Part 1: Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his original Quranic commentary on Surah 19, Maryam, as part of the ongoing Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute. Project Illumine is a year-long intensive immersion into the unique moral messages in each of the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran, the fruit of this scholar's lifetime relationship with the Quran. This is the twenty-sixth chapter in the series. This is not the traditional line-by-line exegesis, but a chapter-by-chapter thematic approach that seeks to rediscover the original meaning received by the early Muslims that sparked their passion such that they transformed from desert dwellers to civilization builders. It is an investigation of the timeless moral and ethical lessons of the Quran then applied to our modern day. In the introduction, Executive Director Grace Song shares an email she received from a convert of 2 years, who converted after the age of 60, and addresses the backwards messages this convert received from a new Muslim class. Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 3 April 2021.

Surah 19: Maryam | Original English Commentary | Project Illumine

DAY 2: Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his original Quranic commentary on Surah 13: Al Ra'd, as part of the ongoing Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org). This is the conclusion of the tafsir on Surah al Ra'd and includes Q&A at the end.

Project Illumine is a year-long intensive immersion into the unique moral messages in each of the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran, the fruit of this scholar's lifetime relationship with the Quran. This is the thirty-fifth chapter in the series. This is not the traditional line-by-line exegesis, but a chapter-by-chapter thematic approach that seeks to rediscover the original meaning received by the early Muslims that sparked their passion such that they transformed from desert dwellers to civilization builders. It is an investigation of the timeless moral and ethical lessons of the Quran then applied to our modern day. In the introduction, Executive Director Grace Song shares some more book history on the Professor's books, The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists; and The Conference of the Books: A Search for Beauty in Islam (Original version). Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 11 May 2021.

Surah 13: Al Ra'd | Original English Commentary Part 2 and Q&A | Project Illumine

DAY 1 of 2: Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his original Quranic commentary on Surah 43: Al Zukhruf, as part of the ongoing Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org). The conclusion of Surah Al Zukhruf takes place on 1 June 2021.

Project Illumine is a year-long intensive immersion into the unique moral messages in each of the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran, the fruit of this scholar's lifetime relationship with the Quran. This is the thirty-ninth chapter in the series. This is not the traditional line-by-line exegesis, but a chapter-by-chapter thematic approach that seeks to rediscover the original meaning received by the early Muslims that sparked their passion such that they transformed from desert dwellers to civilization builders. It is an investigation of the timeless moral and ethical lessons of the Quran then applied to our modern day. In the introduction, Executive Director Grace Song recommends a book on  how to better understand and address the challenges confronting teenagers through learning about neuroscience and brain research on "The Teenage Brain" (by Frances E. Jensen). Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 29 May 2021.

Surah 43: Al-Zukhruf | Original English Commentary Part 1 | Project Illumine

DAY 2: Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his original Quranic commentary on Surah 43: Al Zukhruf, as part of the ongoing Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org). This is the conclusion of the tafsir on Surah Al Zukhruf and includes Q&A at the end.

Project Illumine is a year-long intensive immersion into the unique moral messages in each of the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran, the fruit of this scholar's lifetime relationship with the Quran. This is the thirty-ninth chapter in the series. This is not the traditional line-by-line exegesis, but a chapter-by-chapter thematic approach that seeks to rediscover the original meaning received by the early Muslims that sparked their passion such that they transformed from desert dwellers to civilization builders. It is an investigation of the timeless moral and ethical lessons of the Quran then applied to our modern day. In the introduction, Executive Director Grace Song shares the brief history of three websites: www.scholarofthehouse.org; www.searchforbeauty.org; and www.usuli.org. Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 1June 2021.

Surah 43: Al-Zukhruf | Original English Commentary Part 2 and Q&A | Project Illumine

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his Quranic commentary on Surah 4: Al Nisa’ (Day 1) as part of the ongoing Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org). The verses covered in Day 1 are roughly, numbers one to twelve. 

Project Illumine is a year-long intensive immersion into the unique moral messages in each of the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran, the fruit of this scholar's lifetime relationship with the Quran. This is the seventy-fourth chapter in the series. This is not the traditional line-by-line exegesis, but a chapter-by-chapter thematic approach that seeks to rediscover the original meaning received by the early Muslims that sparked their passion such that they transformed from desert dwellers to civilization builders. It is an investigation of the timeless moral and ethical lessons of the Quran then applied to our modern day. In the introduction, our Executive Director Grace Song brings attention to how Uyghurs are ignored in media discussions today, while advocating that Muslims unite to combat Islamophobia. Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 22 January 2022.

