The Academy continued its popular activity of conducting portable courses in various communities around the world. We feel that there is a continuous need to fulfill the thirst for knowledge in our communities. Madrasah teachers, Dhakirs/Dhakiras and Religious guides in the communities are trying to fulfill this need and portable courses will be one more way in which this need can be met.

Through portable courses community members can listen to different speakers on various topics. They can interact with instructors, ask questions and discuss issues relevant to the progress of the community. The portable course will also allow instructors to assess the needs of the community and direct their services accordingly.

The latest portable course was on:

Balance in Everyday life
Human existence is made up of many different facets and each needs attention in order for the individual to lead a life that is fulfilling and worthwhile.  Islam has guidelines for each of these aspects and has shown us how to satisfy its needs.

This course focused on the following four aspects of human life and
discussed what Islam says about each:

1. physical: including nutrition, health, exercise, beauty, massage
2. spiritual: worship, knowledge, mosque
3. mental: reading, knowledge, brainwork
4. emotional: relationships, reducing stress

The course included a PowerPoint presentation and questions at the beginning of the course as well as halfway through the course. Participants were given time to discuss the questions with others and then answer them. This led to a healthy sharing of ideas which everyone enjoyed.

This course was conducted for women only in the following cities. Dates and approximate number of participants have also been included.

Center and City	Date	No. of Participants
IMAN, Seattle, WA	Nov 7, 2007	30
Az-Zahraa Islamic Center, Vancouver, BC	Nov 9, 2008	120
Bait-al-Ilm, Chicago, IL USA	Nov 11, 2007	30
Al-Ahad Islamic Center, Allentown, PA	Nov 23, 2007	98
Al-Khoei Foundation, NY	Nov 25, 2007	30

Participants enjoyed the interactive nature of the course and participated well. Inshallah we hope to continue taking portable courses to more cities around the world.

Comments about the Portable Course The topic was very practical and relevant to our lives.  learned a lot about looking after the physical body, things I didn’t know I really enjoyed the interactive nature of this course. I liked discussing the questions and listening to the answers given by other women. We need to have more such sessions on a regular basis. Islam is a very practical religion and there is much it has to say on everyday life. It is useful to know these so we can plan our life better.