Dr. Sheibani’s courses offer nuanced and scholarly understandings of the past, present, and future of Islamic tradition that are accessible and application-oriented.

Prophetic Virtues Off the Page: Balancing Sunna in Our Lives

Join Dr. Mariam Sheibani and a community of women in an online course exploring the Prophetic virtues and how to realize them in our lives.

When: Saturdays, September 7, 14, 21, 28 [Rabiʿ al-Awwal 1446]

90-minute sessions on Zoom hosted at 8 am LA・11 am New York・4 pm London・7 pm Dubai・11 pm Kuala Lumpur.

Live Course: Participants are encouraged to attend live. If you miss sessions recordings will be available.

  • How do we operationalize and balance Prophetic virtues in our lives and relationships, especially when faced with competing values and needs?

    When we learn the biography of the Prophet Muhammad (saws), we’re uplifted and inspired, but we may also feel that its lessons are unattainable or difficult to implement in our lives. The notes we take live in our notebooks and rarely make it off the page.

    When we try to implement what we’ve learnt, we encounter situations where various values and needs appear in tension, or seem paradoxical, making it difficult to know how to operationalize the Sunna in our lives, families, and communities.

    For instance, how do we both forgive and set boundaries to reduce harm? Should we conceal sin or hold perpetrators of harm publicly accountable? How do we implement the core Islamic teaching of enjoining the good and forbidding the wrong in our times? How can we be grateful and rely on Allah while asking Him for increase and striving to achieve more?

    Through an exploration of the life and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (saws), this course will demonstrate how he wisely balanced competing values and needs. We’ll learn practical lessons for embodying Prophetic virtues in our lives and draw out principles to guide us to determine the best course of action in diverse domains of life that enable us, our families, and our communities to flourish.

  • The course will be an active and dynamic communal experience.

    Participants are strongly encouraged to attend live with their cameras on and ready to actively engage with the community of learners.

  • The enrollment fee is $85 USD. Seats are limited and assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis.

    Participants unable to afford the course tuition are encouraged to apply for our limited number of scholarships. No participants will be turned away for lack of funds.

What is Sufism?

A Guide to the History, Teachings and Debates of Islamic Spirituality

What is Sufism? How did Sufism originate, how did it evolve, and what role did it play in diverse societies throughout Islamic history? Why is there so much controversy around Sufism’s teachings and practices? What role does Sufism continue to play in contemporary Muslim life?

In this course Dr. Sheibani offers answers to these important questions. The course will explore the historical origins and development of Sufism. It will chart the evolution of Islamic spirituality from its beginnings as personal ascetic devotion to the establishment of Sufism as a distinct mode of piety expounded as a religious science, to the founding of spiritual orders (ṭarīqas) in which a large portion of medieval Muslim society participated.

Along the way, the course will critically examine the debates concerning specific Sufi practices and doctrines. The course ends with a discussion of how Sufism was impacted by colonialism and reform in the modern period and its enduring significance in the Muslim world and in Muslim minority communities in the West.

Watch the Trailer:

Principles for Understanding Prophetic Guidance

Understanding Hadith and Law

This series presents the core concepts of the science of hadith authentication and the role that hadiths play in the process of law-making. Through a series of application-based case studies relating the fasting, Dr. Sheibani simplifies complex topics that are frequently queries, such as: what is the difference between hadith and sunna? How is the authenticity of a hadith determined and what do the categories signify? Can weak hadiths be applied? Are authentic hadiths always applied? And, finally, why do Muslim jurists disagree about how to determine the Sunna?

Watch the Introduction:

What students have to say

  • “Professor Sheibani was a great professor. She made sure we discussed the course concepts thoroughly, shared our own opinions, and raised questions on the course material. She made all the students feel comfortable and connected to one another and ensured they respected each other's opinions. I also loved how she combined both western academic sources and traditional Muslim sources to broaden our understanding with different perspectives.”

    - Student at the University of Toronto, Early Islamic History Seminar

  • “This course really showed the complexity and breadth of Sufism. The scope of what was covered in a relatively short time was incredible. The delivery was excellent and easy to follow – a good systematic and chronological treatment without being rigid. I learnt so many new things and the course really shifted my thinking. Explanations of contentious issues were very even handed and dispassionate. This was a refreshing approach because of how antagonistic discussions of these topics are in Muslim communities today.”

    -Student in What Is Sufism?, an on-demand course at Cambridge Muslim College

  • “I thoroughly benefited from the course What is Sufism? taught by Dr. Mariam Sheibani. She taught the course in a very systematic and engaging way. She connected the dots for me about Sufism through an intellectual historical perspective. The course was easy to follow and the content was very well organized. As a Learning Experience Designer by profession, I really appreciated how the content was divided appropriately into smaller segments that flowed logically. I also appreciate that it was self-paced which allowed working professionals like me to go through it at their own pace.”

    - Ateka, student in What Is Sufism?

  • “The class was immensely informative largely because Professor Sheibani has such a strong command in the expansive fields of Islamic history, Islamic law, and Islamic theology. No question was left unanswered or without a nuanced explanation from her. Excellent course.”

    - Graduate student at Harvard Divinity School, Seminar on Islamic Ethics

  • “I see this course as a defining moment in my studies at Harvard Divinity School. Professor Sheibani is an excellent instructor who utilizes a variety of pedagogical strategies to provide a holistic learning experience.”

    - Graduate student at Harvard Divinity School, Seminar on al-Ghazālī’s Thought

  • “Professor Sheibani is a gifted instructor who surpassed my expectations of a professor. She is clearly passionate and knowledgeable about her work and it's contagious to students.”

    - Graduate student at Harvard Divinity School, Seminar on Islamic Ethics

  • “Professor Sheibani is a gem! She should be nominated for teaching awards (and I am sure she will be!). She did a stellar job with every aspect of teaching and inspired each of her students - in a very diverse class - to learn more than they thought they could. I wish I had the opportunity to take more classes from her.”

    - Graduate student at Harvard Divinity School, Seminar on Islamic Ethics

  • “Dr. Mariam is an expert in Hadith sciences. But more than that she deeply cares about her students and connecting them to this science. She is a skilled educator who breaks down complex concepts and makes them digestible and applicable for all. I loved learning from her and with her. She is an incredible teacher who models sincerity, accessibility, and humility, which is beautiful to witness. She is a clear communicator, and she engages difficult subjects with grace and frankness.”

    - Rahile, student in Hadith seminar in Cairo

  • “I loved how Dr. Sheibani explored specific Islamic laws and presented the differences between the rules and the spirit or purpose of the law. There was so much compassion in law the way she taught it, even on the toughest questions. I also liked how she transitioned into therapeutic applications and made room for classroom discussions. It was always clear that things are not black and white and listening to different experiences from fellow practitioners enriched the discussion.”

    - Practitioner-student in the Cambridge Muslim College, Islamic Psychology Diploma

  • “If you want to understand Hadith, Sunnah, and Fiqh, the four sessions called ‘Holding Fast’ by Dr. Mariam Sheibani are the best video resource available online. She’s a phenomenal teacher, and I highly recommend learning from her.”

    - Abdullah Saleh