Islamic Studies Programmes you can trust
What is iSyllabus?
iSyllabus aims to develop the next generation of active citizens and faith-inspired thought leaders in the West through transformative Islamic education programs.
Our vision is to spark a revolution in the provision of Islamic education, developing upright individuals—well-informed of their faith—ready to deal with the challenges of their societies.
To achieve this, the courses we offer provide students with a clear and authentic presentation of the Islamic faith, laying the groundwork for extensive lifelong learning. The result are well tailored year long courses that take the guesswork out of choosing a productive Islamic studies course.
The Diploma course
Our One year Islamic studies Diploma program is a comprehensive and contextually relevant course that equips students with the What and Why of Islam, Iman and Ihsan. Not only that, it delves into relevant contemporary discussions around religion, law and society. Since it was launched in 2009, it has now been attended by over 7,000 students from a multitude of countries.
Deep Fiqh and Deep Aqidah
Given that the classical tradition is built of Orthodoxy (correct belief) and Orthopraxy (correct action), iSyllabus also offer two in-depth One year courses that cover seminal works in both areas, and provide a deep basis in the Sciences of Fiqh (Islamic law) and Aqidah (Creed).
Deep Aqidah is a comprehensive and detailed study of Fiqh al-Akbar through the two classical commentaries of Al-Qari and al-Mighnisawi, while remaining cognisant of modern challenges to traditional belief. Deep Fiqh, on the other hand, is a study and commentary of the Hanafi Jurisprudence Manual ‘Ascent to Felicity’ covering the acts of worship and devotion, providing the rules of worship in the context of the modern world.
The successful completion of these courses grants students a detailed yet relevant understanding of the Islamic tradition.
Prior to 2020, iSyllabus offered a comprehensive five year course, including its acclaimed Intermediary and Advanced Islamic studies courses, both of which covered a host of modern and traditional modules designed to train a new generation of scholars. Since the first classes in 2009, hundreds of students have benefited from these in-depth programs, and our Islamic studies program also inspired countless others Islamic studies institutes to follow a similar model of imparting religious teachings to students.
Short courses
Following numerous requests from students for access to the content of Intermediary and Advanced courses, much of which address contemporary issues such as Gender, Identity, Atheism and the question of Religious Violence, iSyllabus has decided that the most effective method to disseminate its content is by making it available via a Short Courses format without the condition to complete the required years of prior study. As well as new LIVE short courses, we regularly add premium on-demand recorded content, thereby providing all the course content previously available in the Intermediary and Advanced courses, as well as modules not part of the full courses previously offered.
Why iSyllabus?
Recalibrating Islamic education in the West
1. Relevance. Identifying the most relevant topics of religious discourse in the West. The issues discussed and debated by Muslims and non-Muslims about Islam was central to deciding what content should be at the centre of the full curriculum. In a largely post-religious world as we live in today, such a recalibrating of religious content is particularly important to safeguard religion itself from being seen as irrelevant. After incorporating the essentials that every Muslim should know about their religion, the course develops the capacities within students that will aid them in flourishing into confident members of their societies. What are the core methodological issues that require attention in teaching an Islam that is both true to its intellectual heritage yet responsive to the age we live in? What are the elements that need to be developed in an Islamic studies curriculum to move towards a constructive and balanced Sunni orthodoxy/orthopraxy? What types of polemics are targeted against Islam and how can Muslims develop a framework that adequately defends its core teachings from such challenges? These are just some of the core questions that we asked on the issue of relevance.
2. Function. Acknowledging the changing dynamics of religious leadership in the Modern world. One observation made while surveying religious practice in the West is the changing dynamics in the provision of religious advocacy and guidance. Effective religious leadership is no longer centralised with a person like an Imam. Instead new and dynamic structures dictated by social media and community initiatives are developing apace. Religious scholarship has now become democratised and this is a phenomena that should be embraced by our scholarly tradition, being as it is inherently part of the tradition. Any religious training program that is taught in the West has to therefore be aware that students that complete their studies will be required to provide religious guidance and inputs in a wide array of contexts.
3. Synthesis. Incorporating elements from successful Islamic studies syllabi of the Muslim world. A review was done of the most significant syllabi used in the Muslim world.These include: The Darsi Nizami of the Subcontinent (which is now albeit only partially taught as compared to the original curriculum) with its focus on the ancillary sciences; The Tahqiq (verification) method of Kurdish scholarship used in Turkey, Iraq and Syria, which focuses on discursive teaching methods; The Syrian model, best exemplified by Mahad al-Fath in Damascus, known for both its rigorous repetition and review of core content coupled with the comprehensive array of sciences covered.
The Syrian model was used to ensure that students adequately complete all core content with the required degree of competency; The relevant elements from all the above were incorporated to inform the content of our
program.
