COURSES

Students may choose to study to different levels according to their circumstances and goals.

Arabic Intensive Course

The first year of the Alimiyyah programme. 

This course may be studied as a stand-alone course or continued into the next stage of study.

Students focus on developing a foundation in Arabic grammar (Nahw), morphology (Sarf), reading, writing and comprehension through the study of classical Arabic texts (Adab).

Course Length

Full-Time: 1 Year

Part-Time: 1 Year

Sanatayn / Post-Maktab Course

The first two years of the Alimiyyah programme. 

This course may be studied as a stand-alone course or continued into the full Alimiyyah programme.

Building upon the Arabic Intensive Course, students will study Qur'an Translation, Selected Ahadith, Seerah and Fiqh through Arabic textbooks.

Course Length

Full-Time: 2 Years

Part-Time: 3 Years

Full Alimiyyah Programme

The complete programme of study, incorporating the Arabic Intensive and Sanatayn stages, and covering Arabic grammar (Nahw), morphology (Sarf), literature (Adab), Seerah, Fiqh and Principles of Fiqh, Qur'an Translation, Tafsir and the Sciences of the Qur'an, Hadith Commentary and the Principles of Hadith.

Course Length

Full-Time: 5 Years

Part-Time: 7 Years

The course can be studied 

Full-time or Part-time

Onsite and Online

by Brothers and Sisters students

Note Regarding Online Study

Depending on enrolment, online classes may either run alongside onsite classes or be offered separately. In both cases, students are able to ask questions and benefit directly from their teachers.

The online option is primarily for students residing outside Leicester. Applicants living within Leicester should apply for onsite study, with online attendance considered only in exceptional circumstances.

Class Timings

All classes run from Monday to Friday. 

We offer different timing options to cater for different audiences.

All times listed below are UK times. 

For details of international time zones, please click here. 

Full-Time 

Brothers (2 Options)

Option 1 : 9:00 am - 1:30 pm 

• Registration and Surah Yaseen (10 minutes)

• Eight Lessons (30 minutes each) 

• Naseehah/Advices (10 minutes)

• Break (10 minutes)

Option 2 (Online Only - Primarily for Students in Western Hemisphere) : 2:15 pm - 5:25 pm (9:15 am to 12:25 pm Eastern Time, USA)

• Six Lessons (30 minutes each) 

• Naseehah/Advices (10 minutes)

• Break (10 minutes)

Sisters

9:00 am - 1:30 pm  

• Eight Lessons (30 minutes each) 

• Naseehah/Advices (10 minutes)

• Break (10 minutes)

Notes

1. In Years 1 and 2, the final lesson (1:00–1:30) is Urdu. Online students can discuss being excused from this lesson if they wish during application.

2. On Fridays, brothers will be dismissed after Jumu'ah Salah; and sisters classes will finish at 1:00 PM.

Part-Time Options

To accommodate those unable to attend the main course, we also offer a part-time option. 

In the part-time class, all subjects are covered, but the classes are less intense and less material is covered due to the reduced hours.

The options for the part-time are as follows:

Brothers (3 Options)

Option 1: 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Option 2: 5:50 pm - 8:20 pm

Option 3: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm 

• Five Lessons (25 minutes each) 

• Naseehah/Advices (10 minutes)

• Salah (15 minutes)

Sisters (2 Options)

Option 1: 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Option 2: 5:50 pm - 8:20 pm

• Five Lessons (25 minutes each) 

• Naseehah/Advices (10 minutes)

• Salah (15 minutes)

Notes for Part-Time Options:

1. Class times are delayed 10-15 minutes when multiple salah occur within Madrasah times. 

2. The multiple options are only guaranteed, insha'allah, for the first two years. After that, their availability will depend on class numbers. 

However, one option will continue to be available for the full course duration, insha’Allah. 

Term Dates

The academic year runs from the last week of August until late July. 

Click here to view the year planner.

Fees

Details for fees can be viewed here.

Entry Requirements

General Requirements

• Fluency in the English language

Applicants need to have enough understanding of English that they can easily understand the lessons.

A measure of this would be their ability to understand the explanation in any of the videos.

• Ability to read Quran and Arabic with reasonable accuracy

• Ability to write the Arabic letters

• Studied basic Islamic knowledge (how to perform wudhu, salah etc.)    

Age Requirements

On 1st September 2026, students must be:

• at least 16 to enroll in the full-time course

• at least 14 to enroll in the part-time course

Joining Higher Years

While we welcome applicants for the first year, unfortunately, we do not accept applications for other years—even if a student has completed Arabic studies elsewhere.

Study Requirements

Attendance

Regular attendance is essential. Frequent absences will be detrimental to a student's progress.

Students are therefore required to attend punctually on a daily basis.

Students with less than 90% attendance may not be permitted to progress to the next year, irrespective of examination results.

Applicants who anticipate regular absences or difficulties attending punctually may find it challenging to keep pace with the course. Such applicants should carefully consider whether their circumstances allow them to meet the attendance requirements before applying.

Examinations 

Students are required to sit examinations and complete any assigned coursework. Examinations form an important part of the assessment process and help students monitor their progress throughout the course.

Click here to view further information regarding examinations and assessment.

Online Study

A PC, laptop or tablet with a reasonably sized screen and a stable internet connection are essential for online study. A mobile phone alone is not considered sufficient for online learning.

Students will require access to a microphone for class participation and a printer for classwork and examinations.

We strongly recommend studying in a quiet environment free from background noise and distractions.

Brothers are required to keep their cameras on during classes.

Sisters are not required to use cameras during classes.

Recordings

Student engagement is a key feature of our classes. Through discussion, questioning and classroom exercises, both onsite and online students actively participate in the learning process.

For this reason, Al-Qalam Institute does not provide recorded lessons.

Regular attendance is therefore essential. Students who miss a class should review the missed material with classmates and take the necessary steps to remain up to date with their studies.

Our Student Hub provides applicants with a clear understanding of what to expect as a student at the madrasah, the commitments required, and how the institute operates throughout the academic year.

Changing Time Slots in the Evening Classes 

Although switching between the different starting times in the evening Part-Time session is allowed, it cannot occur on a daily or weekly basis. The change must be made for the long term.

Changing From Part-Time to Full-Time 

Full-time classes are typically more intense than the part-time course, covering more material at a faster pace. 

As a result, it is generally impractical for students in the part-time evening session to transfer to the full-time morning session. 

However, students from the full-time morning session can usually transfer to the part-time evening session.

Living Accommodation

We do not provide living accommodation. 

Our classes are primarily for students residing in Leicester and students joining online.

Foreign Students

We cannot assist foreign students in acquiring a UK visa.

Financial Assistance

Details regarding financial assistance can be viewed here.

Joining Selected Classes

Our enrolment process requires students to attend the full course; attending specific classes separately is not an option.

Fiqh School

The teachers at the Institute follow the Hanafi School of Fiqh. 

However, followers of any of the four schools of fiqh are welcomed.

Are there separate classes for brothers and sisters?

In the earlier years, most classes are conducted separately for brothers and sisters, with each group having their own teacher.

Where classes are combined, the teacher delivers a single lecture, with the audio and screen-share transmitted to separate platforms simultaneously — brothers join via Microsoft Teams and sisters via Zoom. 

This arrangement ensures sisters’ privacy is fully maintained. 

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