Al Ghazali Club

Rutgers University

Flyer for the Third Annual Legacy of Light Conference, The Hadith Tradition, hosted by the Al-Ghazali Club. Saturday, September 26, 2026, 12:30 PM to 6:30 PM, at the Rutgers University Livingston Student Center Multi-Purpose Room. Speakers: Shaykh Murabit Benavidez, Mufti Shahid Shaikh, Mawlana Yousuf Ghouse, and Dr. Mateen Khan. Open to all. Register at bit.ly/rulegacyoflight. The flyer shows the green dome of the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah torn through an antique map, set on cream with deep green and gold lettering.

Legacy of Light Conference III

Join us for the Legacy of Light Conference!

Open to Everyone, not just Rutgers Students!

Register now for more info & details

Register

Note card explaining the Legacy of Light Conference: an annual gathering hosted by the Al-Ghazali Club, devoted to bringing to light the most pressing challenges facing the Muslim community and casting light upon the enduring wisdom preserved in our tradition. Rooted in the conviction that intellectual and spiritual heritage holds the tools necessary to navigate the complexities of modern life, the conference draws upon local Islamic scholarship that reflects the depth and breadth of the tradition.

Get to Know Our Speakers!

Open a volume.

  • Shaykh Murabit Benavidez

    Biography to be added.

  • Mufti Shahid Shaikh

    Biography to be added.

  • Mawlana Yousuf Ghouse

    Biography to be added.

  • Dr. Mateen Khan

    Dr. Mateen Khan is a distinguished emergency physician who has also pursued extensive training in the Islamic sciences. After successfully completing the esteemed Dars Niẓāmiyya curriculum at Darul Uloom Canada and receiving ijāzāt (scholarly authorizations) in a range of classical disciplines, Dr. Khan relocated to New Jersey in 2014. Over the past decade, he has been actively involved in issuing formal jurisprudential responses, engaging in scholarly writing, and delivering lectures on various Islamic topics. He has taught numerous courses, including weekly sessions on ‘Aqīdah (Islamic theology) and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) at Rutgers University as part of his work with the Al-Ghazali Club. This year, he is leading an ongoing series on Imam al-Ghazali’s Iḥyā’ ‘Ulūm al-Dīn.

Check out our other classes and events on campus below:

Who we are

About Al Ghazali Club

Rutgers Ghazali Club was founded with the goal of providing Rutgers students an avenue to learn the deen in the same traditional manner that it has been taught for centuries, instructed by local scholars.

At the heart of the club is our weekly hour-long Wednesday class, designed to teach you everything you will need to live the rest of your life as a Muslim.

  1. Year one Aqidah

    Creed

  2. Years two & three Fiqh

    Rulings

  3. Year four Daily Life

    How to practically live a fulfilling and spiritually enriched Islamic life

College might be one of the last chances many of us get to formally learn our religion,

so we implore you avail this opportunity to work towards not only your worldly life, but to prepare for the afterlife as well.

Taught in person

The scholars

Our courses give students the unique ability to connect with local scholars and build personal relationships with them.

Its own class

For sisters

We also have sisters’ only class taught by female scholars, focusing on women specific matters of Islam, and the ability for sisters to connect and form relationships with them.

Through the year

One-time events

We also host one-time events on specific topics.

Now meeting

Wednesdays, This Semester

Course poster on cream: Fiqh for Life, a two-year study of worship, relationships, finance, family, and daily life. Wednesdays, 5PM at LSC201. A pen-and-ink drawing shows a student in a kufi and thobe, backpack on, walking a winding path past five signposts reading Worship, Relationships, Finance, Family and Daily Life. The Al Ghazali Club emblem sits in the lower corner.

Fiqh for Life

What does Islam say about investments? Travel? Relationships?

Join us for our fiqh classes with Shaykh Mateen as we explore Islam within our daily lives.

