Cambridge Muslim College Four-Year Programme in Contextual Islamic Studies Introduction 2 Background 3 Programme Aims 4 Entry Requirements 4 Programme Structure 5 Qualifications Offered 8 Mode of Study 8 Term Dates 11 Teaching Staff 11 Course Costs 12 Financial Support 12 Student Life 13 Application & Admissions Procedure 14 Cambridge Muslim College is a registered charity no. 1137219 & a registered company no. 7031673.
z Introduction Cambridge Muslim College is a theological college established in 2009 in order to develop Muslim faith leadership. Its mission is to provide world-class education, training and research that is rooted in the rich intellectual heritage of Islamic civilisation and responsive to the ideas and circumstances of the modern world. The College is now accepting applications for its new Four-Year Programme in Contextual Islamic Studies, which will start with a one-year Prerequisite Arabic Intensive course in September 2016, delivered in partnership with Qasid Institute (www.qasid.com) in Amman. This will lead on to the planned three-year B.A. in Contextual Islamic Studies taught in Cambridge and starting in September 2017. This programme is rooted in authentic Islamic scholarship and engaged with the pressing issues of our time. It allows students to remain true to their own tradition while also exploring how it relates to urgent contemporary challenges, such as the development of science and technology, relations between different religions and cultures, environmental change, conflict over natural resources, and many others. There is currently no such course available in the UK, and its provision will be a uniquely significant contribution to the development of Islamic knowledge and leadership at a time of urgent need. 2
Background Since its foundation, the College has supported the development of scholarship and teaching that unites the traditional Islamic sciences with the expertise and knowledge of modern research and practice. This is not only an obvious need within the contemporary Muslim community, but a process entirely in keeping with the dynamic processes of intellectual and cultural renewal throughout Muslim history. The College began its teaching with the ongoing one-year Diploma in Contextual Islamic Studies and Leadership, now in its seventh year of delivery. This programme is designed to help those who already possess significant training in the the Islamic sciences to develop, articulate and implement their knowledge effectively in Britain today. The new Four-Year Programme will itself provide an extensive grounding in the fundamentals of the traditional Islamic sciences, alongside the study of contemporary issues and disciplines relevant to the application of the tradition today. The programme focuses in the first year on the intensive study of Classical Arabic, in order to allow students to work with relevant fundamental texts in their original language. The Core Curriculum of the subsequent three years focuses on Islamic Studies through the study of classical texts, drawing most importantly on the core curriculum of the al-fath Academy (Ma had al-fath) in Damascus but also on the programme at al-azhar University. In addition, the programme will include a set of modules in Contextual Knowledge and Skills, based on many of the elements of the well-established Diploma course. These are designed to allow students to think about how to contextualise and apply their learning in Islamic Studies in the most appropriate and beneficial ways. 3
Programme Aims The aims of the Four-Year Programme are: 1 To teach students the fundamental themes of the Islamic tradition as historically interpreted by the leading scholars of mainstream Islamic thought and practice; 2 To teach students how the Islamic tradition as a coherent intellectual and spiritual body of knowledge developed over time and responded to changing historical circumstances; 3 In the light of this knowledge, to allow students to examine ways in which contemporary thought and society might challenge, reinforce or reshape the Islamic tradition; 4 To equip students with relevant intellectual and practical skills that will help them articulate and apply their knowledge and understanding of the Islamic tradition in contemporary society. Entry Requirements UK applicants will be expected to have achieved at least three B grades at A-Level. Applicants still studying for A-Levels should give their predicted grades and the best eight GCSEs achieved. Applicants who have completed A-Levels do not need to provide GCSE results. Preference will be given to students with A-Level results in humanities subjects. The College recognises the Critical Thinking A-Level as a valid qualification for the purposes of an application. A good performance in Key Skills and General Studies may also be an advantage. Mature students who already have a first degree are exempted from these requirements and are judged on the relevance of their qualification as well as their final-year classmark. EU students are expected to have a high grade in their leaving examination such as the French Baccalaureate or the German Abitur. If English is not your first language we require a minimum overall IELTS grade of 7.5, usually with 7.0 or above in each element; or a grade A or B in Cambridge English (Advanced). Students who already have a sufficient command of Classical Arabic equivalent to or better than that required to pass the Prerequisite Arabic Intensive course in Year One may be offered a place to start the programme in Year Two (starting September 2017), subject to successful completion of a written assessment taken at the College during the interview stage. The College is currently only able to accept applications from students holding full UK or EU passports, or visas demonstrating the right to fulltime study in the UK. 4
