ISLAMIC ONLINE UNIVERSITY

Anyone...Anywhere...Anytime...

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ISLAMIC STUDIES

WWW.ISLAMICONLINEUNIVERSITY.COM
 TABLE OF
Dean’s Message
CONTENTS “Salaam alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.
It is my great pleasure to welcome you Islamically to
the Islamic Online University’s learning experience in
which the various gates of divinely-revealed knowledge
have been thrown open for you. This opportunity has
Dean’s Message .............................................................................................. 03 been made possible by the ‘accidental’ invention of
About Islamic Online University........................................................................ the Internet, a human creation resulting from divine
04
intervention.
Founder ........................................................................................................... 05
At a time when Islamic teachings are caught between
The Mission ..................................................................................................... 06 fossilization and revival, hijacked by modernism and extremism, a chance to
The Method ..................................................................................................... 08 promote true Islam in its original unadulterated form was born. Allahu Akbar
— surely this is a mercy from Allah.
Advisory Committee ........................................................................................ 10 I sincerely hope that you will take full advantage of this unique opportunity to
Instructors ....................................................................................................... please God by deeply understanding the major disciplines of Islamic academic
11
study, applying whatever you learn in your lives, and by sharing this divine
Curriculum ....................................................................................................... 12 legacy with the world around you.”
Enrollment & Fees ........................................................................................... 16 Dr. Bilal Philips
Frequent Asked Questions .............................................................................. 17 Founder & Dean

Accreditation .................................................................................................... 19

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 ABOUT ISLAMIC ONLINE
UNIVERSITY
The Islamic Online University (IOU) is
the brainchild of Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal
Philips who envisioned an institution
of learning that would offer online
intensive diploma, undergraduate, and
graduate courses in Islamic Studies
completely free.
The IOU was initially launched in 2000
from UAE for one year and restarted in
2007 from Qatar offering more than 22
completely free diploma short courses.
In 2007 over 1,500 students registered
in the diploma program. By the end
of 2008, over 4,500 students were
registered and 15,000 students from
over 160 different countries in 2009. And in 2010, less than 4 years since
its inception, its student body has reached over 30,000 from over 177
countries. It is also worth noting that in 2010 the Islamic University of
Madeenah, of which Dr Bilal is a graduate, celebrated its fortieth year
of operation during which it had taught 30,000 students from various
countries.
In March 2010, the IOU broke new ground by launching the world’s first
tuition-free, online Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies. This path-breaking
initiative plans utilizes the worldwide presence of the Internet and
advanced open source online learning technology to bring incredibly low-
cost, university level Islamic education within reach of virtually anyone
on the planet who has access to a computer and the Internet.
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FOUNDER
Dr. Bilal Philips – Founder and Dean
Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips is a Jamaican Canadian Islamic Scholar who
converted to Islam in the early 70’s after journeying politically and intellectually
from Christianity to Communism. Within two years after his reversion to Islam,
he embarked on a spiritual academic journey in a quest for Islamic knowledge.
This journey took him to Saudi Arabia where he completed a BA in Islamic Studies
in Madeenah, and an MA in Islamic Theology in Riyadh, then to the University of
Wales, UK, where he completed a PhD in Islamic Theology in the early 90’s.
During his MA studies, Dr. Bilal became a teacher of Islamic studies in an Islamic
high school, Minaret Al-Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and after completion of his PhD
he became a lecturer of Arabic and Islamic studies in the American University
in Dubai, UAE, for 10 years. During his time in the UAE, he founded the Islamic
Information Center in Dubai and an English Language publication department
of Dar al-Fatah Islamic Press in Sharjah. During the next 6 years, he served as
the Islamic consultant for the Islamic Information wing of Shaikh Eed Charity in
Doha, Qatar, where he founded the Islamic Studies Academy.
Dr Philips has written, translated and commented on over 50 published books
on various Islamic topics. He has also edited and published the 56-book Eemaan
reading series for children and presented Islamic programs for many years on
Riyadh Channel 2 TV, Sharjah TV, as well as more recently Peace TV, Huda TV,
Islam Channel, UK, and the Deen Show, Chicago, USA.
Dr. Bilal is also the founder and former head of the Islamic Studies Department
of Preston University (2002), Ajman, UAE; the founder and former head of the
Islamic Studies Academy (2007), Doha, Qatar; the founder and former head of
the English-medium Islamic Studies Department of Knowledge International
University (2008), Riyadh, and the founder and supervising director of Preston
International College [2009] (www.prestonchennai.ac.in) and Al-Fajr International
School (www.alfajrinternational. com), Chennai, India.
Currently Dr. Philips is founder and head of the College of Da’wah and Islamic
Culture (English Section 2009), Omdurman Islamic University, Sudan, and also
founder and dean of the Islamic Online University (www.islamiconlineuniversity.
com) offering in 2010 free Islamic courses to over 30,000 registered students
from over 177 different countries worldwide.
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 THE MISSION Community
No student will be prevented from studying at the Islamic Online University,
regardless of his or her religious, ethnic or social background. The IOU affirms
“Making authentic Islamic knowledge readily available to that its doors will remain open for all, irrespective of the artificial borders
the world through the medium of the Internet solely for erected in the real world. It has already spawned, in less than four years, a
God’s pleasure is a noble goal and a dignified mission worthy
global community of over 30,000 students seeking Islamic knowledge from over
of sacrificing one’s energies and means for.” - Dr. Bilal Philips
177 countries and sharing their knowledge and concerns in supervised student
forums. Furthermore, the members of IOU’s teaching staff come from all corners
The Islamic Online University aims to grant global
of the globe. God said: “Cooperate with each other in righteousness and piety…”
access to quality undergraduate, graduate and
(5:2)
postgraduate level Islamic educational programs
for students at virtually no cost. Its mission is to be a
Islamic ethics
catalyst for change in the Global Muslim nation (the
It is the fundamental belief of the Islamic Online University that the bond
Ummah) in order to facilitate Islam’s contribution
between the teacher and student is a sacred one. Therefore, the Muslim
to the progress of human civilization through appropriate education.
teacher and student must be essentially different from teachers and students
who merely happen to be Muslim. The Last Prophet stated that “the world and
The knowledge-related principles upon which the IOU is based are:
its contents are cursed except the remembrance of Allah and means to do so,
the teacher and the student.” Thus, the IOU expects all its students, teaching
Authenticity
staff, administrators and volunteers to function as Muslims first and foremost
The foundation of the information conveyed in IOU is Divinely Revealed
in their respective positions and fields. Doing so will foster and maintain the
knowledge as found in the Qur’aan and the Sunnah (Prophetic Explanations).
highest standards of personal integrity, honesty and responsibility, as Prophet
God said: “Indeed it is only the knowledgeable among His servants who truly
Muhammad said: “Indeed, Allah loves from each of you that you work according
fear Allah.” (35:28) Prophet Muhammad said: “Seeking knowledge is obligatory
to the best of your ability.”
on every Muslim.”

