Alimiyyah Programme
The Alimiyyah Programme aims to build a firm groundwork in religious studies, fostering balance in faith and exemplifying honourable moral character. Sincerely learning the sacred Islamic sciences results in a physical, mental and spiritual journey that strengthens the sacred and divine bond between a Muslim and Allah ﷻ.
Course information
The Alimiyyah Programme offered by Tahawi Institute is a well-designed and structured Islamic studies programme following the traditional madrasah curriculum. This programme is uniquely structured and well-suited for students and professionals alike who would like to pursue their higher Islamic educational goals but are unable to travel overseas. The part-time nature of the programme allows students who have the thirst for seeking knowledge in a classical and traditional format to attain these goals with local scholars without having to comprise on their academic studies and career.
Ideal Candidate
Our students, unlike at many other institutions, are expected to engage themselves in the learning process at a very high level by actively analysing and synthesizing the content under study.
To avoid compromising the quality of the programme and its graduates, Tahawi Institute only accepts students who are well-suited for the course, serious about their educational goals, and most importantly are sincerely seeking to learn the language of the Quran and its sciences. Furthermore, students are required to have either successfully finished the Arabic Light or Arabic Intensive course with Tahawi Institute, or have attained an equivalent proficiency in Arabic through their studies.
Year 2 Modules
Intermediate Arabic Grammar 
A complete understanding, from the most basic aspect to the most advance level, of Nahw is taught in the Arabic language. Upon completion, the student will gain proficiency and mastery on laws of Arabic grammar. The course is divided into three parts, one for noun (ism), verb (fi’l), and preposition (harf). The course also includes extensive exercises to develop a pragmatic competence on the material.
Books: Hidayatun Nahw
Arabic Syntax I
This course provides an in depth study of how words are constructed together in the Arabic Language. Students will study al-Jurjani’s Sharh Miatu Amil, learning about one hundred governing particles and their different applications. Whilst studying the book students will also delve into the field of grammatical sentence analysis more commonly know as Tarkeeb. Following the study of this course students should feel empowered to have an excellent understanding of the grammatical formation of sentences.
Books: Sharh Miatu Amil
Advanced Arabic Morphology
This is the final and most advance course in Arabic Morphology in the curriculum. After revising all rules in detail, which govern the law of Arabic Morphology, students learn the various scales of the Arabic verbs (baab). The method through which words are derived from their original patter (taleelaat) is discussed in detail and extensively. Memorization through implementation of exercises allows students to recognise the verbal constructions. Upon completion, students are able to differentiate and identify the scale of every verb in the Arabic language.
Books: Ilmus Seegah
Arabic Literature II
This course utilises the Arabic text, which illustrates the stories of the prophets in a simple format, to develop Arabic comprehension. Authentic stories carefully written to also help the student learn Arabic and build vocabulary. This course also allows students to apply the knowledge attained from their study of Arabic grammar while helping them work on their Arabic comprehension, writing and speaking skills.
Books: Qisas al-Nabiyeen III
Arabic Literature III
This course utilises the Arabic text, which illustrates the stories of the prophets in a simple format, to develop Arabic comprehension. Authentic stories carefully written to also help the student learn Arabic and build vocabulary. This course also allows students to apply the knowledge attained from their study of Arabic grammar while helping them work on their Arabic comprehension, writing and speaking skills.
Books: Qisas al-Nabiyeen IV
Intermediate Arabic Language I
This course is a continuation of the three part Durus al-Lughat al-Arabiya studied in the first year. Students will study book two of “Lessons in Arabic language” as taught at the Islamic University of Madeenah . This course will help students to acquire an understanding of Qur’anic verses, ahadith, Arabic parables and poetry.
Books: Durus al-Lughat al-Arabiya II
Intermediate Tajweed I 
This course is a continuation from the first year Tajweed module. Students will review the rules of tajweed and focus on applying these rules in their recitation. Students will also study Imam Jamzuri’s famous poem on the science of Tajweed.
