The Revival of Traditional Scholarship in the Modern World: Jamia al-Karam in Modern Britain

traditional-books

Philosophy and logic reached great heights under Muslim scholarship. For some seven hundred years, seminaries across the Islamic world have required that students are thoroughly trained in discursive theology. Students were given instruction on a series of short textbooks, elucidated through commentaries and glosses. Alhumdullilah, Jamia al-Karam has been blessed to teach this rich tradition in the U.K under the supervision of specialist scholars. The revival of classical scholarship in secular Britain has begun.

These books were also taught at the Al-Azhar University. When the Cairo publisher Faraj Allāh Zakī Kurdī printed a two-volume anthology of logic for use at Al-Azhar at the beginning of twentieth century, his main texts were the Shamsīya, the early commentary of Quṭb al-Dīn Rāzī (d.1365), and super commentaries by Jurjānī, Taftazānī and the great Indian scholar ʿAbd al-Ḥakim Siyālkotī (d. 1656).

Jamia Al-Karam will not only teach these classical books but will follow the methodology of traditional scholars. The Shamsīya will be taught along with Quṭb al-Dīn Rāzī’s Quṭbī, Jurjānī’s super commentary Mīr Quṭbī, and Siyālkotī’s Gloss, commonly accompanied by Mīr Zāhid. Other books that will be taught include;
Taṣrīf al-Zanjānī – The text was written by ʿIzz al-Dīn Zanjānī, who lived in the 13th century, and this wascommented on by Taftazānī.
The Kāfiyah – An important grammatical work by Ibn Hājib and was commented on by Jurjānī.
Talkhīṣ al-Miftāḥ – This is a popular work on Rhetoric (Maʿānī) and the Art of Metaphors (Badīʿ). This is a summary by Qazwīnī of the Miftāḥ al-ʿulūm of Sirāj al-Dīn al-Sakkāki. This summary is studied with Taftazānī’s Muṭawwal and the Mukhtaṣar.
Those of you who are interested and intend to study the sacred sciences, this is the opportunity do so. For further information please contact Jamia al-Karam.
May Allah shower his abundant mercy upon our Master (upon him be peace and blessings) and upon the righteous and learned scholars for their endeavours to preserves this scared knowledge, Ameen

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