Date: Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Time: 7:00pm Light Refreshments will be Served
Where: Conference Hall, Main Bldg, American Islamic College

Nora Zaki, Master of Divinity candidate at the University of Chicago, presented her senior ministry thesis.

“Those who believe and whose hearts are at peace in the remembrance of God. Are not hearts at peace in the remembrance (dhikr) of God?” (Qurʾān 13:28): Pastoral Care (Tazkiyat al-Nafs) and a Spiritual Anthropology of Al–ṭarīqa al-Naqshabandīyya

Nora specializes in Islamic Studies with interests in Qur’anic Studies and Sufism, particularly on re-reading theocentric interpretations into Islamic texts. Her presentation was based on ethnographic research conducted in Cairo during the summer of 2016.

The presentation was held on American Islamic College on May 16 at 7 pm. Light refreshments was served afterwards.

The study of Islam in Africa still pays too little attention to the words of scholars. With some notable exceptions, the story of African Sufism, in particular, is often told from the colonial archive or from ethnographic observations. Certainly, the writings of scholars are not the only paths to knowledge about African Sufi movements. But ignoring the contents of the vast scholarly corpus that has given such movements their unique vitality is a problem. In this historiography, great shaykhs are often seen—depicted as mystics, spiritual trainers, and charismatic figures—but seldom heard. The near absence of their authorial voices leaves a void at what should be the heart of intellectual history, and the silence within is deafening. Jihad of the Pen, Journey of the Soul, a book project under contract with the American University in Cairo Press, presents contextualized translations of seminal insights from some of West Africa’s most renowned scholars: Usman dan Fodio, Umar Tal, Amadu Bamba, and Ibrahim Niasse.

Date: Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Time: 6:00pm Light Refreshments; 6:30pm Talk
Where: Conference Hall, Main Bldg, American Islamic College

Dr. Irfan Ahmad Khan is an Intellectual, Scholar, Author and Teacher of Quran. Born in Saharanpur, UP, India (1931), Irfan Ahmad Khan graduated in Physical Sciences (B.Sc. 1952) from Aligarh Muslim University in Aligarh, India and then pursued traditional higher studies in Islamic Sciences at Rampur, India (1956-58) at an institution specially designed for graduates of western universities. He obtained a Ph.D. in Western Philosophy from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1986.

Dr. Khan taught Western Philosophy, Muslim Theology and Indian Religions at AMU during 1958-73. In 1974, he moved to the US. He taught Islamic Philosophy at the University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Religion at The University of Iowa, School of Art Institute of Chicago, and American Islamic College, Chicago.

In the early sixties, Dr. Khan edited “Islamic Thought” – a journal dedicated to Islamic Research. His published work includes “Reflections on the Qur’an” eight hundred pages of a methodical study of al-Fatihah and al-Baqarah – understanding and interpreting first two surahs (Divine Discourses) of the Qur’an from contemporary perspective, and with a view to develop, in his readers, ability and skill to understand Qur’anic surahs as systematically organized discourses.

Dr. Khan has traveled widely through Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, and North America, attended conferences and wrote numerous articles on contemporary philosophical and religious issues from the perspective of a plural world and receiving his inspiration from the Qur’an. However during the past sixty years, his main concern has always remained the moral, intellectual and spiritual uplift of the Muslim People.

Dr. Khan was the Founding President of World Council of Muslims for Interfaith Relations (WCMIR) and founding trustee of the Council for a Parliament of World’s Religions (CPWR) and as its Vice-President, chaired Parliament’s International Interfaith Initiatives. He has been actively involved with the International Committee for the Peace Council since its inception in 1994 and was Founding President of The Inter-religious Engagement Project for the Twenty First Century (IEP21). He has been active in the movement “Globalization for Common Good” and works on the Board of other international organizations.

At present, Dr. Khan is The Director of Association for Qur’anic Understanding.