Books: Tuhfatul Atfaal
Beginner Islamic Jurisprudence 
The Nur al-idah is a classical text on sacred law, and for generations has been one of the most widely taught texts used to transmit Hanafi fiqh. Generations of scholars and layman alike have been taught the Nur al-idah, which gives them sufficient grounding in the basic masaâil they encounter daily. This course will leaves the student well prepared to deal with the majority of matters ranging from purification, prayer, funerals, zakah to hajj.
Books: Nur al-Idah
Beginner Hadith Studies I 
In this course, you will unpack the 42 hadiths from Imam Nawawi’s collection of Forty Hadith. The course will focus on the language of the ahadith, their implications in Sacred Law, and their relevance to our lives as Muslims in the 21st century.
Books: Arbaeen al-Nawawi
Year 3 Modules
Intermediate Islamic Jurisprudence I
This course is an in-depth look into the fiqh of ibadaat according to the Hanafi school of thought in the famous treatise of Imam al-Qudoori. Over the two courses students will cover approximately 12,500 issues, spanning the entire spectrum of fiqh. In this course students will focus on the fiqh of worship covering matters such as purification, salah, zakah, sawm and Hajj. The book studied is recognised and respected as a reliable book of the Hanafi school, and has multiple commentaries written on it. Along with Muhammad ibn al-Hasan’s Al-Jami’ al-Saghir, it formed the nucleus of al-Marghinani’s widely-renowned Al-Hidaya, which will be studied in the following years.
Books: Ibadaat from Mukhtasar al-Qudoori
Intermediate Islamic Jurisprudence II
This course is an in-depth look into the fiqh of mu’amalaat according to the Hanafi school of thought in the famous treatise of Imam al-Qudoori. Over the two courses students will cover approximately 12,500 issues, spanning the entire spectrum of fiqh. In this course students will focus on the fiqh of Mu’amalaat covering rulings regarding business transactions, personal relations and penal and judicial matters, etc.. The book studied is recognised and respected as a reliable book of the Hanafi school, and has multiple commentaries written on it. Along with Muhammad ibn al-Hasan’s Al-Jami’ al-Saghir, it formed the nucleus of al-Marghinani’s widely-renowned Al-Hidaya, which will be studied in the following years.
Books: Mu’amalaat from Mukhtasar al-Qudoori
Intermediate Hadith Studies
Students will study a compilation of verses from both the Quran and Hadith. Various Ahadith will be analyzed covering areas such as etiquettes, supplications, and moral conduct, encouraging the student to improve their Islamic lifestyle. Compilation of Ahadith from authentic sources as Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, An-Nisai and Ibn Majah will be studied. The Ahadith will also be coupled by relevant versus from the Holy Quran to assist in establishing the direct correlation between Quran and Sunnah.
Books: Riyadh al-Saliheen
Intermediate Arabic Language II
This course is the final module of the three part Durus al-Lughat al-Arabiya studied in the first two years. Students will study book three of “Lessons in Arabic language” as taught at the Islamic University of Madeenah . This course will help students to acquire an understanding of Qur’anic verses, ahadith, Arabic parables and poetry.
Books: Durus al-Lughat al-Arabiya III
Quran Translation I
Complete translation and meaning of the first 10 Ajzaa are covered in this course. Special focus is given to the syntax and etymology of the words and structure used in the verses of the Holy Qur’an. Along with the translation, the course also incorporates interpretations of selected verses which enable the students to fully understand the meaning of the Qur’an.
Books: al-Qur’an al-Kareem
Intermediate Tajweed II
This course is a continuation of Intermediate Tajweed I where students studied Tuhfatul Atfaal. In this course students will study the well-known text on the Science of Tajweed by Imam Al-Jazari, and focus on application of the rules taught.