4. Language. Nurturing the English language as a Muslim language of instruction. Throughout its history, Islam has naturally integrated itself into native cultures and made use of indigenous languages to spread its teaching. In doing so it elevated them, as with Persian, Malay, Hausa, Turkish, Urdu and others, to being civilisational languages of the Ummah. As a result, Muslim scholarship was able to develop and be internalised by the cultures of the lands where these languages were spoken.
This was a statement of intent by Muslims scholars of a long term commitment to these lands. English is now the common language of communication for the majority of the world’s Muslims and so iSyllabus is committed to creating a complete and holistic Islamic studies curriculum that is fully teachable via the English language. It also works to develop a students appreciation of the Arabic language by focusing on core technical Arabic vocabulary used in the Islamic sciences. By giving students the context and significant variations in vocabulary usage, the course is able to create leverage to enhance a students understanding of the subjects studied.
This is also a logical step to take, since studies in educational pedagogy continually show that the internalisation and understanding of fine and nuanced points, such as those discussed in Islamic law and theology, is either missed or misconstrued if the language of instruction is one that the learner does not have complete mastery of.
5. Competency. Developing religious literacy and competency in the Islamic sciences. While rote-learning
has always had a role in Islamic pedagogy, the insistence to overlyrely on this element of religious training has had a detrimental result on the educational development of students. The program developed by iSyllabus plots a student’s progression not simply through how much they have memorised. Rather it measures the development of critical religious literacy as well as competency over the contents of the subjects studied.
Identifying the logical fallacies inherent in so much discourse on Islam – both from Muslims and non-Muslims – is one of the critical challenges facing students of the Islamic sciences today. The ability of students to navigate real-life as well as academic scenarios using their learning is key to measuring successful Islamic syllabi today.
The result: Our courses
The resultant iSyllabus Islamic courses are therefore bespoke and authored from the ground up. From the opening modules to the last lessons, they incorporate the action points identified in the review above. As a result, we offer three levels of Islamic courses that build a pathway to serious Islamic scholarship.
The Diploma course serves as an excellent entry to a nuanced yet fulfilling experience of the Islamic sciences as they relate to both the individual and society in the 21st Century. The modules and material is fully integrated and refined so as to cover core hermeneutical concepts in a graded manner and incorporates life-hacks that make living one’s faith a fulfilling experience. The course both contextualises core texts as well as enhances the spiritual aspect of one’s religious observance.
Deep Fiqh and Deep Aqidah
Given that the classical tradition is built of Orthodoxy (correct action) and Orthopraxy (correct belief), iSyllabus also offer two in-depth One year courses that cover seminal works in both areas, and provide a deep basis in the Sciences of Fiqh (Islamic law) and Aqidah (Creed).
Deep Aqidah is a comprehensive and detailed study of Fiqh al-Akbar through the two classical commentaries of Al-Qari and al-Mighnisawi, while remaining cognisant of modern challenges to traditional belief. Deep Fiqh, on the other hand, is a study and commentary of the Hanafi Jurisprudence Manual ‘Ascent to Felicity’ covering the acts of worship and devotion, providing the rules of worship in the context of the modern world.
The successful completion of these courses grants students a detailed yet relevant understanding of the Islamic tradition.
Prior to 2020, iSyllabus offered a comprehensive five year course, including its acclaimed Intermediary and Advanced Islamic studies courses spanning four years of study, both of which covered a host of modern and traditional modules designed to train a new generation of scholars. Since the first classes in 2009, hundreds of students have benefited from these in-depth programs, and our Islamic studies program has also inspired countless others Islamic studies institutes to follow a similar model of imparting religious teachings to students.
Short courses
Given the requests from students for access to the content of Intermediary and Advanced courses, much of which address contemporary issues such as Gender, Identity, Atheism and the question of Religious Violence, iSyllabus has decided that the most effective method to disseminate its content is by making it available via a Short Courses format, available via state of the art technology to anyone in the world.
Is this an Alim course?
This question is bereft of any substantiative meaning in the present age. The state of Islamic education in most parts of the Muslim world means that what most Islamic seminaries offer today does not equate to what we previously considered an Alimiyyah level education.
As an alternative, we should again ask: What is the religious and social function for which students are being prepared?
To create syllabi that answer to the needs of the age is the pressing challenge for Muslim educationalists. The graded courses we offer allow students to work up to a high level of competency in the Islamic sciences. iSyllabus prepares students—upon completion—to fast track their pursuit of further studies through the medium of the Arabic language. This makes the education they received relevant and compelling. It is my experience that a further two years of full-time study would not only equate to but surpass the level offered in traditional Alimiyyah courses.
Given the thought put into the iSyllabus Islamic courses, they represent a comprehensive recalibration of the way we deliver Islamic education in the West.
