2017 Bayyinah Dream Program
Donation protected
Salaam alaikum (Peace Be Upon You All),
My name is Tuscany B., and I am hoping to raise money to cover the tuition for the 2017 Bayyinah Dream Program in Dallas, Texas to finally learn the Arabic of the Quran. (http://dream.bayyinah.com/) It is a 5 1/2 month full-time program and they have been able to help students grow their Arabic skills exponially so they may continue onwards to higher Islamic education.
At the Dream Program, there are several teachers available to teach each student such as Nouman Ali Khan, Yasir Birjas, Omar Suleiman, AbdulRahman Murphy, Khadeejah Bari, Sa'id Abedi, and many more!
This would mean the world to me to be able to attend! I converted to Islam in 2012 and steadily began my quest for Islamic knowledge. In 2013, I began teaching myself Arabic through self-study manuals. In 2014, I enrolled at Mishkah University to get my bachelor's in Islamic Studies. In 2015, I successfully published a book in English on basic Islamic rulings in regards to menstruation called, "It's That Time Again: An Islamic Guide to Menstruation" My goal in life is to one day become an Islamic scholar.
However, in 2016, I had to drop down from the bachelor's program to the associate's program at Mishkah University. They require you to self-study with two three hour sessions on the weekends to learn Arabic fast. In order to graduate with a bachelor's degree, one must have 4 years of Arabic or an equivalancy. By year 4, they require you to be able to read books of fiqh (Islamic rulings). I found out that I do not learn Arabic well without a tutor since I have no foundation for the sounds and syntax associated with the Arabic language. I have tried four times to get tutors for the Quran, but it is very difficult for me as a woman to find somebody who has the time and knowledge to be able to teach me the holy words of the Quran and their meanings.
As briefly stated earlier, I converted to Islam. How? I had never met a Muslim in my life when I converted. It began with a tweet.
I was at home in my very rural hometown reading about a girl from Malaysia who tweeted about how she was happy to be Muslim. In my ignorance, I felt perhaps she was misguided. Didn't she know all Muslim women were oppressed? But I also realized in this moment I too knew very little. I drove over an hour away to buy my first Quran from Barnes and Noble.
I turned to chapter four, Surah An-Nisa - The Women, because I felt it would be here Allah would tell me to hate women. Alas, He did not and in fact, I fell in love the Quran after reading this chapter. I loved the richness of the words and the attention to detail. It seemed Allah (SWT) had thought of everything and everyone! Within the month of finding the Quran I converted/reverted to Islam! Alhamdullilah! I feel desperate in today's political climate to learn the words of the Holy Quran. In order to teach the world about Islam as it was intended, I can only do so if I'm comfortable with the major texts of the religion in their original language. I will be able to give back to my community and beyond with this knowledge with multiple ways. I plan to write more books explaining our religion in new ways in the English language and to lead new programs in my home state of Indiana to help women succeed. There are not very women scholars in the Midwest, or even male scholars to study under so I hope to be a positive change in my community and beyond. Currently, I feel hindered by inability to learn the Arabic language properly. Please help me with my goal of going to the 2017 Bayyinah Dream Program by donating. The sooner I am able to raise the money, the better because Bayyinah will hold this program biannually from 2016 onwards. Depending on the funds available, I will be able to apply for the term I need.
However, in 2016, I had to drop down from the bachelor's program to the associate's program at Mishkah University. They require you to self-study with two three hour sessions on the weekends to learn Arabic fast. In order to graduate with a bachelor's degree, one must have 4 years of Arabic or an equivalancy. By year 4, they require you to be able to read books of fiqh (Islamic rulings). I found out that I do not learn Arabic well without a tutor since I have no foundation for the sounds and syntax associated with the Arabic language. I have tried four times to get tutors for the Quran, but it is very difficult for me as a woman to find somebody who has the time and knowledge to be able to teach me the holy words of the Quran and their meanings.
As briefly stated earlier, I converted to Islam. How? I had never met a Muslim in my life when I converted. It began with a tweet.
I was at home in my very rural hometown reading about a girl from Malaysia who tweeted about how she was happy to be Muslim. In my ignorance, I felt perhaps she was misguided. Didn't she know all Muslim women were oppressed? But I also realized in this moment I too knew very little. I drove over an hour away to buy my first Quran from Barnes and Noble.
I turned to chapter four, Surah An-Nisa - The Women, because I felt it would be here Allah would tell me to hate women. Alas, He did not and in fact, I fell in love the Quran after reading this chapter. I loved the richness of the words and the attention to detail. It seemed Allah (SWT) had thought of everything and everyone! Within the month of finding the Quran I converted/reverted to Islam! Alhamdullilah! I feel desperate in today's political climate to learn the words of the Holy Quran. In order to teach the world about Islam as it was intended, I can only do so if I'm comfortable with the major texts of the religion in their original language. I will be able to give back to my community and beyond with this knowledge with multiple ways. I plan to write more books explaining our religion in new ways in the English language and to lead new programs in my home state of Indiana to help women succeed. There are not very women scholars in the Midwest, or even male scholars to study under so I hope to be a positive change in my community and beyond. Currently, I feel hindered by inability to learn the Arabic language properly. Please help me with my goal of going to the 2017 Bayyinah Dream Program by donating. The sooner I am able to raise the money, the better because Bayyinah will hold this program biannually from 2016 onwards. Depending on the funds available, I will be able to apply for the term I need.
Organizer
Tuscany Bernier
Organizer
Lafayette, IN