Books: Muqaddimah al-Jazariyyah
Year 4 Modules
Advanced Arabic Literature I
This module utilises the Arabic text, which illustrates the seerah of the prophet ﷺ in a simple format, to develop Arabic comprehension. This course helps the student learn about the life of our beloved Prophet ﷺ as well as helping to learn Arabic and build vocabulary. This module also allows students to apply the knowledge attained from their study of Arabic grammar while helping them work on their Arabic comprehension, writing and speaking skills.
Books: Qasas V
Advanced Arabic Literature III
In this module, students will study the Nafhat al-Arab, written by the 18th century scholar Muhammad I’zaz Ali. Students will look at the meanings of Arabic phrases containing broad meanings, as well as stories of our pious predecessors.
Books: Nafhat al-Arab
Advanced Arabic Literature IV
In this module students will study an excellent collection of literary texts dealing with the good behavior of the Arabs, from the birth of Islam until the 4th century. Students will look at a range styles of texts including: Ahadith, Aathar, extracts from ancient works such as Al-Ghazali, Ibn al-Jawzi and Ibn Taymiyah as well as contemporary literary authors such as Al-Dahlawi, Ali Tantawi and al-Rafii. Through this course, students will be equipped to read, analyze, and translate both classical and contemporary texts.
Books: Mukhtaraat min Adab al-‘Arab
Advanced Islamic Jurisprudence I
The Hidayah has dominated the field of Islamic jurisprudence since the day it was written over 800 years ago. It has been the primary text used by Muslim jurists to issue authentic and reliable rulings on Islamic law according to the school of Imam Abu Hanifah. This module will cover volume 1 of 4, the ibadah section, covering topics including, Taharah, Salah, Zakat and Hajj.
Books: al-Hidayah I
Advanced Islamic Jurisprudence II
In this module students will cover Al-Hidayah fi Sharh Bidayat al-Mubtadi, a 12th-century legal manual by Burhan al-Din al-Marghinani, which is considered to be one of the most influential compendium of Hanafi jurisprudence. This module focuses on volume 2 of 4, comprising of topics such as Nikah, Talaq, Zihar, Nafaqah, Yameen and others.
Books: al-Hidayah II
Beginnner Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence
This module will provide a detailed study of the Principles of Jurisprudence based on the text Usul al-Shashi. Usul al-Shashi is a well-known compendium on the principles of Islamic jurisprudence according to the Hanafi school. Despite its brevity and conciseness, the text is fit for a full, detailed study as it clearly articulates the position of the school, rather than the views and opinions of particular notable jurists.
Books: Usool al-Shashi
Introduction to Principles of Hadith
The main objective of this module is to give an overview of the knowledge of Mustalah Al-Hadith which discusses the history of hadith narration and how our scholars identify sound ahadith from the weak or fabricated one. Among the scopes of the course discussed are prophetic hadith – its definition, isnad (chain of narrators), matn (text of the hadith), the types of hadith according to the strength of its isnad, to whom it is attributed and others.
Books: Tayseer Mustalah al-Hadith
Principles of Hadith
Imam ibn Hajar al-Asqalani’s Nukhbatul Fikr is a primary text that is commonly used to introduce an individual to the Science of Hadith (Ulum al-Hadith) and the major terminology (Mustalah) associated with it. In effect it is a summary of the larger works preceding his time on how to understand the detailed rudiments to this nomenclature and its systematic application.
This introductory text covers the types of chains of transmission (asanid), types of acceptable narrations (maqbul) and the types of rejected narrations (mardud). Additionally, this module intends to add further material on how to consolidate knowledge after mastering the fundamentals.
Books: Nukhbat al-Fikr / Sharh Nukhbat al-Fikr
Intermediate Principles of Hadith
Nuzhat an-Nazar, Imam Ibn Hajar’s meticulous commentary on his ulum al-hadith text, the Nukhbat al-Fikar, stands as a cornerstone in the realm of hadith studies. Revered as one of the finest primers on ulum al-hadith, this text is indispensable for students aspiring to delve into the technical discipline of hadith criticism. Throughout this module, participants embark on a detailed study of the Nuzha. This comprehensive approach not only facilitates a profound understanding of the text but also equips students with the necessary skills to navigate more advanced works like Imam Ibn al-Salah’s Ulum al-Hadith. Through meticulous examination and guided analysis, participants emerge primed to navigate the intricate landscape of hadith scholarship with confidence and precision.
