About Us

Al-Mahdi Institute (AMI) is committed to providing an open platform for critical Muslim scholarship through its education, research and outreach initiatives. Our unique approach to training future generations of thinkers assimilates traditional Twelver seminary scholarship with modern approaches to the study of Islam, leaving students well-equipped to contribute meaningfully in both academic circles and grass-roots communities. Through our long-term commitment to dialogue with Muslims and non-Muslims alike, AMI’s activities provide a platform for diverse religious voices to learn from one another. 

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AMI Hawza Programme

AMI has been at the forefront of providing traditional seminary education with a critical, academic perspective. Since its inception in 1993, AMI’s Hawza Programme has trained numerous scholars who have gone on to teach and research Islam in seminary and university settings in the UK and around the world. Students are guided through the scholastic curriculum that is taught in the renowned seminaries of the Muslim world by experts with decades of experience in teaching and researching Islam. Now, students can benefit from AMI’s resources and complete the entire Hawza Programme online from anywhere in the world and at their own pace.

COURSE INFORMATION

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MA PROGRAMME

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FACULTY

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Our Research & Outreach Activities

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23
March
2023
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Successful Inter-Religious Workshop on the Nature of the Soul & Death
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On the 16th of March 2023, The Inter-Religious Symposia (IRS) Platform held its inaugural academic workshop, looking at the theme of The Nature of the Soul and Death, from the perspectives of the three Abrahamic traditions. The IRS has been …
22
March
2023
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Science and British Muslim Leadership
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On Wednesday, 22 February 2023, the University of Birmingham and Al-Mahdi Institute successfully hosted the ‘Science and British Muslim Leadership‘ workshop, supported by the Muslims in Britain Research Network. Science and Islam is a subject that has attracted the attention …

Affiliates

Inter-Religious Symposia

Inter-Religious Symposia

Mofid University

Mofid University

The Centre for Intra-Muslim Studies

The Centre for Intra-Muslim Studies

The Shia Scholars Forum

The Shia Scholars Forum

University of Birmingham

University of Birmingham

The International Centre for Collective Ijtihad

The International Centre for Collective Ijtihad

The Centre for Decree and Doctrines

The Centre for Decree and Doctrines

AMI Press

AMI Press

What People Say

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Mrs Anderson al-wazni

Current Part-time Student
The Hawza has been hugely supportive in my professional efforts outside of the classroom, which I greatly appreciate. I feel the program not only supports the education of its students, but also for them to become active members of our community and society. I hold an advanced degree outside hawza and in all my education I have never felt as supported by a school as I have the Al-Mahdi Institute. I willl continue to recommend this program to others.
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Dr Seyed Amir Akrami

Former Lectures in Islamic Studies at AMI
Al-Mahdi Institute is a place for serious attempts to learn about the most fundamental and important classical Islamic, and particularly Shi'i texts through a close and critical study, always keeping our contemporary concerns and questions in mind.
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Mrs Mahdiyah Abdulhussain

Graduate of AMI
The course at AMI amalgamates traditional scholarship with contemporary approach providing students with a thorough grounding in Islamic sciences as well as academic rigour required to pursue further studies. The friendly demeanour of lectures and impromptu lessons in the gardens and and AMI Chapel created a thoroughly enjoyable and unique experience.
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Tarek Miernek

Graduate of AMI
The institute has given me the opportunity for both intellectual and spiritual development. its unique character lies in the teachers from diverse backgrounds giving the students an insight into different perspectives, and encouraging them to think outside the box.
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Mr Asgar Rahmatullah

Graduate of AMI
The Al-Mahdi institute gives the students a unique opportunity to partake in a rigourous study of the traditional Hawza syllabus, supplemented by critical insights from contemporary discourses in areas such as Morality, Epistemology and Hermeneutics. The small class-sizes foster detailed interactive debates, as does the Institute's intellectually vibrant atmosphere. The quality of teaching is superb, aided by unfettered access to academic staff and excellent library resources.