Surah 4: Al Nisa' (Day 1) | Original English Commentary | Project Illumine

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his Quranic commentary on Surah 4: Al Nisa’ (Day 2) as part of the ongoing Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org). The verses covered in Day 2 are roughly, numbers thirteen to twenty-nine. 

Project Illumine is a year-long intensive immersion into the unique moral messages in each of the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran, the fruit of this scholar's lifetime relationship with the Quran. This is the seventy-fourth chapter in the series. This is not the traditional line-by-line exegesis, but a chapter-by-chapter thematic approach that seeks to rediscover the original meaning received by the early Muslims that sparked their passion such that they transformed from desert dwellers to civilization builders. It is an investigation of the timeless moral and ethical lessons of the Quran then applied to our modern day. In the introduction, our Executive Director Grace Song expresses her gratitude to our donors and shares a sweet message from a supporter. Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 29 January 2022.

Surah 4: Al Nisa' (Day 2) | Original English Commentary | Project Illumine

First single by Wietske Merison from her album titled, WITNESS. For more, visit www.usuli.org/music/wietske. Also available on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/DvOG3qce5Ko Full album release date: March 1, 2023.

Lyrics:

I testify
By heart and eye
By the tears I cry
I no longer deny

The blessings in my life that are too numerous to count
My heart I thought was lost but in your mercy it was found
So from this moment onward, ya Hadi be my guide
Till even my darkest darkness is just a shadow of your light

Ashaddu an la ilaha illa Allah, la ilaha illa Allah,
La ilaha illa Allah, la ilaha illa Allah
La ilaha illa Allah, la ilaha illa Allah
La ilaha illa Allah, wa ashaddu anna Muhammadan Rasul Ullah

I witness
I see you are the sight beyond my eyes
I witness
Truth has become apparent beyond lies
I witness
The many different names have become one
I witness
Returning back to where we had begun

Ashaddu an la ilaha illa Allah, la ilaha illa Allah,
La ilaha illa Allah, la ilaha illa Allah
La ilaha illa Allah, la ilaha illa Allah
La ilaha illa Allah, wa ashaddu anna Muhammadan Rasul Ullah

WITNESS

Shahada by Wietske Merison

Day 1 of 2: Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his Quranic commentary on Surah 59: Al Hashr (Day 1) as part of the ongoing Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org). 

Project Illumine is a year-long intensive immersion into the unique moral messages in each of the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran, the fruit of this scholar's lifetime relationship with the Quran. This is the seventy-ninth chapter in the series. This is not the traditional line-by-line exegesis, but a chapter-by-chapter thematic approach that seeks to rediscover the original meaning received by the early Muslims that sparked their passion such that they transformed from desert dwellers to civilization builders. It is an investigation of the timeless moral and ethical lessons of the Quran then applied to our modern day. In the introduction, our Executive Director Grace Song draws attention to the latest Usuli Institute Khutbah, some stats on Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl’s Halaqas, and comments on the recent discussion between Jordan Peterson and Hamza Yusuf. Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 28 May 2022. 

Please support the Usuli Institute at https://www.usuli.org/donate to help us continue in our endeavors. Your donation to The Institute for Advanced Usuli Studies will help fund important work to combat extremism and ignorance. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity dedicated to research and education to promote humanistically beautiful and morally elevating interpretations of Islam. We seek to support our brightest minds to advance knowledge and to build a community of individuals founded on dignity, respect and love for all of God's creation. 

For quick links to all previous Project Illumine halaqas, go to: https://www.usuli.org/project-illumin... Visit https://linktr.ee/usuliinstitute for more resources.

Surah 59: Al Hashr (Day 1) | Original English Commentary | Project Illumine

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl answers questions after his original English language commentary (tafsir) on Surah Hashr and Surah Nur, part of Project Illumine: The Light of the Quran series. This comprehensive chapter-by-chapter intensive study of the Quran is the result of this scholar's lifelong relationship with the Quran in which he tries to recapture the ethical message that sparked the passion of early Muslims and apply those lessons to our modern day challenges. Recorded at the Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org) on 2 July 2022. 

