PART TIME (Spring): ALTERNATE WEEKENDS – JAN 30, 2021 THROUGH AUGUST 1, 2021
ONSITE and ONLINE options available
FULL TIME (Fall): WEEKDAYS – AUGUST 2021 THROUGH DECEMBER 2021
ONSITE and ONLINE options available
ISLAMIC STUDIES
COMING SOON – ALTERNATE WEEKENDS (Fall 2021)
ONSITE and ONLINE options available
Please read through thoroughly before applying. Applicants will be interviewed and assessed to determine their acceptance.
SPRING 2021 Seminary Application DEADLINE: December 27, 2020
SPRING 2021 classes begin: January 30, 2021
Suhbah Institute offers partial scholarships to students in financial need who are interested to give back to the community. Sponsored seminary graduates will agree to fulfill 100 volunteer/internship hours with Suhbah Institute over the course of 2 years (graphic design, volunteering at programs, organizing programs, taching, marketing, etc.). If you are in need of a scholarship, please indicate that on the application form.
For questions, email info@suhbah.com
Would you like to help students out by sponsoring their seminary studies?
Spring & Summer WEEKENDS
DATES: January 30, 2021 through August 1, 2021
SCHEDULE: 2 Weekends a month, Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am-1:30pm CST
and Every Wednesday 7:00pm-8:30pm CST
Deadline to apply: December 27, 2020
TUITION: $250/month
Fall WEEKDAYS
DATES: August 2021 through December 2021
SCHEDULE: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
9:30am-12:00pm
Application opening: Summer 2021
TUITION: $250/month
DATES: August 2021 through December 2021
SCEDULE: 2 Weekends a month, Saturday and Sunday 10:30am-2:00pm CST
Islamic Studies (which is offered only in the Fall) can be taken concurrently or separately from the Arabic tracks. If a student wishes to take Full Time Arabic (Fall weekdays) along with Islamic Studies (Fall weekends), price will be lowered to $350/month as a bundle.
Application opening: Summer 2021
TUITION: $150/month
Students can choose to attend the seminary online or onsite at the Suhbah Center in the Memorial area of Houston, Texas.
Onsite Location:
Suhbah Center
1111 Conrad Sauer Dr. Suite I
Houston, TX 77043
The program will be fully accessible online to all students with limited onsite options available.
Currently, the Suhbah Center allows for approximately 15-18 students to fit comfortably, 6 feet apart, with one student assigned to each of our 6 foot long tables. Masks and social distancing required.
Students will be provided a physical and online textbook and workbook. Online video and PowerPoint recordings will be available each day after class. Students will have access to all recordings for the duration of the semester. Homeworks and exams will be conducted online as well through Suhbah’s LMS.
Click HERE to see an example of the online LMS (learning management system) we are using for current students.
Students will primarily study Classical Arabic (Bayyinah Dream Curriculum) and Quranic Tafseer with secondary studies in Seerah, Aqeedah, Fiqh, Hadith, Women’s Fiqh, leadership training, counseling skills and other disciplines.
The 2 primary focuses of study concentrate on Quranic Arabic (Classical Fusha Arabic) and Quranic tafseer (explanation) and tadabbur (reflection) of selected chapters and verses of the Quran. This course is taught by Ustadh Mahad Qamar and Ustadha Safiya Ravat – former lead instructors of Arabic and Tafseer at the Bayyinah Dream Arabic program.
QURANIC ARABIC: The SUHBAH curriculum is designed to foster an understanding and appreciation of the Quran in Arabic. Students will learn how to understand and translate the Quran by studying the Bayyinah Dream Arabic curriculum which includes:
QURAN TAFSEER: Students will also study the tafseer of several surahs of the Quran in depth from classical and contemporary sources, aiming to reflect over the grammar, balaaghah (eloquence/rhetoric) and lessons in the ayaat in interactive discussion circles in order to glean the Quranic lessons that are applicable to their daily lives.
APPROX: 135 CLASS HOURS
The 3rd focus of the program is multi-dimensional and consists of a rotating roster of core foundational Islamic sciences as well as leadership training and counseling skills.
The Islamic sciences & leadership training will include foundational studies in the following subjects:
The Islamic Studies classes will be taught in a rotating manner and will include guest instructors and scholars qualified in their respective fields inshaAllah.
