Imam Muslim Institute

Muslim ibn 'l-Hajjaj (d. 261/875) requires no introduction to students of advanced Islamic studies. He was a prominent scholar from Nishapur in the historical Khorasan region, which nowadays lies in the northeast of Iran. He travelled extensively to acquire Hadith, such that he has 220 teachers from whom he relates directly in his famous work, the Sahih, which is considered the most authentic work in Islam alongside the Sahih of Imam al-Bukhari. He amassed hundreds of students, many of whom went on to become great scholars in their own right. Imam Muslim was a master of identifying hidden defects in Hadith, as attested by his work al-Tamyiz. His precision and care for Hadith can also be gleaned from the Introduction to his Sahih. His lifelong dedication to quality is the inspiration behind IMI, which is named in honour of him.

The programme is subject driven, deriving from an array of classical and modern literature. Reading material and lessons are mostly in Arabic and English. The focus is on the intersection of the Islamic disciplines using a multi-disciplinary approach to the core subjects: Qur'anic and Hadith Studies, Islamic Legal Studies, and Arabic. The programme is highly customisable to the needs of the class.

S. Ismail Ibrahim is from West Yorkshire. He memorised the Qur'an by teh age of 13 and studied in Darul Ulum Dewsbury for six years. He is a graduate of the Islamic University in Madinah (BA) and the School of Oriental and African Stduies in London (LLM). He has taught previously at Ebrahim College in London and the Legacy Institute. He currently lectures at Darul Iman and Hafs Academy, both in London. A repository of some of his recordings can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/@KnowledgeRevival. S. Ismail has authored and translated a number of works. He also co-administers a commentary feed on Telegram: https://t.me/KnowledgeRevival/. His research interests include the sciences of the Qur'an, the intersection of Hadith and Islamic law, the reconstruction of Hanafi law, and the Ijtihad & Taqlid.

With S. Ismail's extensive network globally, guest lecturers will frequent the programme if a module or topic overlaps with their expertise.

In-person attendance is necessary. Online lessons are the exception. The main site is a private residence in the Savile Town area of Dewsbury. Other sites may also be made available depending on the size of classes. Weekend excursions will be scheduled for students in longer-term programmes. As the focus is on tutelage and building a working classroom environment, there are no recordings.

IMI encourages sisters to have the same access to modules as brothers. For their comfort, sisters will have the facilities of a separate room on site, with the option of attending online with advanced notice wherever it is more conducive. Individual sisters can attend when there are brothers attending the programme. For a sisters-only programme, this will require a team to submit a joint study proposal.

This depends on the commitment of the attendee, the number of students in class, and the hours of tuition required. The programme will be structured and customised based on these three factors. Distribution of payment schedules is permitted, so upfront payment is not necessary. For financially struggling students, they are accommodated upon request with no intrusive questions asked.

This can be made possible if the right number of students start and attend the programme. For this, only collective requests and joint applications will be entertained - individual requests will be politely declined. Unlike the Supplementary Alimiyyah, this programme will be fixed by S. Ismail with upfront payment to secure student commitment.

If you are a student or graduate (or a team of students or graduates) of an Islamic seminary and want to augment your studies and want a consultation on which subjects to study, please reach out to S. Ismail on Telegram: http://t.me/IsmailIbrahimMS.