Programme Structure Part I: Prerequisite Arabic Intensive (Year One) This part of the programme is designed to give students a sufficient command of Classical Arabic to allow them to understand and analyse Arabic texts as a fundamental element of their overall learning. The language teaching will use methods and materials designed to familiarise students with classical texts and approaches in preparation for their subsequent studies. Further details of the Classical Arabic programme at Qasid are available here: http://www.qasid.com/academics/classical-arabic/ Please note that the exact programme at Qasid for College students is tailored and does not correspond exactly to their standard programme. Part II: Contextual Islamic Studies (Years Two-Four) This part of the programme comprises: i) the Core Curriculum, all the modules of which are compulsory, examining the core disciplines of mainstream classical Islam, with an emphasis on access to the texts in the original Arabic. Teaching will focus on the main themes of the Islamic revelation as interpreted by the leading scholars of mainstream classical Islam, drawing on these to explore the coherence of the tradition and also to illuminate its relationship to cultural and intellectual change over time and Muslim responses to modern challenges. In addition to the thematic modules, students will be required to memorise sections of the Qur an and some hadith. Please note that in the Islamic Law modules, fiqh with be taught primarily with reference to the Hanafi school, as being the madhhab of the large majority of UK Muslims, and also the Muslims of major European communities such as Germany, Turkey, Bosnia and the Russian Federation. If significant numbers of followers of another school are registered in a given year, arrangements will be made for the teaching of their madhhab also, according to the system applied at Al-Azhar University. The College cannot guarantee the availability of instructors in Hanbali fiqh. ii) Contextual Knowledge and Skills, a set of modules designed to complement the Core Curriculum by giving students a broad base of knowledge and skills in relevant disciplines and areas of practice. This will focus on the study of contemporary issues and on understanding comparative approaches to knowledge in the modern context, particularly other faith perspectives, scientific thought and modernsecular criticisms of religious belief, in order to facilitate students assessment and application of the Islamic tradition in contemporary society.. 5
Core Curriculum Year one Intensive Arabic Memorisation Requirement: Juz 30 Year Two RF1 The Revealed Foundations (I): Introduction to the Qur an and hadith Introduction to Qur anic Studies History of revelation and redaction, the variant readings, the evolution of the tafsir tradition, asbab al-nuzul, theories of abrogation, theories of nazm Principles of Tajwid Introduction to the Hadith Matn and Isnad, narrator assessment, asbab al-wurud, the commentary literature ID1 Introduction to Islamic Doctrine: kalam, falsafa and Sufism History of kalam, falsafa and Sufism Issues in kalam: creation, free will, the uncreated Qur an IH1 Introduction to Islamic History Sira Islamic History: An Overview (632-present day) Islam in the Indian Subcontinent IL1 Introduction to Islamic Law Jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh) Classification of nass texts, abrogation, fatwas of Companions, ta arud al-adilla, ijma, qiyas, public interest Statutes of Worship (fiqh al-ibadat) Rules of purity, prayer, fasting, zakat, Hajj Personal Status Law (al-ahwal al-shakhsiyya) Marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance Memorisation Requirement: Juz 29 & Tuhfat al-atfal 6
Year Three RF2 The Revealed Foundations (II): Further Studies in the Qur an and hadith Intermediate Readings in Qur anic Commentary Selected passages from the commentaries of Baydawi, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, Razi, Suyuti Intermediate Hadith Studies al-jarh wa l-ta dil Selected passages from the commentaries of Ibn Hajar, Nawawi, and Mubarakfuri ID2 Intermediate Studies in Islamic Doctrine Sharh al-bayjuri ala l-jawhara (complete) IL2 Intermediate Studies in Islamic Law Contemporary issues in marriage, divorce and inheritance law Ijtihad in the modern world Ifta in Muslim countries; the fiqh academies Specialised fiqh topic (e.g. medical ethics; just war) WL1 Literatures of the Islamic World Arabic prose of the medieval period Selections from Mubarrad, al-kamil, Jahiz, al-bukhala, Baladhuri, Futuh al-buldan, Ibn Ishaq, Sira, Hariri, Maqamat Arabic poetry of the medieval period Selections from a wide range of poets Islamic literature in translation Selections from Nizami, Haft Paykar; Sa di, Gulistan; Attar, Mantiq al-tayr; Rumi, Mathnawi British Muslim literature Pickthall, The Early Hours; the poetry of Abdullah Quilliam and Paul Sutherland Memorisation Requirement: Juz 28 & Jawharat al-tawhid 7
