Our Story

Celebrating 10 years in service to islamic scholarship

• 2005 The initial idea that led to establishing Al-Salam Institute was the desire to facilitate the study of Islamic sciences. Shaykh Akram Nadwi had been travelling from Oxford to London on a weekly basis to teach a growing number of students, a large number of whom were also travelling from Oxford to attend these classes.
• 2006 Al-Salam Institute is founded in Oxford by Sumaiya Akram, becoming one of the first centres for Arabic and Islamic sciences to cater for both male and female students.
• 2007 After months of outreach and with the assistance of a small number of supporters, the Institute begins to attract a growing number of students from across the UK.
• 2008 Additional teachers are introduced to broaden the scope of Islamic studies. The unique one-day a week model allows a flexibility that continues to attract students.
• 2009 A structured advanced level syllabus begins to take form under the guidance of Shaykh Akram.
• 2010 Awareness of the Institute grows steadily, attracting a high calibre of students travelling to Oxford from different parts of the UK in pursuit of structured Islamic courses.
• 2011 After six years of advanced level teaching, it becomes clear to Shaykh Akram that a number of students are approaching the stage of authorisation; fit to become teachers and purveyors of Islamic knowledge in their own right.
• 2012 The first cohort of students graduate from Al-Salam Institute.
  Development begins on the remodelling of the Islamic Scholarship Programmes to resolve the growing disconnect between students at different stages in their studies.
• 2013 Al-Salam Institute goes international with the Sacred Sciences Journey. Online support and learning management systems are developed to assist students in their study programmes and to provide much-needed flexibility to an increasingly diverse pool of students.
• 2014 The worldwide Islamic Scholarship Programme launches in London, UK. The first cohort of students begin studying the Foundation Year of the ‘Alimiyyah Programme.
• 2015 ASI hosts its first Graduation Ceremony since remodelling the Islamic Scholarship Programmes.
• 2016 Al-Salam Institute sets its sights on the future, developing numerous projects that will propel the Institute to the mainstream for Muslims worldwide.