Bismillah Ir rahman Ir raheem Asalamualikum wa rahma tullahi wabaraka tuhu! This multiply page has been opened so as to save and share our "Muslim Sisters' Study Circle" Materials. The aim and goal of our "Muslim Sisters Study Circle - MSSC" at CCNY is to help our Muslims sisters to know Real people of knowledge of Islam, to make it easy for them to seek knowledge of Islam on the Campus from pure sources of Islam. In addition, to Crate a Band of Sisters on Campus who are upon the Saved Sect of Islam, who knows what they are upon, who speak upon Sure Knowledge such that knowledge comes before their speech and actions. Thereby they remove ignorance from themselves and from others and thus become the Spring of Knowledge and Lamp of Guidance themselves and for other sisters on the Campus, educating and Cultivating them upon sure knowledge and insight. Thus the Deen of Allah is placed over and above lowly Desire and darkness of Ignorance is removed with the permission of Allah. Then rightfully so we can say we walk upon a path that is clear, its night is like its day and no one deviates from it Except that She is destroyed. This Study group is running based on the Advice of Four Noble Students of Knowledge, Alhamdulillah and they are: Brother Zahed Rasheed - albaseerah.org Brother Shadeed Muhammad - madeenah.com Brother Mustafa Geroge - salafee.multiply.com Shaykh Saleh as Saleh - understand-islam.net Please read their response “WHICH IS BELOW…” Although the MSSC started with the idea "BookClub" and with a format of reading books, however it no longer follows that format, which it initially had. The current format of MSSC is that we listen to lectures of people of knowledge on a specific book or topic and we take notes as we listen. Afterward, we review those notes we took in Q&A format so as to make sure we are actually learning and then we take a final exam on all lessons to verify our level of learning. There are some additional works that are given out when the need arise as Homework, which is actually reading accompanying with an intensive and detailed worksheet. This is done to help the sisters pay attention to their reading and also to make sure they actually read what they were suppose to.
This MSSC has nothing to do with WII and MSO at CCNY whatsoever. We are an Independent Study Group learning our religion from main and major scholars of Islam and their students. Although we did try to have their permission and start this group study through them, however they REJECTED to help us in anyway. Therefore, we have nothing to do with them. There is neither association nor dissociation in the name of these two clubs at CCNY MSO and WII. If any sisters wants to learn their religion from main and major scholars of Islam and their students using only their books and audio, they are always welcome to join us and benefit. InshaAllah. We try to provide free audio and books that we go over for those who attend our MSSC meetings regularly. Initially we decided to use the name “Muslim Sisters Organization – MSO” for our study group. However we decided to change our study group name to “Muslim Sisters Study Circle” so as to differentiate ourselves from those two clubs in names as well so no one thinks that we have anything to do with them. If in future these two clubs MSO and WII decide to accept our study group willingly for the sake of Allah to benefit the sisters at large, we will be very happy to collaborate. Other than that, we have nothing to do with them. And finally, this MSSC started for the sake of Allah to educate and cultivate the sisters at college and getting them in touch with the real people of knowledge. All help is from Allah and He indeed has been very generous to us and aided us Greatly in starting this study group. May Our Lord, the Most High be glorified for His Infinite blessings upon us. Alhamdulillah lillahi rabbil alameen. Was-salamualikum wa rahma tullahi wabaraka tuhu Written by Supervisor of MSSC Nasrin Ath-Thuriaya As-Salafiyah http://sistersofccny.multiply.com
Response of the Four Students of Knowledge is below.
The Question to these four students of knowledge was: Is it ok to study the books of our noble scholars in a group and then go over our reading in a Question and Answer format where the Questions comes directly from the book and answer also from the text of the book. And Answers are below: Brother Zahid Rasheed response: "There is nothing wrong with organizing study groups but the person Reading the book must be someone knowledgeable, if not then at least that person must have good knowledge and understanding of the book being read in study group. Because the person reading is presenting the work of the author and if she is not knowledgeable or does not have good understanding of the work of author then she may be misrepresenting the author or the book However I would suggest and recommend that instead of having your own study group you should ask the sisters to take advantage of classes of scholars, take benefit of classes offered on phone like albaseerah and others classes of scholars Encourage the sisters to gather every Saturday at. Convenient location listens to the lectures of scholars, and then review what was covered with other sisters.... Etc." ~.^.~ .M.S.S.C. ~.^.~ Brother Shadeed Muhammad response that was conveyed to me by brother Razi Ahmed: “I don't know if you were able to stick around at the Masjid after Salaat ul-Maghrib to hear this question answered by Shadeed but the answer that he gave was that, firstly, reading from the works of the scholars is undoubtedly a praiseworthy thing. However, reading it the way you described - i.e., with the members of the group generating questions to be answered and then checking the answers themselves - is a bit problematic. He advised that the sisters try to find a learned Imaam or sister who would be able to determine if the members of the book club have the correct understanding of the work being studied. He noted that if all of the members of the group are on the same scholastic level, who would be able to determine if the others' understanding is correct or incorrect? He also mentioned a saying (which the Imaam of the masjid had mentioned to me earlier in the day) to the effect of whoever takes his book as his scholar, his errors will be more than the times he is right (I've been trying to find the source for that saying to no avail thus far. I hope that this clarifies things.” ~.^.~ .M.S.S.C. ~.^.~
Brother Mustafa George: I deleted the message of brother Mustafa without knowing but below was the summary of his response that I sent to him and others to let other know what he said. “I asked brother mustafa about the format of DTSSBC and he said he totally agrees with it, as long as it is only based on the text.” ~.^.~ .M.S.S.C. ~.^.~ Shaykh Saleh as Saleh: “wa'alaykum as-salaam wa rahmatullaahi wa barakatuh good idea in shaa' Allaah i advice the Explanation by our Sh. Ibn Uthaimeen was-salaam” ~.^.~ .M.S.S.C. ~.^.~ Finally, I actually deleted all emails except Shaykh Saleh as Saleh’s one because he replied very late. The days were very stressful back then, I didn’t wish to have anything that reminded of those days but I could retrieve first two responses from the emails I sent to others to let them know. But I later realized the importance of keeping these response as they stand as evidence for our MSSC format of studying. Alhamdulillah.