Year Four RF3 The Revealed Foundations (III): Advanced Studies in the Qur an and hadith Advanced Readings in Qur anic Commentary Al-Zamakhshari; al-razi; Bursevi; al-jassas; Tafsir al-manar; Tahir Ashur ID3 Advanced Topics in Islamic Doctrine and Theology Al-Razi, Kitab al-muhassal (selections from the Metaphysics); al- Jurjani, Sharh al-mawaqif (with selected supercommentaries) Introduction to Logic in the Islamic Tradition AC1 The Abrahamic Context: Islamic Perspectives on Judaism and Christianity History and content of Judaism and Christianity The historic and contemporary Islamic response: from anathema to dialogue Dissertation Students must submit a 10,000 word dissertation on a subject of their choice, approved by the Head of Faculty Memorisation Requirement: Juz 27 8
Contextual Knowledge and Skills The availability of these modules may vary depending on timetabling, student demand, and other requirements. Introduction to the History & Philosophy of Science Islamic Counselling & Dispute Resolution: Theory & Practice British Islam Today Effective Community Leadership: Context & Practice Introduction to World Religions & Inter-Faith Dialogue Introduction to World History Introduction to Western Intellectual History Islam & Gender Introduction to Communication & Media Skills Islamic Education: Theory, Policy & Practice History of the 19th & 20th Centuries with special reference to the Muslim world British History: The Intellectual & Political Development of a Nation Religious Ethics in the Modern World Modern Religious Thinkers Sacred Art & Architecture Islamic Education: Enhanced Practice Islamic Counselling & Dispute Resolution: Enhanced Practice Communication & Media Skills: Enhanced Practice 9
Qualifications Offered The Prerequisite Arabic Intensive course in Year One is offered in partnership with Qasid Institute (www.qasid.com) in Amman, Jordan, whose programmes are validated by California State University at San Bernadino, CA. The award of a degree with B.A. status upon completion of the remaining three years of the programme is subject to validation by a UK university with Degree Awarding Powers. The College is actively engaged in securing this validation from a major UK university and hopes to be able to register students under an external validation agreement by September 2017 in time for the start of Year Two of this programme. Students admitted to the Four- Year Programme will be kept informed of the progress of this process. If the College is unable to agree any external validation with an appropriate provider by September 2017, Years Two to Four of this programme will be internally validated by the College, which aligns all its teaching and learning with the relevant standards of the UK higher education sector. The programmes will be delivered according to the unique values and high standards of the College. The College, as an educational institution, is already accredited by the British Accreditation Council and is subject to the Council s regular inspection protocols. Students are encouraged to apply for ijazas where possible and appropriate but these will be granted at the discretion of individual teachers and do not in general comprise part of the College s formal assessment procedure. The exception is the ijaza for tajwid, which is one of the assessed requirements for entry to Year Three. Mode of Study The programme is available as a full-time course only. When registered for study in Cambridge, all students are required to live within seven miles of the city centre during Full Term. The College operates a trimestral system: Autumn, Winter and Spring terms, each of eleven weeks duration. There is no reading week. During the Prerequisite Arabic Intensive year, students study in Amman for four full terms: Autumn, Winter, Spring (between 11 and 12 weeks each) and Summer (nine weeks). 10
term Dates The term dates for the Prerequisite Arabic Intensive 2016-17 are: Autumn 29th August 7th December 2016 Winter 2nd January 16th March 2017 Spring 23rd March 7th June 2017 Summer (TBC) 19th June 22nd August 2017 Teaching Staff The Core Curriculum will be taught by Lecturers with an appropriately high level of familiarity with and competence in the Islamic sciences as traditionally understood and practiced, as well as appropriate post-graduate qualifications from and experience of the mainstream higher education sector. The College is currently recruiting for these posts and hopes to appoint them to take up post during the academic year 2016-17. The Contextual Knowledge and Skills modules will be taught by the other Academic Staff of the College and Visiting Lecturers who currently teach on the Diploma course. These include academics from the University of Cambridge and elsewhere, experts from throughout the country and Muslim leaders with distinguished and extensive records of community service and leadership. The programme as a whole is supervised by Abdal Hakim Murad, Dean and Chair of Trustees of Cambridge Muslim College and Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge, and the other members of the Trustee Board and its academic advisors, including: Prof. Lejla Demiri, Chair of Islamic Doctrine, University of Tübingen; Prof. David Ford. Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge; and Prof. Muhammad Abdel Haleem, Professor of Islamic Studies, SOAS, University of London. 11
