The Majlis Seminary

Imam al-Dardir Advanced Studies Program

5 Year, Full-Time Program, Inspired by the Curriculum of al-Azhar al-Sharif

Overview

A Note From Shaykh Jamaal Diwan

In the previous two years we successfully piloted our Community Servants Program. Its goal was to provide a base level of knowledge that is necessary for those who would like to serve our communities at various non-scholar capacities. During that time we received requests and students who wanted to do more and go deeper. As such we have decided to launch a 5-Year scholar training program.

Program Details

The primary audience of this program is full-time students who are seeking a path towards Islamic scholarship. The program will consist of 3, 12-week terms a year, for 5 years. The first two years will have a large emphasis on developing a foundation in the Arabic language that will allow further study as well as laying some of the foundations for the later years. Classes will be held Monday through Thursday from 9:30am-1:30pm on-site at The Majlis office in Laguna Hills. Students may also attend online if that is preferred or necessary based on their circumstances. All students are expected to attend at least some of the classes each week live and preferably all. Exceptional cases will be considered.

The foundational Arabic portion of the program will be powered through Fawakih Institute. Students will come to class and login to their own account with Fawakih (which we will provide) and work their way through Fawakih’s substantial 6 Level Program. We will supplement this with classroom Arabic discussion time as well. In the first year this will take half of each school day. In the second year it will take 1/4 of each day. By the third year students should have a strong foundation and the whole day will be spent on our full-time curriculum.

Although full-time study is highly recommended, we are offering a part-time option. In the part-time program students will be responsible for their own Arabic studies but they can attend the other subjects with us. We will flip the class timings each year so that part-time students would be able to finish Year 1 in one year (since half the day is Arabic they can finish that in one year as part-time, albeit without the Arabic) and years 2-5 in two years each. So, for example, if subjects A, B, C, D are taught in Year 3 for example in 2028 then in Year 3 in 2029 they will be taught in the order of C, D, A, B. So if a student attended 9:30am-11:30am in the first round they would cover A and B and in the following year they would cover C and D, thereby attending part-time but finishing the whole curriculum.

Tuition and Enrollment 

Tuition:

$4,000/yr or $400/mo for 10 months for Year 1

$4,500/yr or $450/mo for 10 months for Year 2

$5,000/yr or $500/mo for 10 months for Years 3-5

$2,500/yr for part-time  

Books not included, Fawakih subscriptions included for full-time students.

*Financial aid may be available for dedicated students but will likely be zakah based and requests will be assessed case by case.

Important Dates:

Enrollment/Application: July 1 - August 15

Payment Deadlines: September 1 for annual payment. First of every month starting September for monthly payments.

Financial Aid/Zakat Submissions: August 1 

Term 1: Sept 1 - Nov 20 

Term 2: Dec 1 - Feb 26 (Year-end break during the week of Dec 28) 

Term 3: March 30 - May 22, Eid Break: May 25 - 28, Jun 1 - 25 

Enrollment Process: 

In order to enroll students will need to click the link below and fill out the application and Sh. Jamaal will respond to them. There is a $50 non-refundable application fee.

 

Program Breakdown 

*Texts are subject to change per the instructors discretion but this provides an overall framework

Year 1

  • Fawakih Levels 1-3

  • Tajwid: Sharh Tuhfat al-Atfal

  • Hadith: Riyad al-Salihin

  • Hadith Sciences: Sharh al-Bayquniyyah

  • Fiqh: Ascent to Felicity

YEAR 2

  • Fawakih Levels 4-6

  • Ulum al-Quran: al-Tibyan fi Ulum al-Quran

  • Tafsir: Readings from Jalalayn

  • Hadith: Riyad al-Salihin

  • Hadith Sciences: Nuzhat al-Nazar

  • Nur al-Idah then Mukhtasar al-Quduri in Hanafi Fiqh/Risalah Ibn Abi Zayd in Maliki Fiqh