Wednesdays, 5–6 PM at LSC 201

From , with Shaykh Mateen

  • 01 Worship
  • 02 Relationships
  • 03 Finance
  • 04 Family
  • 05 Daily Life

Session dates (needs to be updated — some weeks are skipped)

The archive

Previous Classes

  1. Class poster over a dark red archway in a mosque: Al-Ghazali Club Presents, Foundations of Faith — The Tahawi Creed, with Shaykh Mateen Khan. Wednesdays at 5PM starting Sept. 10, Livingston Student Center Room 201AB.

    Fall 2025

    Foundations of Faith

    The Tahawi Creed

    Taught by
    Shaykh Mateen Khan
    When
    Wednesdays at 5PM, from Sept. 10
    Where
    Livingston Student Center Rm. 201AB
  2. Course poster over a mountain sunrise: Al-Ghazali Club Presents, Reviving the Heart — Exploring Imam Ghazali’s Ihya, with Shaykh Mateen Khan. Wednesdays at 5PM starting Sept. 11, Livingston Student Center Room 202AB.

    Fall 2024

    Reviving the Heart

    Exploring Imam Ghazali’s Ihya

    Taught by
    Shaykh Mateen Khan
    When
    Wednesdays at 5PM, from Sept. 11
    Where
    Livingston Student Center Rm. 202AB

    A transformative course designed to guide you on the path to living a fulfilling and spiritually enriched Islamic life. Through the timeless wisdom of Imam Ghazali, we will delve deep into the teachings that harmonize the mind, heart, and soul, uncovering practical insights that can be applied to our daily lives. Whether you seek to deepen your spiritual practice or find balance in your life, this course will provide the tools and understanding needed to align your inner and outer worlds in harmony with Islamic principles.

  3. Class poster over a pale photograph of a minaret: Al Ghazali Club Presents, Essentials of Fiqh — Halal Handbook, Fiqh Guidelines for Daily Affairs, with Shaykh Mateen Khan. Livingston Student Center, every Wednesday 5 to 6 PM.

    Spring 2024

    Essentials of Fiqh

    Halal Handbook

    Taught by
    Shaykh Mateen Khan
    When
    Every Wednesday, 5–6PM
    Where
    Livingston Student Center

    Fiqh guidelines for daily affairs.

  4. Class poster over a washed-out photograph of the Registan in Samarkand: Al-Ghazali Club Presents, Essentials of Fiqh — topics Hajj, Marriage, and the Halal and Haram, with Shaykh Mateen Khan. Livingston Student Center 201AB, every Wednesday 5 to 6 PM.

    Fall 2023

    Essentials of Fiqh

    Taught by
    Shaykh Mateen Khan
    When
    Every Wednesday, 5–6PM
    Where
    Livingston Student Center Rm. 201AB

    Hajj, marriage, and the halal and haram.

Previous Events

  • Flyer over a dark brown brushed background: Legacy of Imam Ghazali. April 14, 5PM, BSC Center Hall. Food will be served. Come learn about the great scholar Imam Ghazali, with speakers Dr. Shadee Elmasry and Mufti Niaz Hannan. Rutgers Ghazali Club.

    Legacy of Imam Ghazali

    2026

  • Flyer in warm brown with hanging lanterns and pressed flowers: Sisters’ Social x Ghazali — Iftar. February 24, 2026 at 5PM, Busch Student Center MPR. Join us as we listen to a halaqah, break our fasts, and sip on refreshing drinks from our very own drink bar. RSVP link in bio.

    Sisters’ Social Iftar

    2026

  • Flyer in pearl and champagne with starbursts: Traces of Radiance — Lessons From the Lives of Pious Women. A three part Monday series with ‘Alimah Safiyyah, 6 to 7PM, Livingston Student Center Room 202 C. Sisters Society with Al Ghazali Club.

    Traces of Radiance

    2026

  • Flyer in blue, black and grey with a drawing of ice skates: Ice Skating Event, $15, 6PM Thursday 1/29 at the Roosevelt Ice Skating Rink, Edison, NJ. Al Ghazali Club with Brothers Social.

