We are excited to celebrate Nesrin Unlu and the completion of her Master’s degree in Social Work.

After receiving her Bachelor’s in Islamic Studies from American Islamic College, Nesrin went on to pursue a Master’s at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).

These two degrees purposefully and intentionally sought have positioned her to begin the next step in her vocational journey. They provide her with both the theoretical and practical knowledge needed to complete her dream of starting a not-for-profit that will serve Muslim women and youth needing social services related to mental health and wellness. We couldn’t be more proud and thrilled for Nesrin as she embarks on a path dedicated to serving and uplifting the Muslim American community.

Please join us in congratulating Nesrin and making dua for her continued success. May Allah be pleased with her, Ameen.

We honor Dr. Omer Awass, Associate Professor of Arabic & Islamic Studies, who has recently published Fatwa and the Making and Renewal of Islamic Law: From the Classical Period to the Present (Cambridge University Press, May 2023).

In his book, Dr. Awass examines the formation, history, and transformation of the Islamic legal discourse and institutions through the lens of a particular legal practice: the issuance of fatwas (legal opinions).

Tracing the growth of Islamic law over a vast geographical expanse -from Andalusia to India – and a long temporal span – from the 7th to the 21st century, he conceptualizes fatwas as the ‘atomic units’ of Islamic law. Awass argues that they have been a crucial element in the establishment of an Islamic legal tradition. He also provides numerous case studies that touch on economic, social, political, and religious topics.

This volume is the first to offer a comprehensive investigation of fatwas within such a broad spatio-temporal scope. It demonstrates how instrumental fatwas have been to the formation of Islamic legal traditions and institutions, as well as their unique forms of reasoning.

You may purchase a copy from Cambridge University Press, here. It is also available on Amazon.

On Saturday, March 11th, American Islamic College and The Muslim InterScholastic Tournament of Chicago (MIST-Chicago) welcomed high school students from around the midwestern region for a series of competitions ranging from math to tajweed to spoken word.

Dr. Feryal Salem, Director of AIC’s MDiv program, awarded the grand prize winner the “MIST Scholar’s Award” which covers full-tuition to the Arabic Language Institute (ALI). The College also recognized winners from each category. Congrats to all the winners!

Date: Friday, March 3, 2023
Time: 7:00 PM CT
Venue: American Islamic College Auditorium
Tickets: $20 | Students: $15 | Kids 12 & under free

Al Firdaus Ensemble

Al Firdaus Ensemble based in Granada was founded in 2012 by the English violinist and singer Ali Keeler and includes musicians from England, Spain and Morocco.

The group takes its inspiration from the word Firdaus, which is the Arabic name, of Persian origin, for the most elevated abode in Paradise. The intercultural nature of this name reflects the character of the group in which musicians from different countries and cultural backgrounds are brought together with one purpose. Just as the musicians tune their instruments, so they need to tune their hearts to receive the inspiration of the moment and transmit that to the audience. The traditional Arabic term for this kind of music is sama` which could be translated as “the art of listening”.

The unique sound of their music is due to a synthesis of different musical styles. These include original compositions of a more Western classical character with influences from both Celtic and Flamenco traditions, and new arrangements of songs drawn from the rich heritage of traditional sufi music from Arabic, Andalusi and Turkish sources. The words of the songs are mainly in Arabic drawn from the poetry of the great sufis from Al Andalus and the Arab world such as Ibn Arabi and Al Shushtari.

Also within their repertoire are musical adaptations of poems in aljamiado, old Spanish written by the Moriscos using the Arabic script. In this way Al Firdaus hopes to revive the heritage of the Moriscos whose culture was forbidden in its day and and has only reached us through manuscripts which they left behind on their expulsion in 1609 and that have been discovered over the years hidden in old houses.

Al Firdaus usually plays in quartet or quintet formation, but is versatile and can perform as a trio, or in larger formations depending on the requirements of the concert. They use a combination of Arabic and Western classical instruments in addition to the flamenco guitar, and have a range of singers, some of whom are soloists and others who sing in the choruses. They can also perform in choral formation accompanied only by percussion instruments.

They have performed in concerts and international festivals throughout Europe, Bosnia, the U.S., Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey, Lebanon, and Malaysia.

They released two CDs.

Safa in 2014

Nur in 2017

www.alfirdaus-ensemble.es/en/al-firdaus-ensemble/

Date: Sunday, February 19, 2023
Time: 12:00 PM CT
American Islamic College

Join American Islamic College and Islamic Relief USA for a fundraiser to help the victims of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey, Syria, and the surrounding region.

A team from Islamic Relief will tell us about the ongoing rescue and relief efforts on the ground in Turkey and Syria, and answer questions from the community.

Members of the AIC administration, faculty, staff, students, and alumni, along with members of the wider community, will be there to share their experiences, perspectives, and questions.

AIC will provide a complimentary light lunch, along with coffee, tea, and cookies.