Books: Nuzhat al-Nazar
Intermediate Quranic Exegesis I
Tafsir al-Jalalain is one of the most significant tafsirs for the study of the Qur’an. Written by the two “Jalals” — Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli and his student Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti. Tafsir al-Jalalayn is generally regarded as one of the most easily accessible works of Qur’anic exegesis because of its simple style. In this module you will cover the first 10 ajzaa of the Qur’an.
Books: Tafseer Jalalayn – first 10 Juz
Intermediate Quranic Exegesis II
Tafsir al-Jalalain is one of the most significant tafsirs for the study of the Qur’an. Written by the two “Jalals” — Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli and his student Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti. Tafsir al-Jalalayn is generally regarded as one of the most easily accessible works of Qur’anic exegesis because of its simple style. In this module you will cover the middle 10 ajzaa of the Qur’an.
Tafseer Jalalayn – Middle 10 Juz
Intermediate Islamic Theology 
A clear and concise representation of the creed of the Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah in relation to Allah Most High, His divine attributes, His books, His messengers, His angels, the Day of Judgment, destiny, and life after death will be presented to the student. Covering the most basic tenets with selected commentary, the course will address contemporary issues in detail. Essentially, the course will cover material which all Muslims need to know, believe and inwardly understand with respect to Islamic creed.
Books: Sharh Aqeedah al- Tahawi
Tajweed Application
In this module students will apply their knowledge of Tajweed theory studied in the previous three years of this course. You will aim to complete a full reading of the Qur’an to your teacher, and get Ijazah for the riwayah of Hafs an Asim.
Quran reading from Surah al-Fatiha
Year 5 Modules
Intermediate Quranic Exegesis III
Tafsir al-Jalalain is one of the most significant tafsirs for the study of the Qur’an. Written by the two “Jalals” — Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli and his student Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti. Tafsir al-Jalalayn is generally regarded as one of the most easily accessible works of Qur’anic exegesis because of its simple style. In this module you will cover the last 10 ajzaa of the Qur’an.
Books: Tafseer Jalalayn – last 10 Juz
Advanced Islamic Jurisprudence III
In this module students will cover Al-Hidayah fi Sharh Bidayat al-Mubtadi, a 12th-century legal manual by Burhan al-Din al-Marghinani, which is considered to be one of the most influential compendium of Hanafi jurisprudence. This module focuses on volume 3 of 4, comprising of topics such as Buyu’, Iqalah, Riba, Adab al-Qadi, Shahadaat and others.
Books: al-Hidayah III
Advanced Islamic Jurisprudence IV
The Hidayah has dominated the field of Islamic jurisprudence since the day it was written over 800 years ago. It has been the primary text used by Muslim jurists to issue authentic and reliable rulings on Islamic law according to the school of Imam Abu Hanifah. This module will cover the final part of the 4 volumes, comprising of topics such as Zabaaih, Udhiyyah, Karahiyyah, Jinayaat, Diyyat and others.
Books: al-Hidayah IV
Intermediate Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence
This module deals with the primary sources of Islamic Law, the Quran & Sunnah, their characteristics and methods of deriving legal rulings from them. You will learn about key principles and vocabulary in the field so as to give you a more nuanced scope of Shariah and how rulings are categorized: ‘Am (general), Khas (particular), Mutlaq (Absolute) and Muqayyad (qualified), Haqiqi (literal), and Majazi (metaphorical). Students will also discuss secondary sources of law, i.e. Ijma’ (scholarly consensus) & Qiyas (analogical deduction), and many other matters pertaining to Ijtihad (application of reason and critical thinking to law) as well as issues relating to ‘Urf (custom) and its effect on the law.
