In his esteemed collection of rigorously authenticated Prophetic traditions, Imam al-Bukhārī records the statement of the Prophet (upon him be peace): “The best deeds in the sight of God are those that are performed with the greatest consistency.”
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The American Learning Institute for Muslims (ALIM) has been hosting its annual summer program for a quarter century. Needless to say, much has changed in 25 years. However, ALIM has demonstrated incredible consistency. We’ve remained committed to our mission. We empower Muslims through Islamic literacy.

​From our inception until the present, our students have been consistently excellent. And I don’t suspect that this year will be any different. Our 2024 class will bring together a diverse range of experiences and interests. This should make for enriching exchange in the classroom.  We also anticipate our counselors making a significant contribution to the program. Their selfless dedication to enhancing the experiences of the students is always phenomenal. And we can’t forget to acknowledge our board, staff, and volunteers. This year they’ve carefully crafted the schedules of the students so as to balance culturally enriching activities and spiritual restoration with academically rigorous 8 hour instructional days. And lastly, our teachers; if precedent stands, both core faculty and visiting scholars will display passion, patience, and erudition.

In his Jām`i, the renowned traditionist (muḥaddith), Imam at-Tirmidhī records the following Prophetic tradition: “The scholars are the inheritors of the prophets.”

Previously, the men and women that have assumed the prophetic office of teaching within our program have upheld their trust. They have modeled faith-affirming, critical engagement with the Islamic tradition and thereby unlocked the potential of generations (plural!!!) of young Muslims. These core elements (The students, counselors, staff/board, and teachers) along with many other auxiliary components create the unique ALIM summer program experience. As this year’s program is set to kickoff, this is a short post dedicated to the incoming students: You are inheriting a great legacy.
     
I attended the ALIM summer program in 2005. I distinctly remember observing the pedagogical styles of the core faculty of ALIM for the first time. I was awe-struck by Dr. Jackson’s scholarship. He created an effective link between the world of the Qur’ānic revelation and our own. His class on the Prophetic Biography (Sīrah) included carefully selected historical references, insightful social commentary, and vivifying personal anecdotes.  Imam Muneer Fareed entered the classroom as an embodiment of rigorous training in traditional madāris combined with the analytical skill of a Western academician. If truth be told, in my year, Imam Muneer’s classes were the defining feature of ALIM. In a manner that can only described as brilliant, he challenged some of our oversimplified notions of tradition while still affirming the positive value of tradition. I observed his sophisticated mix of Socratic inquiry and devotion like a highly skilled acrobat walking a tightrope before a gasping audience. Shaykh Ali Suleiman Ali taught ulūm al-Qur’ān and Post-Prophetic history when I attended ALIM. After some years of Islamic study, I learned that these were topics of the highest level of consequence and difficulty. Those who cast aspersions onto Islam usually attempt to do so through textual deconstruction of the Qur’ān and bad faith readings of early Islamic history. Shaykh Ali fortified us against some of those negative influences. However, you wouldn’t have known that such intellectually rigorous work was taking place in those classes because he did it with such grace. Shaykh Ali also combines the best of East and West in his training but his avuncular charm conceals his immense intellectual gifts. 

Almost 20 years later and little has changed—aside from a lot more gray hair among the instructors (including yours’ truly!). Dr. Jackson will be teaching Sīrah and Islamic Intellectual History. I encourage the students to ask questions and critically engage the material. In spite of his redoubtable classroom presence, Dr. Jackson appreciates dialogue and exchange. As he is fond of saying, “Don’t worry! I’m a vegetarian when it comes to human beings!”  One of the biggest conceptual shifts that occurred for me at ALIM was being able to ask questions without feeling irreverent. Imam Muneer will probably challenge some of the students pre-conceived ideas about Islam is his classes on Sectarianism and Islam and Post-Modernity.

My advice to students: Don’t leave early! Don’t put up the walls of your intellectual/spiritual defenses. This might offer protection but it won’t foster growth. Venture beyond your comfort zone; your faith will be reinforced not debunked, inshallah. And Shaykh Ali will still be the knowledgeable, sage, unperturbed elder statesman that he’s always been. Be advised, true mastery lies in making the complex appear simple. Don’t overlook Shaykh Ali’s classes. Additionally, Ustadha Zaynab Ansari, Dr. Hadia Mubarak, Dr. Tayseer Safi, Dr. Omar Nasim and the inestimable Imams Zaid Shakir and Mohamed Maged will all make invaluable contributions to this year’s program. Each of them is an amazing scholar in their own respect. However, when viewed as a collective, the diversity and variability of their scholarship is profound. To be sure, we trust everyone who teaches at the program. However, we intentionally recruit scholars that hold differing views. This is not to confuse students but rather to expose you to the richness of our tradition.  

The Alimni are a diverse collective. Over the years we’ve had students of various backgrounds, representing a wide assortment of institutions and fields of endeavor. The consistent thread, however, has been excellence. I have little doubt the Class of 24’ will be no exception. You have my highest hopes but also highest expectations.