Course Costs There are three elements of the costs for studying at the College tuition fees, accommodation and living costs (food, travel, books etc.). Tuition Fees Fees for the Four-Year Programme are 6,000 per annum, payable as a lump sum or in three instalments before the start of each term. Accommodation The College provides accommodation in Cambridge for all single students in shared accommodation for the duration of their studies, and pays associated costs (utilities etc.). For married couples both studying at the College, appropriate accommodation will be provided. For a married student whose spouse is not studying at the College, the College will provide support toward accommodation costs up to the cost of single accommodation as above. Students are required to pay a maintenance deposit which will be returned to them upon successful completion of their course, minus any deductions for damage to or in the accommodation. Accommodation in Amman for the Prerequisite Arabic Intensive at Qasid Institute will be provided on a similar basis, but excluding utilities. Living Costs The College estimates additional living costs while living in Cambridge of 260 per month. Information about additional living costs in Amman can be found here: http://help.qasid.com/article/39-what-are-some-othercommon-living-expenses-in-amman Financial Support In addition to providing accommodation, the College aims to provide financial support if needed and where possible. Within the limits of its resources, the College is committed to making its courses available to all successful applicants regardless of means, and to supporting them appropriately as students of sacred knowledge who intend to serve Allah and their communities. The College cannot guarantee financial support to any student and offers of support will only be made to successful applicants for admission. Admission to the College is granted purely on merit, and requests for financial support will not impact applications in any way. 12
Student Life Cambridge is famous as the site of one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Along with the universities of al-qarawiyyin, al-azhar, Bologna, Paris and Oxford, the University of Cambridge is one of the world s oldest centres of learning. Among its many distinguished alumni have been notable Muslim scholars and leaders of the past such as Abdullah Yusuf Ali and Muhammad Iqbal, but also contemporary scholars of Islam including College Board Members Abdal Hakim Murad, now Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the university, and Prof. Muhammad Abdel Haleem, Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of London. Cambridge continues to be a vibrant intellectual centre, home now to both the University of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University. The Cambridge Muslim College and its students are well-placed to benefit from this rich heritage and current resources. Through the teaching of the College and the public lectures and events in the city, College students participate in the intellectual and social life of one of the great university cities of the world. Cambridge also has a growing and diverse Muslim community, both local residents and students from all over the UK and the world. More than 700 people regularly pray jum ah at the city s main mosque just five minutes walk from the College and hundreds more at the other jama at around the city. There are also active student Islamic societies at both the universities. The College expects its students to make the most of their time in Cambridge and is committed to supporting them to do so. In particular, the College runs a Student Personal Development Programme intended to help each individual student develop not only intellectually but personally during the period of their studies. Students are assigned a Personal Tutor to facilitate this, and they will also benefit from the work of the College Chaplain & Mentor and the overall spiritual life of the College. As part of its responsibility to the service of the wider community, the College also expects students to play an active part in its broad range of public engagement activities. This can range from attendance at public lectures in the College and elsewhere, to taking part in inter-faith activities, to volunteering with local community organisations. Some of these activities including work with the Chaplaincy Team at Addenbrooke s Hosptial are integral to the teaching of particular modules; in other cases such as assisting local Islamic education programmes the College facilitates and coordinates its students service to others. 13
Application and Admission Procedure Applications for the Four-Year Programme for 2016-17 are now open. Further information and the Application Form are available at: www.cambridgemuslimcollege.org/programmes/four-yp/ The deadline for the receipt of applications is 5pm on Friday 27th May 2016. The deadline for the receipt of supporting references is 5pm on Friday 3rd June 2016. Please note that it is the applicant s responsibility to ensure that references are received on time. Interviews are scheduled to be held at the College during the week starting 13th June 2016. Successful applicants will be notified before Friday 8th July 2016. z 14