Foundation Year 2025-26
Join us for a one-year course in Classical Arabic and Islamic Studies
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What is Foundation Year?
The Foundation Year in Classical Arabic and Islamic Studies is a year-long online course designed for those beginning their journey in Islamic knowledge. This programme offers a solid foundation in Islamic studies through part-time learning with qualified teachers in the UK, including Shaykh Akram Nadwi. It is ideal for students and working professionals seeking to study Arabic and Islamic studies at a beginner level online.
The course covers a wide range of subjects, including beginner-level Arabic, Hadith, basic Islamic law, Tafsir of the Quran, and the principles underlying these disciplines. It also includes modules on Seerah (the life of the Prophet) and Tazkiyyah (spiritual purification), all taught by experienced scholars.
Classes are held online, part-time on Sundays from 10 am to 6 pm UK time, making it accessible to those with busy schedules. ...
Upon completing the Foundation Year, students can advance to our Arabic Language course (Arabic Immersion Programme) and eventually graduate from the Alimiyyah Programme as an ‘Alim or ‘Alimah, with a deep understanding of the fundamental Islamic sciences. Alternatively, students may choose to enrol in our Quran Study Programme to study the Quran from cover to cover.
This course provides an excellent opportunity to build a strong foundation in Islamic knowledge while accommodating other commitments.
Application Process
| MODULE | UNITS | CREDITS |
|---|---|---|
| Arabic Language |
• Unit 1: Arabic Grammar • Unit 2: Arabic Morphology • Unit 3: Applied Arabic • Workshop: Arabic Skills • Tutorial: Technical & Applied Arabic | 90 |
| Hadith Studies |
• Unit 1: Hadith Analysis (Text: Riyad al‑Salihin) • Seminar 1: Introduction to Hadith and Chains of Narration | 20 |
| Islamic Law |
• Unit 1: Chapters of Worship (Text: Al‑Fiqh al‑Islami) • Seminar 1: Muslim Life in the Modern Era • Workshop 1: Physiology of Menstruation and Rules of Purification • Workshop 2: Zakah Calculation • Workshop 3: Rituals of Burial | 30 |
| Quranic Studies | • Unit 1: Quranic Exegesis | 30 |
| Prophetic Biography | • Unit 1: Prophetic Biography | 10 |
| Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence |
• Unit 1: Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence (Text: Mabadi fi Usul al‑Fiqh) • Seminar 1: Introduction to Islamic Jurisprudence and Legal Theory • Tutorial: Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence | 10 |
| Principles of Prophetic Traditions |
• Unit 1: Principles of Hadith Classification (Text: Mabadi fi Usul al‑Hadith wa al‑Isnad) • Seminar 1: Introduction to Hadith Classification and Nomenclature • Tutorial: Principles of Prophetic Traditions | 10 |
| Principles of Quranic Exegesis |
• Unit 1: Principles of Quranic Exegesis (Text: Mabadi fi ‘Ilm Usul al‑Tafsir) • Seminar 1: Introduction to Quranic Exegesis and Interpretation • Tutorial: Principles of Quranic Exegesis | 10 |
| Skills and Training |
• Unit 1: Rules of Quran Recitation • Unit 2: Art of Quran Recitation • Seminar 1: Etiquettes of a Student • Seminar 2: Academic Writing and Research Methodology | n/a |
2025–2026 Academic Year: Term Dates
- Induction Day: Sunday, 28th September 2025
- Autumn Term: Sunday, 5th October 2025 – Sunday, 7th December 2025
- Winter Retreat (TBC): Thursday, 11th December 2025 – Sunday, 14th December 2025
- Winter Term: Sunday, 4th January 2026 – Sunday, 8th March 2026
- Spring Retreat (TBC)
- Spring Term: Sunday, 19th April 2026 – Sunday, 21st June 2026
Core Learning Format
- Core Lectures: 30 full-day lectures on Sundays during term time
- Workshops: 2–5 half-day practical sessions on Saturdays throughout the year
- Seminars: 8–15 one-day intensive seminars throughout the year
Note: Term dates may be subject to change.
Residentials are elective programmes and are priced separately.
Students are expected to complete a series of assessments in order to graduate from the Foundation Year. At ASI, we use a variety of formative and summative assessments throughout the duration of the course. There will be weekly homework in the Arabic language, as well as termly examinations in Arabic and the Islamic Sciences. Exams take place online and must be completed within the assessment window.
Further information on assessments will be provided upon enrolment.
Students that successfully graduate from the Foundation Year will be eligible to apply for two programmes; the Quran Study Programme or the Arabic Immersion Programme. The Quran Study Programme will provide a unique opportunity to study the Quran over three years in order to deeply engage with the Book of Allah. The Arabic Immersion Programme is the perfect programme for students that seek to progress towards fluency in the Arabic language and from there enter the Alimiyyah Programme.
