Class: Madina Institute Workshop: Imam Ghazali's Beginning of Guidance When: Saturday & Sunday, April 19th & 20th from 10am - 2pm Where: Madina Institute Masjid @ 3580 Sweetwater Rd, Duluth, GA 30096 Instructor: Ustadha Zaynab Ansari

Course Blurb: Seeking knowledge is a responsibility of every mukallaf individual. Allah Most High says, 'Say: Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know?" The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said, "Whomever Allah wishes well for, He gives him understanding of the religion."

The ocean of sacred knowledge is vast and deep. However, before one attempts to navigate these life-sustaining waters, one must possess the necessary tools. The Beginning of Guidance, written by Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, is that compass. Intended as a manual for students of knowledge just setting out on their journey, The Beginning of Guidance contains key lessons, exhortations, and points of etiquette, or adab, for those seeking to fulfill the duty of every Muslim.

Although the emphasis of this work is to begin at the beginning, this text has something for all seekers, no matter their level. Over a two-day period, Zaynab Ansari will conduct a workshop based on this enduring classic, covering the three sections of obedience, avoiding disobedience, and the manners of being with Allah Ta'ala and people.

Instructor Bio: Zaynab Ansari Abdul-Razacq is a native Southerner with Northern roots. She spent several years studying the core Islamic sciences, including Arabic, jurisprudence, Quranic recitation & commentary, Hadith, and Prophetic biography in Damascus, Syria at Abu Nour Masjids college preparatory program. Upon her return to the United States, she continued her Islamic studies privately with Shaykh Khalil Abdur-Rashid, Imam of New Yorks Iqra Masjid, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, educational director of SeekersGuidance, Shaykh Jamal Ud-Deen Hysaw, and Dr. Fareeha Khan, Assistant Professor of Religion & Anthropology at Willamette University.

From 2004 to 2009, she volunteered, answered questions, and taught for SunniPath Academy. She currently answers questions for SeekersGuidance Answers Blog, writes for Azizah Magazines Deen Department, and volunteers with the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta. She did her undergraduate work in History and Middle Eastern Studies and is currently pursuing a masters degree in World History at Georgia State University in the fall. She is married and has three children.

Registration: $30; Team Package: $25/registrant for groups of 5 or more; Includes Brunch. To register, please visit www.madinainstituteusa.org