A living chain of scholarship, rooted in Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah
The Alimiyyah Institute follows the same graduated method of instruction practiced for centuries across the Muslim world. Each student advances through defined stages of study, earning ijazah, which is formal certification from a qualified teacher, before progressing to the next. Advancement is based entirely on the student's mastery of the religious sciences and passing each stage's examination, not on age or secular school grade. Our program operates across five locations under the United American Muslim Association, welcoming students from across the United States and Canada.
What Does Ālimiyyah Mean?
عَالِمِيَّة
Ālimiyyah ('Ālimiyya)
The word Ālimiyyah comes from the Arabic root ع ل م (ayn, lam, mim), a three-letter root connected to knowledge and learning.
In Arabic, the verb عَلِمَ ('alima) means "to know." It comes from a form known as Thulathi Mujarrad (a basic verb form built from three root letters). From this same root comes the word عَالِم ('alim), meaning "a scholar" or "a person of knowledge."
The word Ālimiyyah is closely connected to this idea. While an 'alim is a person who has knowledge, Ālimiyyah refers to the learning, study, and scholarly training through which a person develops that knowledge.
In Islamic education, Ālimiyyah is commonly used to describe a structured course of advanced Islamic studies. Students study subjects such as the Qur'an, Hadith, Arabic, Fiqh, and other traditional Islamic sciences. The aim is to build a strong foundation in Islamic knowledge and prepare students for a deeper understanding of their faith.
Spelling Note: The word is sometimes written as Ālimiyyah, using a line above the letter "A" to show its long vowel sound. For simplicity, we use Alimiyyah throughout this website.
Level A1 (Hazirlik 1)
Learning to read the Qur'an, tajweed rules, basic Islamic knowledge, and Islamic manners.
Level A2 (Hazirlik 2)
Continued Qur'an and tajweed study, the start of Islamic history, and Islamic manners.
Level B1 (Ibtidai)
The first Arabic grammar and morphology texts, alongside continued Qur'an study and basic Arabic speaking.
Level B2 (Ihzari)
Intermediate Arabic syntax, logic, jurisprudence, and rhetoric, alongside continued Arabic speaking.
Preadvanced Level (Tekamul Alti)
Advanced logic, foundational jurisprudence, and rhetoric, completed alongside remote high school coursework.
Advanced Level (Tekamul)
Islamic jurisprudence, theology, logic, civil law, inheritance law, and the science of hadith, culminating in ijazah.
A student advances from one level to the next by passing that level's examination. Progression is based on mastery of the material, not on age or secular school grade.
"A generation cannot be revived by destroying what is corrupt in it. It can only be revived by educating and raising the generation that follows."
Suleyman Hilmi Tunahan (q.s.)Why Alimiyyah
A structured path, taught by qualified teachers, across a growing network of locations.
Classical Curriculum
Study the traditional Islamic sciences through a structured progression, from the Arabic alphabet to advanced Fiqh and Hadith.
Qualified Teachers
Learn directly from teachers committed to preserving the scholarly tradition, in a structured teacher-to-student model.
Mastery-Based Advancement
Students advance by passing each level's examination, not by age or secular school grade.
Five Locations, One Curriculum
One course of study across five UAMA locations, with dedicated Alim and Alimah tracks.
Who can join
Students from across the United States and Canada are welcome to apply.
- No age cutoff. Placement is based on your level, not your age or school grade.
- No prior Islamic education required to begin.
- No prior Arabic knowledge required to begin.
- Open to both male (Alim) and female (Alimah) applicants.
- Students seeking a structured, mastery-based course of study.
- Applicants ready for a full-time, residential program.
Three paths, one course of study
Students join the track that matches where they are. The curriculum and pace are already built for each stage of education.
Middle School Track
An early introduction to Arabic and Islamic sciences, paced for younger students building their foundation.
Apply to this trackHigh School Track
A full-time residential course of study for teenage students, who complete secular high school coursework remotely while in residence.
Apply to this trackUniversity Track
A full-time residential course of study for university-age students pursuing the complete Alimiyyah program.
Apply to this trackA program of UAMA
Alimiyyah Institute is an educational initiative of the United American Muslim Association of NY, Inc.
UAMA was founded by Turkish-American families in Brooklyn in the late 1970s and formally established in 1980 as a not-for-profit religious organization. What began with a handful of founding families has grown into a diverse congregation, offering religious, educational, and community services alongside houses of worship in the Northeast.
The Alimiyyah Institute continues that mission, extending UAMA's long-standing commitment to religious education into a structured, multi-level course of traditional Islamic scholarship.