Accessibility Quality and Application

The Islamic Online University provides a golden opportunity for people to The Islamic Online University is committed to providing a top quality online
access Islamic courses wherever they may be and whenever they wish, without academic experience, suitable in its scope and depth to convey authentic and
having to travel overseas or even leave the confines of their homes. Its goal is practical Islamic knowledge, while at the same time enabling its students to
to be “for anyone, in any place, at any time”. The Last Prophet said: “If anyone face the contemporary challenges of their era. IOU will assess and re-evaluate
travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one every aspect of its Islamic academic model on an ongoing basis and will not only
of the roads to Paradise.” encourage its students to study diligently, but also emphasize that they must
strive their utmost to put the knowledge gained into practice. The Last Prophet
Affordability said, “The best of you is one who learns the Qur’aan and teaches it to others.” He
The IOU demonstrates its firm commitment to spreading authentic Islamic also said, “The best of you is the one most beneficial to people.”
knowledge by progressing from absolutely free certificate and diploma level
Islamic courses to a tuition-free BA in Islamic Studies (BAIS), thereby making
graduate Islamic education easily affordable to the world. Free tuition for all
students provides equal access to an education previously available to only the
few given the opportunity to attend traditional Islamic institutions of higher
learning around the world. God said: “Say: Are those who know equal to those
who do not know?” (39:9)

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 THE METHOD
The University recognizes that many of
its students may not have studied on
the Internet before. Online education
is a unique learning experience quite
different from traditional classroom-
based learning. Therefore, it has
produced a variety of demos every
step of the way and organized a user-
friendly learning environment to help
newcomers to the field of online
education.
The Last Prophet’s disciple, Ibn
Mas‘ood said, “We used to learn
It is vital that IOU students are fully
knowledge and its application together.”
prepared for its online teaching methods
and that they possess the required
Imaam Sufyaan ath-Thawree related that
level of English to effectively and
as a youth, when he first began to attend
successfully study in this environment.
formal Islamic classes, his mother advised
Consequently, IOU has developed a
him, “If you write down 10 words and
series of orientation courses that are
your faith hasn’t improved, check your
mandatory for all students as well as English courses (ENG 101 & 102) in the first
intentions.”
year to help upgrade their language skills.

