HOW TO GET AN ALIM SPONSORSHIP

Transcription

1 HOW TO GET AN ALIM SPONSORSHIP

2 A Brief Introduction to the American Learning Institute for Muslims (ALIM) ALIM is dedicated to empowering Muslims through Islamic literacy. It seeks to provide substantive knowledge in all relevant aspects of the Islamic Sciences, but goes beyond these basic building blocks and teaches critical thinking intertwined with the elements of true Muslim character as applied to these subjects. This allows for the development of empowered Muslims through meaningful discourse and true intellectual and spiritual growth. ALIM is a specialized institute. It is not committed to making scholars of its students; rather, it seeks to produce Islamically literate members of society who will have a positive effect on both Muslim society as well as the society at large. ALIM programs, ranging from weekend intensives to a month-long summer program offer an in depth study of the Islamic sciences as the lens through which to analyze contemporary issues facing the American Muslims. Islamic Literacy goes well beyond the simple memorization or passive reception of texts. ALIM provides tools that allow a student to seek and process knowledge critically, with the proper balance of the mind and heart. Students will be able to engage scholars in a productive discourse that allows for mutual development and the true coming of an Islamic Renaissance. In any successful culture and society there are several role-players that facilitate development and perpetuation. These role-players must communicate effectively. Effective and meaningful discourse necessarily requires a lingua franca or common language whereby the participants in a discussion may convey their ideas and experiences clearly. ALIM seeks to provide the lingua franca as well as an environment within which scholars, professionals, activists, artists, writers, community leaders and members of Muslim society might engage each other effectively and develop strategies and possibilities for Islamic society and culture.

3 Researching the Community Before approaching a community to sponsor a student to attend ALIM, it is important to have a firm grasp on the community dynamics. Ideally, the person approaching the community has some relationship or connection to it. This is often beneficial in knowing who is best to contact and the most fitting means of approaching the subject. This includes understanding community values and emphasizing those specific values when discussing your individual ALIM experience. Some things to consider: - History of the community - Board members and brief information about them - What types of services the mosque community provides - What type of programming the mosque community provides - The culture of the mosque - How ALIM fits the mosque culture - How ALIM can benefit the mosque culture - What returned ALIMni can offer the community

4 Sample Feeler As Salam Alaikum, Inshallah, I hope everything is well with you. Here is the information regarding the ALIM Program. All further information can be found at So, basically, what I had told you is a basic overview of the Program: Organized by the American Learning Institute for Muslims (ALIM), the Summer Islamic Studies Program offers a unique opportunity, allowing students to learn the Islamic sciences from some of the foremost scholars in the United States, while applying such knowledge to contemporary issues facing the American Muslim community. Attracting students from all over North America (and sometimes the world), the program is a once in a lifetime opportunity for students to learn in the most intimate of environments with some of the foremost scholars in the broader American community, all of whom hold a PhD and most of whom are classically trained in the Islamic sciences. Obviously, this is not something many programs can boast about. It is in this light that the ALIM Program sets itself apart from the plethora of Islamic Studies programs available today, and it is due to this that it is such an important program to support. Not only does ALIM open a student's eyes to the wealth of information available, but sparks the interest to continue to seek it out. It creates a genuine desire for such knowledge and a critical foundation with which to analyze and filter all the information we regularly receive. Not only does it apply to all that we learn in our Islamic Studies courses, but also in a University setting, creating the foundation necessary for success in the college atmosphere. Of all that is available to us, nothing can compare to the actual experience of spending a month in a rather foreign city with some of the utmost scholars in our nation. The classes range annually, but always include some of the major sciences: Tafseer, Usul ul Fiqh, Ulum ul Quran, Science of the Hadith, Islamic Law, etc. In addition, we offer several history courses: history of the Khullafa, history of Islamic Law, Seerah, etc. And finally, the program offers courses catered to the American Muslim experience: Islam and Modernity, the History of Islam in America, Diseases of the Heart, etc. Each Jumuah, students are taken to Jumuah at a local Michigan masjid of a different group (ranging from African American Muslims to Desi Muslims to Arab Muslims, as well as various diverse communities and University masjids). Jumuahs are also the days when students have less instruction and are able to enjoy their time in Michigan, while building brotherhood and sisterhood. That is basically the program in a nutshell. Please feel free contact me either via or telephone again if you have any other questions regarding the program, or my own experience as an alum. Jazakallah Khair. W'Salam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah, [YOUR NAME]

