Black Lives Around the Messenger ﷺ is an online course hosted by CelebrateMercy. In this free 10-part series, Shaykh Adeyinka Mendes will teach about the lives of many Black Companions of the Prophet ﷺ. He will not only share their stories, but also discuss the social dynamics of the Companions, the concept of race in Islamic history, and the celebration of Blackness in our tradition. Guests lecturers will also join the class to share stories and practical lessons for our daily lives.

The class recordings will be made available to students for 48 hours after each session. Register below to access the course.

View Session 1 & 2

Watch Session 1 & 2 of the course below, made available to the public. In the opening session, 6 teachers introduced the topic of learning about the Black Companions and race relations in Islam. Then Shaykh Mendes began sharing the stories of the Companions who will be covered in this series. Session 1's teachers included Shaykh Adeyinka Mendes, Imam Zaid Shakir, Shaykha Ieasha Prime, Imam Omar Suleiman, Shaykh Ubaydullah Evans, and Imam Dawud Walid.

THE BOOK

Shaykh Mendes is teaching the course based on Imam Jalaluddin As-Suyuti’s book, Raf’ Sha’n Al-Hubshan (Elevating the Importance of the Blacks). CelebrateMercy has been working with Shaykh Mendes to translate and publish the book into English, and it is now available to pre-order. Learn more about the book and our efforts to publish it here.

CelebrateMercy recently launched a project to publish the book above, as well as a devotional version & an illustrated children’s book. Learn more about the project below.

THE TEACHERS

Click to read more about the course teachers.

Class Timings

Days: Sundays, Tuesdays, & Wednesdays
Time: 8:30pm EST (New York Time)

Recordings will be available for 48 hours after the live session.