Ta'leef Collective Fall Quarter 2009 Classes, Workshops and Activities

Title: Introduction to Islam Workshop
Description: A free, educational workshop on the Muslim faith. This friendly, informal discussion on the basics of Islam is for seekers and anyone curious about the world’s fastest growing religion. Feel welcome to bring your questions, concerns, and curiosity regarding the faith of Islam. For ages 18 and above.
Date: Saturday, October 17
Time: 12pm – 4pm
Fee: Free
Register: http://introislamoct.eventbrite.com/

Title: Book Of Assistance
Description: Reflections on Imam Al-Haddad’s famous treatise concerning Muslim devotions, prayers and practical ethics. The commentary is geared towards newcomers to Islam, young folks recommitting themselves to the Deen and anyone seeking applicable ways to advance spiritually.
Date: Every Sunday, begins October 4
Time: 8pm (October 4 – 25), 7:30pm (November 1st onwards)
Fee: Free

Title: Hanafi Fiqh
Description: Islamic sciences according to the Hanafi school of thought. Topics include purification and prayer.
Date: Every Tuesday, begins October 13
Time: 7pm – 8:30pm
Fee: $30
Register: http://hanafifall2009.eventbrite.com/

Title: Maliki Fiqh
Description: Introductory Maliki fiqh class based on the Muqaddima Al-Akhdari. The course will cover purification and prayer. There will also be a brief introducation to Islamic spirituality.
Date: Every Sunday, begins October 11
Time: 4pm – 5:30pm
Fee: $30
Register: http://malikifall2009.eventbrite.com/

Title: Arabic for Beginners
Description: Learn conversational Arabic using the renowned text: Kitab al-Assasi.
Date: Every Monday and Thursday, begins October 12
Time: 7pm – 8:30pm
Fee: $75
Register: http://arabicfall2009.eventbrite.com/

Title: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Description: Classes will provide students with the physical refinement and technical application of techniques that have made Brazilian Jiu Jitsu one of the most effective and fastest growing sports in the world today.
Date: Every Monday 6:30pm – 8pm, Wednesday 6:30pm – 8pm, Sunday 11:30pm -  1pm. October 11 – December 20
Fee: $100 per month, $25 one time registration fee
Register: http://bjj.eventbrite.com/

With the recent passing of pop icon Michael Jackson, issues related to Islam, entertainment and pop culture are once again a hot topic that many are heatedly blogging about and debating. Recent documentary films such as “New Muslim Cool” and “Deen Tight” have given audiences nationwide an honest and eye-opening window into the world of Muslim hip-hop artists in particular. This timely workshop with Ustadh Abdullah is intended to bring empowering understanding and balance to the often controversial subject of entertainment, culture and creativity in the Islamic worldview.

Session I: Scholarly Consensus in the Purview of Culture (Ijma’ wa ‘Urf)
Session II: Islam & Popular Culture (Entertainment & Art)
Session III: Q&A

Taught by Shaykh Abdullah bin Hamid Ali

At the age of 17, Abdullah bin Hamid Ali, begun a serious study of Islam and the Arabic language. A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania born to Muslim parents, he took advantage of many of the local scholars and teachers, including Dr. Khalid Blankinship, Hafiz Anwar Muhaimin, Ustadh Anas Muhaimin, their father?Imam Nafea Muhaimin, Imam Aberra?a native of Eritrea who studied Islam and Arabic in Egypt, and others.  Abdullah has served as resident scholar for Zaytuna Institute (http://www.zaytuna.org) since 2007. Prior to moving to California from Philadelphia he served for five years as the fulltime Assistant Head Chaplain for the State Correctional Facility of Chester, Pennsylvania. In 2001, he became the first and only Westerner to attend and graduate from the University of al-Qarawiyyin’s Faculty of Shariah located in Fes, Morocco, having acquired a four-year collegiate license (al-ijazah al-‘ulya) to teach the Islamic sciences. Prior to studying under the tutelage of a number of Morocco’s prestigious scholars, he acquired fluency in the Arabic language having spent close to seven years in the US studying with some of America’s most influential academics and leaders in Philadelphia and surrounding cities. Before traveling to Morocco to pursue higher studies in Islam, he attended Temple University for two years majoring in Computer Science, while concurrently attending graduate level lectures on Islam with Dr. Khalid Blankinship. He has worked as an Islamic school teacher, a barber, a painter, and was as an active member of the hip hop generation being at one time a breakdancer and a rap artist who produced a single in 1986 and an LP in 1990 with a local Philadelphia group, Rock Hard Delegation. Abdullah has authored over 40 scholarly articles, authored and translated four published works: Muslim Funeral Guide (Lamppost Productions); Explanation of Murshid Al-Mu’een: Ibn Ashir Recited: Part 1 (Lamppost Productions); The Attributes of God (Amal Press); and A Return to Purity in Creed (Lamppost Productions).  His work can be found at: www.lamppostproductions.com

Ta’leef Collective and Heroes Martial Arts Present: The Foundation of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Classes will provide students with the physical refinement and technical application of techniques that have made Brazilian Jiu Jitsu one of the most effective and fastest growing sports in the world today.

Heroes Martial Arts Head instructor and owner Alan “Gumby” Marques is a black belt under the legendary Ralph Gracie and is co-founder of OnTheMat.com, one of the world’s leading resources for Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and Submission Grappling. Assistant instructor Adisa Banjoko holds a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has written about BJJ and MMA for more than a decade.

Instructor, Adisa Banjoko, will lead daily classes with two advanced classes led by Gumby twice a month. The inaugural class will be led by Gumby on July 19th.

Monday – 7:30 – 9:00 PM
Wednesday – 7:30 – 9:00 PM
Sunday – 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM

$100 / month
$25 – one time registration fee

Download the .pdf flyer here.

From our friends:

Barakah Life is now in DC taking part in ISNA’s 46th Annual Conference and Bazaar.

The DC trip is part of a larger launch for Barakah Life, with it’s new web site due to be online this weekend as well as new products like our 2 new Childrens Poetry Posters, The posters have whimsical designs incorporating traditional calligraphy. We also have two new greeting cards with designs created by Soraya Syed and Haji Noor Deen. The 2009 “Days of Joy” kits for children are also available.

We had the wonderful privilege of working in collaboration with HajI Noor Deen on some of our new offerings. We have more products in the works so please keep checking back to see what is new.

If you are in the DC area this weekend please come visit us. You can find us in booth #140.

On June 17, 2009, the Mayor’s office of San Francisco, the Indonesian Consulate, the California College of the Arts welcomed the batik collection of Ann Dunham, the late beloved mother of President Barack Hussein Obama.

Much thanks to the Alhadi / Usman family, we were given invites to attend this exclusive event. The photo gallery slideshow above is also on our Flickr page: Ann Dunham Batik Collection

A Lady Found a Culture in Its Cloth: Barack Obama’s Mother and Indonesian Batiks

This exhibition features 20 large fabrics and two scarves from the batik collection of Ann Dunham, President Barack Obama’s late mother. The collection has been in storage for many years and this is a valuable opportunity for the public to see it. The presentation is part of a national tour that is also passing through New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, and Washington DC this summer.

Indonesia is home to the ancient tradition of batik, in which fabric is decorated using a wax-resist dyeing process. Batiks are often intricately patterned and vividly colored, and they come in a wide variety of styles, from classic to contemporary.

The San Francisco presentation of the exhibition will also feature selected works by students in the Textiles and Fashion Design programs at California College of the Arts. These works will complement Dunham’s collection and indicate some of the contemporary directions this centuries-old art has taken. (Source: California College of the Arts)

Press release link.