5 After Making Initial Contact Obviously, the ideal situation is one in which a board member responds to your first . In the case of this situation, it is important to set up a meeting during which you can present some information about ALIM, answer questions, and offer a basic guideline as to how the sponsorship program will work (details to follow). Often, however, a follow-up is required. This is understandable considering board members often receive a high volume of s and thus may miss yours. As such, it is important to offer a short reminding them of your previous and requesting a meeting that will follow the basic layout outlined above. The Meeting It is understandable to be wary to represent ALIM on your own. However, as an ALIMni of the program, no one has a better understanding of the ALIM experience than you do. ALIM can provide a basic PowerPoint presentation (to be modified by you based on your needs) that you can work off of. Further, we can provide literature about the organization and promotional material. All of these will be able to answer any questions the board members may have. You also have all ALIM board members as a resource. Please feel free to come to us with any questions or concerns either before or after the meeting. When discussing ALIM, outline your individual experiences, what your class studied/learned, and how you benefited from attending the program. For a mosque board who knows you, no amount of promotional material will be more effective than someone they know and trust vouching for the program. Use your experiences as an example of how the ALIM experience links to the values of the community and how the individuals can bring what they learned at ALIM to benefit the community: links to scholars, teaching at Sunday School, providing useful materials, etc. Masjid boards want to ensure that this is an investment in the community; not simply a funding source. Once you convince the board to fund one to two students each year (and you will), it is important to fill out a form outlining the expectations of the sponsorship. ALIM has not yet developed this form; however, it is something we intend to pursue as previously discussed. What is most important to remember is that all students pursuing the sponsorship must have applied and been admitted to ALIM before being eligible for the sponsorship. ALIM will not admit students solely because they have a funding source. We are, and pride ourselves on being, a meritocracy.

6 Publicizing the Sponsorship ALIM is a great opportunity, so this is probably the easiest part of the whole process. If students know that they have a potential funding source for their ALIM experience (not just the community sponsorship, but also ALIM scholarships), they are far more likely to apply. As an ALIMni, you know what types of skills and analytical abilities are needed for a fruitful ALIM experience. As such, you should approach individuals whom you think would benefit from attending (and who would add value to an ALIM class) and encourage them to apply. Our best resource is our ALIMni base, and their word of advertising beats anything we could do as an organization. Encourage the mosque board to identify student leaders who they think would benefit and encourage them to apply. Means of being objective about selection is important, though, and that will be discussed later in this booklet. Regardless, encourage the mosque board to reach out to promising youth who will benefit from ALIM and enrich the community upon their return. Finally, use the mosque list serv and programming as a means of announcing the sponsorship opportunity. This is a great way to both publicize ALIM as a program and showcase the community s active role in creating educational opportunities for its youth. The Application Mosques around the United States have taken very different approaches to the ALIM sponsorship. Some provide a formal one page application that they on their list serv and make available in the mosque office. They then have the Education Council of the mosque serve as a selection committee to identify the winner. Other communities identify individuals whom they think would benefit from the experience and be able to benefit the community upon their return, and subsequently offer them the opportunity directly. The individuals still have to undergo the process of applying to ALIM and being admitted on their merit, but the community plays a more direct (less objective) role in the process of selecting the finalist. Whatever the tactic pursued, it is important to emphasize the community that by no means are individuals guaranteed admission into the program solely because this scholarship exists. As such, it is in their best interest to have multiple students apply.

