zaytuna community transformed this difficulty into an opportunity. The College spent these months working on assessing and renovating existing facilities while acquiring new housing. As a result, new and returning students, staff, and faculty benefit from an enhanced and upgraded campus—and the campus, through their presence, is made complete.

Imam Dawood gave an example of the dynamism that occurs in a situated community of learning: “Students will come out of a classroom debating and discussing a topic as they walk to their dorm,” he says. “The learning flows out of the classroom, through the campus into the dorm room, into the dining hall, then back to the dorms, and finally circles back to the classroom.” Imam Zaid Shakir, professor emeritus, observed, “You have the companionship of people, young people, who are concerned about their religion. That’s so valuable. You might have seventy to eighty students at Zaytuna, but everyone is in a cohort. Everyone is moving together. You have more of that on a campus where you’re living together, where you’re growing together, where you’re sharing each other’s challenges. You can’t put a price on it.”

“The return of students on campus is like the land becoming fertile again after experiencing a drought,” said Imam Dawood Yasin, director of student life. “What they’re giving you is an opportunity to share in their excitement at being back.” Students and faculty alike found success in the distance-learning environment, but it was never a real substitute for the classroom. As President Hamza Yusuf noted in his welcome message, “We’re grateful for the opportunity to resume the irreplaceable experience of in-person collaborative learning.”

This is a welcome contrast to the pixelated experience of remote learning, and the College is blessed to have the fullness of life back on campus.

Just arrived!

Moving into the dorms

Student orientation

Astronomy class with Dr. Youssef Ismail

More Applicants, More Milestones In its most recent admissions cycle, Zaytuna received the highest-ever number of applications for both its undergraduate and graduate programs. The BA program witnessed a record one-third increase in its average application rate.

whereby Zaytuna faculty explain the pedagogy of the College, a combination of the best of the Muslim and Western traditions of teaching. For example, a cornerstone of the Muslim tradition is instruction from qualified individuals, who are connected by unbroken chains of transmission, a time-tested method for the preservation of knowledge that Zaytuna, inspired by this heritage, offers its students through many of its core faculty.

This welcome rise is a sign that more and more talented students consider Zaytuna as a serious choice for their academic pursuits and that the liberal arts resonate in the broader Muslim community. The increasing pool of applicants gives Zaytuna, still a college in its infancy, confidence that its efforts can lead to further growth and success, if God wills.

Additionally, the College’s website now features student achievements that reveal the fruits of a Zaytuna education. These new and notable initiatives help students and community members alike understand what Zaytuna is—and what it aspires to be.

To support this growth, Zaytuna plans to host weekly webinars that inform and engage with applicants about opportunities at the College. This initiative will be coupled with a new podcast series

Students in Shaykh Faraz Khan’s theology course

Liberal Education: The Antidote for “Two Minutes Hate” In August, Baylor University philosopher Thomas grimacing, screaming lunatic. There are cultural Hibbs honored Zaytuna College by visiting conditions around us now which aim to turn all of the Berkeley campus and offering students and us into grimacing, screaming lunatics.” faculty a brilliant lecture about the contemporary He clarified that such reasoning cannot be taught importance of liberal education. He delivered in a vacuum. Rather, liberal the talk extempore, using “Liberal education, what Orwell’s education necessarily George Orwell’s famous suggesting about ownership of our leads the individual that essay “Politics and the language as individuals, is a way of faithfully pursues it into a English Language” as a avoiding, at a minimum, becoming a vast tradition. “If you’re framework. Dr. Hibbs into liberal education, one grimacing, screaming lunatic.” drew out, through analogy, of the first things you realize modern equivalents of the very phenomena that is that you are heir to at least one great tradition or had so troubled Orwell in his own day. maybe many that you can spend the rest of your He compared the hostile, hyper-partisan style of cable news to “Two Minutes Hate” (from Orwell’s novel 1984), a presentation designed to rile up the audience against political enemies. The “Hate” overpowers better judgment by speaking directly to the basest impulses. Dr. Hibbs explained how such abuse of rhetoric can be resisted:

life studying and never master,” he said. “The paradox is here. The people who spent the most time deeply immersed in a tradition, or more than one tradition, end up being remarkable individual thinkers. They end up making their particular stamp.” Without the context and framework of a rooted tradition of learning, no foundation exists—but when it does, true innovation, rather than a mere collection of accidents, can emerge.

“Liberal education, what Orwell’s suggesting about ownership of our language as individuals, is a way of avoiding, at a minimum, becoming a

Dr. Thomas Hibbs, philosopher and Dean Emeritus at Baylor University, in discussion with President Hamza Yusuf.

Faculty Profile: Dr. Cindy Ausec, a Lifelong Learner When Dr. Cindy Ausec was young, she wanted to be a nurse. “My family didn’t know about grants or scholarships, so my stepmother suggested that I join the military so that I could attend nursing school through their system.” In 1975, Dr. Ausec joined the military as a German translator. She later enrolled in the Defense Language Institute as a speaker, the only private E-2 to do so at the time. She was stationed in Germany for four years before completing her bachelor’s degree in political science, hoping to work as a diplomat.

improve their grammar; develop better notetaking, writing, and reading skills; and plan for future careers. She also supports the students’ senior theses, tracking progress and coordinating with advisers.

Dr. Ausec declined the option to be deployed to Korea, choosing instead to be stationed at Fort Huachuca near Tucson, AZ. There, she met her husband and worked in security and, later, aerospace. The two planned to retire when they turned fifty and go back to school, but Dr. Ausec started the process earlier. “I’m kind of a lifelong learner,” she says. “I always keep learning; I always keep reading.” She completed her master’s degree in classical art and archaeology at the University of Arizona in Tucson and earned an MBA from National University.

On campus, Dr. Ausec revives skills she learned in childhood visits with her great-grandmother Katie. “I used to visit her every summer, and we would spend time doing crafts together,” she explains. “She “I also love what taught me how to I do because I’m sew, to crochet, and to always learning. make jams. I was really When I read lucky. She inspired me a lot.” students’ papers,

Unlike most faculty members at Zaytuna, Dr. Ausec works closely with students across cohorts, reading and editing their papers and providing one-on-one writing support. “The best part of my job is working with students and watching them improve,” she says.

I get a taste of what everyone is studying, and that keeps my job fun.”

Now, students, staff, and faculty are fortunate to receive her peach jam, made fresh with fruit from her husband’s garden every year. During reading week, she always makes comfort food that students can take back to their dorms, giving them a little taste of home cooking. “If I’m ever feeling homesick, I can always rely on her to remind me of a mother’s love,” says MA student Zaid Khanani (’22). “She cares for us students beyond just the academics. She keeps us fed, makes sure we are doing well, and is always there to offer her ear along with some chocolate.”

After moving to the Bay Area, she earned her doctorate in near eastern religions through a joint program between UC Berkeley and the Graduate Theological Union. She arrived at Zaytuna College in 2012, teaching courses in ancient civilizations, the rise and fall of civilizations, democracy, U.S. history, and philosophy, but the favorite part of her tenure has been the opportunity to continue learning.

For students, she has a few life lessons to share: “Don’t be upset if God doesn’t give you what you ask for, because what He gives you is always better than what you intended. Set goals and keep working toward those goals. Make learning a lifelong thing. And start your papers early!”

Today, Dr. Ausec heads the Academic Support Center, providing academic assistance for students in numerous ways. She organizes and delivers workshops to help students adjust to college life; 14

A BA-MA Partnership with Hartford

Dr. Omar Qureshi, provost at Zaytuna

Zaytuna is delighted to announce a new memorandum of understanding with Hartford International University (formerly Hartford Seminary) to establish an accelerated BA-MA track, allowing accomplished BA graduates from Zaytuna College to carry credits forward into the MA in interreligious studies at Hartford upon admission. This renewed partnership reflects the mutual respect between the two institutions and the growing recognition by other academic institutions of Zaytuna’s rigorous curriculum.

one-third of the required credits. Students will have twenty-four remaining credits and a capstone or thesis left to complete. “Zaytuna College is delighted to partner with Hartford [International University] to continue its decades-long leadership in including a Muslim perspective in the graduate education of religious leaders,” says Dr. Omar Qureshi, provost at Zaytuna. “Graduates of this accelerated BA-MA program will be well-versed in both the Islamic scholarly tradition and the critical ideas and cultural currents shaping modern society, well-equipped to offer vital direction to the communities they will serve. This is a wonderful example of institutional collaboration to achieve our common goals.”

The agreement allows Zaytuna graduates who are admitted to the Master of Arts in Interreligious Studies (MAIRS) at Hartford to transfer up to twelve credits of upper-division Islamic studies courses into the MAIRS program, fulfilling up to

“Surely with hardship comes ease.” Qur’an 94:6

Programs to Awaken the Heart Despite the hardships of this past year, Zaytuna continued to benefit from the generosity of its supporters, whose dedication allowed the College to transform the challenges of the pandemic into an opportunity to self-evaluate, to renovate, and to build. Indeed, the Ramadan campaign of 2021 proved to be the hallmark for Zaytuna’s fundraising to date, yielding an incredible bounty—not only in financial support but also in well wishes and prayers—that was one of the innumerable blessings of the sacred month. This reflects the sincere commitment the community has toward Zaytuna College, alhamdulillah.