APPROX: 80 CLASS HOURS
Student MUST be able to read Arabic (for Quranic Arabic and Tafseer studies).
Student must be at least age 16 or older (specific exceptions can be made, email info@suhbah.com to inquire).
Student must have the appropriate immigration status to study as SUHBAH does not offer any student visas.
Mahad Qamar and Safiya Ravat are the co-founders of Suhbah Institute and the main instructors of Suhbah Seminary. They were previous head instructors of Arabic and Quranic Tafseer studies at the Bayyinah Dream Arabic program. Mahad and Safiya attained their Bachelor’s in Fiqh and Usul al Fiqh (Islamic Law and Jurisprudence) from the International Islamic University of Malaysia, and are pursuing their Master’s in Pastoral Counseling in Marriage and Family. Mahad and Safiya lead the Islamic Pre Marital and Marital Enrichment training for Suhbah, and Safiya currently serves as the Female Religious Director at ISGH Maryam Islamic Center. To see their classes, videos or articles, you can find Mahad and Safiya at Facebook.com/MahadandSafiya, Facebook.com/SuhbahInstitute or in Instagram @suhbah_institute.
Founders & Main Instructors | Quranic Arabic, Tafseer, Seerah, Fiqh and Usul al Fiqh, Women's Fiqh, Ulum ul Quran, Contemporary Fiqh
Guest Instructor | Inner Dimensions of Prayer
Guest Instructor | Controversial Issues & How to Answer Them
Guest Instructor | Revelations: The Bible in Light of the Quran
Guest Instructor | Leadership Training & CAPSTONE Coaching
Guest Instructor | Counseling Skills & Training
Guest Instructor | Aqeedah & Answering Atheism
Guest Instructor | Ulum al Hadith & Curriculum Development Consultant
Guest Instructor | Spirituality and Diseases of the Heart
CLICK HERE for video response.
The scholars’ 2 OPINIONS:
1) NO SHE CANNOT STAY IN THE MASJID UNLESS PASSING BY FOR A NEED (MAJORITY)
Evidences:
-The junub (sexually impure person after intercourse) is told explicitly in the Quran (Nisa: 43) not to stay in the masjid. And the junub, by analogy, is similar to the menstruating women because they both have an impurity that requires ghusl.
– Rasulullah (S) said to tell all women (menstruating and not) to come to the Eid prayer, but he said “let the menstruating women avoid the prayer place.”
-Rasulullah (S) in said, “The mosque is not permitted for menstruating women or anyone who is in a state of janabah (sexual impurity).”
2) YES SHE CAN STAY IN THE MASJID
(minority opinion held by Ibn Hazm, Al-Muzani a scholar of the Shafi’I madhab, Dawud Ad Dhaahiri, and modern day scholars such as Shaykh Yusuf al Qardawi and others)
Evidences:
-The hadeeth mentioned above (“The mosque is not permitted for menstruating women or anyone who is in a state of janabah (sexual impurity).”) was classed as da’eef (weak) by Shaykh al-Albaani as well as other scholars, so it is not permissible to make a ruling of fiqh based on a weak hadth.
– The ayah talking about the junub cannot be applied to the menstruating women because they are not analogous.
When Aisha is on her period during Hajj, Rasulullah (S) told her “do everything but don’t do tawaf of the kabah” which indicates she could stay at the Kabah and do worship, dua, etc.
-A slave woman who was freed set up a tent and lived in the masjid. And Umm Mihjaan (the caretaker of the masjid) would regularly take care of the masjid, and was not told to avoid it during menses.
-Therefore, these scholars are of the opinion that if it were really impermissible for a woman to not stay in the masjid, there would be an authentic direct hadith or ayah about it, as women around the messenger regularly had their period. The evidences brought by the majority are not strong enough to make it haram upon her to stay in the masjid.
CLICK HERE for video response.
Did you know that the wives of the Prophet (S) traveled together WITHOUT a Mahram from Madinah to Makkah to make Hajj?
In short – there are two opinions on the matter. 1) No, she has to have a Mahram. 2) Yes, she can, as long as her safety can be ensured, and that she uses safe public transportation where others are around.
CLICK HERE for video response
Rasulullah (S) said “Whoever fasts during the month of Ramadan and then follows it with six days of Shawwal will be (rewarded) as if he had fasted the entire year.” [Muslim]
So CAN I DO 6 SHAWAL BEFORE MY RAMADAN MAKE UP FASTS?
