How a Small Institute is Affecting How People See Technology, Education, and Life

The Idea

Shaikh Isam Rajab wanted to change the way students were being educated currently in the West.  Most of us who have grown up here and interested in the religion had few options in Islamic education.  Alhamdulillah, over the years there were advancements made in this endeavor by all those who, may Allah reward them, strove to make a higher level of ‘ilm available to us without having to go overseas.  The groundbreaking work of the American Open University cannot be downplayed.  The university offered the first readily accessible way to educate oneself beyond being self-taught.  They collaborated with professors from around the country in various locations to create a distance program which offered direction and finally some guidance from mentors.  AlMaghrib Institute created massive waves when offering an exciting new way to get even more real instruction from shuyookh and students of knowledge- by offering double-weekend intensive seminars, they gave an even more real face to the effort at acquiring knowledge by bringing the instructor to the student.  Arees Institute is another great endeavor to bring the light of Islam to the Muslims.

The idea which set Arees Institute apart is simple: direct instruction from a shaikh is vital to truly grasp knowledge and be trained properly for most people.  No longer is it sufficient for people to dabble in books nor take interrupted information from several different venues, it is incumbent that the student commit him/herself to live, directed study in a cohesive structure.  The program is a lot like a university course, with the student preparing the necessary readings, papers, and being evaluated through exams and interaction with the instructor.  Yet it is also quite different in that it is not something which can be taken in parts- it is a full 3 year training at one time, in order, in all the different branches of Islamic studies.  And all the while having direct access to a mentor whom one sees throughout the week further instills not just the knowledge, but many of the mannerisms that befit one seeking knowledge as well.

Shaikh Isam believed this would be the best way to start effecting change- by high quality personal training of the next generation of Islamic da’ees, imams, and scholars.  They in turn would affect their generation and the knowledge of Islam would diffuse out to the general public and raise our general Islamic literacy. 

The Mechanism

The first thing was to come up with a way for students in the real world to actually take and benefit from the classes while demanding the level of what they would cover to be higher than what was set by previous programs.  To that end, the classes are full time, yet spread out throughout a week for manageability.  One can take the classes either weekdays or weekends so that both stay-at-home mothers as well as students and professionals can benefit.
The next challenge was location.  The physical institute is located in Houston, TX.  Obviously a boon for Houstonians, yet the growing accessibility of people to connect through the internet created a chance for truly interested people from other parts of the world to be able to benefit.  Islamic Network has long believed in the principle of information with no limits, and a collaboration was born between IN and Arees (the 2 are now merged).  With some research and some ingenuity on the part of technicians, an arrangement was made to offer the classes in real time to students on the web.  This means that no longer would a person have to shrug their shoulders and say “Well, I can’t move to Denver” nor would they have to be content to simply watching tapes or catching a short program, but they could themselves attend the course at the same time as those onsite!

The Effect

Needless to say, within a short time, the establishment of Arees created a buzz, especially in the community of long-seeking students of knowledge.  Since the class sizes were limited due to personal instruction, there were actually numerous people who could not apply for admittance for the first 3-year cycle.  It is safe to say that with Arees Institute a whole new level of the standard of Islamic knowledge was achieved as well as the way people viewed how to offer classes and the often false limits that seem to confine various programs. 

The effect on the students is of course the most amazing part.  For notwithstanding the technical excitement that the program illicits, it is still the target of the small batches of personally trained students at the core which is the driving force.  Abdullah Aikens, an onsite student, says that he most appreciates the practical aspect of the training, “I hope that my peers at Arees will hold Sheikh to his word in that he hopes for us to be better than him when we finish.  With his wanting the course to be practical, I feel it is what will make Arees successful.  Also, with the sheikh preparing us to, as he would say, ‘speak to the people’, it makes Arees a place where one can inshallah move from a student of knowledge to one who can advise or move on to become a scholar.”

