Rotation A of the upper-grades character curriculum. Thirty-five lessons across seven units — one a week over a 36-week year, with the last week free.
The Gr 7–9 band runs on a two-year rotation across three years: Grade 7 → Rotation A, Grade 8 → Rotation B, Grade 9 → Rotation A again. Grade 9 is a deliberate second pass over this same material, and the right one to take at depth — it is the first credit-bearing year.
The level shifts sharply from Gr 4–6. Lessons here are built on named scholars and primary texts — Ibn al-Qayyim, Ibn Rajab, Ibn ʿUthaymeen — and each unit closes with a synthesis rather than a review. The student is expected to argue from evidence, not recall a definition.
Rotation B is in Character & Ethics: Grade 8 (Rotation B). The two rotations cover the same seven units from different angles — they are not sequential, and neither is a prerequisite for the other.
Logging hours
Grade 7 is middle school and needs no credit. Grade 9 is credit-bearing and belongs on the transcript as its own elective line, separate from Islamic Studies — log the written work and discussion time, not only the thirty-five lesson sessions.
Course Information
Course Instructor
Unit 1 — Foundations of Good Character
Defining Akhlaq: Khuluq vs. Khalq and Why the Distinction Matters
“I Was Only Sent to Perfect Good Character” — Akhlaq as the Purpose of Prophethood
Ibn al-Qayyim on Akhlaq: “The Religion Is Entirely Good Character”
Nature vs. Nurture: Ibn ‘Uthaymeen on Whether Character Can Be Acquired
Unit 1 Synthesis: Why Akhlaq Is Not Optional in Islam
Unit 2 — The Character of the Prophet as Our Model
“His Character Was the Qur’an” — ‘Aisha’s Hadith and What It Means
The Seerah as a Character Curriculum, Not Just History
Prophetic Patience: Makkah’s Persecution as a Case Study
The Prophet’s Statesmanship: Justice in the Constitution of Madinah
Unit 2 Synthesis: The Prophet as the Living Qur’an
Unit 3 — Manners With Allah
Manners With Allah: A Category Often Overlooked in Fiqh-Focused Study
Ibn Rajab on Between Fear (Khawf) and Hope (Raja’)
Tawakkul vs. Fatalism: Why Trusting Allah Requires Effort
Adab of Du’a: Conditions for Acceptance and Common Mistakes
Unit 3 Synthesis: The Heart’s Relationship With Its Creator
Unit 4 — Manners With Self and Others
Self-Accountability (Muhasabah): The Believer’s Daily Habit
Birr al-Walidayn as an Obligation, Not a Suggestion
The Tongue: Sins That Seem Small but Weigh Heavy
Haya’ as an Islamic Value, Not Just a Cultural One
Unit 4 Synthesis: Character Toward Self Shapes Character Toward Others
Your Body Is an Amanah — Rest, Food, and Not Wrecking It
Unit 5 — Major and Minor Sins: Avoiding Harm to the Soul
Defining Kaba’ir and Sagha’ir: The Scholars’ Criteria
The Seven Destructive Sins: A Hadith Analysis
Tawbah: Its Conditions According to the Scholars
Sins of the Heart: Riya (Showing Off) and Kibr (Pride)
Unit 5 Synthesis: Why Small Sins Are Not “Small”
Unit 6 — Praiseworthy Traits: Patience, Honesty and Humility
The Three Types of Sabr: Obedience, Sin, and Trials
Sidq as the Root of All Good Character, per Ibn al-Qayyim
Tawadu’ vs. Self-Deprecation: Where Is the Balance?
Karam and Israf: The Line Between Generosity and Waste
Unit 6 Synthesis: The Traits That Anchor a Muslim’s Character
Unit 7 — Social Akhlaq: Family, Neighbors and Community
Silat ar-Rahim: Its Reward and the Sin of Severing It
The Neighbor’s Rights: A Hadith-Based Deep Dive
Amr bil Ma’roof wa Nahy ‘an al-Munkar: Method and Wisdom
Social Justice in Islam: Adl Toward Muslims and Non-Muslims
Unit 7 Synthesis: Akhlaq as a Social, Not Just Personal, Obligation
