Rekindling the lamp of faith

Spirituality, religion and the quest to understand Islam better spark the curiosity and desire of many Muslims to enrol in short Islamic courses during the holy month of Ramadan.

Muaz Shabandri

Published: Tue 2 Aug 2011, 9:22 PM

Last updated: Tue 7 Apr 2015, 7:40 AM

From Daawa’h classes to lessons on reading the Quran with correct phonetics, the courses and lectures are an easy way to rekindle the lamp of faith.

Mostly free of cost, these courses range from short two-hour lectures to extended workshops spread over a few days.

Shadia Abdullah from the Jumeirah Islamic Centre says the holy month of Ramadan is a good time to attend lectures and experience a spiritual awakening.

“At the JILC, we have already planned a series of events for Ramadan and we would shortly be announcing them,” said Shadia.

Many of the Islamic centres in Dubai have an open-door policy inviting non-Muslims to also come and see first-hand what the spiritual journey of Islam has to offer. The Al Huda Sisters group is a Centre open to both Muslim and non-Muslim women looking to benefit from the teachings of Islam.

Started by a group of like-minded Muslimah, the idea behind the group was to create a meeting point for women to share virtues of Imaan and goodness.

“When we started, we used to host lectures in mosques and houses of people but the growing demand for these lectures made us settle into a dedicated new facility in Jumeirah. There are a lot of Non-Muslims who come to us and express a keen interest in knowing more about Islam,” says a spokesperson from the group.

The Al Huda Sisters group works as a support group for women as working women, university students and housewives regularly attend the open days and coffee mornings alongside the lecture series. As part of its Ramadan line up, the group plans to host a daily Iftar for new Muslims, special understanding Quran classes and grammar lessons.

Another popular setting among residents is the Al Manar Quran Study Centre in Al Quoz which provides Quran memorisation and Islamic awareness sessions. People from all walks of life including men, women and children of all ages participate in the activities of the centre, says Shaikh Abdul Salam who heads the centre.

“The Study Centre is an endeavour to spread the message of peace and promote the learning of Islamic studies by offering courses and making devoted efforts to help students memorise the Holy Quran. It is dedicated to the establishment of a distinctive and progressive Islamic education system,” says Shaikh Abdul Salam.

The centre has already received 500 applications for its free workshops hosted during the Ramadan weekends.

Hosting one of the largest Ramadan tents as part of its Ramadan Majlis, the Centre has invited leading Islamic scholars from around the world to interact with Muslims and Non-Muslims and promote a dialogue on selected topics during this year’s Ramadan. Some of the lecture topics include Quran and the youth, miracle of Quran and change in Ramadan: Permanent or Temporary.

So, make the most of this holy month and get enrolled in one of these courses before seats fill out! —muaz@khaleejtimes.com

Where to find these courses? 

-Al Manar Quran Study Centre