The global student body learns through watching and listening to video and
audio lectures as well as reading PDF format texts with the support of well-
trained tutorial assistants. Within IOU’s online study communities, students may
share resources, exchange ideas, discuss weekly topics, submit assignments,
and take exams.

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 ADVISORY COMMIT TEE INSTRUCTORS
Dr. Bilal Philips Sheikh Uthman Khan
Dr. Jafar Shaikh Idrees (Sudan), Founder of the American
Ph. D Alim (Shariah and Arabic)
Open University, Washington, USA Canada Canada

Dr. Daud Abdullah Shafiq Flynn, Masters,

Ph. D New Zealand
Dr. Abdul Hakim Quick (Canada), Peace University, South United Kingdom
Africa

Dr. James Jones, Abu Musa Imran, MSc,

D.Min United Kingdom
USA
Dr. James Jones (USA), Chair of World Religions,
Manhattanville College, USA

Dr. Muhammad Anwar Sahib M. Abdussalam Mohmed

Ph .D Ghouse - Masters
New Zealand India
Dr. Khalifah Al-Tamimi (Saudi Arabia), Founder and
Chancellor of Madeenah International University,
Madeenah
Imtiyaz Damiel
Altijani Hussin, Masters
Masters
Sudan/USA
Dr. Saad Al-Shithri (Saudi Arabia), Founder of Knowledge International United Kingdom
University, Riyadh
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Nu’aimi (Qatar), Former Chancellor of Qatar University Dr. Aisha Hamdan
Ph. D
Riaz Ansary USA
Ph .D
Rasheedah Abdul Hakeem
USA
Masters
USA

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 CURRICULUM YEAR 3

2010-2010 COURSE CODE

SEMESTER V
DESCRIPTION COURSE CODE
SEMESTER VI
DESCRIPTION
TAF 201 Tafseer III (Soorah Yaaseen) TAF 202 Tafseer IV (Soorah al-Kahf)
AQD 301 Aqeedah V (Comparative I) AQD 302 Aqeedah VI (Comparative II)
YEAR 1 FQH 301 Fiqh V (Usool al-Fiqh) FQH 302 Fiqh VI (Maxims & Maqaasid)
SEMESTER I SEMESTER II BSA 101 Islamic Management HAD 201 Hadeeth III (Forty Hadeeths)
COURSE CODE DESCRIPTION COURSE CODE DESCRIPTION DHD 101 Da’wah & Du’aat RMY 101 Research Methodology
ARB 301 Arabic V (Grammar IV) ARB 302 Arabic VI (Grammar V)
TAJ 101 Tajweed I TAJ 102 Tajweed I
ELECTIVE ELECTIVE
AQD 101 Aqeedah I (Ibaadah) AQD 102 Aqeedah II (Asmaa & Sifaat)
FQH 101 Fiqh I (Math’habs) FQH 102 Fiqh II (Ibaadaat)
ARB 101 Arabic I (Reading & Writing) ARB 102 Arabic II (Grammar I) YEAR 4
CMP 101 Computer Studies SER 101 Seerah I (Prophetic Biography)
ENG 101 English I ENG 102 English II SEMESTER VII SEMESTER VIII
COURSE CODE DESCRIPTION COURSE CODE DESCRIPTION
HST 101 Islamic History I DHD 102 Contemporary Da’wah Movements
AQD 401 AqeedahVII(Angels,Jinn&Humans) HST 102 Islamic History II
YEAR 2 FQH 401 Fiqh VII (Inheritance) FQH 402 Fiqh VIII (Human Rights)
HAD 202 Hadeeth IV (Forty Hadeeths) CVN 1O1 Islamic Civilization I
SEMESTER III SEMESTER IV
ECM 101 Islamic Economics I EDU 101 Teaching Methodology
COURSE CODE DESCRIPTION COURSE CODE DESCRIPTION
ARB 401 Arabic V II (Grammar VI) ARB 402 Arabic V III (Grammar V II)
TAF 101 Tafseer I: Uloom al-Quraan TAF 102 Tafseer II (Quranic Metahphors) ELECTIVE THS 400 BA Thesis
AQD 201 Aqeedah III (Tahaawiyyah) AQD 202 Aqeedah IV (Heresiology)
FQH 201 Fiqh III (Mu’aamalaat I) FQH 202 Fiqh IV (Mu’aamalaat II)
HAD 101 Hadeeth I: Terminology HAD 102 Hadeeth II (Forty Hadeeths)
SER 102 Seerah II (Prophetic Biography) PSY 101 Islamic Psychology
ARB 201 Arabic III (Grammar II) ARB 202 Arabic IV (Grammar III)
ELECTIVE ELECTIVE