Books: Nurul Anwar
Advanced Hadith Studies I
The course consists of an extensive study of the six-thousand plus hadith narrations (mutūn) found in al-Khaṭīb al-Tibrīzī’s (d. 737/1108) hadith super- collection Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ. The course provides a thorough and critical analysis of the theological, legal, and ethical rules derived from its narrations as well as their historical authenticity. Through the study of a work that collects hadith of not only the six canonical Ṣaḥīḥ works but also those of Imams Mālik, Aḥmad, al-Dārimī, al-Bayhaqī, al-Dāraquṭnī, and Razīn, students are given a thorough exposure to the Islamic understanding (al-mafhūm al-Islāmī) found in hadith literature. Students are expected to engage with not only the hadith texts but the valuable gloss of Aḥmad ʿAlī al-Sahāranpūrī (d. 1297/1880) and commentaries such as those of Mullā ʿAlī al-Qārī (d. 1014/1605)and ʿAbd al- Ḥaqq al-Dihlawī (d. 1052/1642).
Books: Mishkaat al-Masabeeh
Advanced Hadith Studies II
The course consists of an extensive study of the six-thousand plus hadith narrations (mutūn) found in al-Khaṭīb al-Tibrīzī’s (d. 737/1108) hadith super-collection Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ. The course provides a thorough and critical analysis of the theological, legal, and ethical rules derived from its narrations as well as their historical authenticity. Through the study of a work that collects hadith of not only the six canonical Ṣaḥīḥ works but also those of Imams Mālik, Aḥmad, al-Dārimī, al-Bayhaqī, al-Dāraquṭnī, and Razīn, students are given a thorough exposure to the Islamic understanding (al-mafhūm al-Islāmī) found in hadith literature. Students are expected to engage with not only the hadith texts but the valuable gloss of Aḥmad ʿAlī al-Sahāranpūrī (d. 1297/1880) and commentaries such as those of Mullā ʿAlī al-Qārī (d. 1014/1605)and ʿAbd al-Ḥaqq al-Dihlawī (d. 1052/1642).
Books: Mishkaat al-Masabeeh
Advanced Islamic Theology
This module covers the classical aqeedah text Aqeedah Nasafiyyah of Imam Nasafi. Theology (‘Aqidah) covers all beliefs and belief systems of Muslims, including sectarian differences and points of contention. Though theology is the cornerstone of the Islamic religion, it is often quite misunderstood by Muslims themselves in a modern era where classical works are neglected and atheism is on the rise. Through detailed study and memorization of classical texts and proofs, as well as a study of Logic (Mantiq) and Philosophy, students become vested to navigate the landscape of polemics and inter- and intra-religious discussion with sound logic, perspective and recourse to original material.
Books: Aqeedah Nasafiyyah
Islamic Laws of Inheritance
The course covers Islamic laws of inheritance using Sirāj al-Dīn Muhammad ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Rashīd’s (d.~600/1204) famous text, al-Sirājī fī al-Mīrāth, also known as al-Sirājiyyah. Although there is little difference amongst the schools of fiqh in laws of inheritance, al-Sirājiyyah is written from a Ḥanafī perspective. Classically, books of inheritance are organized based on shares or recipients; al-Sirājiyyah follows the latter.
Books: al-Sirajiyyah fi al-Mirath
Year 6 Modules
Muwattatayn
Although not counted among the six, this is the earliest book of hadith and fiqh, and attributed to Imam Malik. It has always has been approved and revered, both for its authentic hadiths and as a record of the sunnah of the people of Madinah. Imam Muhammad bin al-Hasan al-Shaybani was a student of Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Malik, as well as the teacher of Imam Shafi’i. In this module students will study al-Shaybani’s transmission of the Muwatta, one of the most important books of hadith and fiqh.