The topics discussed in this Q&A include, but are not limited to: the sin of Hajj; the Shaykh’s personal journey with the surahs; practices of bashfulness and shame in relation to Allah, and the bashfulness of the Prophet; hikmah and izza; necropolitics; theories of justice and honesty in such discourses; studying Arabic in countries like Saudi Arabia; question of awra and zina, especially in relation to men; going beyond physical appearances; suspending judgement; and more.

The article that the Shaykh mentions from the first question on the sin of Hajj is: Prohibiting the Pilgrimage: Politics and Fiction in Mālikī Fatwās https://brill.com/view/journals/ils/2...  

Please support the Usuli Institute at https://www.usuli.org/donate to help us continue in our endeavors. Your donation to The Institute for Advanced Usuli Studies will help fund important work to combat extremism and ignorance. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity dedicated to research and education to promote humanistically beautiful and morally elevating interpretations of Islam. We seek to support our brightest minds to advance knowledge and to build a community of individuals founded on dignity, respect and love for all of God's creation. 

For quick links to all previous Project Illumine halaqas, go to: https://www.usuli.org/project-illumine. Visit https://linktr.ee/usuliinstitute for more resources.

Surah 59: Al Hashr and Surah 24: Al Nur | Q&A | Project Illumine

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his Quranic commentary on Surah 60: Al Mumtahana as part of the ongoing Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org). Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 17 September 2022.

Surah 96: Al Alaq | Original English Commentary | Project Illumine

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his Quranic commentary on Surah 93: Al Duha and Surah 94: Al Sharh, as well as Q&A for these and Surah 9: Al Tawbah, as part of the ongoing Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org). Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 3 December 2022.

Project Illumine is a year-long intensive immersion into the unique moral messages in each of the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran, the fruit of this scholar's lifetime relationship with the Quran. These are the 88th and 89th surahs in the series. This is not the traditional line-by-line exegesis, but a chapter-by-chapter thematic approach that seeks to rediscover the original meaning received by the early Muslims that sparked their passion such that they transformed from desert dwellers to civilization builders. It is an investigation of the timeless moral and ethical lessons of the Quran then applied to our modern day. In the introduction, our Executive Director Grace Song calls attention to the previous day's khutbah and the guest artist performing the recent adhans from the previous two khutbahs.

Surah 93: Al Duha, Surah 94: Al Sharh & Q&A Surah 9: Al Tawbah, Al Duha, Al Sharh | Project Illumine

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his Quranic commentary on Surah 89: Al Fajr and Surah 92: Al Layl as part of the ongoing Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org). Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 10 December 2022.

Project Illumine is a year-long intensive immersion into the unique moral messages in each of the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran, the fruit of this scholar's lifetime relationship with the Quran. These are the 90th and 91st surahs in the series. This is not the traditional line-by-line exegesis, but a chapter-by-chapter thematic approach that seeks to rediscover the original meaning received by the early Muslims that sparked their passion such that they transformed from desert dwellers to civilization builders. It is an investigation of the timeless moral and ethical lessons of the Quran then applied to our modern day. In the introduction, our Executive Director Grace Song commemorates the 5th year anniversary of The Usuli Institute and shares highlights from the previous five years.

Surah 89: Al Fajr and Surah 92: Al Layl | Original English Commentary | Project Illumine

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his Quranic commentary on Surah 5: Al Ma'idah as part of the ongoing Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org). Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 17 December 2022.

Project Illumine is a year-long intensive immersion into the unique moral messages in each of the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran, the fruit of this scholar's lifetime relationship with the Quran. This is the 92nd surah in the series. This is not the traditional line-by-line exegesis, but a chapter-by-chapter thematic approach that seeks to rediscover the original meaning received by the early Muslims that sparked their passion such that they transformed from desert dwellers to civilization builders. It is an investigation of the timeless moral and ethical lessons of the Quran then applied to our modern day. In the introduction, our Executive Director Grace Song shares reflections on the tafsir journey now that Dr. Abou El Fadl will be covering the final chapter of the Qur'anic revelation.