2 Opinions of the scholars:
1) NO, FINISH RAMADAN FASTS FIRST: Some scholars, amongst them the Hanbalis, say that one must finish the obligatory fasts of Ramadan first before you do any other voluntary fast, as obligations are more important than voluntary fasts and because the Hadith says “Whoever FASTS Ramadan and follows it up with 6 of shawal…” indicating one must finish all 29/30 of Ramadan first and foremost. Some of this group say, if one cannot do all of Ramadan make up fasts in Shawal, then they can complete their 6 Shawal in the next month (Dhul Qa’dah).
2) YES, YOU CAN DO 6 SHAWAL BEFORE RAMADAN MAKE UPS:
The other opinion of scholars (amongst them the Hanafi, Shafi, Maliki madhhab) is that the obligation of finishing off Ramadan is an obligation that is given an extended amount of time to fulfill. So since it is given a wide time of 11 months to finish the Ramadan fasts, it should NOT be limited to finishing them off in the very next month (shawal). Shawal is a limited amount of time, and Ramadan is given a long time, and therefore it would be permissible to fast 6 shawal first as long as the Ramadan fasts are accomplished throughout the next 11 months. This is from the mercy of Allah in giving us a long time to make up all the Ramadan fasts.
The precedence that we have in the seerah, is that of Aisha (R) who said that she regularly made up her Ramadan fasts in the month of Shaban, which is the month right before Ramadan. But it is also known that she did many voluntary fasts throughout the year. Scholars conclude that she thererfore saw it acceptable to do voluntary fasts, EVEN though the Ramadan make up fasts had not been completed yet.
It is also very difficult for women to make up Ramadan fasts (maybe 7-8 days) & finish shawal (another 6 days) within one month – because obviously her menses will come (maybe 7-8 days). That almost requires her to fast another WHOLE month minus her period just to accomplish Shawal. And that is definitely a great difficulty.
**Majority of scholars say you cannot combine Shawal and Ramadan make up fasts with one intention. They should be separate intentions and separate days.
NOTE: Know yourself! If you find it difficult to make up your fasts, PRIORITIZE Ramadan fasts over Shawal fasts, because an obligation is like a debt!
May Allah allow us all to fast the 6 of Shawal to get the reward of an entire year! Ameen
CLICK HERE for video response.
RECITING QURAN – there are 2 opinions:
1) She CANNOT read/recite the Quran.
Most scholars prohibit women from touching the Quran based on the hadith “The menstruating woman and the one who is in a state of sexual impurity (janaabah) should not recite anything of the Qur’aan.”
2) She CAN read/recite the Quran.
This is the opinion of Ibn Taymiyyah, ibn Qayyim, Imam Malik, Bukhari, and one opinion of Imam Ash Shafii as well as many other scholars. Their argument is that the hadith mentioned above is Daeef (weak). In fact, the hadith is considered weak by almost all scholars of Hadith and therefore cannot be used in order to make a fiqh ruling. So women may recite or read the Quran, either from memory or from the Quran mushaf (book) itself.
TOUCHING THE QURAN
Scholars of fiqh agree that someone who is not purified CANNOT touch the Quran because Allah says in the Quran “None shall touch it except the purified” (Waqiah: 79). This includes the junub (sexually impure), the menstruating woman, as well as someone without wudhu.
So how can she read the Quran?
1) Use a barrier (glove, towel, pen) so that her hand doesn’t directly touch the Quran
2) Read it off of a tablet or phone as these are not considered the Quran, but rather devices that have the Quran in them.
3)Read a book which has Tafseer/translation in it – as that is not considered the Quran mushaf (book) either. Even if it contains the Arabic, if half is tafseer/translation, it is permissible for an impure person to hold.
CLICK HERE for video response.
Q:If you fast all day, and your period starts a few minutes before Maghrib, do you have to make that day up?
A: Yes.
Q: If I didn’t make up all my fasts before next Ramadan, what do I do?
A: If you had no excuse, you have to pay the penalty, Fidya as well as make them up later. (Fidya: feeding a poor person a full day’s meal per day that you missed).
Q: Do pregnant and breastfeeding women have to fast?
A: They are exempt if they fear for themselves or the baby. However, if they feel well enough, they can fast, after consulting a doctor.
