About This Course

  • Two-week online course with Shaykh Tom Facchine. Meets live online for 1 hour each session. (Adult section meets for 2 hours on one day)
  • Sections for different ages. The instruction will be tailored for each age group:
    • 8-12
    • teen
    • adult


Choose One Section to Register For:

  • Timings are listed according to Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). 
  • Please use World Time Buddy to calculate for your time zone relative to EDT.
  • After registration, you will fill a form to select your live class section.
    • No sections available this semester. 


Note: there is a minimum of five registered students for a section to run.

Classes use the program Zoom for live video meetings. The access links to the live section will be found in the online portal after registering and choosing your live section.

Transforming Your Ibadah

We have a problem with our ibadah–our worship. 

Too often we are focused outward–on others–rather than on Allah (subhana wa ta'aala). And when we worship, we are just going through the motions with no heart involved.

This class will help students transform their worship by learning to remove two major obstacles to sincerity.

Riyaa: Showing Off 

Often times we don't realize that we are doing actions for show rather than purely for Allah. This phenomenon is called riyaa'. We will look at riyaa' in a practical way as we explore what this type of showing off looks like in our daily lives. Students will learn why it happens and how to identify it. Most importantly, we will discuss how to deal with riyaa' when it occurs.

"The Mechanical Muslim"

It's all too easy for us to fall into mindless routines. We wash for prayer, pray without concentration, and move on. We recite dhikr or dua like robots as our mind wanders elsewhere. When our worship becomes mindless habit, we become "mechanical Muslims." We'll dive into this phenomenon and discover how we can become focused and aware in our worship. Students will learn how they can transform their worship to make it more meaningful and focused.

Are these ideas too difficult for kids to understand?

Sh. Tom excels at bringing sophisticated concepts to children in a conversational style. He's passionate about bringing big ideas to little minds in an engaging way. His method of learning through discussion helps even very young children learn high-level concepts.


My Approach to Teaching

Sh. Tom Facchine

The Muslim Educator Academy welcomes Sh. Tom Facchine as a new teacher. Read on to discover more about him:

As a teacher, above all I'm most concerned with making the students better human beings with a stronger understanding of and relationship to their faith.

I try to make lessons relevant and applicable to the students' everyday lives, especially when it involves clearing up doubts or questions that have been bothering them. A lesson in which I've discovered collaboratively with a student a solution to a problem they've been having is a successful lesson to me, even if that means we don't end up covering all of the lesson plan. 

I remember how important it was for my developing faith to ask the hard questions and get good, detailed answers, so my policy is that absolutely no question is off-limits. 

I also like to challenge the students with questions of my own, so I can be sure they've understood the lesson. I want them to be able to understand common points of misunderstandings and be able to face the doubts and confusions that modern life can throw their way.

What They're Saying

Sumayyah, student (10 years old)

A Caring Teacher

Sumayyah, student (10 years old)

One of Sh. Tom's characteristics is that he engages each student one-on-one in the class to make them feel welcome. Sumayyah said, "I like how he makes everyone feel like their ideas are great!"
Umm Zayd

He Makes Students Think Critically

Umm Zayd

MashaAllah tabarakAllah every member of my family in the car enjoyed Sh. Tom's interactive session that my son Zayd attended. My husband who is very selective about the shuyukh was impressed by Sh.Tom's knowledge and approach. He makes kids think critically about the Quran which means deeper and greater appreciation for the divine message! After his last session my son came running to me and said, "Quick! Please register me for Sh.Tom's next session!” SubhanAllah that right there sealed the deal!

Your Instructor

  • Tom Facchine

    Instructor

    Tom Facchine

    Tom Facchine (pronounced fa-KEEN-ee) converted to Islam in 2010 as he was finishing his BA in Political Science. For the next few years he studied Islam and Arabic with local teachers while working with Muslim youth, founding and directing youth groups in two different communities. In 2015 he was accepted into the University of Madinah and is now close to completing a bachelor’s degree in Islamic Law. In addition to youth group activities, for the past two years Tom has directed an after school program for young Muslims called the Ramadan Academy, which operates out of the GCLEA mosque in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Tom’s academic and personal background brings a unique dual ability to relate to mainstream Western cultural norms and engage them from a traditional Islamic perspective. His unique teaching style is highly interactive and brings high-level concepts to a level that even children can understand. He is passionate about building relationships with Muslim youth and giving them the tools and confidence to live as observant, well-adjusted people of faith in our times. Tom currently lives in Madinah, Saudi Arabia with his wife and two children. In the summers he visits the United States for teaching and da’wah.