Subjects & Topics

A tour of the principal subjects taught in the hawzah — from Arabic grammar and logic to jurisprudence, philosophy, mysticism and Qurʾanic exegesis.

The hawzah offers a diverse and profound array of subjects that you are not only introduced to, but should aspire to master during your tenure in Qum. As in any scholarly discipline, the foundations and prerequisites are studied in the early years, paving the way for a gradual immersion into deeper and more intricate content. What follows is a glimpse into some of the principal subjects, to give you a preliminary sense of their significance and depth.

Arabic Grammar

Arabic grammar is considered the cornerstone of seminary education, owing to its pivotal role in understanding and interpreting the Holy Qurʾan, hadith and other Islamic texts. Some would argue that a seminary student’s academic success can be gauged by his proficiency in this area alone — so great emphasis and time are dedicated to it, especially in the early years. As taught in the hawzah, Arabic grammar divides into three categories.

Morphology (Sarf)

Generally speaking, all words in Arabic are derived from a set of root letters. Morphology is the science that analyses the structure of words: how they are formed and how they relate to one another. For example, the words kitāb (book), kataba (he wrote) and yaktubu (he writes) all carry different meanings yet share a common theme identified by their root letters, k–t–b. You learn the process of voweling Arabic words, recognising different patterns, understanding the meanings behind word variations, and conjugating verbs and nouns.

Syntax (Nahw)

While morphology deals with the structure of individual words, syntax is the study of sentence structure — and more particularly inflection (iʿrab), the process of assigning or modifying word case endings and diacritical marks to express grammatical categories such as tense, state, gender or mood. Proficiency in syntax lets you grammatically analyse a text accurately in various contexts, deepening your understanding of the Holy Qurʾan and other sources while preserving the integrity of their original meanings.

Rhetoric (Balaghah)

This field explores the techniques and strategies of eloquent expression in Arabic. It covers three broad areas:

• Semantic Syntax (ilm al-Maʿani) — how to convey intended meanings effectively according to one’s situation, circumstances, context and audience, by understanding the nuances of word choice, grammatical structure and contextual implication.
• Figures of Speech (ilm al-Bayan) — the use of rhetorical devices such as metaphor, simile, personification and allegory.
• Embellishments (ilm al-Badi) — how to adorn lexical and semantic features through unconventional word order, linguistic playfulness, puns and other techniques.

Logic

One of the first subjects taught in the hawzah is logic (mantiq) — the study of correct reasoning or, as al-Farabi defines it, “an instrumental, rule-based science aimed at directing the intellect towards the truth and safeguarding it from error in its acts of reasoning”. Since logic is a tool for distinguishing valid inferences from invalid ones, mastery of it is essential to comprehending the Islamic intellectual sciences, constructing well-founded conclusions, verifying arguments correctly and identifying logical fallacies.

The subject’s foundation lies in the integration of Greek logic — primarily influenced by Aristotle — with the works of Islamic scholars such as al-Farabi and Ibn Sina, who contributed greatly to its development and its application in philosophy. In essence, logic studies the nature of propositions and investigates the structure and validity of arguments, chiefly through the syllogistic method, a powerful tool for drawing conclusions from given premises. It also probes the intricacies of language and semantics that underlie precise argumentation.

Theology

Theology is the study of fundamental doctrines and beliefs, involving discussions of the nature of God, prophethood and the resurrection. Primarily a rational and discursive discipline, it also draws on transmitted and traditional sources to confirm rational judgements and to settle issues subordinate to doctrines already proven rationally.

You learn the history of the subject, analyse theological arguments such as the proofs for the existence of God, and tackle key questions concerning all the articles of faith. Although studies centre on Shia doctrines, you are also taught the different theological schools of thought and undertake comparative studies, equipping you with the tools to engage in dialogue with followers of other sects and religions.

Islamic Ethics

Islamic ethics (akhlaq) encompasses the study of moral values, virtues and ethical principles derived from Islamic teachings, with a view to adorning oneself with virtues such as righteousness, honesty, sincerity, chastity, generosity and justice, and ridding oneself of vices such as arrogance, cowardice, miserliness and vanity. You learn about the faculties of the soul and the importance of human perfection, and engage in discussions on strategies for treating vices and approaches to assimilating virtues.

History

Islamic history provides an overview of the political, social and intellectual developments within the Muslim world. You generally begin with the life of Prophet Muhammad (s), examining the pre-Islamic and early Islamic period and the social, moral and intellectual decadence that led to the appointment of the Last Messenger of Allah (swt). You also delve into the lives of the Infallible Imams (a), the caliphates, the emergence of various Islamic empires, and the intellectual contributions of Muslim scholars.

History can be passive — recounting events that occurred in the past — or analytical, exploring the causes and reasons behind them. A comprehensive, analytical study of Islamic history provides an important basis for understanding every aspect of the religion, and can offer delicate insights into future events.

Hadith Studies

Hadith — also referred to as traditions or narrations — is a term in Islamic terminology for sayings quoted from the Holy Prophet (s) or one of the Infallible Imams (a). Owing to its importance as a major source of religious law and of moral and spiritual guidance, hadith studies sits at the forefront of the Islamic sciences. It divides into two broad disciplines.

Hadith Science (Dirayat al-Hadith)

This science itself consists of several disciplines for studying and evaluating the authenticity of hadith. You are introduced to the essential terminology of the field, the different classifications of hadith, and the principles used for analysing both the text (matn) and the chain (sanad) of a narration.