Q: How do pregnant/nursing moms make up those fasting days if they have years of make ups?
A: There are multiple opinions of scholars:
1- make them all up over the years (majority opinion)
2- pay the fidya only (opinion of Ibn Abbas and Ibn Umar (R))
3- pay the fidya AND make them up over the years
1 day ago
Our next Conversations Series for singles starts Feb 1st!
“Conversations” is a 2-3 week discussion based program that meets twice a week online. A 15 minute talk is conducted by Ustadh Mahad and Ustadha Safiya, followed by breakout discussion circles on the topic to reflect, discuss and connect with other singles.
Singles ONLY
LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE!
SIGN UP AT: suhbah.com/singles #linkinbio
Age groups: 20-32 & 27-35+ (suggested ranges, attendee can choose their group)
GROUP 1: Age 20-32
February 1st – February 18th, 2021
Mondays and Thursdays Online
7:00pm-8:15pm CST
GROUP 2: Age 27-35+
February 22nd – March 4th, 2021
Mondays and Thursdays online
7:00pm-8:15pm CST
Cost: $40
SIGN UP AT: suhbah.com/singles #linkinbio … See MoreSee Less
Suhbah Institute is in Houston, Texas.
6 days ago
Suhbah is excited to announce a free weekly series
*SUHBAH BOOST*
Young Professionals Discussion Circle
Weekly on Tuesdays, 7:00pm – 8:30pm CST (starting Jan 26)
with Mahad and Safiya
Limited Onsite & Online Via Zoom & IG – reserve your onsite spot at suhbah.com/boost (link in bio)
Topic: “The Struggle is Real”
Spiritual & Emotional Wellbeing
We all struggle, we all face tests… and that’s okay. The “Dunya” is literally named “the lowly life” because unlike Jannah, it is filled with struggle.
أَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوٓا۟ أَن يَقُولُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ
Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: “We believe,” and will not be tested?
[Surah Ankabut: 2]
Together we will explore the struggles and tests of family, marriage, relationships, health, wealth, doubt, spiritual lows, depression and more guided by the stories in the Quran & the life of our Prophets (peace be upon them all).
Together, we can boost one another up… to weather the storms and climb the high mountains of this Dunya.
Attendees onsite and on Zoom will have the opportunity to share, reflect and discuss in smaller breakout discussion circles.
suhbah.com/boost … See MoreSee Less
1 week ago
*Suhbah Chill & Grill*
for Young Professionals
Come out for Suhbah’s second Young Professionals event!
BBQ, Bonfire & s’mores, Short Talk & Reflection on Jannah w/ Mahad and Safiya followed by Games
Social Distancing and Masks required
Saturday, January 23rd, 4pm-7pm
IOC’s Outdoor Field
Islamic Outreach Center
19025 Wilks Dr. Cypress, TX 77433
Tickets $5 – suhbah.com/ticket … See MoreSee Less
2 weeks ago
May Allah bless these amazing Suhbah Strong Couples! Suhbah would like to give a huge congratulations to these 5 beautiful couples who got married last month. All 5 couples successfully completed Suhbah’s Strong Couples – Islamic Pre-Marital Training, and we had the pleasure to meet them all online or in person prior to their Nikkah day.
May Allah bless their unions, shower His blessings on them, and join them together in Khair. May He allow them to be role models for our next generation – helping take away the stigma of prioritizing mental health, pre-marriage education and self-help before diving into half their deen! Ameen
If you or anyone you know are interested in pre-marital counseling or marriage enrichment – check out suhbah.com/marriageprep. … See MoreSee Less
4 weeks ago
TOMORROW is the LAST DAY to apply for the Suhbah Seminary Quranic Arabic 6 month weekend program which starts January 31st!
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out at info@suhbah.com
Quranic Arabic, Tafseer and Islamic Studies ONLINE and ONSITE in Houston, TX. Part time (Spring & Summer weekends) and full time (Fall weekdays and weekends) options are available.
If you’re worried about whether you can handle the load, ask about our 2-Week Trial that some students are starting with!
suhbah.com/seminary … See MoreSee Less
About 24 Hours Ago
This past Ramadan, the community showed a lot of generosity and helped us raise enough funds to grant 15 scholarships for #SuhbahSeminary. http://bit.ly/2nG9rH2