What is the Isnad Initiative?

Isnad refers to unbroken chains of transmission of Islamic knowledge from teacher to teacher all the way back to Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. The blessed Sahaba took their knowledge directly from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

The next generation (the tabiyeen) took their knowledge directly from the Sahaba and each subsequent generation took knowledge directly from their predecessors going back to our beloved, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

The students and teachers of Dar us Salaam Academy are a part of this unbroken chain and continue to stand as pillars of light within the ummah.

This Ramadan, the Mauritania Foundation seeks to continue its mission of preserving the traditional model of Islamic education by raising funds to support Dar us Salaam Academy.

Fundraising Goal this Ramadan – Preserving Traditional Islamic Knowledge!

For roughly $1 a day per student, Dar us Salaam can, in sha Allah, provide food, potable water, clothing, shelter, medicine, and—most importantly, Islamic education—to its 150 students for the entire year.

Dar us Salaam’s students, some of whom are orphans, depend exclusively on the care and support they receive at Dar us Salaam.

Where Your Money Goes

100% of funds raised through the Isnad Initiative will go to support the students and teachers of Dar us Salaam Academy. $333 provides food, room, school, and medical expenses to a student for an entire year.

About Dar us Salaam (Mission, History, and Connection to the U.S.)

Dar us Salaam is one of the first, and only, traditional Islamic schools (“mahdaras”) in Mauritania built and funded through the support of donors in the West. Its founder, Sheikh Salek bin Siddina—may Allah preserve him—came to the United States in 2003, at the request of Sheikh Hamza Yusuf, to assist in teaching students at Zaytuna Institute (“Zaytuna”), now Zaytuna College—the first Islamic university in the U.S.

In 2003 Dar Us Salaam Academy was established by a few sincere donors. Although Dar us Salaam began as a small venture, alhamduillah, it now hosts approximately 150 students year-around, and includes students’ quarters, a masjid, as well as  full-time teachers.

Ultimately, Dar us Salaam Academy is one of the few schools left in the world preserving a traditional and holistic model of orthodox Sunni Islamic education.  It stands on the principle that much of the perversion of Islam seen today is due to the abandonment of this traditional model, in which texts were understood through the rigorous interpretations of highly qualified scholars and passed down through unbroken chains of narration (isnad).

Students at Dar us Salaam—through rote memorization supplemented by explanation from a trained and qualified teacher—study Aqeeda (Islamic Belief) according to the Ashari/Maturidi tradition, Maliki Fiqh (Islamic Law),
Seerah (Biography of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Quran, Tassawuf (purification of the heart/self), as well as other Islamic Sciences, including Logic and Grammar. More info regarding Dar us Salaam’s educational programming can be viewed in this short documentary regarding last year’s initiative: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y08rtdC5VQ.

About the Mauritania Foundation (Our Mission)

The Mauritania Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation headquartered in California. Its goal is to preserve and expand the traditional model of orthodox Sunni Islamic education for the Ummah and its future generations. In addition, the Mauritania Foundation engages in charitable initiatives in Mauritania, designed to provide food, potable water, and medical care to the poor.  More information regarding the Mauritania Foundation may be viewed at our website: https://www.mauritaniafoundation.org.