The advancement team has been working diligently to ensure the College’s donors remain connected to its vision. Although campus tours and visits trickled to a bare minimum during the pandemic, creative programming through various online formats served as excellent alternatives to share and present the plans for the College. While operational support remains central to Zaytuna’s fundraising efforts, the strategy also calls for a renewed focus on the expansion of the endowment, which is essential to long-term financial stability and sustainability. The fundraising campaigns have been broadened to include Ramadan, Year-End, and, most recently, Rabi’ al-Awwal. Each campaign has its own fundraising objectives, and each carries a unique message to the College’s supporters, but they all collectively align with the mission and vision: an intellectual revival through the pursuit of sound knowledge.

Every campaign underscores the invaluable community support the College receives to make its work possible. As the College expands and the student body grows, Zaytuna’s financial stability will require a growing stream of support, which, God willing, can enable the College to become a premier and permanent fixture of the educational landscape and a source of inspiration for our broader community.

Recording of Imam Tahir Anwar’s Fiqh of Fasting in the Hanafi School class

Ramadan: A Month of Mercy and Light

President Hamza Yusuf The Jewels of the Qur'an zaytuna college

An Online Ramadan Series May 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 5:30 PM PDT

Once again, viewers across the globe enthusiastically watched and shared Zaytuna’s annual Ramadan programming, a trend that has encouraged the College to expand its onlinelearning programs.

format. This series was also well received, with thousands of downloads from around the world. In honor of the blessed last ten days, President Hamza Yusuf taught Imām al-Ghazālī’s brilliant text, Jawāhir al-Qur’an, or The Jewels of the Qur’an. He selected the text to help enhance understanding of the Qur’an, as the great Imam wrote the text to categorize and explain verses in a thematic fashion. President Yusuf summarized each chapter with detailed slides that emphasized salient points.

The month-long schedule of virtual events opened with three pre-Ramadan preparatory sessions on the fiqh of fasting and zakat according to the Ĥanafī, Shāfi‘ī, and Mālikī schools. These sessions, which reached over 250,000 views, helped the College’s global audience acquire farđ ‘ayn (personally obligatory) knowledge to solidify the practical aspects of worship, while also providing spiritual lessons that connect the worshipper to the divine.

Zaytuna hopes to continue its efforts to offer both pre-Ramadan and Ramadan courses, talks, and podcasts that serve to awaken the heart and minds in the sacred month.

Imam Zaid Shakir led lessons from Laţā’if al‑Ma‘ārif, or The Subtleties of Perception, a classical work by Ibn Rajab al-Ĥanbalī, which lays out the virtues and acts of worship for each month, including Ramadan. As a first for the College, we launched an Urdu series by Imam Tahir Anwar, who provided tafsir on select chapters of the Qur’an, including al-Mulk, al-Insān, al-Ďuĥā, and al-Sharĥ. Zaytuna’s student counselor Sr. Heba El-Haddad recording a Ramadan podcast

Throughout the month, faculty and guest scholars shared valuable Ramadan reflections in podcast 17

The Praised One ‫ ﷺ‬in World Scriptures Hamza Yusuf 12 RABIʽ AL-AWWAL 1443 / 19 OCTOBER 2021

Dr. Abdullah Hamid Ali recording his session for the First Spring program.

Dr. Mona Hassan enjoying her outdoor filming of the opening talk for the First Spring lecture series.

First Spring at Zaytuna ‘Alī, may God be pleased with them all. “But all of the four are perfectly balanced and embodied in our Prophet s.”

The Messenger of God s stated, “A group of 12,000 believers will not be defeated for lack of numbers.” This profound prophetic promise is the driving force behind the College’s 12000 Strong program, which seeks to grow and reward its community of monthly supporters. It is a truly community-driven initiative, because Zaytuna College belongs to the community.

A pair of Zaytuna faculty members and a second pair of talented guest lecturers delivered the four lectures. The program opened with Dr. Mona Hassan of Duke University addressing wisdom. She was followed by Ustadha Hosai Mojaddidi, who presented on temperance. Dr. Ali Ataie and Dr. Abdullah Ali, of the Zaytuna faculty, spoke on courage and justice, respectively.

In recognition of Rabi‘ al-Awwal, the birth month of the Holy Prophet s, Zaytuna launched its First Spring lecture series.

The series included a special livestream event by President Yusuf, titled The Praised One s in World Scriptures. He drew upon the classical works of tafsir and scriptural references of past dispensations to showcase prophecies of the advent of the Last Prophet s. He also presented a wealth of other sources, including comparative religion studies by classical Muslim scholars, to bring a neglected— but essential—area of study to the general public.

The inaugural program consisted of a four-part video series on the Cardinal Virtues of the Sirah, in which the prophetic biography was examined through the lens of the foundational four virtues. “The idea behind that,” explained President Hamza Yusuf, “is an understanding of our tradition—and the Western tradition, interestingly enough…. The moral virtues hinge upon these four fundamental virtues. And you can see these fundamental virtues actualized in the four caliphs of our Prophet s because he is the source of these four extraordinary virtues that are so needed in the modern world.”

The livestream garnered widespread appreciation, and due to the overwhelming positive response, Zaytuna offered a second streaming of the talk at the close of the month that included a live introduction and Q&A by President Yusuf.

Citing the great Spanish Mālikī scholar Qādī Abū Bakr ibn-al-Arabī, Shaykh Hamza elaborated that courage is exemplified by Sayyidunā Abu Bakr, justice by Sayyidunā ‘Umar, temperance by Sayyidunā Uthman, and wisdom by Sayyidunā

The First Spring program series reached over 350,000 viewers, by the grace of God, and will remain an annual feature of the College’s public programming initiatives.

Ustadha Hosai Mojaddidi

Dr. Ali Ataie filming for the First Spring lecture series.

The Legal Path Law school remains a popular choice for Zaytuna graduates. Alumni can be found at reputable law schools across the country, including UC Berkeley and Georgetown, while many others are preparing for this by interning or working in law-adjacent jobs.

The reasoning skills developed through Zaytuna’s curriculum prepare students for the LSAT due to their rigorous studies in logical and analytical reasoning. These same foundational skills give students a head start when they are in law school, as they know how to critically analyze the texts.

Undergraduate and graduate students at Zaytuna, in keeping with the 1400-year-old intellectual tradition of Islam, study law and logic with great rigor. Students are not only taught the rulings pertaining to various aspects of personal and interpersonal life, but also the roots of juristic reasoning. This study of usūl al-fiqh (foundations of the law) is considered a natural extension of the study of grammar and logic. It trains students to understand how law is derived, rather than mere rote repetition of its conclusions. The polycentric nature of Muslim law, as reflected in the four distinct yet orthodox schools of jurisprudence, helps students understand how the same evidence can be interpreted in multiple, yet valid, ways.

Recognizing this trend, the Academic Support Center, led by Dr. Cindy Ausec, organized two workshops this year to advise current students who are interested in pursuing a career in the law. The first, in February, featured a number of Zaytuna alumni who are currently at law school. They recounted their experiences, as well as the ways in which they transitioned from Zaytuna to their J.D. programs. The second, in November, was led by Dr. Robert George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University. Dr. George took an approach that was both pastoral and academic. He advised on the key requirements for law school admissions, but he also counseled the students to understand the difference between the study of law and the practice of law. Dr. George praised the holistic understanding of law intrinsic to the shariah and explained how students could study Western law in a similarly holistic way, citing his own experience of further study at Oxford under the distinguished natural law jurist, John Finnis.

Far from being a dry subject, the study of these legal principles cultivates the mind, paving the way for the soul to experience great openings. Every great Muslim metaphysician and spiritual guide has been a jurist. For instance, the great 15th-century sage Ahmad Zarrūq, acclaimed as the mujaddid (spiritual reviver) of his age, wrote legal texts, such as his commentary on the primer Al-Risālah, that remain essential works to this day.

As Zaytuna students consider their post-graduate paths, the College is prepared to provide the resources and guidance to facilitate a choice that is both professionally and intellectually fulfilling.

It is no surprise, then, that Zaytuna students are both interested in and prepared for a legal career.

Zaytuna’s 12000 Strong Community: Fulfilling a Prophetic Promise Since its inception in 2012, the 12000 Strong program has steadily grown to almost 3,000 monthly donors. The program is inspired by the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad s: “12000 believers will not be defeated for lack of numbers.” This powerful promise inspires Zaytuna’s monthly giving program. For Muslims, the small but consistent acts of devotion carry with them immense blessings.

initiatives. The 12000 Strong program, however, is more than just a monthly giving initiative. It is a community united towards building, God-willing, a lasting institution of learning. Zaytuna intends to cultivate this community through special programs designed just for the 12000 Strong members. As President Hamza Yusuf says, “Membership should have its privileges, and we plan to honor that. A 12000 Strong book club along with some other perks is in store for our loyal supporters.”

