The Zaytuna Distance Learning program is having a Know Your Prophet promotion during this blessed month of Rabiu’ Awwal for Sidi Yahya Rhodus’ course: “The Prophetic Characteristics“.

Description: A four-part study of the inward and outward characteristics of the Prophet Muhammad from his lineage to his names to his physical stature to his noble attributes, taking from the text of the late scholar Shaykh Yusuf al-Nabahani, Wasa’il al-Wusul ila Shama’il al-Rasul (The Means of Arrival to the Characteristics of the Messenger). Studying the characteristics of the Messenger of Allah fills one’s heart with love for him and inspires one to follow his great example.

Promotional cost: $35 for each course (usual cost is $40)

Register for all 4 courses and receive a discount code for Shaykh Hamza Yusuf’s “Real Love” lecture available as a Zayuna Knowledge Resource instant download. After registering for all 4 courses, leave a comment here and we will send you a code. (Tip: IslamCrunch readers can receive a discount code here: LoveCrunch)

This is promotion is for a limited time. Please tweet this post, add it to your Facebook profile and email it to your family, friends and networks.

In January 2010, the Deen Intensive organization will be conducting a weekend workshop with Ustadh Yahya Rhodus. This workshop, “Refuge In Revelation: Finding Guiding in the Book of God” will be held in Fremont at Ta’leef Collective during the weekend of January 9th and 10th, 2010. January also marks the return of Ustadh Yahya to the Bay Area. He will also be teaching a weekly class based on the text “The Book of Knowledge” by Imam Al-Ghazali. Watch this space for more information. Check out the full article here: http://bit.ly/syrrefuge

This post was featured as the one and only San Jose New Year Resolution today:

Today, a new Muslim wrote to me and asked me about whether a certain practice was innovation or sunnah. Up front, I informed him that I am not a scholar and not in a position to give him an answer. I offered my opinion and then shared with him some notes that I had taken from a class with Sidi Yahya Rhodus.

Here are the 5 levels of bidah (innovation) in 5 minutes or less:

• necessary (wajib)
• acceptable (mandub)
• neutral (mubah)
• disliked (makruh)
• forbidden (haram)

Wajib: Understanding theology
Mandub: building schools, writing books of knowledge
Mubah: Wearing different styles of clothes, taking airplanes
Makruh: Overly decorating mosques
Haram: Changing integrals of prayer

Before we decide to label an action or deed as an innovation, consider the 5 levels.

innovation, bidah, bida, yahya rhodus, theology, clothes, mosques, prayer

Taken from the conference: “Loving God and Neighbor in Word and Deed: Implications for Muslims and Christians” hosted by the Yale Divinity School, July 2008.

With Shaykh Al-Habib Ali Al-Jifri and Rev. Dr. Robert Schuller
Wednesday, July 30

Introduction by Joseph Lombard, author of Submission, Faith & Beauty*.

Live translation by Ustadh Yahya Rhodus.

The video player above is an interactive video (place your cursor over the dots in the timeline). Add text comments, video comments, tags and share the video with your friends and family.

More videos here: http://www.yale.edu/divinity/video/commonword/video.shtml

Also available: a video with Shaykh Abdul Hakim Murad Winter

* Published by Zaytuna Institute, co-edited by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf and Imam Zaid Shakir