Madina Institute is a tertiary academic Islamic institution that started in January 2014 in Cape Town. It offers a ground-breaking, one year intensive Usul Ud Din (foundational Scholarship of Islamic Sciences) program. This intensive, traditional program is designed to develop leaders who are schooled in the traditional sciences of the Religion. It is designed to take students who are post matric or have completed University who don’t necessarily want to become career scholars but have a deep interest to know more about their religion. In this way students integrate who they are as faithful Muslims and what they do as careers so that they become functional people. The point is to raise the bar on people in general and on the scholarly leadership as well, because the more educated people are the more they demand and the more they expect and contribute. There is therefore always a justification for education. Madina Institute is a place where your spiritual journey will flourish and help you grow deeper into your faith and serve humanity, help foster academic excellence and manifests the line of truth and moderation commanded by The Qur’aan and the authentic Sunnah (Prophetic tradition) of Rasulullah (S.A.W).
People can be seekers and believers at the same time. So, whilst Madina Institute seeks to bring Hope, growth and opportunity to all human beings, it is also a place of deep theological reflection. This foundational scholarship year will establish a solid academic base for every student of knowledge inshaAllah.
Upon successful completion of this intensive year of study, the student will be a student-scholar, with a solid foundation in major Islamic Sciences and obtain the keys to further navigate through all the sciences of Islamic scholarship under the guidance of Shaykh Muhammad bin Yahya an Ninowy and leading Islamic Scholars from all around the world.
Whilst this is a tertiary institution of Deen it encourages leadership and using the Prophetic model of teaching. It aims to foster excellence in all fields of human endeavor. The purpose of Madina is to create a base for an academic think tank for Muslim scholars and for those who want to be Muslim scholars.
The point of Madina Institute is to go back to Madinah al Munawwarah, the spiritual home for all the Muslims. It is our place. It is our Messenger (Peace Be Upon Him) who resided and ruled there, it is the Sahabah that taught us Islam that are buried in Madina. The point is to go back under the umbrella of Rasulullah (Peace be upon him). Doing that is to go back to the Book, Al Qur’aan il Kareem and the authentic Sunnah (Prophetic traditions) of the Messenger of God (Peace Be Upon Him). The motto of Madina remains Education through Compassion leading to Illumination and prioritizing the Holy Book and the authentic Sunnah.
Why do we need to prioritize the Holy Book and the authentic Sunnah?
The Holy Book is from Allah Ta’ala and the Sunnah is from Rasulullah (Peace be Upon Him). The Book is Wahy (divine revelation) and the Sunnah is Wahy. Divine revelation is merciful, inclusive, unconditionally loving and unconditionally compassionate. The vision of Madina is threefold: Hope, Growth and Opportunity. Today we live in times of chaos. Madinah offered those who used to kill their daughters during Jahiliyyah, used to do usury and who used to ransack people for a living: Hope, growth and opportunity
In Makkah before the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) and the Sahabahs moved to Madina the first thing the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) did was to turn his home into an Masjid. A Masjid but not in our understanding of it. The Masjid of Rasulullah was not just a prayer hall. It was an institution of learning that He (Peace be upon Him) built. And that is why you found the Sahabahs learning there, not only learning their Religion there but learning poetry, etiquettes and how to deal with each other. They used to sit in the Masjid and relate stories about Jahilliyah, reminiscing and laughing. The kids would play inside the Masjid. It was a community institution in every respect.
Madina Institute is not only about teaching classical books, it is about hope, growth and opportunity. It is a hope for all of us. We need to get back to the texts that came and saved people when they were at their worst. Today we need salvation, we need to go back to the unconditional compassion which only Rasulullah (Peace be upon him) can give.
Our Din is unconditional love towards all and malice towards none. Come, come whoever you are to the Muhammadan Garden of Hope, Growth and Opportunity.
Experience the essence and spirit of Madina distilled into the foundations of this prestigious institute.
Madina Institute is based in the award-winning ICON building, located in the heart of Cape Town’s Central Business District, opposite the International Convention Centre (CTICC) and within walking distance to various Masaajid and in close proximity to most public transport modalities.
Shakirah Thebus
Madina Student 2014 Alumn