Course FAQS
Course FAQS
Q. What courses do you offer, and how often are they conducted?
A. We offer a wide range of courses on a regular basis throughout the year. For details, click on the discipline that you’re interested in.
Q. I would like to recommend a course that you do not currently offer. Who do I contact?
A. We always welcome student feedback and recommendations. E-mail support@Cordobaacademy.com.
Q. How can I get a copy of the materials that are used in the course?
A. All materials for the course will be provided to the students through the email they provided upon receipt of course fees and admission. Some of the materials can be downloaded from the Library.
Q. What is the definition of ‘part of a course’?
A Courses or texts can sometimes be quite lengthy so we split them into parts. Part one may cover a third of the text or ten chapters. Part two the next third and so on.
Q. Why are texts divided into parts and not taught altogether?
A. This is done for many reasons, mainly to make it easier on the students. Some longer texts require commitment over a year or two, due to the part-time nature of study. If a student has to leave a course for some reason, he or she can continue from that point instead of having to wait another year for the course to be run again.
Q. I studied the first part of a course but was unable to make the second part. What can I do?
A. You should register your interest in studying the second part by e-mailing registration@CordobaAcademy.com, and we will inform you when the course is offered again.
Q. Is there a limit to the number of courses a student can study at one time?
A. No. Students may enrol in as many courses as they are capable of dedicating time to. However, the Academy reserves the right to limit admission to courses if they find the student is not fully committed.
Q. Is there a particular period for the semesters?
A. There is no form of seasonal semester as is common at modern universities; rather the education is a continuous process at the hand of the scholars.
Q. What is an Ijazah? As I see this word used frequently on the website?
A. For an in-depth definition of Ijazah, please read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ijazah
Q. During the course I missed a few of the ahadith or text. Will this affect my Ijazah? If so, how can I make up for what I missed?
A. Yes, this will affect your Ijazah since every Ijazah mentions the length of the text that you covered. This does not mean that you do not possess an Ijazah; it only means that you did not get a full Ijazah covering the whole text. You can make up for this by covering the text with the scholar in one of two ways: 1) wait for the next course that is scheduled and study it (at no charge if places available), or 2) schedule a private session with the scholar concerned (which may incur a fee).
Q. Why are scholars so strict when awarding Ijazahs - to the extent that if I miss a single hadith, it is noted?
A. The Ijazah Sanad (chain of transmission) system depends on the trust of the narrators. If the scholars were lax in awarding the Ijazah, this would have an adverse chain reaction effect, resulting in the accreditation of people in the future who were incapable of bearing this trust. This would ultimately lead to the ruining of the Sanad, one of the salient features of authentic transmission and inheritance of sacred knowledge in Islam.
Q. Why is it not possible to listen to the parts I missed through the recorded lesson?
A. Due to the nature of most classes and the requirements of earning an Ijazah, you are required to study at the hands of a scholar.
Q. Are the classes pre-recorded or in real-time (since other institutes offer recorded lectures)?
A. All classes are conducted in real-time and interactively. We have found that due to many factors, this is the most effective method of imparting knowledge.
Q. If I have a question related to the text that I am studying, will I be able to ask the scholar?
A. All students are requested to hold their questions until the Question & Answer session at the end of the class, so that the flow and continuity of the class is not disrupted by constant stoppages.
Q. Do you offer courses on an individual student-to-scholar basis?
A. If you are a highly motivated student and prefer to undergo personal study with the scholars, this may be possible, depending on the availability of the scholar. Email registration@Cordobaacademy.com with your query.
Q. We are a small study-group that would like to join a course that you are not scheduled to teach for a few months. Can we request to study this before the planned date?
A. You may inform the registrar of your desire to study the course, by e-mailing registration@CordobaAcademy.com. If the scholar is available, we can arrange for the date to be brought forward.
Q. Are there any exams?
A. Assessment of the students is usually conducted on a continuous basis throughout the course and is based on the following factors: Attendance, homework, class participation, attitude and understanding.
Q. How long will it take to finish my studies?
A. The sacred sciences are as wide as the skies and as deep as the seas. No one can expect to ‘finish’ as such. Striving on the path of knowledge is a lifelong mission, and this is best exemplified by the words of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal when some students saw him walking in old age with his ink pot and asked him why he was carrying it even though he was so learned. He famously said:
مع المحبرة إلى المقبرة “With the inkpot into the grave”
However, on the path of knowledge, you will achieve various milestones and every time you complete a text and understand it, you will have inherited the sacred knowledge in that field and with it you will earn yourself recognition in the form of an Ijazah connecting you to the specialists in that science.
Q. What does Cordoba Academy offer students upon completion of the sacred text?
A. Students who complete the text satisfactorily will receive a full Ijazah with Sanad (Chain of transmission) going back to the author of the book. If the completed text is a book of Hadith or the Quran, this Sanad will go back to the Prophet Mohammed (Salalahu alayhi wa salam). Students who consistently achieve above average results over the course of their studies will be awarded prizes ranging from complimentary and discounted courses to paid Umrah accommodation in a five-star hotel. Those students who are frequently late, or who otherwise display a lack of commitment, will only receive a certificate of attendance.
Arguably the most indispensable collection of Hadith related to the Prophet’s (salalahu alayhi wa salam) blessed biography. It was compiled by the eminent Muhaddith, Imam al-Tirmidhi less than 3 centuries after the passing away of the Prophet Mohammed (salalahu alayhi wa salam).
This is the fundamental primer in the Science of Mustalah al-Hadith (Hadith Classification) having been authored by arguably the foremost authority in Mustalah al-Hadith, the illustrious al-Hafidh Ibn Hajr al-Asqalaani (RA)
The Muwatta of Imam Malik is a collection of over 1900 Prophetic sayings (ahadith) as well as the legal standpoints of his companions (Sahabah), their students (Tabi'een) and practices of the Madinan People.