7 During and After ALIM It is important to ensure that the student selected for a sponsorship recognizes the importance of staying in touch with the community during and after ALIM. As such, students who receive sponsorships should commit to updating the community at least twice during the month (via ). And, upon completion of ALIM, it is important for students to write a thank you or letter to the mosque board. This will create a sense of goodwill and will remind the students to give back to the community that so generously invested in their Islamic education. A model of such an is below. Dear Members of the Shura and the Administration: I would like to offer my deepest gratitude for allowing me to experience one of the most intellectually stimulating and profoundly engaging Islamic programs I have ever had the privilege of attending. Not only did the program provide me with substantial knowledge in various Islamic sciences, but it also empowered me with Islamic literacy and critical thinking abilities indispensable towards understanding Islam in light of a changing world, and towards addressing the question of Islam and modernity. From the very first lecture, Alim students were mesmerized by the extraordinarily interactive nature of the program. Our lecturers understood well the preconceived notions associated with the halaqas and the other traditional didactical methods, and also realized the educational level of the audience they were addressing ranging from college undergraduates to graduate students. Dr. Muneer Fareed, who commenced the Alim Program with his lecture on Fiqh, presented the content in such a fascinating way that it aroused the intellect, interest, and curiosity. Frequently, he would propose, or would be proposed, a scenario, and instead of giving us an outright solution, he would encourage us to think like a scholar, to mirror the thought process of Imam Abu Haneefa and Imam Shafi' and others. In essence, instead of being inundated with memorization of fiqh rulings, we were compelled to question, inquire, and explore the process which produced those rulings and explained how a particular Fiqh issue could command, often, diversity of opinions. Although the Alim program encompassed various topics ranging from Aqeedah, Fiqh, Usool-ul-Fiqh, Furu-ul-Fiqh, Islamic Intellectual History, History of Islamic Law, Hadith Criticism, Sects within Islam, Tafsir, Diseases of the Heart, Islam in America, and Islam and Modernity, the most memorable and remarkable subject to me was the Seerah. Dr. Abdul-Hakeem Jackson, did a marvelous job of not only expounding upon nodal events in the prophetic era, but also of facilitating a comparative analysis of those events within the modern context. By the end of the Seerah class, students were not imparted with mere historical facts, but a profound understanding of how prophetic example is still very much relevant to us in the contemporary world. Once again, I would like to thank all the Shura members for your support exemplifies our administration's commitment to educational and intellectual development in the community. Furthermore, I would recommend to the Shura to consider establishing the following: (A) a committee (possibly under the jurisdiction of Educational Council) which would select qualified individuals to experience programs of Alim's caliber; and (B) scholarship funds as a further encouragement for those who are deterred by the often extraordinary tuitions costs of these programs. I truly believe that an organized effort on part of the administration to facilitate this process would fulfill a dire communal need which is to empower this young generation through intellectual grounding in traditional Islamic sciences and Western academia, so they can effectively contribute not only to Islam, but also to society at large. [STUDENT NAME]

8 Follow-up (Subsequent Years) While it would be great to think that once a sponsorship is in place that is all that is required, it tends to take two to three years before sponsorships are institutionalized and self-sustained. Follow-up s like the one below are usually sufficient means of reopening the discussion. As Salam Alaikum, Inshallah, I hope you're doing well. I am ing you to ask you to address an issue with the Shura. As you likely remember, we have worked together in the last two or three years to attempt to institutionalize an ALIM scholarship through the Islamic Society of Milwaukee. From what I personally have heard and witnessed, this has been a very successful arrangement for both parties. Alhumdulillah, ALIM classes have been made better by the dynamic minds the Milwaukee community is able to send to the program and the Milwaukee community has been enriched with more Islamically literate students who can pass on what they have learned to others. Inshallah, I hope that this tradition will offer reason enough to reinstate the ALIM scholarship for the 2008 program. While I personally don't require any confirmation, I sincerely hope that ISM continues with this tradition. Alhumdulillah, we have at least 8 ALIMNI from the Milwaukee community thus far. We look forward to increasing that number with each year. The Milwaukee community's commitment to investing in our youth and investing in our American Muslim community is a model for the rest of the country. Thank you for helping to make that happen. As always, if there is anything I can clarify or any questions I can answer, please do not hesitate to contact me. Jazakallah Khair, [YOUR NAME]