Treasures from the Throne

TREASURES FROM THE THRONE
Reflections on the Verse of the Pedestal
And the Final Verses of Sūrat al-Baqarah

Saturday, September 7 · 3 – 6 pm ET

…a one-day online program via zoom
all sessions will be recorded
for convenient viewing later

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EL-HAJJ HISHAM MAHMOUD

El-Hajj Hisham Mahmoud studied theology, hadith, legal theory, jurisprudence, ethics, Qur’an recitation, and Arabic with scholars in Morocco, Mauritania, and Egypt. He taught for more than a decade at Yale, Princeton, and Harvard, then left the Academy to institute Lanturna, an educational initiative that intends to establish learning collectives to carry forward the legacies of our greatest luminaries. He continues to read with scholars and students in the United States and abroad.

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USTĀDH KIARESH JAHED

Dr. Kiaresh Jahed is a former collegiate basketball player, personal trainer, biomedical engineering researcher, and currently a physician practicing Musculoskeletal and Interventional Radiology, having completed his medical training at the University of Louisville and Emory University. After converting to Islam in high school, he grew passionate about Islamic Studies and holistic interpretations of scripture, especially contextualized to modernity. He studied Arabic and Islamic studies in Egypt and Syria, and comparative religious studies in Turkey. Dr. Jahed has previously taught various levels of Arabic language with Dār al-Qāsim and is active with ICNA’s educational programs in teaching comparative religion and tafsīr.

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SIDRA ZIA · MODERATOR

Sidra Zia works for Brookhaven National Laboratory in nuclear nonproliferation. She holds an MS in Physics from Georgetown University and is currently pursuing an MA at Bayan Islamic Graduate School in Advanced Islamic Theology. In addition to her work at Princeton University’s Muslim Life Program, Sidra has helped to build several Muslim nonprofit organizations, including Razján and Lanturna.

SCHEDULE

All sessions are according to Eastern Time and will be recorded for convenient viewing later.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
0600 – 1500	Qur’an khatm reading
1500 – 1515	Welcome
1515 – 1615	Session I – The Verse of the Pedestal (āyat al-kursī)
1615 – 1630	Announcements
1630 – 1730	Session II – The Final Verses of Sūrat al-Baqarah
1730 – 1745	Questions & Reflections
1745 – 1800	RINGS OF LIGHT \| duʿāʾ al-khatm

DESCRIPTION

Al-Mundhir narrated that the Prophet ﷺ “…once asked me, ‘Do you know what in the Book of Allah is the greatest verse?’ I said, اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ‘Allah! No god has the right of worship except Him, the Abiding, the Subsisting!’ He struck my chest and exclaimed, ‘By Allah! Knowledge congratulates you, Abū al-Mundhir!'”

Abū al-Mundhir knew in his heart what we would come to know here through the Prophet’s response ﷺ that the Verse of the Pedestal (āyat al-kursī) was the greatest verse ever revealed to the Beloved ﷺ. It is unlike any verse, and the Prophet ﷺ would recite it ceremoniously, ritually, occasionally, yes daily. The entire Qur’an is a commentary of sūrat al-baqarah, itself a commentary of sūrat al-fātiḥah; and the Verse of the Pedestal crowns the entire Qur’an as the jewel of sūrat al-baqarah—which culminates with the only two verses that never came down to the Prophet ﷺ, the only two verses that he had to ascend to receive, after having left behind the Angel of Revelation at the Lote Tree, and in the presence of His Lord, at the Pedestal itself and from its treasures: “I received the final verses of sūrat al-baqarah from a treasure beneath the Throne, verses unbequeathed to any Prophet before me!”

Lanturna invites you and your families to cerebrate with us the crown jewel of the Qur’an, the Verse of the Pedestal, and the culminating two verses of its longest sūrah. Join El-Hajj Hisham Mahmoud and Ustādh Kiaresh Jahed, as we seek to unearth the Treasures from the Throne.

TESTIMONIALS

El-Hajj Hisham presented the class with so much love as if he was talking about a very close personal friend mā shāʾ Allāh. I was able to feel the love and pain that our Prophet ﷺ went through. He made me realize how I can draw from our beloved Prophet’s ﷺ personality and attitude in times of trials and tribulations and in times of joy, providing insight into our own life issues and concerns. My three kids enjoyed this class too.

—Maimoona Rashid

The Lanturna Sīrah Retreat was such a beautiful gathering. The insights gained have changed my perceptive about how I relate to the sīrah. I feel a deep connection to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Weeks after the event I still continue some of the beautiful sunnahs we practiced.

—Khadeeja Abdullah

Lanturna’s “Years of the Beloved” retreat was a wonderful experience for my family. El-Hajj Hisham brought the sīrah to life and helped us view the life of our dear Prophet ﷺ in an entirely different light. I’ve read multiple sīrah books before, but have never felt this close to the Prophet ﷺ. I deeply admire El-Hajj Hisham’s vision for the Muslim community in the United States. His warm, practical approach allows us to truly live the sīrah every moment of our lives. May Allah put barakah in Lanturna and allow El-Hajj Hisham’s wisdom to reach every home.

—Lena Khan

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHERE IS THE SCHEDULE?

Please refer to the tab section above to access the program description and schedule, as well as testimonials.

WHAT TIME ZONE DOES THE SCHEDULE FOLLOW?

All sessions will accord with Eastern Time.

WILL ALL SESSIONS BE RECORDED?

All sessions are usually uploaded within two hours to our private YouTube playlist for convenient viewing later.

ARE SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE?

Lanturna is committed to never turn anyone away due to financial constraint, and partial scholarships are available for those who apply. Request a scholarship above.

CAN I SPONSOR MORE THAN ONE STUDENT?

May Allah bless you and increase His blessing upon you. You may sponsor any number of students with any amount that you have in mind.

WHEN WILL I RECEIVE AN ORIENTATION EMAIL?

A confirmation page will open once you register with all the resources you will need to access our program. The contents of this page will also be sent as a welcome email one week before the retreat. Please be sure to check your spam or notifications folders if our email does not show up in your inbox.

WHERE IS THE REGISTRATION FEE?

The registration fee will appear in the window that opens when you click the “Register” button.

HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT LANTURNA EVENTS?

You may subscribe to our calendar, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or join our mailing list. Be sure as well to join us every evening for our communal recitation of Sūrat Yā Sīn at 8:30 am ET and Sūrat al-Mulk at 8:30 pm ET via our YouTube channel.

WHERE MAY I DIRECT FURTHER INQUIRIES?

Your inquiries are welcomed at info@lanturna.com.

At the dawn of revelation, the Prophet ﷺ was commanded وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ “And as for the blessing of thy Lord, proclaim it!” (al-Ḍuḥā 93:11). And toward the eve of his passing, he instructed those present to inform those absent. If you have found any benefit in our work, then know that it came solely from Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, and with the intention of proclaiming His bounty, feel free to share it with others.

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