12000 Strong contributes ten percent of Zaytuna’s operating budget, serving as one of the cornerstones of the College’s fundraising

12,000 Hearts Beating as One I have the privilege of managing the 12000 Strong program at Zaytuna College. This unique program is founded on a beautiful hadith of our beloved Prophet, “12,000 believers will not be defeated for lack of numbers.” Through the blessings of this prophetic promise, our goal is to not only create a sustainable model for Zaytuna to flourish for future generations but to foster a community of learners that benefit from the resources produced by Zaytuna College and

spread the light of our tradition in the world. We have many great initiatives in store for our 12000 Strong community. We’re about to start a new monthly email newsletter, Read & Rise, Akram Sirafi, the in which we plan to share development programs some of the wisdom from manager at Zaytuna the Zaytuna faculty, College, manages the 12000 Strong program. students, staff, and alumni. We hope that these 12000 Strong initiatives will benefit you and help us grow as a community, in sha Allah.

The First Command Book Club Early next year, the 12000 Strong community will have the exclusive option to join a book club designed and led by President Yusuf. The book club will be a virtual interactive forum complete with scheduled meetings, reading assignments, and fruitful discussions. In its efforts to revive the intellectual literacy in our community, Zaytuna welcomes the book club as a wonderful addition to its educational initiatives. The first book for the First Command Book Club

New Members Join the Zaytuna Team A Witness to Joyful Learning

Living Links to a Knowledge-Based Civilization Bismillah. I am honored to be a part of Zaytuna.

A few days before Ramadan 2019, my younger brother Ahmed had relocated to California and invited me to visit.

Like many, my introduction to Zaytuna came through Alhambra Productions, when I would hear the Purification of the Heart tapes play in my mother’s car while she ran errands. I visited the Zaytuna Institute website often, downloading every lecture that would surface.

One day, I told Ahmed that there was an American Muslim college I had heard about. While he was at work, I decided to go exploring. At the lower campus, I made my way around the bookstore, purchasing some Egyptian musk, perfumes, books, and a small bookmark with a Qur’anic prayer, “My Lord, increase me in knowledge.” I made the vertical trip uphill from lower campus to Holy Hill. (For a Texan, it felt like I was mountain climbing.)

The other day, I found a loose note I had taken while listening to the Mālikī fiqh of Ramadan class as a teenager. It was a reminder from another age, and I remembered exactly what was on it, before I even looked. A conversation with Shaykh Hamza on the eve of leaving for university confirmed my intentions to pursue ‘ilm at some point. The years passed, and I ended up pursuing writing, earning a fellowship at the National Review Institute. While working in the public eye, it struck me that my desire for ‘ilm had changed into an obligation.

I walked out to the courtyard and saw a group of young female students sitting in a circle, maybe three or four of them, reviewing Arabic poetry, quoting Rūmī and Imām al-Ghazālī, and joyfully learning. It moved me to tears, and I prayed that I would return one day. I went on to work in fundraising consultancy, and subhan Allah, two years later, here I am, working for Zaytuna as a regional director of development for the South. My role is to connect and build a community with our generous donors and supporters. What a gift!

A decade on from that conversation, I fulfilled my intention. In that, too, I found myself linked to the College, studying at Al-Maqasid in Pennsylvania under the direction of Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, from whom I heard stories of the early days at Zaytuna. The study of even introductory texts, such as Mukhtaśar al-Akhđarī and Al-Murshid al‑Mu‘īn, made the deep distinction of this form of education tangibly clear to me.

Our mission is more than learning. It is about establishing an academic address for Islam in America. It is about the American Muslim experience, as an organic, local, and vital part of our society.

After my studies at Al-Maqasid, I knew that I needed to return to the workforce while remaining engaged with my learning—even so, I did not even dream that I would find a job that combined those two needs. But God provides. To work somewhere that links a new generation, on American soil, to fourteen centuries of our “knowledge-based civilization” is a reward in itself.

Education is everything, and it is my honor to be a part of Zaytuna College. If you are interested in learning more about how you can support our community and “increase our knowledge” together, then let’s connect! Nadeen Mustafa is the regional director of development for the South at Zaytuna College.

Jibran Khan is an editor, in Marketing, at Zaytuna College. 22

Imam Zaid Shakir Returns to Campus As the students moved back on campus and started their fall semester, they were surprised with a special treat: the return of their favorite imam.

said, “Imam Zaid brings such positive energy to everyone he’s around. He inspires us to work hard and study. In our sessions, he reminded us of the great blessing to be at Zaytuna, a Muslim college. We always feel uplifted after leaving his company, and we hope he returns again soon.”

In the first week of September, Imam Zaid Shakir, professor emeritus at Zaytuna, joined the campus community with a 3-week stay filled with activity. Though Imam Zaid is not Students enjoyed sessions held currently teaching fulltime, he after fajr and in the evenings on frequently gives his time towards various topics but most notably special lectures, classes, and his commentary on select other educational programming hadith from Imam al-Nawawi’s to support the College. It’s rare Riyāđ al‑śāliĥīn. From walks and for him to turn down a request, hikes, to office hours and especially coming from “Imam Zaid brings such positive energy the students. On his last faculty meetings, Imam Zaid devoted much of his to everyone he’s around. He inspires us night before travel, he time and energy to both to work hard and study. In our sessions, led a night prayer vigil students and faculty. he reminded us of the great blessing to be with the students, further at Zaytuna, a Muslim college. We always proof of his indefatigable One freshman student, feel uplifted after leaving his company, commitment to students of summarizing her fellow knowledge. classmates’ sentiments,

and we hope he returns again soon.”

Imam Zaid Shakir records his reading recommendations for Rabi’ al-Awwal.

Student Reflections Justin Poe

and donors. And may He guide the students to what pleases Him.

By God’s grace, I have been blessed to study under Zaytuna’s brilliant graduate faculty. The lectures and discussions with the teachers and their support have been the highlight of my experience in the graduate program, which emphasizes concentration on texts and close reading.

Justin Poe is an MA student at Zaytuna College. His thesis examines the nature of prophethood in the writings of Ibn Khaldūn and Al-Shahrastānī.

Fatima Alemam As a Muslim from the Midwest who grew up without a local Muslim community, I never realized the significance of God-fearing suĥbah (fellowship). At Zaytuna, I have met some of the most genuine students, faculty, and staff who constantly strive for iĥsān (spiritual excellence). Being in an environment where like-minded individuals are seeking the pleasure of God stretches and pushes you as an individual in unimaginable ways. I am deeply grateful for all the life-long friendships, lessons learned, and community at Zaytuna, alhamdullilah.

I am currently in the third semester of the kalam/ falsafah (theology and philosophy) track. During these three semesters, I was introduced to new concepts and texts, a history of ideas with which I was unfamiliar, the recent and current state of the field, and an academically rigorous approach to research into kalam and falsafah. Now that the end of the third semester draws nigh, I think of the lost time and missed opportunities to benefit more from the instructors through office hours, reading sessions, or casual discussions. And I think of ways to continue to study with them and explore more texts and subjects and expand on the foundations they have taught. May God continue His blessings and grace upon them, the founders,

Fatima Alemam is a junior in the BA program at Zaytuna College. She serves as a resident advisor and is the president of the Pre-Med Club.

Classical Learning Test Partners with Zaytuna College Established in 2015 by Jeremy Tate, the Classical Learning Test (CLT) is an alternative standardized test that measures the reasoning and aptitude of students through their comprehension and analysis of passages from the great works of core subjects such as literature, mathematics, and science.

Now, Zaytuna has deepened its relationship with CLT in various ways, including through the addition of President Hamza Yusuf to the organization’s Board of Academic Advisors. Zaytuna and CLT will also cooperate to share admissions information about the College to Muslim students who take the CLT. In addition, President Hamza Yusuf recently recorded a podcast on Zaytuna and classical education with Jeremy Tate. He has also agreed to teach a seminar for the CLT on Averroes, one of the authors from the Islamic tradition featured in the exam.

Many colleges and universities have used the CLT as an acceptable alternative to the usual SAT and ACT tests. Several years ago, Zaytuna College did the same, since many of the classical texts used in the CLT are also studied in its undergraduate curriculum. 24

Looking Inward to Plan Ahead Self-accounting is an essential aspect of Muslim ethos and practice and serves as a driver for sustained improvement. Over the course of this difficult year, the leadership at Zaytuna College took stock of where things stand to prepare for the future.

• Creation of a leadership team, Shūrā, that offers cross-institutional consultation and communication WASC made several recommendations for further improvement, including implementing a financial plan that provides the necessary resources to reach the endowment goal, expanding faculty and administrative personnel, formal assessment of student achievement of learning outcomes, and increasing both curricular and co-curricular support for students, including American Disability Act (ADA) infrastructure. The staff, faculty, and students, with the grace of God and community support, feel confident and ready to achieve these goals in the years to come.

