Guiding Principles

Guidance College is an American institution that promotes the success of the country. The college seeks to provide American society with professionals who understand all facets of Islamic culture. Guidance College graduates will be balanced and committed Muslims, knowledgeable scholars, and contributing citizens.

Guidance College strongly respects and recognizes differences among religions that permeate our American culture. The College teaches its students to appreciate and respect cultural and religious differences. The College promotes cooperation and collaboration with other religious and non-religious institutions to work on common projects that bring the best for our society and country.

Guidance College believes, promotes, and teaches that Islam is a religion that calls for balance and moderation in all aspects of life, especially when these aspects affect other people.  The Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) rejected all kinds of extremism. Therefore, the College will not tolerate any form of extremism and will actively promote all forms of balance and moderation.

Guidance College believes that there are issues in Islam that are fixed and non-changeable but there are also issues that are open for reinterpretation and application in different environments. Issues that relate to the theory of Islam such as belief in God, belief in Angels, etc. are fixed. In addition, rituals such as prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, etc., are fixed and non-changeable. Matters that relate to how a Muslim or a Muslim community deal with and contribute to others are open to reinterpretation in light of the change in the environment and the circumstances people live under.

Guidance College believes that religious verdicts cannot be separated from the understanding of the reality and the environment in which the verdict is made. Hence, the College will not import religious verdicts from other parts of the Muslim world because the circumstances under which these verdicts were developed are different from the circumstances within the United States. Therefore, one of the main duties of the College is to develop solutions to the issues American Muslims face through research that takes into consideration the Islamic background needed to understand those issues and the impact of the reality and the environment on any such verdicts.

Guidance College respects and honors differences in opinions. Everyone is entitled to express their opinion freely without any coercion or intimidation. The College encourages academic freedom and the right of its faculty and students to express their opinion freely without fear. However, only opinions that are formally posted on the Guidance College website or in its literature shall express the formal position that the College adopts regarding any certain issue. The College encourages its faculty to examine the philosophies and beliefs expressed by the College when formulating an opinion.

Guidance College will not tolerate any discrimination of any kind. The College believes in gender equity and opens its doors to all individuals regardless of their sex, religious background, national origin, etc.

Guidance College believes in and teaches its students to follow an approach that brings ease and comfort to people. Islam is a religion that teaches simplicity and ease in all matters. The Quran, in several places, emphasizes this fact. For example, verse 185 of chapter 2 of the Holy Quran reads: “Allah wants ease for you and does not want to burden you with difficulty!” Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) ordered his companions to make things easy for people and not to make it difficult, to give glad tidings, and not to drive people away.