Books: Muwatta Imam Malik / Muwatta Imam Muhammad
The Six Canonical Hadith Collections I
Al-Jamiʿ al-Sahīh of Muhammad b. Ismāʿīl al-Bukhārī (d. 256/870) is undoubtedly the most celebrated and authenticated of the primary hadith collections. This course will study the work with a dual focus on the hadith content as well as the author’s unique interpretive reasoning provided in the rich chapter headings (tarājim al-abwāb). Lectures on the text will be complemented with independent guided readings of the work’s various commentaries.
Books: Saheeh al-Bukhari
The Six Canonical Hadith Collections II
This course explores the Sahih work of Muslim b. al-Hajjaj al-Qushayrī (d. 261/875), focusing first on the discussions of historical methodology in the book’ s prolegomena (muqaddamah), and then on the rich theological, legal, ethical, spiritual, eschatological, and historical issues derived from the hadith content. Students will also seek to appreciate the author’s unique skill in the arrangement of the hadith and in the presentation of the chains of transmitters.
Books: Saheeh al-Muslim
The Six Canonical Hadith Collections III
The sunan genre of hadith literature primarily focuses on the evidence early Muslim jurists used in their arguments. This course examines the Sunan of Abū Dāwūd al-Sijistānī (d. 204/819) from both a jurisprudential and a critical historical perspective, explaining the use of each hadith in support of a variety of legal positions as well as exploring the grading of the hadith by the author and other classical hadith scholars.
Books: Sunan Abu Dawud
The Six Canonical Hadith Collections IV
The sunan genre of hadith literature primarily focuses on the evidence early Muslim jurists used in their arguments. This course examines the Sunan of Muḥammad b. ʿĪsā al-Tirmidhī (d. 279/892) from both a jurisprudential and a critical historical perspective, explaining the use of each hadith in support of a variety of legal positions but also exploring the grading of the hadith by the author and other classical hadith scholars.
Books: Sunan al-Tirmidhi
The Six Canonical Hadith Collections V
This course consists of a thorough study of select portions of the Sunan of Imam Abū ‘Abd al-Raḥmān al-Nasāʾī (d. 302/915), a work known for its special attention given to the discovery of hidden elements in hadith chains. Through the study of these chapters, students will be introduced to the sciences of hadith sourcing and comparative chain analysis (‘ilm al-takhrīj wa dirāsat al-asānīd). While seeking to understand and appreciate the complexity of chain mapping, the jurisprudential aspects of the hadith texts will also be analyzed in light of the positions and arguments of the eminent masters of the field.
Books: Sunan al-Nasaai
The Six Canonical Hadith Collections VI
This module introduces students to the critical analysis of hadith reporters and chains through an elaborate study of the zawā’id reports of Ibn Mājah’s Sunan, i.e. the reports unique to Ibn Mājah’s Sunan and not found in any of the other six canonical hadith collections, the Ṣaḥīḥs of al-Bukhārī and Muslim and the Sunan works of al-Nasāʾī, Abū Dāwūd, and al-Tirmidhī. While students will analyze both the hadith texts and chains, particular focus is placed on the critical analysis of hadith narrators and the evaluation of their narrations. Thus, students will be introduced to a practical study of ʿilm al-rijāl (the science of narrative biographies) through the study of a canonical hadith text.
Books: Sunan Ibn Majah
The scheduling of Alimiyyah classes varies according to the students’ year groups:
Year 2-4: Monday – Friday, 6-9pm
Year 5-6: Monday – Friday, 6-9:45pm + weekends
What are the fees?
One-off Administration & Book Fees: £150
plus
Tuition Fees:
For Years 2-4:
Option 1: £1050 per year (includes a £150 discount when paid in full)
Option 2: £1200 per year (£400 per term, payable in three instalments)
For Years 5-6:
Option 1: £1200 per year (includes a £150 discount when paid in full)
Option 2: £1350 per year (£450 per term, payable in three instalments)
Do you offer a discount for siblings?
Yes, for every extra sibling you will get £150 off (or a discount of £50 x 3/term).
I have another question
Please have a look at our dedicated FAQ section here.