  • Nahw: al-Tuhfah al-Saniyyah on al-Ajurumiyyah

  • Sarf: Introduction to Sarf

YEAR 3

  • Nahw: Sharh Ibn Aqil on Alfiyyah Ibn Malik

  • Sarf: Shadha al-Arf

  • Balaghah: al-Balaghah al-Wadiha

  • Aqidah: Sharh al-Kharidah al-Bahiyyah

  • Tafsir: Readings from al-Nasafi

  • Ulum al-Quran: Manahil al-Irfan

  • Usul al-Fiqh: al-Wajiz by Zaydan

  • Fiqh: Mukhtasar al-Quduri in Hanafi Fiqh/Aqrab al-Masalik in Maliki Fiqh

  • Logic: Sharh al-Sullam

YEAR 4

  • Nahw: Sharh Ibn Aqil on Alfiyyah Ibn Malik

  • Tafsir: Ayat al-Ahkam

  • Fiqh: al-Ikhtiyar in Hanafi Fiqh/al-Sharh al-Saghir in Maliki Fiqh

  • Aqidah: Sharh al-Aqaid al-Nasafiyyah

  • Hadith Sciences: Muqaddimah Ibn Salah

  • Tasawwuf: Mukhtasar Ihya Ulum al-Din of al-Ghazali

YEAR 5

  • Hadith: Ahadith al-Ahkam

  • Fiqh: Hidayah in Hanafi Fiqh/Mukhtasar Khalil in Maliki Fiqh

  • Applied Fiqh: Selections from Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah

  • Usul al-Fiqh: Athar al-Ikhtilaf fi al-Qawaid al-Usuliyyah

  • Tasawwuf: Hikam Ibn Ataillah


FAQ: 

Q: Is in person attendance required? 

A: The program can be attended in person at The Majlis office in Laguna Hills, California or online. 

Q: Is live attendance required? 

A: As a general rule live attendance is required. We believe that this is critical for a proper Islamic Studies education. That being said, recordings of sessions will be made available to students as well for their review. If a student cannot attend live, but they are very committed we can assess their case individually. However, even in exceptional circumstances some live attendance would be required and expected.

Q: Is there a part-time option? 

A: Yes. In the part-time option students would be required to complete the Fawakih program on their own time (or its equivalent) in order to begin Year 3. Doing this they could finish Year 1 by doing part-time study. Then in year 2 it would probably take them a year and a half. Then years 3-5 would take twice as long. We would basically flip the teaching of the subjects each year so that one year they would get half and then they would repeat the same year and get the other half. For part-time study the tuition would be $2,500 for each year.

Q: Is Arabic required to be able to enter the program? 

A: Arabic is not required in order to enter the program and will be part of the program. Students should, however, know how to read Arabic prior to the start of the program. If students are doing the part-time option then they are responsible for their foundational Arabic studies on their own time and will need to prove competence before entering Year 3.

Q: How will Arabic be taught in the program? 

A: Our foundational Arabic education will be powered by Fawakih Institute. They have many years of experience in teaching Arabic from the ground up and have developed many resources for their students. During the first and second years of our program students will be expected to complete Levels 1-6 of Fawakih’s self-paced Arabic program. This will bring them to a foundational level of Arabic that will then allow further studies. 

During the first year of our program students will come to class together, login to their personal Fawakih platform, and work independently in class on Arabic for the first hour and a half of class. Then we will spend the next 30 minutes in active conversation practice in Arabic in class. This method will bring the students together to encourage them to keep going while allowing each student to progress according to their level in their Arabic studies. 

During the second year one hour of class time each day will be dedicated to students progressing in their Fawakih curriculum. Between these two years, and some work in the summers in between, students should be able to finish Levels 1-6 by the beginning of the third year of the program. 

It should be noted that this is not considered the end point of Arabic studies in the program, but rather the beginning. There will be separate courses on Nahw, Sarf, and Balagha as part of the curriculum as well. 

During the first year our regular curriculum will be entirely in English while students build up their Arabic knowledge. During the second year we will begin to introduce Arabic texts while maintaining commentary and discussion in English. 

During the third year the texts will be exclusively in Arabic and commentary and discussion will be in English.

