AMI has been at the forefront of providing traditional seminary (hawza) 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. On completion of our Hawza Programme, students can qualify with an MA in Islamic Studies from the University of Birmingham.
Download our prospectus to learn more about the Hawza Programme.
Over the last few months, we have been making a few changes to how we provide the courses on our online Hawza Programme. Here are a few we have introduced:
Start in your own time and finish at your own pace
Enrolment will now be open all year round! This means that you no longer need to wait for a new semester to begin studying with us.
Recorded lessons
Tutorials and learning support
All students will now have access to weekly tutorial sessions with their teachers and will also be able to book private mentoring sessions with teachers and graduate students for additional learning support.
Goodbye semesters, hello levels
We have restructured our online Hawza Programme according to four levels of difficulty, taking you from a complete beginner in our level one courses to the advanced study of Arabic texts through courses on levels two, three, and four.
Learn more about the structure of our Hawza Programme
The courses within the online Hawza Programme are divided into four levels. Level one courses provide students with a historical and theoretical introduction to subjects they study in greater depth as they progress. Students who wish to progress to further levels are also able to receive substantial training in classical Arabic.
At level two, students continue their intensive training in Arabic and complete al-ʿAllāma Muḥammad Riḍā al-Muẓaffar’s al-Manṭiq, a work on logic which is key to understanding many of the technical discussions in philosophy (falsafa), theology (kalām), and legal theory (uṣūl al-fiqh). Amongst other subjects, students also begin studying jurisprudence (fiqh) through al-Shaykh Muḥammad Bāqir al-Īrawānī’s al-Fiqh al-istidlālī and continue their studies in legal theory with the first part (al-Ḥalaqat al-ūlā) of al-Shahīd Muḥammad Bāqir al-Ṣadr’s famous Durūs fī ʿilm al-uṣūl. A further course is a thorough reading of the section on Sufism in Ibn Sīnā’s al-Ishārāt wa-l-tanbīhāt.
At level three, students complete al-ʿAllāma al-Ḥillī’s Kashf al-murād fī sharḥ Tajrīd al-iʿitiqād, one of the most influential works of Islamic theology. They also begin a more in-depth and comprehensive study of legal theory through al-ʿAllāma al-Muẓaffar’s Uṣūl al-fiqh whilst continuing to study Arabic and jurisprudence. They also take a course on legal maxims (al-qawāʿid al-fiqhiyya).
Finally, at level four, students study two influential works: al-ʿAllāma al-Ṭabāṭabāʾī’s Bidāyat al-ḥikma on philosophy and Dāwūd al-Qayṣarī’s Muqaddima on theoretical mysticism (ʿirfān). Students also complete their studies in legal theory and undertake advanced readings in jurisprudence such as al-Shaykh al-Anṣārī’s Makāsib and al-Shahīd al-Thānī’s al-Lumʿat al-Dimashqiyya in addition to a course on advanced topics in the study of the Ḥadīth.
Qualifications upon completing the Hawza Programme
Upon completion of the four levels of the Hawza Programme, students are able to progress onto the MA in Islamic Studies taught in collaboration with the University of Birmingham. The MA offers a range of modules covering both historical and contemporary areas of Islamic Studies giving students the flexibility to pursue their own areas of interest. Each year, AMI will award scholarships to three of its best students which will cover fees and living costs for those who undertake the MA full-time.
Transfer Student Scheme
Students who have undertaken Islamic studies at other seminaries (hawzas) or universities around the world can now transfer to AMI’s Hawza Programme and proceed on to the MA in Islamic Studies programme by the University of Birmingham. This scheme has been developed to prepare students with the academic writing and analytical skills necessary for postgraduate study and independent research. The scheme provides eligible students with full/part tuition fees, accommodation, and a monthly stipend. Click here to find out more.
Who can apply?
The Hawza Programme is open to all who want to gain a deeper understanding of Islam. In terms of language requirements, all classes are delivered in English and students are required to be able to read Arabic.
How to apply?
To apply, follow the link to our course catalog where you will be able to select which modules you would like to enrol on.
Hawza Fees?
We charge course fees to cover our running costs. However, we aim to make our education accessible to as many people as possible and are therefore able to offer a 65% fee waiver. To make use of this fee waiver, please use the code AMI65 when purchasing your courses. Students in need of further financial assistance should contact the education team at [email protected] to enquire about the possibility of further fee waivers.