The three-day seminar from Aug. 24-26, entitled "Love Notes", was taught by Shaikh Yaser Birjas, who currently serves as an imam in Texas.

Students at the seminar.

The seminar, the third such class organized by the AlMaghrib institute in southern California, marked the establishment of the national educational institution’s presence in the southland.

Yasmeen ElHadi, a 21-year-old law student living in Westwood, said the seminar was right on mark.

"Our generation does not understand the rights and responsibilities of marriage," she said. "Furthermore, we don’t understand the right resources in order to find a spouse. The most helpful thing was to learn from the example of the Prophet as far as his treatment of his wives." 

Students at the seminar.

In a community hungry for obtaining Islamic knowledge in a serious manner, knowing that the seminar was just the beginning of more weekend classes to come was a delight in itself for many.

Since most people are not fortunate enough to study abroad in Islamic institutes, Shaikh Muhammad AlShareef found the AlMaghrib Institute in 2001.

Keeping in mind the busy schedules of working individuals and students, AlMaghrib provides courses on Islam in a six-day, two-weekend, intensive seminar format. 

Students with Shaikh Yaser Birjas (seated) in a question and answer session.

Students take the classes, take the exam and earn credits toward a Bachelor of Arts in the Islamic Sciences.

The institute has an impressive list of instructors who have degrees from Islamic universities and have a deeply rooted understanding of classical Islamic tradition.

Birjas, the instructor for Love Notes, graduated from the Islamic University of Madinah’s College of Shariah as class valedictorian and with the highest honors.

A student taking notes during the AlMaghrib seminar.

The institute aims to reach out to American Muslims, and the style of the lecturers – which include jokes, stories, activities, examples pertinent to American Muslim culture and even exercise breaks – reflect that.

AlMaghrib’s current list of instructors include Muhammad Alshareef, Yasir Qadhi, Yaser Birjas, Abdul Bary Yahya, Muhammad ibnFaqih, Waleed Basyouni, Riad Ouarzazi and Suhaib Webb, the newest addition.

To foster healthy competition, students in participating cities are members of their city’s tribe or "qabeelah," and they compete with other qabeelahs through grades, social activism and participation in AlMaghrib’s online forums.

A title of the thread in the online forum reads, "My Qabeelah rules and yours drools" and is described as the place for "witty slogans and polite jabs to encourage competition for the sake of Allah."

The "Love Notes" seminar in Irvine earned southern California students the qabeelah status, and they are now known as "Qabeelat Haqq."

Some of the topics for the double-weekend classes include aqeedah (principles of faith), marriage, history of the caliphs, and Islamic morals and etiquettes.

For southern California, the next class scheduled is "Light of Guidance: Aqeedah 101," taught by Shaikh Yasir Qadhi during the first two weekends of November in Orange County. Registration is already open.

As the buzz for AlMaghrib grows in southern California, Fouzia Usman, an advisor for Qabeelat Haqq, said it’s important not to lose sight of the goal.

"One of the main goals of AlMaghrib Institute is to build sincere, dedicated and brilliant students of knowledge who will go on to become leaders, bringing their communities to new heights," she said.