Garden of Knowledge will be back on site at MCGP!
Alhamdulillah, after an 18 month absence, Garden of Knowledge will finally be back on site at MCGP! Launched in the Spring of 2017, the Garden of Knowledge aims to bring traditional Islamic and Arabic knowledge to the MCGP and wider community. Please our course offerings below and check back for new class offerings.
Fall Classes
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Learning Arabic Through
Surah Al-Baqarah
This is the first class offered by Garden of Knowledge which involves learning Qur'anic Arabic by direct practical experience. Students will go through the entirety of Surah Al-Baqarah and build up enough vocabulary and knowledge of the Arabic language that understanding the Qur'an becomes a reality. The first 15 minutes of each class will cover a topic in the Arabic language and the remaining 40-45 minutes will be dedicate towards trying to translate and understand a given verse of Surah Al-Baqarah.
More details can be found on the FAQ Page.
Our Teachers
Imam Safwan Eid
Imam Safwan Eid is the son and student of renowned Theologian, Dr. Imam Talal Eid. He holds a Master’s degree in Islamic studies & Leadership from Bayan- Claremont School of Theology as well as bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Women studies from The University of Massachusetts. Imam Safwan, in addition to his work as a Religious Director, founded several local Interfaith organizations and has served as an Executive Director, Youth director, Accountant and Chaplain. He currently serves as the Director of Religious Affairs & Youth Development at The Muslim Center of Greater Princeton.
Ustadh Yusuf Hussain
Ustadh Yusuf is the co-founder of the Garden of Knowledge and regular teacher here since its inception, having taught courses in Arabic from a beginning to intermediate level, Hanafi fiqh, Principles of Hadith classification, Sciences of the Qur'an and multiple courses in Islamic Theology. When not teaching, Ustadh Yusuf is busy studying at the Al-Salam Institute where he is currently a 5th-year student pursuing his 'Alim degree, having earned multiple ijazas or licenses to teach in Islamic theology, Arabic Grammar, Arabic Morphology, Arabic Rhetoric, Seerah, Qur'anic Legal Tafsir, Principles of Hadith Classifications and Sciences of the Qur'an. Prior to that he studied with various other scholars in multiple fields. Ustadh Yusuf has also served in the past on the Religious Committee, Religious Programming Commitee and Scholars Committee at MCGP.
Ustadh Lavon Brown
Ustadh Lavon L. Brown is a Brooklyn Native and resident of the state of New Jersey. He has been formally studying the sciences of Islam for over ten years with various teachers and institutions. He has studied several beginner to intermediate texts in Arabic, Aqidah and Maliki fiqh with several teachers and institutions including Shaykh Muhammad Mendes and Seekers Guidance. Ustadh Lavon is currently a resident student at Fayda institute. His teaching experience includes teaching beginner Arabic grammar with Garden of Knowledge Academy for two years. He has also served as an assistant and substitute teacher for Shaykh Mendes’ Garden of Knowledge class in Maliki fiqh for the fall semester of 2020 and Spring semester of 2021.