Register for courses below. Priority registration ends January 15.
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U.S. History is a requirement for high school graduation in just about every U.S. state. However, it is often presented from a perspective that embraces outdated paradigms, diminishes the contributions of Muslims and non-White peoples, glorifies war, and focuses upon the contributions of the elite rather than the people of America themselves.
An Islamic perspective on U.S. history is largely absent from our schools, even in so-called Islamic schools. Dar al-Afia’s U.S. History courses will adopt such an approach. By the end of this 15-week course, students will be prepared to take the CLEP examination in U.S. History II, allowing them to secure university credit for the course at most U.S. tertiary institutions. What’s more, the course will use Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States and various academic monographs to explore alternative perspectives on U.S. history and the role of Muslims and non-White people’s in the shaping of this nation.
Those students wishing to claim credit for a year of high school U.S. History will need to take both of our U.S History courses.
Duration: 15 Weeks | Meetings: Twice per week | Start Date: January 10, 2022| Register here
World History is a requirement for high school graduation in just about every U.S. state. However, it is often presented from a perspective that embraces outdated paradigms, diminishes the contributions of Muslims and non-White peoples, glorifies war, and often has an atheistic approach to events and the motivations of people.
An Islamic perspective on world history is largely absent from our schools, even in so-called Islamic schools. Dar al-Afia’s World History course will adopt such an approach. In sha’ Allah this 30-week course will use online course materials in combination with various selections from academic monographs to explore alternative perspectives on world history and the role of Muslims and non-White people’s in the shaping of the world as we know it.
Duration: 30 Weeks | Meetings: Twice per week | Start Date: September 1 | Register here
Biology is a requirement for graduation in most U.S. states, and knowledge of living systems is essential for myriad pursuits in scientific knowledge. Imam al-Ghazali state that spiritual aspirants should possess two types of knowledge: fiqh and medicine. Biology is a precursor to the second; however, it is often taught in schools without regard for the wonders of creation, evidence of a Creator, and the limitations of the natural sciences.
Dar al-Afia’s Biology course aims to redress these deficiencies while preparing students for the CLEP in the subject, which can provide students with university credit for the course at most tertiary institutions. The 17-week course will not only address the components of the College Board’s examination in weekly online modules and twice-weekly live sessions but will also explore deeper scientific concepts with regular analysis of articles by top minds in the field and in the philosophy of science.
Duration: 30 weeks| Meetings: Twice per week | Start Date: September 1| Register here
U.S. History is a requirement for high school graduation in just about every U.S. state. However, it is often presented from a perspective that embraces outdated paradigms, diminishes the contributions of Muslims and non-White peoples, glorifies war, and focuses upon the contributions of the elite rather than the people of America themselves.
An Islamic perspective on U.S. history is largely absent from our schools, even in so-called Islamic schools. Dar al-Afia’s U.S. History courses will adopt such an approach. By the end of this 15-week course, students will be prepared to take the CLEP examination in U.S. History I, allowing them to secure university credit for the course at most U.S. tertiary institutions. What’s more, the course will use Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States and various academic monographs to explore alternative perspectives on U.S. history and the role of Muslims and non-White people’s in the shaping of this nation.
Duration: 15 Weeks | Meetings: Twice per week | Start Date: August 16 | Register here
This course is intended for students 13 – 18 years old and for younger students who have reached the age of legal responsibility in Islam.
Numerous parents have requested that we offer a course covering the essentials of Islam, and this course aims to fulfill just such a need. Beginning with Dr. Asad Tarsin’s Being Muslim and Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi’s Man and the Universe as core texts, this FREE course will introduce students to the core beliefs of Islam, the fiqh of purification and worship, the science of Ihsan, and place of humankind and believers in the modern world. Classes will continue indefinitely in sha’ Allah, covering different books as we progress. Enrollment, therefore, will be on-going in sha’ Allah.
Classes will meet two evenings per week. The class will take a traditional format with all reading conducted in class; however, students wishing to excel will want to read prior to class. No outside assignments will be required. The course will be taught by Ustadh Yahya Addison
Meetings: Tuesday and Thursday evenings | Start Date: In progress – join any time | Register here
This small group setting with a maximum of 8 students is designed to help older struggling readers (ages 8 – 16) develop the skill with confidence. Our instructor, Ustadha Enrica Sow, is an Orton-Gillingham trained reading teacher with over 20 years of classroom experience in the U.S., Mauritania, Qatar, and the U.A.E. She has helped countless students overcome struggles in reading due to poor confidence and/or learning disabilities.
This class has been cancelled. Please contact us at info@daralafia.com so that we can discuss options to support your struggling reader.
The Elementary English Reading and Composition (8 – 10 Years) class will focus on an engaging, age-appropriate book list coupled with complimentary development of skills in composition.