The study of Islam in Africa still pays too little attention to the words of scholars. With some notable exceptions, the story of African Sufism, in particular, is often told from the colonial archive or from ethnographic observations. Certainly, the writings of scholars are not the only paths to knowledge about African Sufi movements. But ignoring the contents of the vast scholarly corpus that has given such movements their unique vitality is a problem. In this historiography, great shaykhs are often seen—depicted as mystics, spiritual trainers, and charismatic figures—but seldom heard. The near absence of their authorial voices leaves a void at what should be the heart of intellectual history, and the silence within is deafening. Jihad of the Pen, Journey of the Soul, a book project under contract with the American University in Cairo Press, presents contextualized translations of seminal insights from some of West Africa’s most renowned scholars: Usman dan Fodio, Umar Tal, Amadu Bamba, and Ibrahim Niasse.

Date: Monday, May 8, 2017
Time: 6:00pm Light Refreshments; 6:30pm Talk
Where: Conference Hall, Main Bldg, American Islamic College

Zachary Wright is associate professor in residence in the Liberal Arts Program at Northwestern University in Qatar, with joint appointments in history and religious studies. Wright received his PhD (history) from Northwestern University, with a dissertation focusing on the history of Islamic knowledge transmission in West Africa. His book publications include Living Knowledge in West African Islam: the Sufi Community of Ibrahim Niasse (Brill, 2015) and On the Path of the Prophet: Shaykh Ahmad Tijani and the Tariqa Muhammadiyya (AAII & Faydah Books, 2005, 2015). He has also translated a number of West African Arabic texts into English, with publications such as The Removal of Confusion concerning the Saintly Seal (Fons Vitae, 2010, and reprint forthcoming), Pearls from the Flood (Faydah Books, 2015), and Islam the Religion of Peace (Light of Eminence, 2013). His current research concerns eighteenth-century Islamic intellectual history in North Africa.

American Islamic College is proud to introduce Aadil Abedi’s extraordinary art for the first time to Chicago audiences. Inspired by Arabic calligraphy and abstract designs, Aadil’s art fuses East and West, ancient and contemporary, vibrant and elegant, to produce paintings that are truly unique. The collection he will exhibit, titled “Hope”, uses bold strokes, a circular theme, and inspiring Quranic verses around the themes of mercy, compassion and remembrance. “The circular theme reminds me of God’s embrace,” Aadil says. “The colors, the lights, the darks show different layers of struggle we all go through; at the end of the day, He is the only one who will be there for us.” For the first time ever, Aadil will exhibit his newest work – paintings of ancient doors as a backdrop for poetic couplets. He will also auction off one of his most coveted pieces.

Aadil has been commissioned by well-known personalities such as Bollywood royalty Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Jemima Goldsmith to design customized pieces for their homes. His work has been showcased in Dubai, London, New York, Sydney, and Mumbai, and has been shown alongside great legends M.F. Husain, F.N. Souza and Ismail Gulgee. Publications such as Emel, You & I, WKND (Khaleej Times), Al-Arabiya News, and Arabian Homes have covered Aadil’s journey from his studio in London to international acclaim.

Aadil will have ONLY 10 pieces for sale at this exclusive event!

Please visit his website to see his one of a kind pieces: www.aadilabedi.com

Mehdi Hasan is an award-winning British journalist, broadcaster, author and political commentator. He is the presenter of both UpFront (filmed in Washington DC) and Head to Head (filmed at the Oxford Union). He moved to Al Jazeera from the Huffington Post UK where he was political director. He has been named one of the 100 ‘most influential’ Britons on Twitter, and was included in the annual global list of ‘The 500 Most Influential Muslims’ in the world (The Muslim 500). His debate-winning speech at the Oxford Union on Islam and peace went viral online, amassing more than two million views. Mehdi is also the author of two books – a biography of former Labour Party leader Ed Miliband and an e-book on debt and the financial crisis. @mehdirhasan

Yvonne Maffei has grown up with a real passion for cooking and writing, setting out to make a career out of combining the two. Yvonne publishes MyHalalKitchen.com, gives cooking classes, lectures about halal cooking and healthy eating, and consults schools on how to source healthy, halal ingredients and prepare fresh new ideas for school lunches. She has written two cookbooks: Summer Ramadan and My Halal Kitchen: Global Recipes, Cooking Tips, Lifestyle Inspiration.

