By Aaisha Zafar Islam

As a Muslim browsing around the social media, late into the night, or even quickly taking a sneak into your Facebook feed, there is a high chance of one’s coming across a video by Ustad Nouman Ali Khan.

An American Muslim, Ustad Nouman Ali Khan is the founder and CEO of the Bayyinah Institute for Arabic and Qur’anic Studies. He is arguably one of the most influential and famous Islamic lectures in the world, a feat thanks to the social media savvy of his team.

The institute’s actual campus is in Dallas county, Irving, Texas, however, Ustad Nouman’s reach is global. Thanks to podcasts, numerous youtube videos and the Bayyinah TV, his lectures are readily accessible to everyone.

One of the reasons for Ustad Nouman’s immense popularity is his easy and laid-back style during his lectures. He keeps them simple, easy to understand and peppers his lectures with good humour, anecdotes from life that everyone can relate to.

For mothers with young kids and busy home-makers, who have little time to enrol in classes, or take out time to learn more about their religion, these lectures and podcasts are the perfect way to seek ilm.

Bayyinah Institute’s rise to an actual campus entity is an inspiring story you can read more about here. It had humble beginnings in 2006, when Ustad Nouman started teaching Arabic in the New York and New Jersey areas, branching out into Tajwid and Reading essentials with Wisam Sharieff.

In two years’ time podcasts were launched, with Tafsir of the last two Juzz of the Qur’an.

In 2012, a new series was launched for children, ‘Arabic with Husna’, as Ustad Nouman started teaching the language of the Qur’an to his young daughter and started filming those sessions. It was part of the Bayyinah TV project that started in the same year. This is an annual subscription based service that gives access to over 300 videos and lessons on Arabic language and understanding the Qur’an. There encompass four courses including Arabic with Husna, Quran: Cover to Cover, Diving Speech and Themes from the Qur’an.

Podcasts are free audio lectures that can be downloaded or played online. These cover Tafsir of Surahs from the Qur’an, ayah by ayah, audio recordings of seminars as well as Khutbas delivered by Ustad Nouman and other instructors at the Institute.

Whatever way you chose to seek a better understanding of our deen, it is heartening to know that one can spend productive time online, instead of whiling it away on trivial things.

May Allah increase our knowledge, Ameen.

Jumuah Journals is a weekly series on MuslimMoms.ca where we will be focusing on inspirations, significance of days, events and history of Islam, as well as profiling notable Muslim thinkers, scholars and heroes.