For further information on these programmes, please visit our Admissions page.
Course Structure
The programme is delivered by a series of live-streamed lectures and tutorials, and students will also have access to a number of seminars and tutorials uploaded onto the ASI Portal to review and revise at their own convenience. The Foundation Year consists of eight mandatory modules, covering Arabic language extensively, as well as Islamic law, hadith, Quranic studies, and the principle sciences underpinning these disciplines. Students will also have the opportunity to join us on two scheduled student retreats per year, an Arabic Summer School, day trips and SU events, during which students can benefit from the company of their peers, teachers and staff. We strongly encourage attendance at these events in order for students to not forget or become disconnected from the blessings of good company.
Teaching Delivery
Introduction
Our unique four-tier structure makes our Islamic Scholarship Programmes unlike any other. The Programmes are split into four distinct levels: Foundation Year, Quran Study Programme, Arabic Immersion Year, and the Alimiyyah Programme. These four programmes together form the UK’s first part-time, highly specialised series of Islamic Sciences programmes taught exclusively in the English language.
Core Lectures
Students of the Islamic Scholarship Programme all gather for the compulsory lectures on ‘Study Sundays’. These are the core lectures that take place during term-time over 30 weeks. They provide the core information to be further applied in tutorials, essays, and examinations. Core lectures are streamed live to our students around the world. Thereafter, recordings are made available to all students via the ASI Portal.
Tutorials
Tutorials take place during a weekday evening, usually lasting no more than two hours. Tutorials allow students to review their answers or theories developed over the duration of the course. They also allow students to explore ideas that arise in discussions with peers and tutors alike.
Workshops
Workshops are arranged to provide practical study experience that may not always be available in a formal classroom setting. From Islamic funeral rites to essential study skills, these workshops provide a more holistic approach to a student’s further studies.
Seminars
Seminars at the Foundation Level are intended to introduce students to new areas of study and develop their thinking and perspective into a more nuanced understanding. These are often provided as day-long intensives on topics such as the Etiquettes of a Student of Knowledge, The Rules of Qur’an Recitation, and Introductions to the Principles of Islamic Sciences.
Why Study at ASI
Unique Syllabus
Our syllabus has been designed to provide students with a deep understanding of both Arabic and the Islamic Studies. Our courses are delivered by some of the UK’s leading academics and traditionally-trained scholars; we combine classical Islamic texts with contemporary works to enable students to graduate with an incisive understanding of the religion.
One Day a Week
For many it is not possible to spend years or even decades studying the Islamic Studies full time. Our programmes are structured so that students are only required to dedicate one day a week to their studies, making the programme ideal for both full-time students and working professionals, as well as homemakers.
Shaykh Akram Nadwi
Shaykh Akram Nadwi is a Hadith scholar of the highest calibre as well as one of the leading Islamic thinkers of our time. Our programmes are primarily authorised by Shaykh Akram Nadwi. Graduates from the Institute do so under his tutelage, receiving their Shahādah ‘Ālimiyyah upon completion of the programme.
Live Online Classes
All of our content is available live online for students all over the world. We currently have a global network of students from every continent – except perhaps Antarctica! – who connect with their teachers and classmates on a weekly basis. As a global community, we come together to learn, study and train in the sciences of the religion.
Key Information
1 year
Mode of Attendance
Part-time – Sundays only
Study Mode
- Online – live-streamed lectures and recorded access
- Optional in-person termly residential programmes
Start of Programme
October 2025
Progression
Arabic Immersion Programme or Quran Study Programme
Qualification
Certificate in Classical Arabic and Islamic Studies
Entry Requirements
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old
- Applicants must be able to read the Arabic script
- Fluency in the English language is required
‘One thing we have done with the ASI syllabus is chosen the works of those people who are imams and thinkers; those who impart knowledge with reason and deep understanding.’
— Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi | Principal of Al-Salam Institute
Although I’m studying the Foundation Programme, I’ve always felt that Al-Salam treated us as intellectual beings.
— Shehroze Khan
The Al-Salam Institute classes have been the highlight of my week for the past two years. I hope Al-Salam Institute provide continued benefit to the ummah, and to humanity in general.
Al-Salam Institute is an excellent institute that provides an exceptional teaching experience. They take into consideration everyone’s needs and requirements and help them in their studies.
I had never benefitted so much in doing a term of studying Islamic sciences as I had with Al-Salam Institute. ASI gives many like me the opportunity to combine studying Islamic sciences with work/study.
Testimonials
Find Out More
If you would like to find out more, have questions regarding the application process, or are unsure which programme is suitable for you, please contact our admissions team.