Shortly after this inward look, a team of scholars and administrators from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), the regional accrediting body, visited to review the College’s progress since its last accreditation visit two years ago. The team commended Zaytuna for a number of specific achievements: • Serious and comprehensive attention to prior WASC recommendations • Thoughtful planning and execution of substantial improvements to facilities and technology, particularly during the pandemic, and investment in technology for instruction and the creation of podcasts • Launching a plan with a clear mission and specific strategic priorities • Development and expansion of the Zaytuna College board, with dedicated professionals representing a wide range of expertise

The College is incredibly grateful for these kind words and concrete recommendations for improvement, but external approval is only a baseline. We ultimately aim to establish an institution that, God willing, becomes a standardbearer for our community in the United States. Zaytuna’s leadership team believes that internal standards should always be more rigorous than what is expected by others. Such muĥāsabah (selfexamination) is essential to the pursuit of ihsān (excellence) that underpins this great religious tradition.

WASC members meet with Zaytuna staff.

The Rabi’ al-Awwal prophetic well-being gift set

Beautifully packaged book sets

Meaningful gifts for all occasions

Specialized gift sets for children

A welcoming space for book lovers

The Zaytuna College Bookstore: A Book Lover’s Sanctuary The Zaytuna College Bookstore , for many people, serves as a threshold between their own world and the College. This is no accident; the bookstore is in some sense a microcosm of Zaytuna, a means by which supporters can engage with the ideas and lessons inspired by the College curriculum at their own pace and from any distance.

faculty. “It is something we’re particularly delighted to share with you, because it becomes a very real touchpoint between the faculty and the supporters,” said Khadija, reflecting on her many encounters with customers in person and online. She continued:

knowing that each text on the shelves is selected for its appropriateness to the topic. A bookseller in the traditional world, especially in Muslim lands, is a sort of companion to the seeker, anticipating and catering to his or her needs with the right recommendation for the right time.

This approach extends to the gifts offered by the bookstore, which run from beautiful prints of prophetic prayers for study and well-being to handicrafts to College memorabilia. Indeed, the collection even includes crafts by Dr. Cindy Ausec, a beloved member of Zaytuna’s faculty.

The bookstore revives this tradition, bringing with it the recommendations and guidance of Zaytuna’s

“We’re honored to be able to share this space with you, both virtually and physically,” said Khadija.

“To imbue our environments and actions with Khadija O’Connell, founder and creative director beauty and excellence is an act of worship. This is of the bookstore, describes a charge we take seriously its three areas of emphasis: at the bookstore, which is The Prophet s tells us, beauty, connection, and designed in a way that is “God is beautiful, and He loves beauty.” guidance. Each of these both aesthetically pleasing is grounded in the sunna and easy to navigate. of the Prophet s and supports the mission of Whether in the physical store, built with the Zaytuna in an essential way. incredible woodwork of Bosnian craftsman Arif Velagic, or on the website, we want the bookstore The curated bookstore serves as a guide to the to be a welcoming space.” seeker of knowledge, who has the advantage of

bookstore.zaytuna.edu

One way to support Zaytuna is to buy books and gifts from the Zaytuna College Bookstore.

New Leadership Orients Zaytuna Toward Community Earlier this year, the Zaytuna College Board of Trustees sought to fill the role of vice president. This key figure needed to be someone with a deep understanding of Zaytuna’s mission, proven leadership skills, and strategic vision.

initiatives, from plans to invest in community education through producing a robust catalog of distance learning courses, to the development of its upper campus into a destination—for all visitors—that represents the beauty of the Muslim civilization, to the growth of a dynamic membership program for the College’s most consistent supporters.

In September, President Hamza Yusuf announced that the Board had found the ideal candidate: Dr. Aisha Subhani, a former member of the Board. Dr. Subhani is This fall also saw the addition the longtime director of the of another new member of the Deen Intensive Foundation, College’s leadership team, the an organization committed to long-time San Francisco Bay teaching the sacred sciences Area community leader and through intensive retreats such as teacher Sidi Feraidoon Mojadedi, the well-known annual summer who joins Zaytuna to manage Rihla program. She is also the its events and its enthusiastic director of Sandala, Inc., a volunteer base. Sidi Feraidoon, pioneering platform for teaching also a student of the poetry of Islam through publishing, online Dr. Aisha Subhani, Rumi and Persian poetry more Vice President learning, and podcasts. Her generally, brings with him vast combination of experience is organizational experience, from perfectly suited to Zaytuna’s institutional needs founding and managing the Rumi Bookstore, and future plans. to directing the annual Sacred Caravan trips and Grand Mawlid celebration.  “I have been blessed to work with Dr. Aisha for over twenty “I have often quipped with some years and know well her sincere seriousness that Feraidoon is the work on behalf of our faith and real founder of Zaytuna,” said the great gifts she brings with President Yusuf in a statement her,” said President Yusuf in the to staff. “He started the Islamic announcement. “As a trained Studies School in Hayward that and practicing ER doctor, she is became the Zaytuna Institute, used to triaging and maintaining which then, with the addition equilibrium in the most stressful of Imam Zaid, became the situations and adroitly managing Sidi Feraidoon Mojadedi, Seminary, and then in 2009, the any crisis she finds herself in. We Event and Volunteer Manager College. Feraidoon has many are extremely fortunate that Dr. years of events management and Aisha has decided to commit has done so much volunteer work her exceptional talents to helping all of us take for the College over the years that he comes on Zaytuna College to the next level.” board with our indebtedness and gratitude.” Dr. Subhani arrives at Zaytuna as the College sharpens its focus on engaging the broader community through many public-facing

d 28

The Quest for Truth: Zaytuna at Heterodox Academy Dr. Omar Qureshi, provost at Zaytuna College, spoke at a fascinating Heterodox Academy event this summer.

He explained that viewpoint diversity and explicit acknowledgment of one’s foundational beliefs strengthen sound truth-seeking, as reflected in the orthodox Sunni tradition of rational inquiry. In this tradition, a seeker can come from any point of view and engage in debate, following the rules of the dialectic. This is reflected at Zaytuna, whose faculty represent a variety of backgrounds.

“Faith and Truth-Seeking: What is the Role of Religion in Higher Ed?” explored how secular and religious educational institutions approach truth, which Jonathan Haidt argues is the proper telos, or objective, of higher education. Haidt’s position was once normative, with words for truth and wisdom commonly featured in the seals and mottos of universities, but in recent years there has been a push to make “truth” yield to other commitments, often political ones.

“Our Christian faculty members are teaching as Christians. They are not hiding nor keeping their intellectual commitments and religious commitments hidden. We all speak from our own points of view,” observed Dr. Qureshi. “When the panel heard about the diversity of our faculty, they were all very happily surprised. We anchor all our discussions and all our inquiries in the liberal arts—something that is common across all of these traditions.”

The participants included panelists Dr. George Harne, executive dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Saint Thomas, Dr. Ilana Horwitz, FieldsRayant Chair of Contemporary Jewish Life at Tulane University, Dr. Omar Qureshi, and Dr. Elizabeth Corey, director of the Baylor Honors Program, as the moderator.

In contrast, he noted, “In the secular academy, depending on what your commitments are, you could be excluded.” Rational inquiry, once the common foundation for academic debate, allows true discussion to flourish, rather than a clash of identities and personae.

The dynamic discussion among these scholars, from diverse institutions with a variety of confessional backgrounds, reflected the spirit of inquiry that is so important to Zaytuna.

At Zaytuna College, this rational inquiry and dialectic approach to discussion is taken seriously. Dr. Qureshi was delighted to be part of this discussion at Heterodox Academy and looks forward to more conversations with them in the coming year.

“My own position,” recalled Dr. Qureshi, “was that secularism itself has a priori commitments in terms of its conception of freedom. The advantage of a religious institution is that we make our commitments up front. ‘Here are my commitments that inform the cultural inquiries.’ When [institutions] think they’re neutral, it can make them blind to their own commitments.”

d 29

Presidential Highlights two: reason and revelation or “light upon light.” The symposium also featured Dr. Jawad Qureshi, director of the MA program at Zaytuna College, who spoke on the virtue of wisdom or prudence from the Islamic perspective. The organizers hope that the presentations will be expanded upon and developed into chapters and essays for larger publications on this subject.

june 22, 2021 “God is with the broken-hearted”: Interview with Closer to the Truth

Despite the pandemic, President Hamza Yusuf maintained a full schedule of commitments, representing the College in various educational forums and public outreach programs.

The Global Philosophy of Religion Project partnered with the PBS series, Closer to the Truth, for an online program entitled “The Existence and Nature of Deities” that included interviews and panel discussions with leading scholars and philosophers of various faith traditions.

may 19-21, 2021 Symposium: “What Happened to Virtue, the Common Good, and Pluralism? Teachings from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam” In their inaugural program, the Religious Freedom Institute and Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion hosted a symposium at the University of Chicago. Religious scholars and academics gathered to discuss the centrality of the virtue tradition in the three Abrahamic faiths.