During years four and five the texts studied and commentary and discussion will be in Arabic.

Q: What if I have already studied Arabic? 

A: If you have already studied Arabic then there are two possibilities. The first is that you studied some foundation, but are not quite functional in Arabic yet. In this case you can join the program and will take a placement test with Fawakih and start as appropriate. You would likely finish the 6 levels before the other students and then we could work with you to use that time in class for other things that would sharpen your Arabic skills. The second is that you are already functional in Arabic. If this is the case then you could do what the previously mentioned group did or you could attend the program for a discounted amount in the first two years. 

Q: How long is the full program? 

A: The full core program will last 5 years. Each year will have 3 terms of 12 weeks and each term will consist of 4 hours of class for 4 days a week, Monday through Thursday. 

Q: Is this an “Alim” course? 

A: The term “alim course” is often used in relation to Islamic Studies programs that come out of the Indian subcontinent and span somewhere between a 5-7 year curriculum which gives the student an intermediate to advanced level in the various disciplines of Islamic Studies. Although this term is not one that is commonly used in the world of studies that our teachers did their formative education in, it would be correct to say that this program is roughly equivalent to an “alim course.” 

Q: Where do you get your curriculum from? 

A: The inspiration for our curriculum is taken from al-Azhar al-Sharif in Cairo, Egypt. Al-Azhar is the second oldest and most prestigious Islamic university in the world with a history of over one thousand years. Traditional Islamic studies programs seek to take a student through the basic Islamic studies disciplines step by step until they reach a level of mastery in them. This usually means studying beginning, intermediate, and then advanced texts in each subject. Our curriculum seeks to do this by taking inspiration from al-Azhar University, as well as what we studied and seen studied and taught by the senior scholars of al-Azhar in public and private gatherings of knowledge. As with any curriculum there is only so much that can be done in a classroom. Ultimately serious students would be expected to supplement their formal studies with extensive reading, research, debate, and scholarly engagement. The curriculum is meant to give the keys that unlock the world of knowledge for the student and allow them to continue studying for the rest of their lives. 

Q: Is the program accredited? 

A: The program currently does not have any formal accreditation from Western institutions or from institutions in the Muslim majority world. The only “accreditation” would be the ijazah given to graduates from their instructors, at their discretion. This is the traditional approach. As the program develops we will see if we can get some sort of accreditation with Islamic institutions. Western accreditation is not part of our plan currently. This is the approach we prefer to maintain autonomy and the integrity of the traditional approach to Islamic Studies. 

Q: What level of studies will it take me to? 

A: At the end of the program students would be similar to graduates of college level programs around the world. 

Q: How much does the program cost? 

A: There is a $50 application fee that is due at the time of applying. The yearly tuition varies between $4,000 to $5,000 depending on the year of study. Part-time tuition is $2,500 each year. It can be paid as a lump sum when the school year begins or as 10 monthly payments over the course of the school year. 

Q: Is there financial assistance? 

A: Financial assistance will depend on the availability of funds from donors and likely be zakah-based. 

Q: Are there prerequisites? 

A: There are no strict prerequisites. Some background in studying Islam would be helpful however. One should know how to read Arabic before entering into the program. If they do not know how to then they can get caught up on that, but will need to put some extra time in so as to not fall behind in Arabic. 

With regards to Islamic studies more broadly our assumption is that students will have finished the equivalent of our Anas ibn Malik program previously. If they have not, they can try to put in extra time to take those classes before enrolling or during the first year or two of the program.   

Q: How does this relate to your other program, the Anas ibn Malik (AIM) program? 

A: They are separate programs with different intentions, although there are spaces where AIM provides a needed foundation for this program. For example, this program will not cover the 40 Hadith of al-Nawawi because it will assume that students have already studied it. It will also not cover introductions to sciences such as Quranic Sciences, Hadith Sciences, and Usul al-Fiqh since those were covered in AIM. Instead it will jump straight into studying traditional texts in those disciplines. 

Q: Who will be teaching it? 