Olivia Kompier, an online student located in Chicago, mentions her experience as a stay-at-home mother and what she has gotten from the first semester of Arees:

When I first heard about Arees, I was interested but intimidated.  I wondered if Arees would “work” for me as a stay at home mother.  I wondered if I could handle a full-work load of classes while also taking care of my home and family.  I was also hesitant because I’m based in Chicago, and would therefore be taking the classes online.  I’d seen different formats for online classes before, all of which lacked quality and for this reason failed to hold my attention and keep me focused.

At the same time though I yearned to seek knowledge, but obviously leaving my home,
whether to go overseas or down the street, was not an option for me as I don’t have access
to a car most of the time.  And with a one year old child, sitting all day in a classroom with
other students was also not an option.  When I started contemplating Arees, I actually
realized how perfect this was for my lifestyle, alhamdulillah.  I felt so delighted that finally I
would be able to learn and study Islam, when I had for so long felt saddened that there
were no programs like this available for sisters in my community.  On top of that Arees
offered me consistency, which has changed my life immensely.  Studying Islam on a
regular basis has uplifted me and help me maintain a level that I would only achieve a few
times a year at intensive classes or conferences.

After joining Arees I was pleasantly surprised.  The quality of the online “classroom” is
outstanding, masha’Allah.  I truly feel like I’m right there with the shaikh and other
students.  And masha’Allah Shaikh Isam, who I did not know beforehand, is an excellent
teacher, may Allah increase him in ilm and blessings.  Being able to tap into his resevoir of
knowledge and take from it has been such a blessing in my life- “Arees” (the well) is such a
befitting name!

Many brothers and sisters that I know personally also started Arees, but many of them
were not able to continue the program due to personal reasons.  As I watched my friends
move away from Arees, it made me realize what a blessing it was to be part of this
program and how much more I needed to hold on to it, come what may.

Alhamdulillah I have also made many new friends at Arees, who I love dearly for the sake
of Allah.  Each student makes a unique contribution to the Arees experience, which adds
color to the classroom experience and leaves no stone unturned!  When I see the other
brothers and sisters who are in Arees with me, I feel so thankful to Allah that He has
enabled us to all embark on this journey of seeking knowledge together.  So many of us
have come together from so many different countries, ethnicities, ages, and backgrounds
for this common journey, with Shaikh Isam as the captain of our vessel.  Alhamdulillah, it
has been a beautiful voyage!

Tabish Zaidi, a working father who attends onsite mentioned how he most appreciated the effect Arees had in actually maximizing his life not only in terms of time and discipline, but in terms of understanding and applying the religion: “At the outset, I was apprehensive that I won’t be able to effectively manage the balance between work, life and family obligations. But it is amazing how streamlined my routine has become, despite the regular classes, exams and home assignments. The minutes, hours, days and weeks of my time that used to fade into oblivion (as not much was accomplished) have now been more purposefully utilized.  I can testify with truth that the practical Islamic awareness that has been gleaned through this formalized education goes far beyond the commonplace knowledge we would otherwise be limited to. After merely 1 semester of study, we have been able to logically put into conformity why we follow what we follow in Allah’s commands and worship (facilitated by evidences), practice routine obligations of Islam correctly, and witness ourselves how our hearts and actions have changed course for the better.”

The Chance

Realistically speaking, any good thing is a challenge to get.  I believe many of the students who signed up for Arees were not truly comprehending what it meant to try to be a student of knowledge with university studies, a job, and family.  For some, this was a bit overwhelming and indeed there have been several dropouts.  For most, however, it was actually a trying yet pleasant surprise, that one could be pushed to excel in ways one did not fully realize at the start.  Therefore, to allow a chance for those who so desperately wanted to join before (but could not due to limited spacing) and to make use of those seats which now have become empty, a summer session is currently being offered where one could cover the coursework for the 1st semester and continue on for the remainder of the 3 years.  The space, again, is limited, and the time to register is also short.

For more information and resources, please visit the Arees website at: www.arees.org