Testimonials
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
Click on the Apply tab and choose the course you wish to apply for and click ‘Apply Now’ and follow instructions.
Please check individual course information for any age restrictions.
Enrolled students will have access to all the course content and lesson recordings from the start date of the course (live lessons will be available weekly as streamed) until the 15th August 2023. All lesson and course access will be unavailable after this date.
There will be 2 courses available for students who wish to continue their studies after completing the 1 Year Diploma Course this year. These courses will be 1 year courses which are taken from two of the primary subjects which were taught during the Intermediary Year 1 and Year 2 course – namely; Fiqh and Aqidah. Essentially students will cover the material taught in each topic in just 1 year, which previously took 2 years. The courses are called ‘Deep Fiqh’ and ‘Deep Aqidah.’ Students can either choose to enrol into either 1 of the courses or both as they will be pre-recorded and can be watched on demand. The applications for these courses will open in September 2022. There are no pre-requisites to enrol onto these courses.
The course will run from October till the following June.
It will follow a trimester system. For each trimester, generally each week there will be 3 lessons (each lesson for a different module, each module consisting of 6 lessons) and will be in 6-week blocks, with two such blocks for the first two trimesters. In general there will be 2 exams the week after each 6-week block. The third trimester will only consist of one 6-week block and there will be no assessments for the subjects taught in this block.
Classes will generally take place between 7pm -9pm unless stated otherwise. Detailed timetables will be provided for students upon course commencement and will include dates of classes and tutorials (if any), exams and holidays.
See course guidelines provided on enrolment for more details.
Fees for each course are detailed on the ‘Apply’ page
Yes, if you wish to pay in instalments then we have the option for you to select payment via Klarna on our checkout page.
Please note that an independent charity -iSyllabus Scholarships Charity does help students who require financial assistance, please this page for further information.
It is the expressed aim of iSyllabus to provide all those that seek to further their understanding of their religion with ample opportunity to do so. We venture to ensure that no individual in genuine need will be denied access to the course on account of a lack of funds.
With this in mind, the iSyllabus Scholarships Charity (an independent charity to iSyllabus) helps those who require financial assistance.
Please note that the applicant will be required to demonstrate that such a need exists and only students who have proven their need of such assistance will be successful.
For further details on how to apply for a scholarship, please visit the Scholarships page.
In order to gain a certificate of completion at the end of the course the assessment criteria for all exams must be met. However, a student can choose to attend the lectures and not sit the exams but will not get a certificate at the end of the year.
It depends when a student wishes to leave the course.
If iSyllabus is informed in writing of the intention to discontinue prior to 12th September 2024 – 18:59 hours, then a full refund will be issued to original payment method minus a £20 administration fee.
No refunds will be issued irrespective of reason for any cancellation requests received after 12th September 2024 – 18:59 hours.
We are unable to defer a students enrolment to the next academic year at any time.
Click on the ‘Apply’ button and enrol for the course of your choice. You will see a blue banner on the top of the checkout page which gives option saying ‘Click here to enter discount code’
You can then enter your code and if valid the discount will be applied.
PLEASE NOTE: Only 1 discount code can be used per order and if using an ISOC discount code, we reserve the right to request evidence of ISOC membership and withdraw discount if no valid membership
Yes. Students will be issued with a Self-Accredited Diploma in Islamic Studies via email on successful completion of the course provided that they met the criteria and passed all exams. See course guidelines provided on enrolment for more details.
As the iSyllabus courses are being delivered online this year due to the current restrictions we are also providing our course notes via PDF online which can be accessed via the student dashboard for enrolled students.
If a student wishes to order a printed copy of the notes, they can do so via Amazon on the student dashboard.
It depends when a student wishes to leave the course.
If iSyllabus is informed in writing of the intention to discontinue prior to 15th October 2024 – 18:59 hours, then a full refund will be issued to original payment method minus a £20 administration fee.
No refunds will be issued irrespective of reason for any cancellation requests received after 15th October 2024 – 18:59 hours.
We are unable to defer a students enrolment to the next academic year at any time.
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
1. Register with iSyllabus by clicking here.
2. All registrations will be through the Momentpin application.
3. Once you have successfully registered for the course you will be automatically added into the classroom on Momentpin.
4. Payment can be made online via a Debit/Credit card and upon completion you will be fully enrolled onto the course.
Yes students must be 16 years of age or over. Students who are 15 years of age may in exceptional circumstances apply to course but only if accompanied to class by a legal guardian who is also a students on the same course. However it should be noted that this will be at the discretion of the teaching staff and the level of maturity of the student.
iSyllabus has been for some time now seeking a method to extend and enhance the learning experience. We have been receiving numerous requests for some time from students to get closer to the class and be part of a larger community. We have been seeking such a solution that would not compromise the students privacy and data ownership, whilst at the same time providing a means for a positive online experience. Momentpin provided all the core feature sets we required and we are confident that it will provide the extended learning experience that our students have been requesting for.