Surah 5: Al Ma'idah (Day 1) | Original English Commentary | Project Illumine

Wietske Merison and Grace Song, Executive Director of The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org) discuss Wietske' first music album, WITNESS, and her reflections on music, the process of writing her music, and the story behind her songs on the album. WITNESS was sponsored by The Usuli Institute. For all songs, visit: wietskemerison.hearnow.com/ Full album and podcast released 1 March 2023.

Wietske Merison and Grace Song Podcast: On WITNESS by Wietske Merison

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his Quranic commentary on Surah 102: Al Takathur and Surah 107: Al Ma'un as part of the ongoing Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org). Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 11 February 2023.

Project Illumine is a year-long intensive immersion into the unique moral messages in each of the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran, the fruit of this scholar's lifetime relationship with the Quran. Surah Al Takathur is the 94th surah in the series; Surah Al Ma'un is the 95th. This is not the traditional line-by-line exegesis, but a chapter-by-chapter thematic approach that seeks to rediscover the original meaning received by the early Muslims that sparked their passion such that they transformed from desert dwellers to civilization builders. It is an investigation of the timeless moral and ethical lessons of the Quran then applied to our modern day. In the introduction, Executive Director Grace Song previews the next major Usuli project on the horizon - Project Illumine II: The Light of the Prophet Muhammad (The Sirah Halaqas) with more to come.

Please support the Usuli Institute at https://www.usuli.org/donate to help us continue in our endeavors. Your donation to The Institute for Advanced Usuli Studies will help fund important work to combat extremism and ignorance. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity dedicated to research and education to promote humanistically beautiful and morally elevating interpretations of Islam. We seek to support our brightest minds to advance knowledge and to build a community of individuals founded on dignity, respect and love for all of God's creation. 

For quick links to all previous Project Illumine halaqas, go to: https://www.usuli.org/project-illumin... Visit https://linktr.ee/usuliinstitute for more resources.

Surah 102: Al Takathur and Surah 107: Al Ma'un | Original English Commentary | Project Illumine

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his Quranic commentary on Surah 105: Al Fil and Surah 106: Quraysh as part of the ongoing Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org). Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 18 February 2023.

Project Illumine is a year-long intensive immersion into the unique moral messages in each of the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran, the fruit of this scholar's lifetime relationship with the Quran. Surah Al Fil is the 96th surah in the series; Surah Quraysh is the 97th. This is not the traditional line-by-line exegesis, but a chapter-by-chapter thematic approach that seeks to rediscover the original meaning received by the early Muslims that sparked their passion such that they transformed from desert dwellers to civilization builders. It is an investigation of the timeless moral and ethical lessons of the Quran then applied to our modern day. In the introduction, Executive Director Grace Song discusses the next major Usuli project on the horizon - Project Illumine II: The Light of the Prophet Muhammad ("Decolonizing the Sirah in the Age of Islamophobia: A Master Class") along with its fundraising campaign (www.launchgood.com/projectilluminesirah); and share another new song by Wietske Merison titled, "City of Angels":   

 • "City of Angels" by Wietske Merison  .

Surah 105: Al Fil and Surah 106: Quraysh | Original English Commentary | Project Illumine

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his Quranic commentary on Surah 98: Al Bayyinah and Surah 99: Al Zalzalah as part of the ongoing Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org). Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 25 February 2023.

Project Illumine is a year-long intensive immersion into the unique moral messages in each of the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran, the fruit of this scholar's lifetime relationship with the Quran. Surah Al Bayyinah is the 98th surah in the series; Surah Al Zalzalah is the 99th. This is not the traditional line-by-line exegesis, but a chapter-by-chapter thematic approach that seeks to rediscover the original meaning received by the early Muslims that sparked their passion such that they transformed from desert dwellers to civilization builders. It is an investigation of the timeless moral and ethical lessons of the Quran then applied to our modern day. In the introduction, Executive Director Grace Song clarifies the Usuli publication process and highlights the next major Usuli project on the horizon - Project Illumine II: The Light of the Prophet Muhammad ("Decolonizing the Sirah in the Age of Islamophobia: A Master Class")

Surah 98: Al Bayyinah and Surah 99: Al Zalzalah | Original English Commentary | Project Illumine

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his Quranic commentary on Surah 90 Al Balad and Surah 95 Al Tin as part of the ongoing Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org). Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 4 March 2023.

