Pillars Seminary Toledo

Register to be a student in Pillars' 2023-2024 Year 2 Foundations Diploma program in Toledo, OH. Continue learning the foundational Islamic sciences and Qur'anic Arabic from relevant expert sources in a structured format.

September 18, 2023 - April 19, 2024

Part-Time

Classes are held twice a week, two hours each day – designed for full-time students and working professionals.

Visionary Curriculum

Rooted in the orthodox tradition and put into conversation with contemporary discourse.

Certificate

Students will receive a certificate upon completion and an opportunity to continue with our full Ijazah program.

Meet Your Teachers

Shaykh Ismail Bowers is the co-founder of Pillars Seminary and Shifaa Community. He holds an 'Alimmiya (License in Islamic Scholarship) degree from the prestigious Al-Qarawiyyin University in Fes, Morocco, where he studied Islamic law, jurisprudence, Arabic philology, Hadith, and Tafsir. He also holds a Masters in Theology from Emory University and is currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Oxford.

Imam Ahmad Deeb has been serving communities from an early age under the training and mentorship of his father, Shaykh Abdallah Deeb. After finishing his bachelor's in Psychology, he traveled to Cape Town, South Africa, and completed formal seminary training. He then completed his M.A. in Islamic Studies and Leadership at Bayan Islamic Graduate School. His thesis topic was “Re-forming Islamic Reform: Ma'loom min al-Dīn bil Darūrah, the Theology of Law, and the Epistemological Limits of Ijtihād.” His academic interests and love of community work led him to community psychology, where he is a doctoral candidate in the field. He is the co-founder of Pillars Seminary and currently serves as Imam and pastoral counselor for Shifaa Community.

Our Year Two Curriculum

A curriculum that gives you an understanding of the essentials of your faith in conversation with contemporary challenges.

Transactional Law (Fiqh)

Explore the Islamic rulings on marriage, divorce, business transactions, and inheritance while delving into the wisdom of Islamic law in protecting the well-being of society.

Islamic Legal Philosophy & Jurisprudence (Usul al-Fiqh)

Discover the foundational science for understanding Islamic law. Investigate sources, methodologies, and legal reasoning to gain insights into the derivation and interpretation of Islamic rulings and why different opinions exist.

Principles of Exegesis & Qur'anic Sciences (Usul al-Tafsir)

Learn how the Noble Qur'an was preserved and interpreted, along with contextual analysis, linguistic insights, and etiquettes of reciting and handling it, to unlock the depth of its timeless message.

Prophetic Reports (Hadith)

Understand core technical terms, classifications, essential tools for investigating a Prophetic report's authenticity, and its overall impact on interpreting and applying the Shariah.

Islamic Spirituality (Tazkiyah)

Embark on a transformative journey of purifying the heart. Learn the essential pillars of the spiritual path to gain a deeper connection with Allah ﷻ.

Polemics & Controversies

Discuss historical debates, theological disputes, and modern arguments on controversial issues within Islamic thought and, most importantly, how to navigate them today.

Qur'anic Arabic II

Level two of the Arabic curriculum focusing on morphology and Qur'anic vocabulary.

Workshops From Expert Scholars

Year two students will have access to all online workshops!

Engaging Lectures

Learn through organized lessons and presentations that engage multiple learning styles, with visuals and discussion.

Application

Through homework, assessments, and real-life examples, you will be able to apply what you learn in your life.

Communal Learning

You will learn with, and have access to, an entire community of seekers of knowledge for support.