First Command Book Club

At Zaytuna College, we strive to revive the liberal arts tradition that was foundational for both the Western and the Islamic civilizations. The liberal arts include the qualitative arts, known as the trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric), and the quantitative arts, known as the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, harmonics, and astronomy). These seven arts comprise the core of a holistic educational experience that prepares the mind for any worthy endeavor. We aim to restore these lost tools of learning and prepare intellectually and morally grounded lifelong learners who are oriented to truth, goodness, and beauty.  

Why a Book Club? 

The first revealed verse and God’s first command to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was to read: “Read! In the name of your Lord....” The Prophet ﷺ built the first Muslim community with circles of knowledge, where God’s sacred text was studied and memorized. His commitment to literacy was further exemplified when he freed prisoners who taught ten Muslims to read. This legacy of learning continued for centuries, as eager Muslims risked their lives on arduous journeys to sit with notable scholars from around the world. The Islamic civilization established some of the most elaborate and prolific libraries, with several still preserved to this day. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  is reported to have said, “Wisdom is the lost property of the believer. Wherever he finds it, he is most deserving of it.” In realizing God’s first command and the unrelenting pursuit of knowledge, Muslim scholars studied texts from many traditions, including the Greco-Roman. Today, this precedent is more important than ever. Reviving a holistic intellectual literacy allows the community to engage in civil discourse, cultivate virtue, and promote empathy. To that end, the First Command Book Club has carefully selected books that, God willing, will stimulate the mind and soften the heart, bringing us closer to realizing the universal truths established by our Creator. 

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