Amina’s Testimonial
TRANSCRIPT
It was a seeming coincidence, and a simple offer of tea, that led me to Sheikh Hamza’s home on a fateful September afternoon in Aman, while I was visiting in 2018.
Let me introduce myself. My name is Amina Syed. I have returned to my home country, Pakistan, after more than a decade of living in Romania, Yemen and Australia. I have grown up children, the last of them in his final year at college. I started studying with Sheikh Hamza KaramAli two years ago.
Between investing in my husband’s career and raising my children in various parts of the world, I had delayed taking on a more serious path to scholarship. I had a bit of Arabic - some Fiqh – an understanding of Koran and Hadith that I needed to confirm, and so much more to learn. I looked everywhere for a teacher who would address my gaps in knowledge and teach me all I needed to know in order to make my religion sincere. At the same time, there was a deep desire to study from the Tafseer Jalalyn, but I did not know where to turn.
Sitting in Sheikh Hamza’s lounge, I decided to ask his wife to inquire of him, how I should pursue my intent. She returned with an invitation to attend his classes during my short stay. I did not know that he was teaching. The next morning, I arrived to discover that he was teaching the last surahs of the tafseer Jalalyn. I was naturally, over come with emotion!
I was told that Sheikh Hamza had designed a special curriculum for young scholars of our age. This was a test run. The real program was to follow the next September. I knew that with the responsibility of older parents in Pakistan, I could not stay indefinitely. So, when I later received a message from Sheikh Hamza’s wife that the courses were online and open to all, I enrolled immediately!
The classes became my lifeline. I was faced with a severe trial at the same time and the lessons gave me strength. Often agitated, I would find an answer, gain direction or find a supplication during the lessons. Through the classes, my learning’s were being stitched together, sometimes confirmed and sometimes re-defined. I held the miracle of Tafseer Jalalyn, both the Arabic and English editions in my hand as we read the Divine word; Aqeeda brought a deep fundamental change as the meanings sank into the heart, making me realize my weaknesses. I sought deep repentance and subsequently, strived to change myself. We also undertook comparative study, reading other diverse material, and referring to belief systems that underlined the secular society. We learnt to navigate truth within untruths and through it returned to a holistic learning of true Islam where there is no contradiction but all sciences lead Unto the One.
The Sheikh has a way of making the complex, simple. His lectures recap past learning, and address all levels of understanding. The almost forgotten literature of early Muslim scholars has been made easy even for those who do not read Arabic. Scholars warn us to “Take knowledge from those who know.” I have no doubt about the sincerity and scholarship of Sheikh Hamza Karam Ali. My only regret is that I did not take this more seriously when I was younger. I believe these classes with Basira Education are invaluable and nothing is and can be more worthy of our time!