Al-Rahmah Raises $150K In Support of Higher Learning

On Saturday evening, November 7, 2015, the Al-Rahmah Qur'an Academy hosted a “Night of Divine Inspiration” to raise funds for its Qur'an memorization program and Islamic Seminary. 
 
About 100 students are memorizing the Qur'an in academy, one of the educational programs of the Islamic Society of Baltimore. Over 100 students have already memorized the entire Qur'an through the Al-Rahmah Qur'an Academy which opened in 1999 with one student and one teacher in Qari Muhammad Zahid. Several graduates are currently enrolled in the advanced recitation program – “ashara qiraa” or 10 ways of recitation – under the supervision of Qari Muhammad Abid. Among the graduates who have memorized the entire Qur'an are over 30 girls.
 
Several students, including a 9-year old girl – treated attendees to beautiful recitation. One student from the advanced recitation program recited in two different styles – warsh and soosi – which are rarely heard in most masajid in America.
 
Amjad Mian, the chair of the Qur'an Academy board,  reminded attendees how far the Islamic Society of Baltimore has come since it was incorporated in 1969. “Some of [our over 100 graduates] are internationally known like Fatih [Seferagic] … some of the female graduates got married, moved [to other parts of the country], started families, and then opened Qur'an schools where they live. Today we need more rooms to accommodate our students, we need a library, and we are adding faculty,” said Mian.
 
Shaykh Yaseen Shaikh, the ISB resident scholar and head of the Al-Rahmah Seminary, spoke of the goals and vision of the higher institute of Islamic learning. Besides the ultimate goal of developing an Islamic university which produces Islamic scholars, the Al-Rahmah Seminary also runs all the religious activities at ISB, including lectures and family counseling.
 
“Embarking on understanding the meanings of the Qur'an is the natural progression after memorizing the Qur'an [in the Al-Rahmah Hifz program], and this is the six-year Al-Rahmah Seminary program,” explained Shaykh Yaseen, who was educated at institutions of higher Islamic learning in the United Kingdom.  The Al-Rahmah Seminary has about 20 students ranging in age from teenage graduates of the Qur'an memorization program to working adults. During the first two years of the seminary students earn a diploma in Islamic studies and the Arabic language. An additional four years of study are required for the bachelors degree.  Four students were presented with their two-year diplomas at the Night of Divine Inspiration fundraising dinner.
 
“We are combining the classical way of Islamic learning with a contemporary outlook …. until we produce our own home grown scholars, it will be difficult to provide solutions to our 21st century challenges,” said Shaykh Yaseen. Recently he took two of the Al-Rahmah Seminary students to represent Islam at an interfaith conference in Texas. He said the attendees were very impressed with the knowledge and demeanor of the students. “These [conferences] are the arenas where we need our graduates to operate,” said Shaykh Yaseen. “What drove us out of our homes tonight is our love for the Book of Allah … and our commitment to its learning and propagation. As the ummah with the final revelation, we have an enormous task ....the Prophet Sallallahu 'alyhi wa sallalm raised experts in the Qur'an among the companions. When we as an ummah return to the Qura'an – its meanings and implementation – we will see success. Our mission here is to reconnect people to the Qur'an,” he said.
 
Texas Imam and lecturer Monzer Taleb conducted the fundraising, and attendees responded with over $150,000 in cash and pledges in support of the Al-Rahmah Qur'an Academy and Seminary.  Qur'an reciter Shaykh Ismet Akcin also took part in the program, closing the evening with beautiful recitation from the Book of Allah.  To learn more about the Al-Rahmah Qur'an Academy and Al-Rahmah Seminary, visit www.alrahmahquranacademy.org .