Dr. Robert Lawrence Kuhn, writer and director for the Closer to the Truth series, invited President Yusuf to deliver a keynote online interview on the Islamic perspective on the existence of God, the problem of evil, mystical experiences, and the relationship between the Creator and the created. When asked about the problem of suffering in Islam, President Yusuf explained, “One of the quickest ways in which people begin to actually awaken to the possibility of God is when they are confronted with great pain and suffering. It opens up the heart. There is a tradition of our Prophet s that says, ‘God is with the broken-hearted.’ Very often it is the breaking of the heart that allows the light of God to come into the heart.” The interview, available on YouTube and the Closer to the Truth website, has garnered over 170,000 views in less than six months.

The initiative’s core objective was to revive the traditional understanding of virtue as a catalyst to promote the common good in a time of increasing socio-political strife, civil discord, and polarization. Eight scholars from each faith participated, some in-person while others, like President Yusuf, joined virtually. President Yusuf served as the lead scholar from the Muslim tradition. He presented his paper on the “Overview of the Virtues in Islam” in the opening session. He began with philosopher Leo Strauss’s contention that a fundamental question for humanity remains whether man can determine good through his own faculties or only through the guidance of divine revelation. President Yusuf explained how early Muslim scholars addressed this perennial question, by arguing for a harmonious balance between the

d 30

july 4, 2021 Virtual Event: Bradford Literature Festival (UK)

september 28, 2021 Webinar: Understanding Riba (hosted by Guidance Residential)

President Hamza Yusuf participated in Bradford’s annual literature festival, held this past summer from June 25–July 4. The festival showcases talented authors, poets, artists, and musicians from around the world, with over 70,000 people joining the event annually. This summer, the festival was held in a hybrid model with many writers and artists participating virtually because of the pandemic.

Usury: A Crime Against Humanity HAMZA YUSUF President, Zaytuna College 9/28/2021

Zaytuna College presented its latest curriculum series publication, An Introduction to Islamic Theology, an intermediate kalam (Islamic theology) text translated, with a contemporary commentary, by faculty member Shaykh Faraz Khan.

As part of its educational programming related to Islamic finance, Guidance Residential hosted a webinar on riba, or usury, and sharia-compliant alternatives to modern-day financing. President Hamza Yusuf joined the webinar as a gust scholar, delivering an elaborate keynote presentation entitled, “Usury: A Crime Against Humanity.” He spoke on the history of money, the concept of usury in Islam and its prohibition, the responsibilities concerning wealth in sacred law, and Islam as a religion of commerce. The presentation provided a holistic explanation of money, trade, and commerce as one of great ethical concern in Islamic sacred law due to its extensive socio-economic impact. With over 7,000 registrants, the webinar attracted viewers from around the world. Zaytuna plans to develop its own course on Islamic finance in the near future.

In his opening remarks, President Yusuf explained the importance of metaphysics and its relation to theology, “One of the most important subjects, and one of the most neglected subjects in our current world, is metaphysics. Aristotle called metaphysics the first philosophy or the philosophy of being. Why is there something rather than nothing? What is the one? What is the many? How do they relate? What is the essence of things? What are the attributes that make up those essences? What is the difference between an essence and an attribute? These are the great topics of metaphysics, and metaphysics ends in theology. It is a preparatory study to arrive at the cause of all causes, which is the First Cause.”

Thomas Jefferson on Money Creation “And I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies; and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale.”

Shaykh Faraz Khan also discussed his own journey in studying kalam and his motivation for translating this foundational text of the Maturidi tradition of theology. The talks can be found on the Bradford Literature Festival website.

d 31

“Wisdom is the lost property of the believer.” The Prophet Muhammad s

Five Years of Renovatio: A Journey in Gratitude Zaytuna College launched its Renovatio journal in Caner Dagli, and Thomas Hibbs; the scholars 2016 as a platform to feature original work inspired of Islamic thought Sophia Vasalou, Oludamini by the philosophical and ethical traditions of the Ogunnaike, John Walbridge, Rosabel Ansari, great world religions, especially Islam, because and Mohammad Fadel; the scholars of language we’re committed to the and literature Scott notion that these carriers of Crider, Sarah Barnette, truth must collectively face and Fr. Stephen Gregg; the challenges presented by the historians Garry Wills T h e Jo u r na l o f Z ay T u na C o l l e g e contemporary thought and and Sylviane Diouf; and culture. Muslim theologians such as Faraz Khan, Abdal Five years later, by Hakim Murad, and the grace of God, the editor-in-chief Hamza publication has seen Yusuf. tremendous growth, and 7 × 10 SPINE: 0.32

eva Br ann naT ional h umani Ti e s medal winner f or m er dean, sT. Joh n’s C ol l ege

“Zaytuna College has set a welcome example with its excellent blication, Renovatio, in which the three revelations—the Judaic, the hristian, and the Islamic—are brought together in ways that show their intrinsic harmony, despite all the real differences.” ro ger s C ru T on (194 4–2 02 0) Phil o s oPhe r and au T hor of How t o Be a Conservative

enovatio is a learned yet accessible journal which lives up to its Latin e and declared mission. Its editors and contributors seek innovation xploring both received and novel seminal ideas in a style that appeals ntelligent and curious readers of any faith or ideological background. This journal is a rare beacon of light amid the otherwise dark and bleak intellectual horizon of modern Islam.”

2021 was clearly our most productive year yet, during which we nearly doubled our archive to almost 200 pieces on our website. We’re truly grateful for the renovatio.zaytuna.edu $1 million in foundational grants that helped launch and sustain us and for the prayers and financial support of Zaytuna College donors.

shaBBi r ak h Tar Phi l o s oPh er , uni ver si T y of ox f ord

first accredited Muslim college in America does not seem the obvious e to publish a learned journal moving so easily through the worlds of hilosophy, and literature across the whole Western cultural spectrum. That is what makes it impressive.” g arry wi ll s P uli T Zer Pri Ze winner Thor of L i n C oL n at Ge t t y sBurG: tHe word s tHat rema de ameriC a

Renovatio : the JouRna l of Z ay t una C ol l e g e | fa l l 2 0 2 1 vol . 5 , no. 1

Renovatio is an archetypal American phenomenon—America at its est. It is a faith-based journal that is lively in its topicality, open to deeply controversial issues, and intellectually competent without edantry. It is, moreover, well edited and beautifully produced—in fact, full of visual pleasures.”

FLAPS: 0

Renovatio

Are We One and the Same? vol . 5 , no. 1

�

Rosabel Ansari Sarah Barnette Eva Brann Juan Cole Claus Dierksmeier Mohammad Fadel

 Joshua Lee Harris  Thomas Hibbs  Faraz Khan  Andrew F. March  Esmé L. K. Partridge  Marwa al-Sabouni

In 2021, we released a major video series on the Seven Deadly Series hosted by Hamza Yusuf, we posted numerous podcasts, videos, essays, and interviews with scholars on our website, and in the fall, we released our eighth print edition.

This new edition focuses on the timely and timeless matter of equality. The The heart of our enterprise issue—titled “Are We remains the insightful One and the Same?”— scholars and public includes compelling intellectuals, many of reflections on the theme, whom write regularly for from Mohammed Fadel’s Renovatio because they see contrast of the principles it as a forum that reaches of equality and nonan audience committed to domination in the Islamic The bookstore now sells the entire Renovatio set moral inquiry and spiritual legal tradition; to Eva for a special price. growth. In five years, we Brann’s timely reminder have featured the work of more than sixty writers that equality is a relation, not a state; to Thomas from diverse backgrounds. Hibbs’ argument that the study of the liberal They include the philosophers Eva Brann, David arts, often criticized as an occupation for elites, advances the cause of equality. Bentley Hart, Mark Delp, Shabbir Akhtar, 32

one is enough to kill you

The Seven Deadly Sins in the Modern World Hamza Yusuf in conversation with Eva Brann, Thomas Hibbs, Amir Sulaiman, William Cavanaugh, Anna Moreland, Robert George, Chris Hedges, Rabbi Michael Lerner, and His Excellency, Prime Minister Imran Khan. The production of an exciting new video series highlights Renovatio’s past year. In “One Is Enough to Kill You,” Hamza Yusuf converses with scholars, leaders, and writers to explore one of religion’s most enduring conceptual frameworks, the Seven Deadly Sins. These conversations explore many questions, including these: • In a culture which exalts the sin of lust, is admonition necessarily the best tool for a course correction? • Can the sin of sloth propagate young men who yearn for war? • If we seek pleasure in eating, do we fall into the sin of gluttony? • And might it be easier to avert such deadly sins if we are fortified by our faith in God? These remarkable conversations, directed by noted filmmaker Omar Mullick to capture their warmth and intimacy, shed light on how the sins manifest themselves within us, illustrate their devastating consequences to our culture, and elucidate their corresponding virtues for all of us who struggle with sin.

renovatio.zaytuna.edu 33

The Emir-Stein Center: A Forum for Exchange The Emir-Stein Center, which is dedicated to empathy through religious and cultural literacy, has continued its rapid growth as a source for well-researched yet accessible educational and bridge-building videos. Recent videos have included:

