Milad Erashaghi, USA:

1. Do you remember your first course? What was your experience like?

My first class was an introductory Shafi’i fiqh class. I loved the class - because of the teacher (Shaykh Hamza Karamali) and the relevance and applicability of the material covered to my life. Before taking the course, I had tried to study Imam Nawawi’s “Al-Maqasid” on my own - and found it to be very heavy and difficult to digest. Shaykh Hamza taught me the value of studying fiqh with a teacher: he was able to help me move through the material and provided valuable commentary not found in the original translation. After taking the course, I felt a great desire to continue acquiring Islamic knowledge, and was humbled by how much I now learned I didn’t know.

2. Why did you continue taking courses? Why have you stuck around at SunniPath for so long?

I find fiqh to be a very fascinating subject - and I think that what really draws me to SunniPath is the access that I have to some of the best English-speaking fiqh teachers in the world - without exaggeration. I also greatly value the suhba [company] of the instructors: they are people who are realized in the knowledges they have acquired - and one can benefit just spending a few minutes online with them, absorbing their hal and reflecting on one’s own state vis a vis theirs. The suhba itself makes the courses pay for themselves many times over.

3. What was your favorite course?

The Supplications of the Daily Prayer

4. What is your best memory at SunniPath?

During the Hadith Jibril course, Ustadha Zaynab Ansari paused for a moment to instruct all of the students to send blessings on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace).

5. What’s one way SunniPath has personally affected your life?

When I was an undergraduate college student - I wanted to leave my studies so I could pursue studies of the Islamic sciences full time. Allah (subhanuhu wa ta’ala) willed otherwise - and to this day, I am still working and studying in some capacity. SunniPath has allowed me to develop a basic level of Islamic knowledge while patiently persevering in the situation Allah has placed me in. And the courses have reminded me that if Allah (subhanuhu wa ta’ala) opens a door - I am just as interested and motivated, if not more, today to dedicate my energies to studying the Islamic sciences as I was several years ago.

Rohi Padela, USA:

1. Do you remember your first course?
What was your experience like? Our first course was Islamic Marriage taught by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani. Unfortunately, I was never able to finish the class due to my inability to allocate enough time to it. But the lessons I did attend, it was amazing and so informative alhumdulillah. I remember the old streaming of the classes. Since then, the live sessions, recording of classes and technology at SunniPath has much advanced!

2. Why did you continue taking courses? Why have you stuck around at SunniPath for so long?
Masha’Allah I have learned a great deal by taking SunniPath classes. Not all of us have the opportunity to leave everything behind and study abroad for a few years (though nothing is compared to learning with the shuyukh in person). So until I get that opportunity, SunniPath has been an excellent substitute. The live sessions have been very helpful in getting your answers in real time and a lot of times, another student may ask a question from which everyone learns!

3. What was your favorite course?
My favorite courses have been with Ustadha Hedaya.

4. What is your best memory at SunniPath?
When Shaykh Faraz did one of his course recordings out of our apartment! Hearing that lecture and seeing my couch on the background screen!

5. What’s one way SunniPath has personally affected your life?
It’s affected me all over! I’ve learned my daily fiqh, aqida from SunniPath. All of what is learned applies in your daily lives. Learning this personally obligatory knowledge is of course a fard on me but I also need to learn it to be able to pass it on to my daughter.