Projects | Oakland Islamic Center

The importance of education in Islam is beautifully reflected in the message of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

Let us come together to build a future where our children grow in knowledge, faith, and leadership — all for the sake of Allah.

Narrated Qais bin Kathir:

"A man from Al-Madinah came to Abu Ad-Darda when he was in Dimashq. So he said: 'What brings you O my nephew?' He replied: 'A Hadith reached me which you have narrated from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).' He said: 'You did not come for some need?' He said: 'No.' He said: 'Did you come for trade?' He said: 'No, I did not come except seeking this Hadith.' So he said: 'Indeed, I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: "Whoever takes a path upon which he seeks knowledge, then Allah makes a path to Paradise easy for him. And indeed the angels lower their wings in approval to the one seeking knowledge. Indeed forgiveness is sought for the knowledgeable one by whomever is in the heavens and whomever is in the earth, even the fish in the waters. And superiority of the scholar over the worshiper is like the superiority of the moon over the rest of the celestial bodies. Indeed the scholars are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets do not leave behind Dinar or Dirham. The only legacy of the scholars is knowledge, so whoever takes from it, then he has indeed taken the most able share.

حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ خِدَاشٍ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ

الْوَاسِطِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَاصِمُ بْنُ رَجَاءِ بْنِ حَيْوَةَ، عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ، قَالَ قَدِمَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ عَلَى أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ وَهُوَ بِدِمَشْقَ فَقَالَ مَا أَقْدَمَكَ يَا أَخِي فَقَالَ حَدِيثٌ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ تُحَدِّثُهُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ أَمَا جِئْتَ لِحَاجَةٍ قَالَ لاَ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَمَا قَدِمْتَ لِتِجَارَةٍ قَالَ لاَ ‏.‏ قَالَ مَا جِئْتَ إِلاَّ فِي طَلَبِ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ قَالَ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ مَنْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَبْتَغِي فِيهِ عِلْمًا سَلَكَ اللَّهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَإِنَّ الْمَلاَئِكَةَ لَتَضَعُ أَجْنِحَتَهَا رِضًا لِطَالِبِ الْعِلْمِ وَإِنَّ الْعَالِمَ لَيَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَمَنْ فِي الأَرْضِ حَتَّى الْحِيتَانُ فِي الْمَاءِ وَفَضْلُ الْعَالِمِ عَلَى الْعَابِدِ كَفَضْلِ الْقَمَرِ عَلَى سَائِرِ الْكَوَاكِبِ إِنَّ الْعُلَمَاءَ وَرَثَةُ الأَنْبِيَاءِ إِنَّ الأَنْبِيَاءَ لَمْ يُوَرِّثُوا دِينَارًا وَلاَ دِرْهَمًا إِنَّمَا وَرَّثُوا الْعِلْمَ فَمَنْ أَخَذَ بِهِ أَخَذَ بِحَظٍّ وَافِرٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَلاَ نَعْرِفُ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ عَاصِمِ بْنِ رَجَاءِ بْنِ حَيْوَةَ وَلَيْسَ هُوَ عِنْدِي بِمُتَّصِلٍ هَكَذَا حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ خِدَاشٍ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ ‏.‏ وَإِنَّمَا يُرْوَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ رَجَاءِ بْنِ حَيْوَةَ عَنِ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ جَمِيلٍ عَنْ كَثِيرِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهَذَا أَصَحُّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ مَحْمُودِ بْنِ خِدَاشٍ وَرَأَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ هَذَا أَصَحَّ

Grade: Da'if (Darussalam)

Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2682

In-book reference : Book 41, Hadith 38

English translation : Vol. 5, Book 39, Hadith 2682

How do we achieve such a lofty dream?

First and foremost, we place our trust in Allah — the Creator of the heavens and the earth and all that lies between. He is in need of nothing, while we are in need of Him.

Second, we come together as one. When we say "community," we mean the entire Muslim community — unified in purpose and mission. We call upon your support, both emotional and financial, to help bring this vision to life.

Phase One

Purchase the building next door
Launch fundraising efforts by reaching out to Muslim communities across the U.S., sharing our vision, and inviting contributions.
Renovate and rebuild
Adapt the space to meet the needs of a modern school, following all building codes and state requirements.
Launch digital campaigns
Encourage our brothers and sisters to invest in their Hereafter by supporting this noble effort financially, helping turn this dream into a reality.

Project:

As our community continues to expand and flourish, our vision is to leave an everlasting legacy for generations to come.
The impact of our success lies in establishing a strong educational system that reflects our values and principles, deeply rooted in Islamic faith and virtues.

We move forward as one united community with one shared goal: to raise and nurture future leaders who will carry our legacy long after we are gone.

Establishing a school with a full educational curriculum approved by the State Board of Education is not just important — it is essential to our long-term vision.

Such a school will anchor us permanently within our community, offering quality, state-approved education from 1st through 12th grade.

But we cannot do this alone.
This dream can only be realized with the full support of our community — emotionally, spiritually, and financially. We aim to build an accredited Islamic school that meets state standards, while providing a faith-based, values-driven education.

Our goal is to deliver top-tier education — unmatched in quality, admired by all, and sought after by students and families from every corner of the state.