Classes start November 8th, 2025
Weekly live, online, classes via Zoom on Saturdays, for 12 months, 4-6 pm EST
Indefinite access to recordings
NOTE: Previous study in Shafi'i Fiqh is required
This course only covers the original text of Umdat us-Salik. The sections added by Sh. Nuh Keller in his translation are not covered in the course.
Explore one of Islam’s most renowned works of Islamic Law according to the Shāfiʿī tradition.
This comprehensive course offers an in-depth study of Umdat al-Sālik (The Reliance of the Traveler), the classical manual of Shāfiʿī fiqh authored by Imam Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri.
Long recognized as one of the most authoritative handbooks of Islamic Law according to the Shafi'i madhhab, this text has guided scholars, students, and seekers for centuries in matters of worship, transactions and inter-personal relations.
It is a critical curriculum text for those building up to an advanced study of the madhhab.
Over the duration of the course, students will:
- Gain a clear understanding of the core rulings of Shāfiʿī fiqh, including purification, prayer, fasting, zakah, hajj, marriage, and transactions.
- Unpack the legal principles (qawāi'd) embedded within the rulings, learning how Shāfiʿī jurists derive law using legal maxims.
- Study the Qur’ānic and Prophetic evidences that underpin the rulings of the madhhab to see how Shafi'i jurists engaged with sacred text.
- Engage with classical commentary and scholarly discussions, situating the text within the broader discourse of Islamic jurisprudence.
The course combines textual analysis, practical application, and critical discussion, making it ideal for both students of traditional learning and those seeking a structured, evidence-based approach to the Shāfiʿī school.
Join us as we journey through one of Islam’s great legal masterpieces—discovering not only what the law says, but how and why it says it.
Curriculum
Instructor
Samir Hussain studied Evolutionary Biology & Cosmology at McMaster University in Canada and realized that the real answers could only be found with God and in the Islamic tradition.
In 2007 he began studying Islam in English with various preachers & scholars in Canada. In 2010 he moved to Riyadh & studied the classical Islamic sciences with scholars in private, one-on-one classes. In 2016 he moved to Cairo to study Hadith. Throughout most of his studies, he worked as a professional educator at the university level.
He has ijazahs to teach most of the texts he has studied with his teachers, ranging from beginner to advanced texts across different subjects in the traditional Islamic sciences.
Samir Hussain's main research interests are in Islamic theology, Usul-ul-Fiqh & philosophy, and he is also passionate about the Arabic language. Since 2017 he has been teaching Islamic Studies full-time at the high school level. In 2020 he started teaching traditional texts in the Islamic Sciences online at Fahm Education.
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On-Demand Courses
Pre-recorded courses, study at your own pace. Packed with enriching & practical content.
