Dear Brothers & Sisters,
As-salamu Alaykum.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Whomever Allah wishes well for, He grants deep understanding of religion".
Unity Foundation’s Book of Numbers classes are about to resume after the Eid break. If you are new to our mailing list let us explain what you have been missing…
This unique series of classes are taught from the renowned 'Book of Numbers, Holding Fast to the Firm Reality', by Al Imam Muhammad Umar Bahraq al Hadrami’ and taught by Ustadh Ibrahim Osi-Efa. **
The classes are intended to speak directly into the heart of the student with the aim of enhancing both ones spiritual life and ones dunya. The classes facilitate a exceptional Islamic learning experience and regular opportunities to gain practical advice from a top scholar (in an informal, non judgemental environment), whilst meeting new people, and making new friends, insha’Allah - all for the sake of Allah (swt)!!
Whether you are an existing Book of Numbers student or not we invite you to attend this exciting programme. If you feel you can’t commit to a regular class at the moment each class can be regarded as a standalone lesson and has a distinct benefit in and of itself, so come down anyway!
The next Book of Numbers class with Shaykh Ibrahim Osi-Efa, will insha'Allah take place on Wednesday December 15th 2010 at 7.30pm at the usual venue (University of Central Lancashire, Harrington Building, Room 129)*
Our teachers have requested that we trial the new classes on Wednesdays as our main teaching night due to their ever increasing outreach schedule across the UK.
Each class is subject to a £6 admin fee that covers course administration, materials, teacher’s expenses etc.
If you have any queries about the classes, or are finding it difficult to attend for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact us for assistance.
Please forward this email to your loved ones, friends and neighbours alike, so they too can benefit from this unique opportunity.
We look forward to seeing you at the class!
An overview of the 'Book of Numbers' is posted below.
Wa salam
Unity Foundation Admin Team
*Unity foundation reserves the right to move the venue, if necessary to a different location, town or city for the benefit of our student cohort.
**Ustadh Ibrahim Osi-Efa
Ustadh Ibrahim was born and raised in Liverpool, England. He was blessed with the opportunity to study several classical disciplines at the hands of some of the holders of the tradition such as Murabit al-Haj, al-Habib Umar b. Hafiz and Shaikh Hassan al-Hindi. Initially studying for three years in Syria and Mauritania, Ustadh Ibrahim was then blessed with the opportunity to spend over six years in the illuminated city of Tarim, Hadramaut where he studied under the qualified hands of teachers such as al-Habib Kazim al-Saqqaf, al-Habib Ali al-Jifri and al-Shaikh Umar Husain al-Khatib. He was one of the founders of several Islamic initiatives including the Ibn Abbas Institute, Starlatch Press, Badr Language Institute and the Greensville Trust. He currently resides in Liverpool, England with his wife and two children.
Directions:
The class is set to take place at UCLan, Preston in the Harrington building (ROOM 129). Directions are as follows:
Enter the main front doors and walk towards the lift to the left of reception (which will be closed). Take the lift to the first floor. On leaving the lift, turn left and left an immediate left again.
The 'Book of Numbers ? Holding Fast to the Firm Reality'
Admonitions
The first lesson will set the context for the course, and endeavours to nurture and create an environment, which arouses heedless hearts and invigorates the resolve of the slothful. The author speaks directly into the heart of the student and addresses the direct causes of spiritual inactivity in order to make ears attentive to the light of prophecy that forms the essential content of this text.
Religious Counsel
The principal counsel of the ancients and the modern alike is that of taqwa, God conscious behaviour. The first lesson will also explore the concept of taqwa as understood by classical Islamic scholarship, commenting on the ten Qur’anic God-conscious archetypes.
Lesson Two: The Book of One’s
The lesson will elucidate four one’s:
1. Taqwa, God-conscious behaviour
2. The Nature and Importance of the Heart
3. The Stomach and the Repugnance of Satiation
The Pre-eminence of Knowledge
Lesson Three: The Book of Two’s
The lesson will elucidate three two’s:
1. Health and Spare time
2. Worldly Abstinence and from what Man possesses
3. Miserliness and Bad Character
Lesson Four: The Book of Three’s
The lesson will elucidate three three’s:
1. The Three Qualities
2. The Three Signs of a Hypocrite
3. The Three Mortal Sins
Lesson Five: The Book of Four’s
The lesson will elucidate three four’s:
1. The Four Decrees
2. The Four Prophetic Representatives
3. The Four Words: al-Baqiyat al-Salihat
Lesson Six: The Book of Five’s
The lesson will elucidate three fives:
1. The Five Pillars
2. The Five Prayers
3. The Five Questions
Lesson Seven: The Book of Six’s
The lesson will elucidate three sixes:
1. The Six Articles of Faith
2. The Six Rights of a Muslim
3. The Six Archetypal Rights
Lesson Eight: The Book of Seven’s
The lesson will elucidate one seven:
1. The Seven Archetypes under the Divine Shade
Lesson Nine: The Book of Eight’s
The lesson will elucidate three eights:
1. The Eight Gateways of Paradise
2. The Eight Angelic Guards
3. The Eight Companions of the Cave
Lesson Ten: The Book of Nine’s
The lesson will elucidate one nine:
1. The Nine Causes and their Nine Effects
Lesson Eleven: The Book of Ten’s
The lesson will elucidate two tens:
1. The Ten Traits of Perdition
2. The Ten Traits of Salvation
Lesson Twelve: The Epilogue
The final lesson and culmination of the course will briefly look at
the following three topics:
1. Bestowal
2. Supplication
3. Prayers upon the Prophet