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From the second year onwards, students must choose to do an additional 5 subjects
(electives) - one per semester - depending on the type of degree they wish to get, or he/
COURSE CODE ISLAMIC BANKING & ECONOMICS COURSE CODE EDUCATION
she may do all five electives together at the end of the basic BAIS course and do them as
an additional semester along with the BA thesis. Principles of Economics
ECM 102 EDU 102 Child Psychology
IOU Degrees Offered: (Macro & Micro)
ECM 201 Money and Banking EDU 201 Subject Knowledge (Pedagogy)
1. BA with a Major in a particular field consisting of 54 courses: An additional course per ECM 202 Accounting EDU 202 Managing Children
semester will be required from the electives depending on the Major the student wants ECM 301 Financial Management EDU 301 Professional Development
his/her degree to be in, from the second year onwards. E.g., BAIS, Major in Aqeedah,
BSA 301 Intro to Business Administration EDU 302 Differentiated Instruction
means that all his/her electives are from the Aqeedah group of elective courses.

2. Standard BAIS consisting of 54 courses: If the student does not want to specialize in COURSE CODE BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION COURSE CODE HISTORY
a particular area, but wishes to get a normal BAIS, he/she may choose the electives from BSA 102 Human Resources CVN 102 Modern Middle-Eastern History
any of the Major areas they wish. BSA 201 Marketing Communications CVN 201 The Ottomans
BSA 202 Marketing Research & Sales CVN 202 Muslim Spain
BSA 301 Intro to Business Administration CVN 301 Cordova
ELECTIVES (FOR MAJORS) Muslim Contributions to
ECM 202 Accounting CVN 302
Civilization
COURSE CODE AQEEDAH COURSE CODE TAFSIR
AQD 501 Aqeedah VIII (Sufism) TAF 301 Tafseer (Subjective: Jesus)
COURSE CODE DA’WAH COURSE CODE TAJWEED
Tafseer (Subjective:
AQD 502 Aqeedah IX (Shi’ism) TAF 302 DHD 201 Modern Da’wah Institutions TAJ 201 Tajweed III (Intermediate I)
Satan)
Tafseer (Subjective: DHD 202 Mass Media & Communications TAJ 202 Tajweed IV (Intermediate II)
AQD 503 Aqeedah X (Usool al-Bid’ah) TAF 401 DHD 301 Orientalism TAJ 301 Tajweed V (Advanced I)
Adam)
AQD 504 Aqeedah XI (Sahaabah) TAF 402 Tafseer (Soorah al-Mulk) DHD 302 Muslim Minorities TAJ 302 Tajweed VI (Advanced II)
AQD 505 Aqeedah XII (Tawassul) TAF 501 Tafseer (Soorah an-Noor) DHD 401 Practicum TAJ 401 Tajweed VII (Graduate)

COURSE CODE HADEETH COURSE CODE SHAREE’AH

Hadeeth V (Islamic
HAD 301 FQH 501 Human Rights
Excellence I)
Hadeeth VI (Islamic
HAD 302 FQH 502 Maqaasid
Excellence II)
Hadeeth VII (Islamic
HAD 401 FQH 503 International Relations
Excellence III)
HAD 402 Hadeeth IX (Takhreej) FQH 504 Sharee’ah Governance
Qadaa, Hisbah &
HAD 501 Hadeeth X Books of Hadeeth FQH 505
Mathaalim