Project Illumine is a year-long intensive immersion into the unique moral messages in each of the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran, the fruit of this scholar's lifetime relationship with the Quran. Surah Al Balad is the 100th surah in the series; Surah Al Tin is the 101st. This is not the traditional line-by-line exegesis, but a chapter-by-chapter thematic approach that seeks to rediscover the original meaning received by the early Muslims that sparked their passion such that they transformed from desert dwellers to civilization builders. It is an investigation of the timeless moral and ethical lessons of the Quran then applied to our modern day. In the introduction, Executive Director Grace Song calls attention to the full album launch of WITNESS by Wietske Merison (https://wietskemerison.hearnow.com/); her podcast discussion with Wietske Merison about WITNESS (  

 • "WITNESS" by Wietske Merison: A Conve...  ); and the podcast "The Malcolm Effect," in which Dr. Abou El Fadl was interviewed by Momodou Taal (https://open.spotify.com/episode/3fyw....

Surah 90 Al Balad and Surah 95 Al Tin | Original English Commentary | Project Illumine

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his Quranic commentary on Surah 100: Al 'Adiyat and Surah 101: Al Qari'ah as part of the ongoing Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org). Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 11 March 2023.

Project Illumine is a year-long intensive immersion into the unique moral messages in each of the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran, the fruit of this scholar's lifetime relationship with the Quran. Surah Al 'Adiyat is the 102nd surah in the series; Surah Al Qari'ah is the 103rd. This is not the traditional line-by-line exegesis, but a chapter-by-chapter thematic approach that seeks to rediscover the original meaning received by the early Muslims that sparked their passion such that they transformed from desert dwellers to civilization builders. It is an investigation of the timeless moral and ethical lessons of the Quran then applied to our modern day. In the introduction, Executive Director Grace Song calls attention to the conversation between Professor Aminah Al-Deen and Dr. Abou El Fadl on her show Critical Talk on Muslim Network TV: Critical Talk

Surah 100: Al 'Adiyat and Surah 101: Al Qari'ah | Original English Commentary | Project Illumine

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his Quranic commentary on Surah 91: Al Shams and Surah 104: Al Humazah as part of the ongoing Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org). Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 18 March 2023.

Project Illumine is a year-long intensive immersion into the unique moral messages in each of the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran, the fruit of this scholar's lifetime relationship with the Quran. Surah Al Shams is the 104th surah in the series; Surah Al Humazah is the 105th. This is not the traditional line-by-line exegesis, but a chapter-by-chapter thematic approach that seeks to rediscover the original meaning received by the early Muslims that sparked their passion such that they transformed from desert dwellers to civilization builders. It is an investigation of the timeless moral and ethical lessons of the Quran then applied to our modern day. In the introduction, Executive Director Grace Song calls attention to the khutbah, "The Wellsprings of Islamophobia: It's Not Where You Think," and shares another song from WITNESS by Wietske Merison, "Hardship."

Surah 91: Al Shams and Surah 104: Al Humazah | Original English Commentary | Project Illumine

Surah 103: Al-Asr and Surah 108: Al-Kawthar | Original English Commentary | Project Illumine

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his Quranic commentary on Surah 109: Al Kafirun and Surah 111: Al Masad as part of the ongoing Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org). Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 9 April 2023.

Project Illumine is a three-year-long intensive immersion into the unique moral messages in each of the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran, the fruit of this scholar's lifetime relationship with the Quran. Surah Al Kafirun is the 106th surah in the series; Surah Al Masad is the 107th. This is not the traditional line-by-line exegesis, but a chapter-by-chapter thematic approach that seeks to rediscover the original meaning received by the early Muslims that sparked their passion such that they transformed from desert dwellers to civilization builders. It is an investigation of the timeless moral and ethical lessons of the Quran then applied to our modern day. In the introduction, Research Fellow Rami Koujah raises some interesting questions and offers some comic relief.

Surah 109 Al Kafirun & Surah 111 Al Masad | Original English Commentary | Project Illumine

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his Quranic commentary on Surah 97: Al Qadr, Surah 113: Al Falaq, and Surah 114: Al Nas as part of the ongoing Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org). Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 15 April 2023.