The general theme of Dr. Awass’s lecture was the role of contemporary fatwa, and Islamic law in general, in the governing process of Iran. The lecture was based on ethnographic interviews with the former President of Iran, the President of the Expediency Council (Majma Tashkhis Maslahat), and one of the founding fathers of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the late Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashami Rafsanjani and Mr. Muhmmmad Rafsanjani, who was the Director of the Ministry of Radio and Television (1981-1994) and currently serves as member of the Expediency Council (Majma Tashkhis Maslahat).

Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Time: 6:00pm Light Refreshments; 6:30pm Talk
Where: Conference Hall, Main Bldg, American Islamic College

Omer Awass is currently assistant professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the American Islamic College in Chicago, IL. He completed his PhD in Religious Studies from Temple University. His dissertation entitled The Evolution of Fatwa and Its Influence on Muslim Society looks at the role of fatwa in the shaping of the Islamic legal discourse and society. He is currently working on a manuscript for a book on fatwa and carrying out ethnographic research on contemporary fatwas in the Muslim world. He has spent more than twelve years of his life living, studying, researching, and teaching in various Muslims countries or countries that have significant Muslim populations such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Syria, Egypt, Turkey, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, and Tanzania.

Aymen Abdel Halim is the Founder and Director of the Muslim Media Collective and has served in communications leadership roles for over 15 years. He holds both BA and MA degrees in Broadcast & Electronic Communication Arts from San Francisco State University where he studied media research, theory, and production. He is the author of many articles and studies on the topic of media portrayals of Islam and Muslims and authored a textbook chapter in Pearson’s Race/Gender/Class/Media (Third Edition) with Dr. Dina Ibrahim titled “How TV Makes Arabs and Muslims Feel About Themselves” based on their 2010-2011 study. Aymen has led and contributed to numerous Muslim community media, public relations, and marketing campaigns that have been featured in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Al Jazeera, NPR, CNN, Huffington Post, and more. As an educator, Aymen has taught media courses at San Francisco State University and DePaul University and has presented lectures and workshops nationwide on numerous topics related to media and society. Aymen has also trained dozens of Chicago Muslim community leaders and professionals in developing communications capacity and infrastructure for their organizations.

Daoud Casewit, President of American Islamic College in Chicago, believes Islam will grow steadily in Illinois in coming years.

By Robert Herguth, Staff Reporter

CHICAGOSUNTIMES.COM – We’re as American as we are Islamic

On Tuesday, March 7th, AIC welcomed Summer Nasser to AIC’s Community Forum. She discussed the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, one that is getting little attention. Yemenis are experiencing famine and war. Humanitarian efforts, such as medical aid, food, etc. will assist those in need. Nasser called on the group to raise awareness of the situation plaguing Yemen. We thank Summer for speaking on this important cause.

Date: Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Time: 6:00pm Light Refreshments; 6:30pm Talk
Where: Conference Hall, Main Bldg, American Islamic College

Almost 2 years of conflict in Yemen, the nation is now classified as the world’s worst humanitarian disaster. Over 28 million people are suffering from lack of food, medical supplies and basic needs. Without an end to hostilities, a ceasefire or political solution and immediate relief, the situation will continue to worsen.

Summer has experienced both the street wars of Aden and the air strikes on Sana’a in the recent conflict in Yemen. She has written five publications, including two on Abyan refugees, and recently spoke along side Yemen’s Ambassador to the UN about Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. Summer is a recipient of the 2013 Peace Envoy, awarded by Turkey-based Intellectual Association.