People across the world are shaken, broken, traumatized, and grieving. Right now, as news of the devastating earthquake and aftershocks in Turkey, Syria, and the surrounding region fill our screens and tug at our hearts, we pray for those who have lost their lives, for those who have lost loved ones and are grief-stricken, for those who are still trapped and praying for rescue and relief, for those who are now homeless, wounded, shaken, starving and freezing in the cold, winter rain. May God’s grace and mercy be with them, and may God inspire and empower us to rise up as channels of Divine aid, healing, comfort, and provision to those suffering in such extreme circumstances.

If you wish to contribute to the rescue and relief efforts, please click the “Donate” button below.

Modeled after one of Dr. Gianotti’s community programs in Canada, AIC’s “Light Upon Light” evenings of spiritual discussion and fellowship feature a variety of spiritually nourishing (sometimes challenging) subjects in an inclusive space where participants of all ages and faiths actively contribute in a manner that is respectful to all. In these gatherings, we frequently interweave textual study and facilitated discussion in an effort to deepen ourselves and promote a sense of spiritual fellowship across denominational and religious boundaries.

January topic: “The Mysteries of Light and Darkness.”
In-person only

Date: Friday, January 20, 2023
Time: 7:30 PM CT
Venue: American Islamic College Library

President Gianotti interviews a special guest each month to discuss the formative encounters of their lives.

January special guest: Dr. Shakeela Hassan

Shakeela Zia Hassan is a philanthropist, poet, interfaith community organizer, caring physician, and author who has lived and promoted transformative encounters for nearly nine decades. She has also been a champion of human rights and the arts. Read more…

In-person and Live-streamed

Date: Friday, January 20, 2023
Time: 11:00 AM CT
Venue: American Islamic College Library
Livestream: YouTube

Dr. Shakeela Hassan

Shakeela Zia Hassan is a philanthropist, poet, interfaith community organizer, caring physician, and author who has lived and promoted transformative encounters for nearly nine decades. She has also been a champion of human rights and the arts. Her work bridging traditions has been informed by a rich personal journey that originated in Hyderabad and took her to Chicago, where she met and married her husband Zia, and by her medical practice at the University of Chicago, where she served as an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care.

As a producer and fundraiser, her credits include the documentaries Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet, Ties That Bind, and The Sounds of Faith. Sponsored and managed by her Harran Productions Foundation, the Sounds of Faith initiative has generated over 20 events from Chicago to New York and Doha, Qatar. As an author, Shakeela has written two books on her friendship with the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Sister Clara Muhammad, including A Starry Crown: Making of a Fez (Chicago: Harran Productions Foundation, 2019).

Dr. Hassan has served as an advisor to the International Human Rights Law Institute, Catholic Theological Union, American Islamic College, Hands of Peace, Chicago Theological Seminary, Lutheran School of Theology, and the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving (IUPUI). In Chicago’s western suburbs, Dr. Shakeela and her late husband, Dr. Zia Hassan, longtime professor and dean of the Stuart School of Business (Illinois Institute of Technology), also helped to establish and lead the Islamic Foundation of Villa Park to become a cornerstone institution for the diverse Muslim community of the greater Chicago area. Founded in 1986, the Islamic Foundation School of Villa Park (IFSVP) continues to be one of the leading Muslim K-12 institutions in America.

Dr. Zia Hassan (d. 2017)

The late Zia Hassan was Professor of Management Science and Dean Emeritus at the Stuart School of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), where he taught policy and quality management. His research focused on effective organizations and quality issues and was presented in numerous publications and conferences. Dr. Hassan oversaw the launch of the Stuart School’s Master of Science programs and guided its accreditation with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which is the highest accreditation standard in that field and earned by less than 5 percent of the world’s business schools. He mentored countless students and was widely admired by industry-leading alumni, who honored his legacy by establishing the M. Zia Hassan Endowed Professorship fund at IIT. He served as a consultant to numerous American and international businesses and was a fellow of the American Society for Quality. In addition, he was the founding Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Islamic Foundation of Villa Park, where he served in that capacity for forty years, and he served as the Financial Officer of Harran Production Foundation, where he partnered with his wife Shakeela in a shared commitment to education, diversity, conflict resolution, and consensus and community-building for respectful coexistence.

For more information about the Hassan Institute, its programs, and how you can get involved, please contact Dr. Timothy J Gianotti, President, American Islamic College.

On Saturday, Sept. 3rd, AIC President, Dr. Timothy J. Gianotti and AIC Board of Trustee Dr. Marcia Hermansen were joined by Dr. Mahan Mirza of the Ansari Institute at The University of Notre Dame, and Dr. Adnan Aslan of Respect Graduate School to speak on, “Is Islam Secularizing?” With about 220 people in attendance, the dynamic conversation covered topics not only about secularism and religion as two distinct categories, but also about the role of religion in the Secular (an epistemic category), Secularization (a historical process), and Secularism (a worldview) and everything in between. The conversation was inspired by Jose Casanova, Peter Berger, and more recently, Sherman Jackson.