FAQ

A: The program may be attended in person at The Majlis office in Laguna Hills, California, or online. Students who receive financial assistance are required to attend at least 50% of classes, either in person or online.

A: As a general rule, live attendance is required, as we believe it is essential for a proper Islamic Studies education. Recordings will be made available for review. If a student is unable to attend live but demonstrates strong commitment, their situation may be considered on a case-by-case basis. However, even in exceptional circumstances, some level of live attendance is still expected.

A: Yes. In the part-time option, students are expected to complete the Arabic online courses (or its equivalent) on their own time in order to begin Year 3.

Through part-time study, students may complete Year 1 over a longer timeline, with Year 2 typically taking approximately one and a half years. Years 3–5 would then take roughly twice as long as the full-time track.

The curriculum is structured so that subjects are alternated each year—students complete half of the material in one year and the remaining half when the year is repeated.

Tuition for the part-time program is $2,500 per year.

A: Arabic is not required to enter the program, as it is incorporated into the curriculum. However, students should be able to read Arabic prior to beginning.

Part-time students are responsible for completing foundational Arabic on their own and must demonstrate proficiency before entering Year 3.

A: Our foundational Arabic program in the first and second years will be taught by Ustadh Omar Kovacik, with classes held online during these first two years.

Arabic is a core component of the program, designed to take students from basic reading ability to a strong foundation that supports further Islamic studies.

During the first year, the broader curriculum will be taught entirely in English while students build their Arabic proficiency. In the second year, Arabic texts will be gradually introduced, while commentary and discussion remain in English.

Dedicated time will be set aside each day in both years for students to strengthen and advance their Arabic. With consistent effort throughout the academic year, along with optional summer reinforcement, students should reach a solid foundational level by the beginning of Year 3.

It should be noted that this is not the end point of Arabic study in the program, but rather the beginning. Students will go on to study core disciplines such as Nahw, Sarf, and Balagha as part of the curriculum.

By Year 3, texts will be studied exclusively in Arabic, with commentary and discussion in English. By Years 4 and 5, both the texts and the commentary and discussion will be conducted in Arabic.

A: If you have previously studied Arabic, there are two possible pathways.

If you have some foundational knowledge but are not yet fully functional, you may join the program and take a placement assessment to begin at the appropriate level. In many cases, you may complete the foundational levels ahead of your cohort, and we can then work with you to utilize that time in ways that further strengthen and refine your Arabic skills.

If you are already functionally proficient in Arabic, you may either follow a similar path or choose to enroll in the program at a discounted rate during the first two years.

A: The full core program spans 5 years. Each year consists of 3 terms, with each term lasting 12 weeks. Classes are held Monday through Thursday, with 4 hours of instruction per day.

A: The term “ʿAlim course” is commonly used for Islamic Studies programs originating from the Indian subcontinent, typically spanning 5–7 years and offering an intermediate to advanced level in the core disciplines of Islamic studies.

While this term is not traditionally used within the educational backgrounds of our teachers, it would be accurate to say that this program is broadly comparable in scope and level to an ʿAlim course.

A: Our curriculum is taken from al-Azhar al-Sharif in Cairo, Egypt—one of the oldest and most prestigious centers of Islamic learning, with a history spanning over a thousand years.

Traditional Islamic studies programs guide students through the core disciplines step by step, progressing from foundational to intermediate and advanced texts. Our curriculum follows this model, shaped both by the structure of al-Azhar and by what our teachers have studied and witnessed in the learning environments of its senior scholars.

At the same time, we recognize that formal study is only one part of the journey. Serious students are encouraged to supplement their learning through reading, research, discussion, and ongoing scholarly engagement.

Ultimately, the goal of the program is to provide students with the tools and foundations that open the door to a lifetime of learning.

A: The program does not currently hold formal accreditation from Western institutions or institutions in the Muslim-majority world. Instead, students may receive an ijazah from their instructors upon completion, at their discretion, following the traditional model of Islamic scholarship.

As the program develops, we may explore opportunities for accreditation with recognized Islamic institutions. However, Western accreditation is not currently part of our plans, as we aim to preserve the autonomy and integrity of a traditional approach to Islamic studies.

A: By the end of the program, students will be at a level similar to graduates of college-level Islamic studies programs around the world.

A: A $100 application fee is due at the time of submission.

Annual tuition for the full-time program is $5,000. Part-time tuition is $2,500 per year.

Tuition may be paid in full at the start of the school year or in 10 monthly installments over the course of the year.

A: Financial assistance may be available based on donor support and is primarily zakah-based. Availability may vary from year to year. Please refer to our Financial Assistance Policy for more details.