A: Shaykhs Jamaal Diwan, Fouad Elgohari, and Muslema Purmul will be the initial faculty, with most classes being taught initially by Shaykh Jamaal. 

Q: What language will instruction be in? 

A: During years 1-3 instruction will be in English. In years 4-5 it will be in Arabic. 

Q: Will I need to spend time studying outside of class time as well? 

A: Yes. Students will need to spend time outside of class reviewing, consolidating, researching, and generally engaging academically with the formal study of Islam. 

Q: What is the class schedule for 2025-2026? 

A: Class times will be 9:30am-1:30pm Mondays through Thursdays. The terms will be as follows: 

  • Term 1: Sept 1-Nov 20

  • Term 2: Dec 1-Feb 26 (The last two weeks would be the first two weeks of Ramadan). Week of Dec 28 off. 

  • Term 3: March 30-May 22, Eid Break May 25-28, June 1-25

Q: Is there an application process? 

A: Yes. Applicants should be 18 years of age and have graduated high school or its equivalent. Exceptional cases will be considered. Applicants will be assessed for capacity to undertake this rigorous program as well as the necessary commitment and resources to be able to see it through. 

Q: What subjects will be taught? 

A: The following is the current outline. References to “AIM” are classes that were taught in the Anas ibn Malik Program and it is expected that students have already finished that level of study coming in to this program. Texts are subject to change per the instructor's discretion.

Arabic

  • Grammar: Sharh al-Ajurumiyyah, Sharh Ibn Aqil on Alfiyyah Ibn Malik

  • Sarf: Intro text, Shadha al-’Arf

  • Balagah: al-Balaghah al-Wadihah

Quran

  • Memorization: 1 juz per year to finish 5 juz by end of program (outside of regular class time)

  • Tajwid: Tuhfat al-Atfal

  • Quranic Sciences:

    • Intro to Quranic Sciences (AIM)

    • al-Tibyan fi Ulum al-Quran by al-Sabuni

    • Manahil al-Irfan by al-Zurqani

  • Tafsir:

    • Juz Amma (AIM)

    • Tafsir al-Jalalayn (portions)

    • Tafsir al-Nasafi (portions)

    • Tafsir Ayat al-Ahkam

Hadith

  • Hadith Collections:

    • 40 Hadith (AIM)

    • Riyad al-Salihin

    • Sharh Ahadith al-Ahkam 

  • Hadith Sciences:

    • Intro to Hadith Sciences (AIM)

    • Sharh al-Bayquniyyah

    • Nuzhat al-Nazar with Tahqiq of ‘Itr

    • Muqaddimah of Ibn Salah with Tahqiq of ‘Itr along with Zafar al-Amali with Tahqiq of Abu Ghuddah.

Fiqh

  • Hanafi Fiqh:

    • Ascent to Felicity

    • Kifayah al-Mubtadi

    • Mukhtasar al-Quduri

    • al-Ikhtiyar

    • al-Hidayah

  • OR Maliki Fiqh:

    • Risalah of Ibn Abi Zayd

    • Aqrab al-Masalik

    • al-Sharh al-Saghir

    • Mukhtasar Khalil

  • Usul al-Fiqh:

    • Intro to Usul al-Fiqh (AIM)

    • al-Wajiz fi Usul al-Fiqh Zaydan

    • An introductory level madhhab based text in Usul

    • Athar al-Ikhtilaf fi al-Qawaid al-Usuliyyah

  • Research Paper Selections from Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah and others that teach the practical side of fiqh and ikhtilaf

Aqidah

  • Creed of Oneness of Imam al-Dardir (AIM)

  • Creed of Imam al-Tahawi (AIM)

  • Sharh al-Kharidah al-Bahiyyah

  • Sharh al-Aqaid al-Nasafiyyah

Tasawwuf

  • Introduction (AIM)

  • 40 Hikam from the Hikam (AIM)

  • Mukhtasar Ihya Ulum al-Din

  • Hikam of Ibn Ataillah


For any further questions please email us at seminary@themajlis.us

Stay up to date!

Follow our Social Media to get weekly updates on all of our programs.