The Center is enormously grateful to its supporters, who have expressed their love of knowledge by making grants for video production, as well as to the sponsors of Zaytuna’s new studio space. The studio’s establishment and expansion will be of immense benefit to the Center, as it allows for the streamlined, inhouse production of educational content. It was a kind of depressive Sunday with everything we hear on the news and social media. So much hatred. I was scrolling through YouTube and came across Why Evangelicals hate Muslims. As my wife and I watch it, it was like someone breathed life into us. Thank you for what you are doing. You helped us today.

views

12 million

I really enjoyed this video. Personally faith is a gift I have yet to receive and I have a general dislike for religion. My biggest issue I feel, is that religion breeds bigotry, distrust and hatred. My thoughts are not isolated to any one religion either. I hold them all in contempt. It is refreshing to see a religious message of inclusion, understanding and respect.

watch time ( hours )

541,000 subscribers

172,000

Emir-Stein.org 34

The Zaytuna MA Program: Teaching the Best of Both Worlds Now entering its third year, Zaytuna’s nascent MA in Islamic Texts program has already attracted and graduated talented students from around the world. This unique program, headed by the Kurdish scholar Shaykh Mahsuk Yamac and American scholar Dr. Jawad Qureshi, enables qualified candidates to navigate well Islam’s primary sources in their original language. The program uses both our Muslim civilization’s rigorous scholastic approach coupled with the best of Western academic disciplines. This dual approach sets it apart from most other programs. Students accepted into this course of study grapple with the engaging and timeless canonical texts of Islam, enabling them to penetrate the more abstruse elements by approaching the tradition from within.

“Our faculty, trained in both the Western academy as well as in the Islamic ijazah system, help our students on their journey toward the knowledge of two—ofttimes similar, sometimes divergent— intellectual approaches to the deep study of texts,” notes President Hamza Yusuf. With concentrations in either Islamic law or Islamic philosophy and theology, students tackle some of the world’s greatest classics using the Islamic trivium (al-ulūm al-āliyyah) to develop excellent skills in academic analysis and writing as they work towards their master’s thesis. The rigor of the program has led to many of the graduates finding placement in some of the world’s most prestigious universities and law schools, including Harvard, University of Chicago, Oxford, Georgetown, UC Berkeley, and UC Davis.

Shaykh Mahsuk Yamac teaching MA students

Class of 2021 MA Theses Student Name

Advisor

Thesis Title

Sara Kuratnik

Jawad Qureshi

Sami Rahman

Abdullah Ali

Ibrahim Qureshi

Omar Qureshi

Suzanne Kasim

Fadi Elhin

Hiba Rahman

Jawad Qureshi

The Prophetic Clinic as Demonstrated by the Imam for Skeptics and Cynics: Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī’s Critical Contributions to the Proofs of Prophecy Khabar as Testimony and Transmission: A Comparative Study of Islamic and Western Epistemologies What is Moral Action? The Relationship Between Human Flourishing, Character Traits, and Right Action in Classical Islamic Ethics Stem Cell Research: Islamic Jurisprudential uśūlī and Islamic Bioethical perspectives ‘Ajā’iz Nīsabūr: The Role of Reason in Matters of Faith 35

Zaytuna Center for Ethical Living and Learning: A Year of Harvest and Honey

Zaytuna’s delicious red plums ready for snacking.

The year 2021 has proven to be a year of harvest for Zaytuna’s Center for Ethical Living and Learning. The young garden and orchard produce a variety of fruits and vegetables that come to the table spread of the campus community.

Zaytuna’s bees busy making honey for the campus community.

Zaytuna now owns its own apiaries and produced its first batch of honey this fall. The Center intends to purchase several more to have a steady stream of honey production year-round that can eventually be shared and sold.

Zaytuna’s students won’t be missing out on organic salads.

Zaytuna’s neighbors, who often stroll through the upper campus’ lush walkways, stop and marvel at the beauty of the budding garden.

The Center’s permaculture garden was recently featured in FaithLands Toolkit: A Guide to Transformative Land Use by the Agrarian Trust.

Zaytuna’s garden, a visitor’s delight

Zaytuna now owns its own apiaries.

Imam Zaid Shakir talks to students about permaculture.

FaithLands*

By Imam Dawood Yasin with man’s ability to rule by applying the noble qualities of the Law, which are wisdom, justice, forbearance, beneficence, and graciousness. Their purpose is to gain paradise and proximity to God.”

Imam Dawood Yasin is the director of the Zaytuna Center for Ethical Living and Learning.

In the spirit of al-Rāghib al-Iśfahānī’s wisdom, we have created a garden and orchard in the upper campus. We planted approximately thirty fruit-bearing trees, some selected to reflect fruit mentioned throughout the Qur’an. Olives, dates, figs, and pomegranates are prominent in the numerous verses that reference agriculture and the environment. We plan to press the olives into oil. The date trees are limited in their fruit production and more ornamental, but the pomegranates will make everyone happy.

During a May 2014 lecture, President Yusuf shared the wisdom of one of Islam’s perennial scholars, Abū al-Qāsim al-Ĥusayn Ibn Muĥammad, better known as al-Rāghib al-Iśfahānī. Yusuf quoted this eminent scholar’s famous text, Al-Dharī‘ah ilā makārim al-Sharī‘ah (The path to the noble qualities of the sacred law): “[M]an has three specific functions. The first is to cultivate and prosper in the earth (‘imārat al-arđ), which is stated in the verse, ‘He brought you out from the earth and made you inhabit it’ (Qur’an 11:61). He should obtain his livelihood from the earth, for himself and others. The second is to worship God, as is stated: ‘I have not created jinn and mankind except to worship Me’ (Qur’an 51:56). This means man should obey God’s commands and prohibitions. The third is his vicegerency, which is mentioned in ‘And [I will] make you successors in the land and then, [I will] observe what you will do’ (Qur’an 7:129). This [vicegerency] is the imitation of God in accordance *

Over the long term, the Center for Ethical Living and Learning intends to build a network of scholars to develop curricula and learning materials for high schools, colleges, universities, and public seminars. Its primary function will be to highlight the flaws in current systems of production and patterns of consumption, and their destructiveness to nature. The Center intends to propose alternatives informed by the ethical standards of divine law. Our plan includes experimental farms where permaculture and other alternative farming methods will be taught, including urban gardening and natural methods of animal husbandry.

A version of this article was published in FaithLands Toolkit: A Guide to Transformative Land Use by the Agrarian Trust.

Financial Review FY2021 Statement of Financial Position

Statement of Activities (All Funds)

assets Cash......................................................... 7,449,874 Investments............................................... 2,593,531 Receivables................................................ 1,360,168 Property, Buildings & Equipment, net....... 24,899,880 Other Assets.................................................. 213,330 Total Assets.................................... 36,516,782

revenue and other support Tuition and Fees........................................ 1,347,300 Less: Financial Aid and Scholarships.......... (1,186,074) Net Tuition................................................... 161,226 Gifts, Grants & Contracts.......................... 10,353,669 Endowment Gifts.......................................... 915,321 Bookstore Sales, net........................................ 95,903 Other Sources.............................................. 353,108 Total Revenue and Other Support...... 11,879,226

liabilities Accounts Payable & Accrued Liabilities.......... 430,923 Notes Payable............................................ 2,563,078 Other Liabilities............................................. 25,825 Total Liabilities................................. 3,019,826

expenses Instruction................................................. 2,539,815 Academic Support........................................ 122,803 Student Services........................................... 203,487 Institutional Support................................. 2,744,640 Facilities and Maintenance............................ 894,295 Auxiliary Enterprises................................. 1,548,470 Professional Services..................................... 963,592 Total Expenses.................................. 9,017,102

net assets Without Donor Restrictions..................... 25,612,466 With Donor Restrictions............................ 7,884,491 Total Net Assets....................................... 33,496,957 Total Liabilities and Net Assets.......... 36,516,782

non - operational activities Increase in Net Assets................................. 2,862,124 Net Assets at Beginning of Year................. 30,634,832 Net Assets at End of Year.................. 33,496,957

revenue

expenses

12,000,000

10,000,000

9,000,000

7,500,000

6,000,000

5,000,000

3,000,000

2,500,000

0 *

2017

2018*

2019

2020

2021

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2018*

2019

2020

2021

2025

2026

Adjusted for upper campus purchase

asset growth

net asset growth

38,000,000

34,000,000

28,500,000

25,500,000

19,000,000

17,000,000

9,500,000

8,500,000

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021 *

2017

Adjusted for upper campus purchase

projected revenue

projected expenses

16,000,000

12,000,000

8,000,000

4,000,000

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2022

2023

2024

Architectural rendering of Zaytuna’s library project

Preparing for the Future Preparing for the Future 41

The Zaytuna College Upper Campus

Rendering of Zaytuna’s proposed community garden.