A: There are no strict prerequisites for admission. However, some background in Islamic studies is beneficial.

Students should be able to read Arabic prior to entering the program. Those who are not yet able to do so may still enroll, but will need to dedicate additional time to develop this skill in order to keep pace with the Arabic component of the curriculum.

In terms of Islamic studies more broadly, it is recommended that students have completed the equivalent of our Anas ibn Malik program. If not, students are encouraged to make up this foundation either prior to enrollment or during the first one to two years of the program.

A: They are separate programs with different intentions, although there are areas where AIM provides a needed foundation for this program. For example, this program will not cover the 40 Hadith of al-Nawawi, as it assumes students have already studied it. It will also not cover introductory subjects such as Quranic Sciences, Hadith Sciences, and Usul al-Fiqh, since these are covered in AIM. Instead, the program moves directly into studying traditional texts within these disciplines.

A: Shaykh Jamaal Diwan, Shaykh Fouad Elgohari, Shaykha Muslema Purmul, and Ustadh Omar Kovacik will be the initial faculty, with most classes being taught initially by Shaykh Jamaal.

A: During Years 1–3, instruction will be in English. In Years 4–5, instruction will be in Arabic.

A: Yes. Students will need to spend time outside of class reviewing, consolidating, researching, and generally engaging academically with their formal study of Islam.

A: Class times will be 9:30am-1:30pm Mondays through Thursdays. The terms will be as follows: 

• Term 1: Sept 1-Nov 20

• Term 2: Dec 1-Feb 26 (The last two weeks would be the first two weeks of Ramadan). Week of Dec 28 off. 

• Term 3: March 30-May 22, Eid Break May 25-28, June 1-25

A: Yes. Applicants should be 18 years of age and have graduated high school or its equivalent. Exceptional cases will be considered. Applicants will be assessed for capacity to undertake this rigorous program as well as the necessary commitment and resources to be able to see it through. 

A: The following is the current outline. References to “AIM” are classes that were taught in the Anas ibn Malik Program and it is expected that students have already finished that level of study coming in to this program. Texts are subject to change per the instructor's discretion.

Arabic

• Grammar: Sharh al-Ajurumiyyah, Sharh Ibn Aqil on Alfiyyah Ibn Malik

• Sarf: Intro text, Shadha al-’Arf

• Balagah: al-Balaghah al-Wadihah

Quran

• Memorization: 1 juz per year to finish 5 juz by end of program (outside of regular class time)

• Tajwid: Tuhfat al-Atfal

• Quranic Sciences:

  • Intro to Quranic Sciences (AIM)

  • al-Tibyan fi Ulum al-Quran by al-Sabuni

  • Manahil al-Irfan by al-Zurqani

• Tafsir:

  • Juz Amma (AIM)

  • Tafsir al-Jalalayn (portions)

  • Tafsir al-Nasafi (portions)

  • Tafsir Ayat al-Ahkam

Hadith

• Hadith Collections:

  • 40 Hadith (AIM)

  • Riyad al-Salihin

  • Sharh Ahadith al-Ahkam 

• Hadith Sciences:

  • Intro to Hadith Sciences (AIM)

  • Sharh al-Bayquniyyah

  • Nuzhat al-Nazar with Tahqiq of ‘Itr

  • Muqaddimah of Ibn Salah with Tahqiq of ‘Itr along with Zafar al-Amali with Tahqiq of Abu Ghuddah.

Fiqh

• Hanafi Fiqh:

  • Ascent to Felicity

  • Kifayah al-Mubtadi

  • Mukhtasar al-Quduri

  • al-Ikhtiyar

  • al-Hidayah

• OR Maliki Fiqh:

  • Risalah of Ibn Abi Zayd

  • Aqrab al-Masalik

  • al-Sharh al-Saghir

  • Mukhtasar Khalil

• Usul al-Fiqh:

  • Intro to Usul al-Fiqh (AIM)

  • al-Wajiz fi Usul al-Fiqh Zaydan

  • An introductory level madhhab based text in Usul

  • Athar al-Ikhtilaf fi al-Qawaid al-Usuliyyah

• Research Paper Selections from Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah and others that teach the practical side of fiqh and ikhtilaf

Aqidah

• Creed of Oneness of Imam al-Dardir (AIM)

• Creed of Imam al-Tahawi (AIM)

• Sharh al-Kharidah al-Bahiyyah

• Sharh al-Aqaid al-Nasafiyyah

Tasawwuf

• Introduction (AIM)

• 40 Hikam from the Hikam (AIM)

• Mukhtasar Ihya Ulum al-Din

• Hikam of Ibn Ataillah