    Ice Skating Event

    2026

  • Flyer in caramel and tan with soft brush shapes and dried eucalyptus: Sisters Social x Ghazali — Leading with Legacy, following the footsteps of notable women in Islam. December 8, 7 to 9PM, with Mu’allimah Shamsun, LSC 111. Come for an insightful talk, blessed suhbah, and tasty sunnah snacks.

    Leading with Legacy

    2025

  • Square flyer over a pink and blue sunrise on a snow-capped mountain: Al-Ghazali Club presents Anchored in Faith — Navigating the -isms, a brothers’ only session on ideology, identity and conviction, with Mufti Tofael Nuruddin. Wednesday Nov 19 at 4:45PM, Livingston Student Center Room 201B.

    Anchored in Faith

    2025

  • Square flyer over a close-up of pink lavender blooms: Al-Ghazali Club presents the path of piety — Muslimah Life in the Modern World, with Ustadhah Umm Usayd. Wednesday Nov 19 at 4:45PM, Livingston Student Center Rm. 201A.

    The Path of Piety

    2025

  • Flyer in deep purple over glass office towers: Rutgers Al-Ghazali x MSA Ladders — Islam & The Workplace, bridging the gap between Deen and Dunya, with Mawlana Muhammad Amir. 6PM, 03 November 2025, Busch Student Center Multipurpose Room.

    Islam & The Workplace

    2025

  • Flyer in blush pink with tulips: Sisters’ Janazah Workshop, a hands-on interactive workshop with ‘Alimah Safiyyah. April 11th, 4PM to 5PM, Cook Student Center Room 202A. Register with the Google form in our bio.

    Sisters’ Janazah Workshop

    2025

  • Flyer in sage green with gold lanterns and stars: Sisters Social x Ghazali — Iftar & Halaqa. March 11, Tuesday, at 6:30PM, Ludwig Learning Center, Douglass Campus. Event capped at 80 people, RSVP required. Sponsored by Douglass.

    Iftar & Halaqa

    2025

  • Flyer on dark brown: Brothers Tajwid Class, a Ramadan special with Mawlana Yusuf Shaikh. Improve your recitation of the Quran. 4 to 5PM on March 4th in LSC 111, March 6th in BSC 117, and March 11th and 13th in LSC 111. Al Ghazali Club with Brothers Social. Photographs of an open Quran on a wooden rehal.

    Brothers Tajwīd Class

    2025

  • Square flyer on textured paper around a photograph of the Umayyad Mosque courtyard in Damascus: Islamic Legacy of Levant, with Chaplain Kaiser Aslam & Mufti Niaz Hannan. BSC Center Hall, 6:30PM, Tuesday 02/04. MPRC x Al-Ghazali.

    Islamic Legacy of Levant

    2025

  • Square flyer over photographs of crowds carrying the Syrian independence flag: Freedom Celebration, Thursday December 12 at 12:30PM, celebrating the liberation of Syria and honoring her heritage. Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University, 122 College Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ.

    Freedom Celebration

    2024

  • Square flyer in pale green with strings of pearls around the book cover of Pearls in the Deep: How the Qur’an Transforms the Problem of Evil by Naz Hassan, with portraits of Ustadh Naz Hassan and Dr Shadee Elmasry. 12/3 at 6:15pm, Cook Student Center 202 ABC, book sale after. Rutgers Muslim Student Association x Al Ghazali Club x Safina Society.

    Pearls in the Deep

    2024

  • Square flyer in deep burgundy with a gold filigree border: Sisters Social x Al Ghazali Club — Influential Women in Islam, talk by Mu’allimah Shamsun. Tuesday, October 29th at 6:00pm, Livingston Student Center MPR.

    Influential Women in Islam

    2024

  • Square flyer over a photograph of a bombed arcaded building: Islam & Western Civilization II, a two part series with Mawlana Muhammad Chowdhury. Wednesday, October 2nd, BSC Center Hall 6:45 to 9PM. Al Ghazali Club.