Concept United Designers Internationa

- ZAYTUNA COLLEGE LANDSCAPE TRANSITION PLAN "Educated minds, in the modern era, are unlikely to know anything about food and drink, clothing and shelter. In merely taking these things for granted, the modern educated mind reveals itself also to be as superstitious a mind as ever has

Raised beds allow for a longer growing An apple a day keeps the doctor away. existed in season. the world. What could be more superstitious than the idea that money Rhamis Kent teaching a course on permaculture. brings forth food? We need a continuous supply of uncontaminated water. Therefore, we need (among other things) soil-and-water-conserving ways of agriculture and forestry that are not dependent on monoculture, toxic chemicals, or the indifference and violence that always accompany big-scale industrial enterprises on the land. Therefore, we need diversified, small-scale land economies that are dependent on people. Therefore, we need people with the

northamerica@

teddesigners.org ➤

europe@united

designers.org ➤

teddesigners.org

knowledge, skills, motives and attitudes required by diversified, small-scale land economies.” - Wendell Berry, "In Distrust of Movements” When working with United Designers you can expect to have a full and honest assessment of your property, its existing state and its possibilities. Great opportunities are available for every space on the Zaytuna campus. Areas

seemingly unusable for food production or green space can be transformed to a

Zaytuna produced its first batch of honey this fall.

The Zaytuna Community Garden With the Zaytuna orchard and garden planted and growing, the College’s Center for Ethical Living and Learning intends to cultivate more acreage in the upper campus for an agro-ecological landscape design highlighted by a sustainable community garden.

Later Muslims, such as those in Andalucía, emulated these practices and developed elaborate gardens that were not only a source of sustenance for the community but also a visual delight for residents and visitors. As Imam Dawood Yasin has pointed out, Andalucía and Zaytuna College share a latitude, which brings the blessing of cultivating some of those very same plants.

Rhamis Kent, the trained expert in permaculture and regenerative system designs who advises the Center, believes Zaytuna can serve as a catalyst for developing an ecological spirit in the broader Muslim community.

In the coming five years and under the guidance of Rhamis Kent, Zaytuna hopes to have five or more acres invested in ecological landscape designs that will sustain the College’s own produce needs, allow for income generation through community sales, and support underserved areas with the philanthropic distribution of the harvest.

“Zaytuna is teaching not only the tools of learning for acquiring sound knowledge,” said Kent, “but it also aims to operationalize this knowledge into action that aligns with a key divine principle: serve the Creator through serving His creation.”

This community garden can facilitate partnerships with like-minded organizations that will encourage local food production in a cost-friendly manner. Many of our neighbors already visit the Zaytuna campus for the orchard and garden, but with the expansion of this project, the College hopes to establish a sought-after visitation site for both locals and out-of-state travelers.

In the early history of our tradition, the Prophet s spread peace by establishing a center for prayer and education as well as a marketplace for fair trade to feed and nourish the community. This mandate fostered a harmonious relationship between knowledge and practice. 43

Lights, Camera, Education!

An architectural rendering of the studio being built on the upper campus

By the grace of God, the Saleh family came forward with the specific desire to endow a studio for Zaytuna College to facilitate the production of a higher level of online content and learning. This gracious gift was made in honor of the late Medhat Toufic Saleh, a son, brother, and dear friend to many in the San Francisco Bay Area.

allow for the in-house production of infographic content. The furnishings lend themselves to a variety of uses. The classroom desks are individualized yet designed to come together as a communal table for discussions and group work. The room also features comfortable benches toward the back of the room for observers of classes and presentations.

From the outset, the Zaytuna A/V team By renovating a classroom aimed for flexibility and into a studio, the College scalability, so the building maximizes the use of of a functional studio space existing space and, with coincided with expanding continued support, can a dedicated classroom in upgrade other classrooms the Bin Bayyah building on as needed. This state-ofthe Upper Campus. This the-art studio is a critical The studio’s control room is equipped with location, in the building component of our online state-of-the-art technology. that the College uses for learning initiative, which most of its classes, means aims to bring Zaytuna to that students near and far can benefit from the the homes and classrooms of seekers of knowledge enhanced classroom, a beautiful legacy for Brother across the globe. Medhat. May God reward the Saleh family for establishing The studio-classroom is designed with a multicamera system, an interactive display for use as a classroom visual aid, and a green screen that will

the Medhat Toufic Saleh Memorial Fund, which provided the seed investment to build a high-tech multimedia studio at the College. 44

The Zaytuna Curriculum Series Zaytuna’s Curriculum Series remains an integral part of the College’s broader vision to revive the intellectual tradition of both the Islamic and Western civilizations. The Great Books are the cornerstones of this endeavor.

phenomenal text on Arabic grammar and a critical edition of a seminal work in Mālikī jurisprudence. With the support of a generous donor, the Curriculum Series has a full time Arabic editor, Shaykh Muhammad Mahmoud Ould Bayyibah, a brilliant Mauritanian scholar who has mastered many of the Islamic sciences including classical Arabic. God-willing, these books will serve as important resources for students of knowledge around the world.

With the recent publication of the foundational Maturidi kalam text, An Introduction to Theology: Imam Nūr al-Dīn al-Śābūnī’s Al-Bidāyah fī uśūl al-dīn, the publications team is now working diligently to release the next titles, which include a

Forthcoming Titles the z a yt th ue n a c uzrary itcuunl au m

The PRAYeR OF The PROPheT s

Shaykh hamza Yusuf has rendered a service not only to Muslims, but also to a wider audience by his new translation of The Creed of Imam al->a^¥wÏ accompanied by an illuminating historical introduction and by helpful biographies and extensive notes. his translation is formal without being archaic and is written in a style that Christians can recognize from their own credal formulations. The work is of value to others than Muslims, for two reasons: it provides in 130 short paragraphs a clear presentation of core Muslim belief in a way that is not easily available by other means. It thus provides a very positive instrument for the essential work of dialogue. Secondly, it provides Christians, who have also developed and continue to use credal formulations, with the opportunity to see just where the Islamic understanding of God comes close to the Christian understanding of God. This does much to reduce the credibility of approaches which insist on a thoroughgoing bipolar understanding of Christianity and Islam. Muslims and Christians should welcome this publication. The Zaytuna Curriculum Series is dedicated to the publication of classical Islamic works translated into english by scholars licensed to teach the traditional sciences of Islam, thereby making these works accessible to scholars, students, and the general public.

c u rs re irci u e sl u m series

The PRAYeR OF The PROPheT s hamza Yusuf

as seen by the people of medina Out of several translations of Imam al->a^¥wÏ’s creed available in the market, Shaykh hamza Yusuf’s is, in my opinion, by far the best rendition to date of this famous and very important treatise. We can expect no less of a scholar of the caliber of Shaykh hamza Yusuf due to his command over his native tongue, english, as well as his acquired and well-learned Arabic.

َ ‫إلمام‬ ُ ‫ك‬ َ ‫األ ْخ‬ ّ‫ض ِري‬ ‫تاب ا‬ ِ ِ ِ

The PRAYeR OF The PROPheT s a s s e e n b y t h e p e o p le of med in a

Translated, Introduced, and Annotated by Hamza Yusuf

Translation and commentary of Al-Akhđarī’s famous text on Mālikī jurisprudence

An advanced Arabic grammar text on function words

A critical edition of Sīdī Mayyārah’s commentary on Ibn Ashir’s Al-Murshid al-Mu‘īn

Future design options for the upper campus renovations

Aerial view of the proposed Founder’s Hall garden Architectural rendering of the courtyard in Founder’s Hall

Architectural rendering of the Sophia Hall garden

Building Anew Before students and faculty returned for in-class education this fall, Zaytuna took advantage of an unoccupied campus to reevaluate its existing facilities and infrastructure under the leadership of Jacobus ( J.J.) Botha, the College’s director of facilities and campus services.

Beyond expansion, campus beautification remains at the forefront of the College’s master plan. Traditional Muslim learning centers were renowned architectural wonders of their time, still admired and studied today. The intricate geometric designs and opulent gardens were a direct reflection of the subjects of study: sacred art mirroring sacred knowledge. At Zaytuna, an expression of truth, goodness, and beauty is witnessed in the mystical hills of the upper campus. To that end, President Yusuf has commissioned a local talented architectural firm to review the topographical survey of the campus and formulate a master expansion plan that will not only optimize housing and classroom facilities but also include a landscape design that exemplifies the concept of gardens and courtyards from the Islamic tradition. In the coming years, the College hopes to be a sanctuary for students as well as visitors who come to witness the natural beauty of the campus.

Zaytuna recently acquired two existing homes as well as an empty lot on which faculty housing can be built, all within walking distance of the campus. To meet the immediate needs of a growing student body, the College prioritized dormitory upgrades, including a newly renovated kitchen, and the repurposing of office space in the College’s Euclid Avenue property for additional male student housing. Zaytuna’s vision strives to ensure a dignified living environment for students and scholars, so the College’s strategic plan remains sensitive to the housing and facility needs of its oncampus community.

Zaytuna College Upper Campus Zaytuna recently acquired two existing homes as well as an empty lot on which faculty housing can be built, all within walking distance of the campus.

Beyond Borders: Bringing the Tools of Learning to You Zaytuna College aims to follow in the footsteps of the forebears of Islam’s great intellectual tradition, who rooted their scholarship in the pursuit of sound knowledge and understood that knowledge was the right of every Muslim. The great Yale historian Franz Rosenthal observed, “There is no branch of Muslim intellectual life, of Muslim religious and political life, and of the daily life of the average Muslim that remained untouched by the all-pervasive attitude toward ‘knowledge’ as something of supreme value for Muslim being.”