The goal here is to have a of broad selection of genres and perspectives to be explored with a practicing Muslim educator as a guide. Children will learn (إن شاء الله) to grapple with the meaning and messages of texts and to judge what we can learn and what we should leave from texts written by non-Muslims. Discussions and assignments will ask students to relate what they are reading to the principles and practice of our faith; whether the texts explicitly reference Islamic themes, express values commonly held by Muslims and non-Muslims alike, or make statements or implications which run counter to our traditions and values.
Duration: 30 Weeks | Meetings: 3 per week | Start Date: September 1 | Register here
Struggling with how to introduce your child to numeracy and math? Then this course is for you! Students in Beginner’s Math will learn myriad numerical concepts and introductory mathematical operations, such as addition and subtraction, in an Islamic online environment with a Muslim instructor. Our instructor, Enrica Sow, is trained as a Montessori and International Baccalaureate PYP educator with over 20 year of classroom experience in the U.S., Mauritania, Qatar, and the U.A.E . Our interactive classes will have a maximum of 15 students.
Duration: 17 weeks | Meetings: 3 per week | Start Date: January 18 | Register here
Teaching a child to read is one of the most difficult tasks faced by homeschooling parents but one of the most essential. Starting November 16, Dar al-Afia will offer a 17-week course aimed at getting young children started with reading. Our instructor, Ustadha Enrica Sow, is trained as a Montessori, Orton-Gillingham, and International Baccalaureate PYP educator with over 20 years of classroom experience in the U.S., Mauritania, Qatar, and the U.A.E.
In this class, students will learn phonetic pronunciation of words along with reading comprehension in an Islamic setting with a Muslim instructor. Elementary writing will also be introduced (إن شاء الله). The course is designed for students ages 5 -7 and will meet three times per week.
Duration: 17 weeks | Meetings: 3 per week | Start date: January 8 | Register here
10 – 12 years. Imam Haddad’s classic work, The Lives of Man, based on the Qu’ran and Hadith, explains that every human being passes through several “lives:” before conception, life in the world, life in the grave, the Resurrection, and finally, the Garden of the Fire. A complete Muslim must be aware of each of these if he is to be sufficiently prepared for eternal life.
What happens after Death? Who are “Munkar and Nakir?” What will Heaven and Hell be like? What signs should we expect before the day of Judgement? Who is the Dajjal? When will the Mahdi appear?
These and many other questions are answered, on the basis of the Qu’ran and Hadith, in this fascinating book. Imam al-Haddad explains that every human being passes through the “lives:” before conception, life in the world, life in the grave, the Resurrection, and finally, the Garden of the Fire. A complete Muslim must be aware of each of these if he is to be sufficiently prepared for eternal life.
This class adapts the classic text for a younger audience and couples study with adaptations from Mufti Taqi Usmani’s Easy Good Deeds to provide practical application that can help us to achieve the highest benefit in the final life of man.
Duration: 4 Weeks / Meetings: 2 per Week / Start Date: December 15
In this course, designed for adolescents and young adults between 13 and 18 years of age, the instructor will guide students through Dr. Jordan Peterson’s well known work, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos. The text provides young people with a common-sense guide to responsible adulthood, upright character, hard work, and success. Much of what Peterson argues, in an eloquent and engaging manner, is wholly compatible with Islam and hearkens back to our most treasured values. Still, 12 Rules for Life, remains the work of a non-Muslim, and a key component of the course is to aid students in developing the skills necessary to benefit from such texts by looking at them through an the lens of an Islamic worldview, recognizing the truth therein and casting aside that which is incompatible with our faith.
Duration: 4 weeks / Meetings: 2 per Week / Start Date: December 15
The primacy of Arabic in acquiring Islamic knowledge cannot be understated. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stated that “Whosoever speaks Arabic is an Arab” in reference to Bilal ibn Rabah, Salman al-Farsi, and Suhaib al-Rumi (may Allah be well pleased with them). Depending on translations for our relationship with the Qur’an, Sunnah, and our scholarly tradition should be perceived as a deficiency for those of us with the fortunate possession of the resources and mental faculties required to learn Arabic. Not only does learning Arabic remove a crutch in accessing knowledge, it draws us nearer to God through our sincere efforts for His sake and in giving us an intimacy, from which we would not otherwise benefit, with His names, His word, His Sacred Law, and His final prophet ﷺ.
We will be conducting a 17-week Arabic course for those students already in possession of basic Arabic pronunciation skills (e.g. those who have already studied Arabic, the Qur’an, or pronunciation texts such as Qa’idat al-Nuraniyyah). Drawing on the instructor’s years of experience as a foreign language teacher and of Arabic studies, the aim will be to complete the first half of Peter Abboud’s Elementary Modern Standard Arabic Vol. 1. From this book, some of the most well-known translators of Arabic to English had their first introduction to the language. By the course’s end, students should be able to discuss and write about common daily and academic themes and will develop a vocabulary relevant to studies in hadith, fiqh, and the Qur’an. Those who successfully complete the course can continue on to complete Volume 1 of Elementary Modern Standard Arabic in subsequent a term (إن شاء الله). The class will meet 3 days per week for 50 minutes. Students will be expected to complete approximately 15 – 30 minutes of homework for every hour of class. The class will meet evenings in sha’ Allah to allow for students in school or working to attend.