Project Illumine is a three-year-long intensive immersion into the unique moral messages in each of the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran, the fruit of this scholar's lifetime relationship with the Quran. Surah 97: Al Qadr is the 110th surah in the Project Illumine journey, Surah 113: Al Falaq is the 111th, and Surah 114: Al Nas is the 112th. This is not the traditional line-by-line exegesis, but a chapter-by-chapter thematic approach that seeks to rediscover the original meaning received by the early Muslims that sparked their passion such that they transformed from desert dwellers to civilization builders. It is an investigation of the timeless moral and ethical lessons of the Quran then applied to our modern day. In the introduction, Research Fellow Rami Koujah raises some interesting questions and offers some comic relief.

Surah 97: Al Qadr, Surah 113: Al Falaq, and Surah 114: Al Nas | Project Illumine

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl presents his final two Quranic commentaries on Surah 112: Al Ikhlas and Surah Al Fatiha, concluding the Project Illumine: Light of the Quran series at The Usuli Institute (www.usuli.org). Recorded at The Usuli Institute on 30 April 2023.

Project Illumine is a three-year-long intensive immersion into the unique moral messages in each of the 114 surahs (chapters) of the Quran, the fruit of this scholar's lifetime relationship with the Quran. Surah Al Ikhlas is the 113th surah in the series; Surah Al Fatiha is the 114th. This is not the traditional line-by-line exegesis, but a chapter-by-chapter thematic approach that seeks to rediscover the original meaning received by the early Muslims that sparked their passion such that they transformed from desert dwellers to civilization builders. It is an investigation of the timeless moral and ethical lessons of the Quran then applied to our modern day. In the introduction, Executive Director Grace Song shares her thoughts on the journey and reads Thank You letters to Shaykh from around the world, testifying to the impact of these Project Illumine halaqas.

Surah 112: Al Ikhlas and Surah Al Fatiha | Project Illumine, Usuli Institute

The introduction into Dr. Abou El Fadl's halaqa series on marriage. Why is marriage important and what are the different levels of marriage? Dr. Abou El Fadl introduces two types, Mulk and Malakut marriages. One which is a functional marriage, and the latter being a spiritual union and balance radiating from one's own soul into the partnership between two people reflecting the harmony within God.

Marriage: Chapter 1

From Dr. Abou El Fadl's Halaqa series on Marriage. Here we learn about the first step to achieving a "malakut" relationship with our partner, and what we should look for if we are not already married.

Marriage: Chapter 2

KAEF on Humanistic Life Of Prophet 1 Of 8.MP3

Dr. Abou El Fadl discusses the context, issue, evidence and nature of the discussion on the topic of hijab from a historical and juristic perspective, providing the tools and the methodology for understanding the place of hijab in our modern context. Although the halaqa was given in 1996, all of the topics covered are still relevant today, if not more so. Chapter 1 of 4.

Timestamps:
Introduction to Dr. Abou El Fadl’s chosen method of delivery on this topic, and why
13:45 - Historical-cultural context of female dress and sexual mores in pre-Islamic Mecca and Medina
23:18 - Islam's gradual introduction of the prohibition of prostitution
25:44 - The introduction of women as equals into Meccan and Medinan society, and background of Quran verses specifically addressed to women (“oh you believing women” verses)
34:41 - Sexual morality and marriage in pre-Islamic and ante-Islamic Mecca and Medina
39:15 - Islam’s revolutionary deconstruction of Meccan and Medinan social norms surrounding women

Hijab: Chapter 1

From Dr. Abou El Fadl's halaqa on hijab. This is Chapter 2 of 4.

Hijab: Chapter 2

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Part 1: Introduction and Tafsir. Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl introduces a new approach to understanding the Quran, chapter by chapter, the fruit of a lifelong engagement with the holy text of Islam. In this pilot halaqa, he explains how his journey with the Quran developed and evolved over the years and the questions that he engaged from the time of his youth. He presents the methodology he developed and demonstrates it in delving into the meaning of one sample chapter. www.usuli.org

6/27/20

Project Illumine: Surah al Hadid, Part 1

The Institute for Advanced Usuli Studies (The Usuli Institute)
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