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 ENROLLMENT & FEES
The Islamic Online University is a tuition-free institution that does not
charge students to take classes. Audio and video recordings of lectures
and reading materials are available online free of charge.
For BA students there are two areas which require modest fees,
enrolment and exam processing. The fees are on a sliding scale based on
UNESCO’s categorization of living standards in the students’ country of
residence:
Semester Enrolment Fee:
Enrolment for every semester has a registration fee which ranges from
US$10 to $50 based on the students’ country of residence, not origin.
Exam Processing Fee:
The semester’s courses end with comprehensive externally supervised
examinations for which students must pay a flat fee, regardless of the
number of subjects taken and based on the same UNESCO categorization’s
sliding scale.
Therefore the cost of an Islamic Online University BA degree will be
only a fraction of the cost of comparable degrees from other public and
private universities, even for students who live in countries with very
low standards of living. The IOU BA degree cost, according to current
fee rates, will vary from $160 for Africans to $800 for Americans. In the
Sudan, for example, a 4 year BA degree costs approximately $4,400 for
foreign students and $2,200 for locals, while in India the 3 year BA costs
approximately $1,200 for locals and $2,000 for foreigners.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Where is the Islamic Online
University based?
Although our head office is in
Qatar, the Islamic Online University
is accessible anywhere a computer
and Internet connection exists and
its administrative and academic
staff live all around the world.
Where does the study take place?
Islamic Online University classes take place wherever you are! Because study
is completely online, people can learn wherever an Internet connection is
available. To ensure that even those with slow Internet connections can fully
participate, the IOU has provided audio and video lectures which may be
played online or downloaded.
How does full-time and part-time study work at the IOU?
An IOU semester usually has 6 courses and lasts for a total of around 5 months.
Each course consists of 2 recorded lectures and one live lecture per week. Full-
time students are expected to devote at least 3 hours per week per subject - or
preferably 4 hours, in which they will listen and or read the lecture materials,
take the lecture quiz and prepare class assignments. This translates into
between 18-24 hours per week of study. Part-time students taking half of the
full load of 6 courses (i.e. 3 classes) would need to spend half of that (i.e. 9-12
hours).
The BAIS degree is a four year degree which may be completed in a minimum
of 3 years (if students take more than a full course load) and a maximum of
8 years. Within that period, students may study at their own pace and time,
with the exception of live sessions which must be attended when offered. The
recorded sessions which comprise the bulk of the study material are available
24/7. Thus, the student may study whenever he or she is free and students
may even take breaks during lectures!
Live sessions are conducted weekly or bi weekly on Fri, Sat and Sun at two
different times (morning and evening) and students may join whichever
session suits them. Grades are assigned for class participation in live sessions
accounting for 5% of the total grades, with the exception of Tajweed in which
it counts for 30%.
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 The BA course offered by IOU was designed to
accommodate a wide range of study schedules.
However, there are some deadlines that must
be met. For example, mid-term and final exam
dates, add and drop course dates and assignment
submission dates.
How do I take exams?
Class quizzes and mid-term examinations are
done online from the comfort of the student’s home. However, all final
exams are administered online at IOU designated examination centers
across the globe. IOU will appoint centers in every city that has even
one student, if they exist and are suitable. Students are required to pay
associated fees to the center. IOU will charge a modest examination fee
of $10 or more per semester (according to a sliding scale based on the
UNESCO economic categorization of nations). This is a flat fee that will
remain the same, irrespective of whether the student is taking the exams
of 1 course or all courses of the semester.
When will enrolment begin and classes start?
Islamic Online University has two terms each year (Fall: September –
January and Spring: March – July). Registration in each semester will
continue until the end of the first month of classes. Please visit the
website for dates and deadlines.
If my transcripts are not in English, will you still accept them?
Any non-English transcripts of the high school Certificate must be fully
translated into English and authorized by a notary public or any other
attesting body. You must also send an authorized notary copy of the
original attested transcript with the translated copy. The copy of the
translated notarized copy should be uploaded during online registration
procedures.
ACCREDITATION
Wisdom International School for
Higher Education Studies (WISHES)
Wisdom International School for Higher Education
Studies (WISHES) – an accredited
institution of higher learning recognized by the
Philippine government through the
Commission on Higher Education, Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao (CHED‐ARMM) for
higher Islamic Studies degree programs relevant to
professional growth, well‐balanced
personality and ultimate success.
The Wisdom International School for Higher
Education Studies (WISHES) and the Islamic
Online University (IOU)) are pleased to announce
their strategic consortium by virtue of a
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between them
signed on 30th July 2010. They have
agreed to embark on a strategic alliance to provide
curricular programs designed to promote
core competence and excellence in authentic
Islamic education and other disciplines from the
Islamic perspective.
WISHES is also enlisted in UNESCO as a recognized
accredited university of the Philippines.
WISHES will award BAIS degree certificates to IOU
students who complete all the
requirements mandated by Philippine laws. They
will also secure from the Commission on
Higher Education, Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao(CHED‐ARMM) documentation of
degree authentication, namely the Special Order
(SO) and the Certificate of Authentication
and Verification (CAV).

IOU will be responsible for online teaching of all

students covered under the MOA.

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Islamic Online University
Admissions: Registrar@islamiconlineuniversity.com
Office of Admissions
Sponsorships: Asst.Dean@islamiconlineuniversity.com
P.O. Box 3955
General Enquiry: Registrar@islamiconlineuniversity.com
Doha, Qatar