    Islam & Western Civilization II

    2024

  • Square flyer over a photograph of sunlit classical ruins: Islam & Western Civilization I, a two part series with Mawlana Muhammad Chowdhury. Tuesday, September 24, BSC Center Hall 7 to 9PM. Al Ghazali Club.

    Islam & Western Civilization I

    2024

  • Square flyer in blush pink with magenta lanterns and paisley corners: ru msa sisters social x al-ghazali club — Preparing for the Last 10 Nights, Iftar. Tuesday, March 26, Livingston Gathering Lounge at 6:00pm. Talk by Ustadha Sumara Khan. RSVP by form link in bio.

    Last 10 Nights Iftar

    2024

  • Square flyer on white marble with a gold lattice band and hanging lanterns: Al Ghazali Club presents Ramadan Insights & Modern Lives, with Dr Ahmed Metwally & Mufti Niaz Hannan. March 5th 7PM, CSC MPR. Food will be served, in sha Allah.

    Ramadan Insights & Modern Lives

    2024

  • Square flyer over a snow-capped peak with the Darul Fath, Safina Society, Al Ghazali Club and Noor-ul-Iman School seals: Darul Fath with Al-Ghazali Club & Noor-ul-Iman School welcome you to The Provenance of Man, with Ustadh Tahseen Khan, teaching his newly published work, a Sunni apologetic of the original creation of Adam. Mar 2, 6:30 to 9:30PM, NUI School MPR, $20 admission.

    The Provenance of Man

    2024

  • Square flyer in cream and gold with an arched mihrab outline and crescent: Al Ghazali Club presents Ramadan for Women — Hayd, rulings and staying spiritual; balancing school and ‘ibaadah. With Ustadha Umme Muhammad. BSC 117, Friday Feb 23rd, 4 to 5PM.

    Ramadan for Women

    2024

  • Square flyer over sunbeams breaking through storm clouds: Divine Decree — Trusting in the Plan of Allāh, with Mawlana Muhammad Chowdhury. Tuesday, January 30th at 7:30PM, Busch Student Center, Center Hall. Food will be served, in sha Allah.

    Divine Decree

    2024

  • Square flyer over layered misty green mountains: Al-Ghazali Club presents Lessons From the Past — A Reflection on the Muslim Era in Palestine. Lecture and Q&A with Dr Shadee Elmasry and Mawlana Mateen Khan. Tuesday, November 28th at 7PM, Busch Student Center, Center Hall. Food will be served, in sha Allah.

    Lessons From the Past

    2023

  • Square flyer in bright pink with lollipops and the Palestinian and Afghan flags: Al-Ghazali Club Bake Sale — homemade cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and cake pops. All funds for Palestine and Afghanistan relief. Wednesday 11/1, 6 to 7:30PM, Livingston Student Center.

    Bake Sale

    2023

  • Square flyer in cream and gold with hanging lanterns and mandala corners: Sister’s Social x Al Ghazali presents The First Ten Days of Ramadan — The Shower of Mercy. Join us for a halaqah followed by iftar. March 28th, LSC Coffee House at 6pm.

    The Shower of Mercy

    2023

  • Square flyer in deep green with a white geometric star frame and Islamic pattern border: Preparing for Ramadan — A Spiritual Renewal, with Shaykh Kamaluddin, in collaboration with Al Ghazali Club. March 9th at 7:00PM, Busch Student Center Multipurpose Room.

    Preparing for Ramadan

    2023

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Previous Conferences

Legacy of Light · Rutgers University

Flyer for the First Annual Legacy of Light Conference: gold display type over a sunlit white marble arcade with a chandelier and arched colonnades. Speakers Dr. Shadee Elmasry, Shaykh Tariq Ameer, Shaykh Mohammed Chowdhury, Dr. Ahmed Metwally and Dr. Mateen Khan. Open to non-Rutgers students, details at bit.ly/rulegacyoflight. Sunday Oct 20, 10:30AM to 7PM, Rutgers University Busch Student Center Multi-Purpose Room. The Al-Ghazali Club emblem sits in the lower corner.