Duration: 17 Weeks / Meetings: 3 evenings per week / Start Date: January 18 / Register here
Due to the demand for this course, we are opening a separate section for the Winter – Spring term. This course is a condensed version of the full year course which began in August.
This course will be somewhat similar to that of the same name for the younger years, but the focus will be on classics of international poetry and prose. Additionally, the writing component will target skill development in literary and rhetorical analysis. As such, students who take assignments seriously will see an improvement in the skills necessary for success on AP, CLEP, and IB English examinations. As with the course for the younger years, discussions and assignments will ask students to contextualize their knowledge and analysis within an Islamic framework. The course will explore multiple examples of the following genres:
- Classic Fiction
- Biography
- Poetry
- Modern Fiction
- Speeches of American Society
This is a reading-intensive course which hopes to capitalize on the proclivity of most homeschoolers for reading. In some units, students will have a choice of texts to read rather than being obliged to read each text. In others, they may be assigned different texts as deemed suitable by the instructor. In the case of poetry and speeches, a good number of samples will be available as audio or video. By its end, students will have had exposure to a treasury of global literature quite unlike that experienced by most teens, whether homeschooled or otherwise.
Duration: 17 Weeks / Meetings: Three per Week / Start Date: January 18 | Register here
Due to demand for this course, we are opening another section beginning November 16 in sha’ Allah.
The English Reading and Composition (10 – 12 Years) class will focus on an engaging, age-appropriate book list coupled with complimentary development of skills in composition. Our preliminary list consists of the following readings, but adjustments can be made depending on the reading experience of students on the final roster.
- The Hobbit (Fantasy) by J.R.R. Tolkein
- Wonder (Realistic Fiction) by R.J. Palacio OR The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Memoir) by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
- The Giver (Dystopian Fiction) by Lois Lowry
- The Hound of the Baskervilles (Mystery) Arthur Conan Doyle
- Mansa Musa and the Empire of Mali (Historical Narrative) P. James Oliver
- Selections of Islamic Poetry
The goal here is to have a of broad selection of genres and perspectives to be explored with a practicing Muslim educator as a guide. Children will learn (إن شاء الله) to grapple with the meaning and messages of texts and to judge what we can learn and what we should leave from texts written by non-Muslims. Discussions and assignments will ask students to relate what they are reading to the principles and practice of our faith; whether the texts explicitly reference Islamic themes, express values commonly held by Muslims and non-Muslims alike, or make statements or implications which run counter to our traditions and values.
Duration: 17 Weeks | Meetings: 3 per week | Start Date: January 18 | Register here
Science, for many, is among the most vexing of subjects for homeschooling parents as well as those with children in traditional schools. For homeschoolers, it is often difficult to arrange the experimental aspects of science in a manner which contextualizes the knowledge for students and engages their interest. For homeschoolers and children in traditional schools, textbooks and teachers often challenge our Islamic beliefs and values before we’re even aware. Our science class will attempt to address both of these issues.
Our science curriculum will endeavor to engage our students in learning primarily through reading, discussion, and experimentation. Experiments will be conducted at least every two weeks in sha’ Allah. A key component of our study will explore the usefulness of science as a tool for understanding the physical world as well as its many limitations.
The Middle School Science course is currently in progress, but 6 spaces remain, and recordings are available for previous classes. Previous work can be completed for feedback, or incoming students can simply begin from where we are.
Duration: 12 weeks remaining | Meetings: 3 per week, MTW, 3:30 p.m. – 4:20 p.m. | Register here
For students enrolled in one of our 30-week courses, we are offering a unique enrollment option in self-paced courses through ALEKS and Study.com.
ALEKS offers mathematics courses from 3rd grade through Calculus and is ideal for struggling math students or parents at a loss regarding how to approach the subject. The platform uses student performance to measure understanding and adjust instruction according to assessment until the student has mastered a topic. I have seen students close years of gaps in months using only this program with minimal parental input. Others have accelerated their learning to leap ahead in their math learning. It is truly a tranformative program.
Study.com holds a treasure of self-paced academic courses with over 10,000 streaming lessons from Pre-K to University, covering the entire span of academic subjects. Courses are prepared by experienced teachers and professors and utilize video content, text, formative assessments, and summative assessments as students progress through the material.
Enrollment is for a period of 12 months, and students can complete as many subjects as they like during that period. The enrollment fee for 12 months of self-paced Mathematics via ALEKS and unlimited access to the course offerings on Study.com is $175. Together, a monthly subscription to these sites would cost over $750 for one student over the same period if you were to sign up individually. Avail of our discount and save over 75%.