Please contact the administration on info@isyllabus.org.uk
NO there are no costs for the end user to download the application and use it for personal and iSyllabus use.
NO Momentpin is an independent social network which has been developed with the core features of family, user privacy and control at the heart of its product feature set. In addition to community groups being hosted on Momentpin, it also enables its users to create personal feeds, capturing all the important moments of your life and sharing them within family and private groups. It provides the feature to create a child account to enable users to capture moments of their children from birth and then to share them with children, nurturing them on a virtual network in parallel to bringing them up.
NO Momentpin does not allow adverts on your personal feed and hence has no requirement to data mine or own your content. Momentpin revenue is clear through two means (a) They will be providing a Freemium model for the B2C customer and (b) Momentpin charge community groups, like iSyllabus, to create moments, i.e. class rooms or events, to interact and engage with our students.
The course will run from mid October till the following June.
It will follow a trimester system. For each trimester, generally each week there will be 3 lessons (each lesson for a different module, each module consisting of 6 lessons) and will be in 6-week blocks, with two such blocks for the first two trimesters. In general there will be 2 exams the week after each 6-week block. Some modules may have a homework-type assessment instead of an exam. The third trimester will only consist of one 6-week block and there will be no assessments for the subjects taught in this block.
Classes will generally take place between 6.45-9.30 pm unless stated otherwise. Detailed timetables will be provided for students upon course commencement and will include dates and locations of all classes, tutorials (if any), exams/assessments and holidays.
See course guidelines provided on enrolment for more details.
In order to apply for the iSyllabus Intermediary course, students must have successfully completed and passed the iSyllabus One Year Diploma Course.
Students with an overall average of 65% or above will be given priority. Students who have gained less than 65% are recommended to repeat the course (without exams) before applying to the Intermediary course.
Full Fee – £345
Early bird rate – £315
Repeat Student – £195
Please note that there are no other discounts available. Advanced and Intermediary fees are provided upon application.
A discounted rate of £195 is available to previous students if they paid the full course fee when they attended the course. Any student who dropped out of the course, without paying the full fee, is not eligible for this discount. If you are a repeat student, please state in your application form that you paid the full-fee the first-time round so that this can be checked and a repeat student discount applied.
No, payment must be made in one instalment when you apply for the course and have been accepted. Once we have received your full payment, you will be enrolled on to the course. Please note that an independent charity does help students who require financial assistance, please visit their website for further information.
It is the expressed aim of iSyllabus to provide all those that seek to further their understanding of their religion with ample opportunity to do so. We venture to ensure that no individual in genuine need will be denied access to the course on account of a lack of funds.
With this in mind, the iSyllabus Scholarships Charity (an independent charity to iSyllabus) helps those who require financial assistance.
Please note that the applicant will be required to demonstrate that such a need exists and only students who have proven their need of such assistance will be successful.
For further details on how to apply for a scholarship, please visit the iSyllabus Scholarships Charity website.
Diploma Course
Yes, we expect students to have a good level of attendance throughout the year and attend each week to ensure they do not miss lessons. See course guidelines for more details.
Intermediary/Advanced Courses
Students need to attend a minimum of 22 weeks of the full 32 weeks to attain the minimum attendance criteria. This means that failure to attend 10 weeks or more will result in the student being unable to attain an acceptable attendance rate for the next year. See course guidelines provided on enrolment for more details.
In order to gain a certificate of completion at the end of the course the assessment criteria for all exams/assessments must be met together with the attendance criteria. However, a student can choose to attend the lectures and not sit the exams but will not get a certificate at the end of the year and will not be able to progress onto the iSyllabus Intermediate & Advanced courses.
Written examinations will be held usually at the end of the 6 week module i.e. the week after the last set of lessons, though this may vary depending on circumstances. Students will be given prior notice relating to examination dates.
Yes. Students will be issued with a Self-Accredited Diploma in Islamic Studies on successful completion of the course provided that they met the attendance criteria and passed all exams /written assessments. See course guidelines provided on enrolment for more details.
All students will be issued with one set of notes for all subjects. Any additional sets of notes that a student requires due to loss or damaged will be subject to a £15 fee for each volume of notes.
If you wish to leave for any reason, please email info@isyllabus.org.uk quoting your name, student number and which city you are attending the course in and the admin team will process your request.
It depends when a student wishes to leave the course.
If Admin is informed in writing of the intention to discontinue prior to commencing the course, then a full refund will be applicable minus a £50 admin charge.
If Admin is informed in writing of the intention of discontinuing the course before Sunday 1 December 2019 – 2359 hours then a 50% refund of amount payed for course will be applicable.
From Monday 2 December 2019, no refunds will be issued.