On Wednesday, Mar. 1st, Nicholas Stone, an expert on Islamic art and architecture, presented an illuminating talk on “The Mosque Lamp: A Symbol of Diving Light.” He took the audience through history on the construction and make of the mosque lamp. He discussed Surat-al-Nur’s inspiring words for the lamp’s development and its appearance on lamps and niches that housed the light fixtures. He presented examples from the Mamluk period, Ottoman period, and others. He concluded with a picture of his own design of a mosque lamp he and his wife created for a mosque in Malaysia.

Date: Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Time: 6:00pm Light Refreshments; 6:30pm Talk
Where: Conference Hall, Main Bldg, American Islamic College

Studied Architecture in the UK; worked 1980-81 in Germany for Professor Frei Otto, pioneer of lightweight structures, on Mountain Tents for the Hajj, and 1983-90 in London with the Egyptian architect Abdel Wahed El-Wakil, who in the footsteps of his mentor, Hassan Fathy, revived traditional Islamic architecture in Arabia; projects include the Qiblatain Mosque and Miqat Mosque in Madinah. 1990 moved to Germany to work on domes for the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. 1998 moved to Malaysia. 2002 established a design company in Kuala Lumpur in partnership with wife, Nazanin Sheikhi. Projects in Malaysia include Wilayah Mosque, Kuala Lumpur (Domes); Al-Bukhary Mosque, Alor Setar (Domes, Mihrab, Minbar, Muqarnas); Palace of Justice, Putrajaya (Domes, Interior of Main Atrium); tropical style houses; Islamic garden.

On Thursday, February 16th, AIC welcomed Dr. Asifa Quraishi-Landes, a scholar of US Constitutional Law and Islamic Law. She gave an insightful talk that unpacked the history and definitions of sharia and fiqh. This understanding laid the groundwork for how to address the anti-Sharia campaign in the US. Dr. Quraishi-Landes’ thoughtful approach perfectly communicated fiqh’s relation to sharia. Additionally, Dr. Quraishi-Landes gave examples of how religious freedoms are accommodated under US Constitutional Law. Those accommodations by the government are not the same as enforcing sharia or any other religious law on all US citizens, as the US practices separation of “church and state,” which debunked the “creeping sharia” agitators’ claims. See the video below.

Date: Thursday, February 16, 2017
Time: 6:00pm Light Refreshments; 6:30pm Talk
Where: Conference Hall, Main Bldg, American Islamic College

Asifa Quraishi-Landes specializes in comparative Islamic and U.S.constitutional law, with a current focus on modern Islamic constitutional theory. She is a 2009 Carnegie Scholar and 2012 Guggenheim Fellow.

Quraishi-Landes writes on comparative legal theory and Islamic law. Recent publications include “The Sharia Problem with Sharia Legislation,” and “What if Sharia Weren’t the Enemy: Re-Thinking International Women’s Rights Activism and Islamic Law.” Currently, she is working on “A New Theory of Islamic Constitutionalism: Not Secular. Not Theocratic. Not Impossible.” This project seeks to articulate a new constitutional framework for Muslim majority countries that will answer both the Muslim impulse for a sharia-based government, as well as secular concerns that a non-theocratic system is important in order to respect human and civil rights.

Professor Quraishi-Landes holds a doctorate from Harvard Law School and other degrees from Columbia Law School, the University of California at Davis, and the University of California at Berkeley, and has served as law clerk in the United State Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She has served as a Public Delegate on the United States Delegation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (2010), the Task Force on Religion and the Making of U.S. Foreign Policy for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and as advisor to the Pew Task Force on Religion & Public Life. She is currently on the governing board of the Association of American Law Schools’ Section on Islamic Law, the National Association of Muslim Lawyers (NAML), and Muslim Advocates. She is an affiliate of the Muslim Women’s League, past President and Board Member of Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights, a Fellow with the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding and a member of the “Opinion Leaders Network” for the British Council’s “Our Shared Future” project.