Science of Hadith Transmitters (Ilm al-Rijal)

This discipline centres on the biographies of those who transmitted hadith and the methodologies used to establish a narrator’s credibility — drawing on both historic and religious knowledge — in order to distinguish authentic, reliable hadith from those considered unreliable.

Islamic Jurisprudence

Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) and principles of jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh) are two of the most central subjects in the hawzah and receive a great deal of attention. As a Muslim who has believed in Allah, in Islam and in the divine law, and who recognises a responsibility to follow His rulings, one is obliged to adhere practically to the divine law. It is therefore a Muslim’s duty to determine this practical position and to know how to behave in every situation. Islamic jurisprudence is the discipline charged with determining these practical positions and establishing divine legal rulings derived from the Holy Qurʾan, the sunnah (the words, actions and silent assertions of the Holy Prophet and the Infallible Imams), scholarly consensus and reasoning.

You learn the methodologies used to deduce Islamic laws, applying expertise in subjects such as Arabic grammar, logic, principles of Islamic jurisprudence, hadith studies and Qurʾanic exegesis. The range of fiqh is extremely wide, as it contains every subject related to a Muslim’s actions. Traditionally these are divided and studied in categories called kutub or abwab — for example kitab al-salah (the Book of Prayer) — all of which fall under one of two branches: worship and contracts. Worship includes topics such as cleanliness, prayer, fasting, khums and hajj; contracts covers the laws of buying and selling, hire, loans, wills, marriage and divorce.

Alongside in-depth study of these subjects, you are introduced to the various schools of thought within Islamic jurisprudence and engage in critical comparative study. Only those who traverse the meticulous path of ijtihad can eventually become experts in this field and be called a faqih, an Islamic jurist.

Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence

Deriving a divine legal ruling involves not only a comprehensive study of the four sources of jurisprudence, but also knowledge of the common rules and unifying elements that pertain to all the procedures of derivation. Principles of jurisprudence can be described as “the study of the rules and shared elements in the procedure of derivation of the divine law”. Such a discipline is essential, because the commands and regulations of Islam have not been spelled out by the Holy Qurʾan, nor by the Holy Prophet (s) and the Imams (a), in a way that deals with each and every particularity — nor would that be possible, since events and situations arise in endlessly different forms. Instead, general principles have been laid before the Muslims to enable them to deduce their responsibility in any given situation. Studying these principles equips you with the tools to analyse legal texts and apply them in deriving rulings, while also developing your intellectual abilities.

Philosophy

Philosophy (falsafah) derives from the Greek philosophia, “love of wisdom”, a coinage attributed to Socrates. For early Muslim scholars, philosophy did not refer to a single discipline; rather, it encompassed all the rational sciences as opposed to the transmitted sciences, and could be divided into theoretical and practical philosophy. Theoretical philosophy addresses things as they are and includes metaphysics, mathematics and the natural sciences; practical philosophy addresses human actions as they ought to be and divides into ethics, domestic economy and politics. A true philosopher comprehends all of these.

In modern times, however, Islamic philosophy has become synonymous with just one of these branches — metaphysics, or first philosophy — centred on what Western philosophy calls ontology, the study of being or existence. Hawzah students undertake an in-depth study of subjects such as the concept and reality of existence, cause and effect, the nature of knowledge and the Necessary Being. They also learn about the different philosophical schools of thought within Islam and critically study both ancient and modern Western philosophies.

Mysticism

Mysticism (irfan) is a discipline with two branches: the theoretical (irfan nazari) and the practical (irfan amali). Theoretical mysticism is concerned with ontology and can loosely be considered an extension of Islamic philosophy. Whereas philosophy relies on rational principles for its arguments, however, mysticism bases its deductions on principles discovered through mystical experience (kashf), then uses the language of philosophy and reason to explain them — allowing for far more profound conclusions and perceptions than philosophy alone can offer.

Practical mysticism describes the relationship and responsibilities of a human being towards himself, the world of creation and God. This practical aspect, or “spiritual wayfaring” (sayr wa suluk), is undertaken only under the supervision of a mature mystic (arif) — one who has successfully traversed the many stages and stations of the path and is aware of the intricate details and prescriptions it requires. Although theoretical mysticism is officially taught in the hawzah, practical mysticism is more personal and normally requires you to seek out a qualified mentor yourself.

Exegesis of the Holy Qurʾan

An exegesis (tafsir) of the Holy Qurʾan is a profound attempt to elucidate and interpret its verses by drawing on sources such as other Qurʾanic verses, hadith and historical context. This is far from simple: although there are established principles of tafsir, the scholar who undertakes it (a mufassir) must have attained mastery of all the Islamic sciences before embarking on the delicate task of elucidating the words of Allah (swt).

Even though the actual practice of interpreting the Qurʾan is often reserved for advanced scholars, you can benefit greatly from reading and discussing existing tafsirs — what is commonly called a “tafsir class” within the hawzah. There are two primary styles. Sequential (tartibi) tafsir, as the name implies, involves a systematic verse-by-verse examination following the order in which the verses appear, with attention to sentence structure, vocabulary, word etymology, occasion of revelation and other details. Topical or thematic (mawzui) tafsir, by contrast, aims to shed light on the Qurʾanic perspective on a specific theme, drawing on verses from different chapters to build a comprehensive understanding of the Qurʾan’s stance — allowing a deeper exploration of its teachings and their relevance to various aspects of life and belief.