About Thawr

What is Thawr?

Thawr Institute is a nonprofit educational organization that is located in Bellevue, Washington. Our purpose is to disseminate Islamic knowledge using classical techniques and provide an academic environment where traditional Islamic scholarship can thrive in the Pacific Northwest. The curriculum will include the study of the timeless, universal truths of the Qur’an; the life and example of Muhammad bin Abdillah, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, as laid out in hadith transmitted through isnad; the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali schools of Islamic jurisprudence; the ‘Ash’ari creed; and reflecting on the spiritual path previously laid out by the saintly and God-fearing of the Muslims.

Why Thawr?

Allah, Lord of Power, recounts the seemingly perilous escape from Makkah during the hijirah of His messenger, peace be upon him, and Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him:

And if you do not come to the aid of His messenger, peace be upon him, [then know that] verily Allah came to his aid when those who disbelieved threw him out [of his home] and he was one of a pair when they were in a cave and he said [to his companion] “Grieve not! Indeed Allah is with us!” And Allah sent down His tranquility upon him, and aided him with an unseen host. And He caused the word of those who disbelieved to be the most abased and the word of Allah to be the most exalted. Allah is Mighty and Wise. (40)

When it seemed that the experiment of tawhid would come to an end and the delicate light of faith would be extinguished in a sandy desert storm, the two best of companions sought refuge in a cave on Thawr Mountain, but where they really sought refuge was in Allah. That day it seemed that the hand of darkness seemed to have swept over the world and stood ready to seize all in its path. However, it had not the strength to rise against Allah, who is the Mighty Fortress of the believers. It had not the strength to breach Thawr.