First Annual Conference

Legacy of Light

Sunday 20 October 2024 · 10:30 AM – 7 PM

Busch Student Center Multi-Purpose Room Open to non-Rutgers students
  • Dr. Shadee Elmasry
  • Shaykh Tariq Ameer
  • Shaykh Mohammed Chowdhury
  • Dr. Ahmed Metwally
  • Dr. Mateen Khan

The first · 2024

Flyer for the Second Annual Legacy of Light Conference: Islam and the Aftershocks of Colonialism, over a sepia photograph of a bombed arcade torn through an antique map. Speakers Shaykh Ismail Bowers, Mufti Tofael Nuruddin, Dr. Ahmed Metwally and Dr. Mateen Khan. Saturday Sept 27, 1PM to 7:30PM, Rutgers University Livingston Student Center Multi-Purpose Room. Open to all.

Second Annual Legacy of Light Conference

Islam and the Aftershocks of Colonialism

Saturday 27 September 2025 · 1 PM – 7:30 PM

Livingston Student Center Multi-Purpose Room Open to all
  • Shaykh Ismail Bowers
  • Mufti Tofael Nuruddin
  • Dr. Ahmed Metwally
  • Dr. Mateen Khan

The second · 2025

Brief Bio on Imam al‑Ghazali

Imam Abū Hāmid al-Ghazālī (1058–1111), known as Hujjat al-Islām, was one of the greatest scholars and spiritual masters in Islamic history. Born in the city of Tus in modern-day Iran, he was gifted with immense intellectual brilliance from an early age. His pursuit of knowledge began under some of the foremost scholars of his time, and he quickly mastered disciplines such as Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), theology (kalām), logic, and philosophy. By the age of 33, he had been appointed as a professor at the prestigious Nizāmiyya Madrasa in Baghdad, where his lectures drew scholars from far and wide. His reputation as a scholar was unmatched, and he became a central figure in the academic world.

However, despite his towering intellectual achievements, Imam al-Ghazālī was not satisfied with mere outward success. Deep within his soul, he wrestled with spiritual doubts and sought the true path to attaining Allah’s pleasure. After years of internal struggle, he experienced a profound crisis that led him to abandon his prestigious post and withdraw from public life in 1095. He embarked on a decade-long spiritual retreat, seeking solace and guidance through solitude, prayer, and reflection. During this period, he traveled extensively to places like Damascus, Jerusalem, and Mecca, yearning for purification of the heart and closeness to Allah.

It was in this spiritual seclusion that al-Ghazālī authored his magnum opus, Iḥyā’ ‘Ulūm al-Dīn (The Revival of the Islamic Sciences), a masterpiece that integrated Islamic law, ethics, and spirituality. This monumental work addressed not only the external practices of religion but also emphasized the purification of the soul, sincerity in worship, and inner devotion to Allah. Al-Ghazālī’s writings became a lighthouse for those who sought to harmonize the intellect with the heart, combining deep rational inquiry with profound spiritual wisdom. His approach was not merely academic but deeply transformative, guiding people to realize that true knowledge is that which brings one closer to Allah.

Imam al-Ghazālī’s life exemplified the struggle of the nafs (lower self) in seeking the ultimate truth. His journey from worldly success to a path of spiritual enlightenment is a testament to his immense sincerity and piety. He was a man who, despite his brilliance and fame, chose to humble himself before Allah and dedicate his life to true servitude. His sincerity in both intellectual rigor and devotion to Allah makes him a timeless role model for anyone seeking to live a life in accordance with divine will.

Imam al-Ghazālī passed away in 1111, having left behind a legacy that continues to inspire seekers of knowledge and spirituality. His life reminds us that true success lies not in outward achievements but in the purification of the soul and striving to attain Allah’s pleasure. To emulate Imam al-Ghazālī is to commit oneself to the pursuit of knowledge, the purification of the heart, and the unwavering quest for nearness to Allah. His journey inspires us to seek not only the truths of this world but also the eternal truths that lead to the Divine Presence.