The initiative will integrate a holistic curriculum based on the trivium and quadrivium from both the Western and Muslim traditions. Students will have the opportunity to develop a foundational Muslim literacy that provides the requisite knowledge and tools to tackle today’s theological and ethical challenges. Constitutional Law and Introduction to Logic, presented by Zaytuna faculty members, will serve as the first two courses. Filming is scheduled to begin at the start of the new year.

This pursuit of knowledge “Constitutional Law and Introduction These will be followed by transcends buildings or to Logic, presented by Zaytuna faculty a fard ayn series that will institutions and lives in the members, will serve as the first two include the obligatory hearts of sincere seekers. sciences of the Islamic Muslim scholars often wrote courses. Filming is scheduled to begin tradition, including creed, at the start of the new year.” adaptations and primers of jurisprudence, spirituality, their own work, so that a wider audience could hadith, prophetic biography, and more. Specialty benefit from their insights. Imām al-Ghazālī, one courses on topics such as Islamic finance, medical of the greatest codifiers of the Muslim sciences, ethics, sustainable living, halal education, and wrote several adaptations of his magnum opus more will be developed to better inform those The Revival of the Religious Sciences, in Persian and who have professional or personal interest in these Arabic alike, to reach audiences of all backgrounds. fields. These distillations remain in the canon of Muslim Ultimately, Zaytuna aims to develop a educational literature. They serve both as a means comprehensive online learning catalog that of general education and as essential primers for provides high-quality courses with an optimized the student of knowledge. user experience. The program will be designed With the generous gift enabling the creation of using the best practices in distance learning and a high-quality professional studio, the College will allow Zaytuna’s supporters to actively study is excited to announce the launch of an online with faculty and benefit from the education they learning program that will propel Zaytuna’s support. education mission beyond the classroom.

Directory Board of Trustees

Faculty

Faraz Ahmed, MBA (Chair, Finance Committee)

Assistant Professors

Dilshad Dhanani

Abdullah Ali, PhD, MIt

Marianne Farina, PhD, CSC (Chair, Education Committee)

Ali Ataie, PhD

Masood Khan, Esq. (Chair, Membership Committee)

Cindy Ausec, PhD (Director of Academic Support Center)

Suhail Obaji, MD

Hatem Bazian, PhD

Pervez Qureshi, MBA (Chairman)

Fadi Elhin, PhD, MIt (Director of Arabic Program)

Mubasher Rana, MD

Youssef Ismail, PhD, MIt

Syed Mubeen Saifullah, MBA (Secretary and Chair of the Audit Committee)

Francisco Nahoe, PhD, OFMConv

Zaid Shakir, MA, MIt (Observer)

Jawad Qureshi, PhD, MIt (Director of Graduate Studies and Administration)

President’s Cabinet (Shūrā)

Omar Qureshi, PhD, MIt (Provost, Assistant Professor)

Hamza Yusuf, PhD, MIt1 (President)

Lecturers

Aisha Subhani, DO (Vice President)

Talal Ahdab, MASc, MIt

Omar Qureshi, PhD, MIt (Provost, Assistant Professor)

Faraz Khan, BA, MIt (Coordinator of the Honors Program)

Sumaira Akhtar (Senior Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning)

Nawal Laymoun, MAEd

Safir Ahmed (Director of Publications and Communications, Editor of Renovatio)

Yusuf Mullick, BA

Jamal Mohammad Barakat (Senior Director of Development)

Amar Bellaha, MIt

Jacobus Botha (Director of Facilities and Campus Services)

Uzma Fatima Husaini, MA, PhD(c), MIt

Tahir Anwar, BA, MIt Phillbert Cheng, PhD(c)

Faisal Hamid (Director of Admissions and Financial Aid)

Mahsuk Yamac, BA, MIt (Director of Graduate Teaching and Learning)

Ghaith Saggaf (Director of Advancement Operations)

Adjunct Faculty

Larry Smith (Accounting Manager)

Lawrence Jannuzzi, Esq., PhD

Dawood Yasin, MA, MIt (Director of Student Life, Director of the Center for Ethical Living and Learning) 1 The Mujāz Ijāzat tadrīs (MIt) is a traditional teaching license in Islamic sciences that is equivalent to an MA or PhD in modern academia. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) recognizes its equivalency to Western academic degrees for Zaytuna College, and thus allows the holders of this license to teach at the College. Dr. George Makdisi, in his landmark work, The Rise of Colleges, argued that the ijāzah was a type of academic degree or doctorate issued in medieval madrasahs, similar to that which later appeared in European medieval universities. Devin J. Stewart also sees a parallel and asserts that “the license to teach law and issue legal opinions was clearly an actual document of official or legal standing,” while also noting a difference in the granting authority (individual professor for the ijāzah and a corporate entity in the case of the university). The theory of an Islamic origin of the degree was originally proposed in the 1930s by Alfred Guillaume, who cited the ijāzah as a precursor to the licentia docendi, which Syed Farid al-Attas agrees with.

Staff

Jibran Khan (Marketing Writer)

Khwaja Ahmed (Admissions and Financial Aid Officer)

Faatimah Knight (Writer/Social Media Manager)

Safir Ahmed (Director of Publications and Communications, Editor of Renovatio)

Sara Kuratnik (Digital Marketing Assistant and Social Media)

Sumaira Akhtar (Senior Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning)

Jesse Marquez (Construction and Maintenance Worker)

Manal Alfaouri (Donor Relations Associate)

Feraidoon Mojadedi (Event and Volunteer Manager)

Javier Alvarez (Facilities Manager)

Nadeen Mustafa (Regional Development Director of the South)

Luis Alvarez (Construction and Maintenance Worker)

Ibraheem Naqeeb (Assistant Director of Student Life)

Maria Alvarez Moran ( Janitorial/Event Custodian)

Ismael Nass-Duce (Director of Emir-Stein Center)

Jamal Mohammad Barakat (Senior Director of Development)

Carol Nisar (Marketing Manager) Khadija Annette O’Connell (Interior Design Manager)

Na’im Beyah (Audio Visual Specialist) Jacobus Botha (Director of Facilities and Campus Services)

Pepy Prawira (Human Resource Manager)

Souad Bouali (Data Analyst)

Ghaith Saggaf (Director of Advancement Operations)

Seema Duhan (Public Programs Manager)

Aaron Haroon Sellars (Audio Visual Manager)

Heba El-Haddad (Student Counselor)

Syed Tahir Shah (Campus Safety and Security Officer)

Faisal Hamid (Director of Admissions and Financial Aid)

Mai Shehadeh (Donor Relations Associate)

Najeeb Hasan (Managing Editor, Publications)

Akram Sirafi (Development Programs Manager)

Yahya Hanson (Bookstore Assistant)

Larry Smith (Accounting Manager)

Uzma Fatima Husaini (Senior Editor)

Aisha Subhani, DO (Vice President)

Aisha Ibrahim (Office Manager)

Dawood Yasin (Director of Student Life and Director of the Center for Ethical Living and Learning)

Aadhil Shiraz (Associate Accountant)

Atif Irfan (Regional Development Director of the Midwest)

Fida Yassine (Accounting Assistant)

Naima Jameson (Director of Administrative Services)

Irshad Zakaria (Operations Support Specialist)

Jerry Jiminez (Maintenance Worker)

God is the One who illuminates the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp: the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a glittering star lit from [the oil of ] a blessed olive tree—neither of the east nor of the west—whose oil would almost glow, even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. God guides to His light whom He wills. And God draws such comparisons for people; God has full knowledge of everything. (Qur’an 24:35)

zaytuna.edu

inquiries

2401 Le Conte Ave., Berkeley, CA 94709 | give@zaytuna.edu | (510) 356-4760

Zaytuna College 2.0: Preparing for the Future

Articles inside

Directory

Beyond Borders: Bringing the Tools of Learning to You

Building Anew

Lights, Camera, Education

The Emir-Stein Center: A Forum for Exchange

The Zaytuna Community Garden

Zaytuna Center for Ethical Living and Learning: A Year of Harvest and Honey

Five Years of Renovatio: A Journey in Gratitude

Presidential Highlights

New Leadership Orients Zaytuna Toward Community

The Zaytuna MA Program: Teaching the Best of Both Worlds

The Quest for Truth: Zaytuna at Heterodox Academy

The Zaytuna College Bookstore: A Book Lover’s Sanctuary

Imam Zaid Shakir Returns to Campus

Looking Inward to Plan Ahead

Classical Learning Test Partners with Zaytuna College

Zaytuna’s 12000 Strong Community: Fulfilling a Prophetic Promise

The Legal Path

First Spring at Zaytuna

Voices from the College

A BA-MA Partnership with Hartford

A Campus Full of Life

Liberal Education: The Antidote for “Two Minutes Hate”

Commencing a De-Pixelated Education

Ramadan: A Month of Mercy and Light

Letter from the President

More Applicants, More Milestones