A class for serious seekers: Dars Maraqi al-Falah – Mastering the Fiqh of Worship according to the Hanafi school – with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mastering Worship

Dars Maraqi al-Falah

درس مراقي الفلاح

For seekers of knowledge who have covered at least two complete texts in the fiqh of worship, and who know Arabic, Mastering Worship will be covering Imam Shurunbulali’s Maraqi al-Falah in full, with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

The commentary (Maraqi al-Falah) will be read in Arabic, and explain in both Arabic and English, through twice a week live online lessons. The lessons will be recorded for those unable to attend live.

There will be an online forum for QA, discussion, and for related texts & resources. [The pdf of the commentary, Tahtawi’s hashiya, and other important works will be provided.]

The goal of the class is simple: to master the fiqh details of the chapters on worship (purification, prayer, fasting, zakat, and hajj). We define “mastery” as thorough understanding of the text itself, its legal reasoning, and key details. Fiqh is deep knowledge, with understanding of nuances and implications.

The purpose in this mastery is to seek the pleasure of Allah, through benefitting oneself and others by preserving, acting upon, and transmitting this noble Prophetic inheritance.

The means to mastery would be through understanding of eight matters related to the text:

1. Tawdih (clarification of the text, in expression and indication)

2. Taqyid (conditioning the text, where essential conditions are needed)

3. Tafsil (detailing the text, where essential details are needed)

4. Taswir (describing the text’s issues, through practical examples)

5. Taq`id (clarifying the legal principles the text’s issues are based on or entail)

6. Tafri` (giving the important derived rulings, classical and contemporary, that a serious seeker must know)

7. Ta`lil (understanding the legal reasoning and wisdom underlying the text’s rulings)

8. Tadlil (understanding the legal proofs for the rulings of the text)

The expectations from the students would be to:

1. Prepare for the class, by [a] thorough reading of the matn; [b] careful reading of the commentary–with focus on the legal details and reasoning mentioned in the commentary; [c] preparing properly thought-out questions related to the text and its implications. It is encouraged, especially for more advanced students, to research key issues in the reference works, commentaries, and other complete works on the fiqh of worship. (This is not an expectation. Students are welcome to email the instructor for advice on this.)

2. Attend the class, with [a] attentiveness, through cutting out distractions (no surfing, messaging, texting, etc); [b] participation when the instructor asks questions; [c] asking questions, from their preparation or from things unclear in the text or the instructor’s explanations.

3. Review of the class notes and text. Research of issues that arise is encouraged, and asking questions regarding things that remain unclear is essential. The more you can keep reviewing the text (especially the matn), the better. Test yourself, by checking whether you remember the key details. Diagramming the text helps.

4. Take notes. It is best to write out the matn itself, and essentials from the commentary (such as the key details and reasoning). This is also good Arabic writing practice.

5. Participate in the Class Forum by asking questions, sharing issues of benefit, and getting involved in the relevant discussions, with the proper manners of a keen seeker of knowledge (talib `ilm).

6. Seek Allah’s assistance, make this a means of seeking His pleasure, have high secondary intentions of acting upon what you learn with excellence, preserving and transmitting Prophetic guidance, to benefit yourself and to benefit others, and to gain all the benefits mentioned by Allah and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) for those who seek and transmit sacred knowledge for the sake of Allah.

And Allah alone gives success.