The Advanced Diploma in Islamic Scholarship & Leadership (ADIL) is a pioneering program that combines fidelity to the Islamic scholarly tradition with academic rigor and a strong ethos of khidma (service) and leadership. It has been designed to prepare a new generation of Muslim thinkers, scholars, and community leaders who are rooted in tradition, responsive to context, and committed to serving the Umma.
By the end of the program, students will have acquired a robust set of intellectual, spiritual, and practical tools enabling them to contribute to the advancement of the Islamic intellectual enterprise, provide guidance in their communities, and take on roles of leadership at local, national, and global levels.
By the end of the program, students will have acquired a robust set of intellectual, spiritual, and practical tools enabling them to contribute to the advancement of the Islamic intellectual enterprise, provide guidance in their communities, and take on roles of leadership at local, national, and global levels.
The Vision Behind the Advanced Diploma in Islamic Scholarship and Leadership
The inspiration behind ADIL is drawn from two towering figures of 20th-century Islamic scholarship and leadership: Shaykh ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ Abū Ghudda (rahimahu’Llāh), known for his dedication to precision, preservation, and revival of the Islamic scholarly tradition, and Shaykh Abū al-Ḥasan al-Nadwī (rahimahu’Llāh), renowned for his vision, daʿwa, and service to the Umma on a global scale. Their lives represent the harmony of rigorous scholarship and selfless leadership - a spirit that animates the ADIL program.
The Character of the Advanced Diploma in Islamic Scholarship and Leadership
ADIL is designed for students who aspire to serve Islam and Muslims through scholarship and leadership. It offers access to a network of world-class faculty from leading institutions, delivering a curriculum that balances traditional learning with contemporary engagement.
While emphasizing academic rigor, critical analysis, and scholarly output, the program rests on three foundational pillars:
While emphasizing academic rigor, critical analysis, and scholarly output, the program rests on three foundational pillars:
Islamic Tradition:
A commitment to the Islamic scholarly tradition, which serves as a bedrock for intellectual exploration. Within these bounds, ADIL cultivates diversity of thought, debate, and free inquiry grounded in reverence for revelation and tradition.
Umma-Centric Outlook:
ADIL instills in its students a consciousness of belonging to the global Umma, transcending parochialism and fragmentation. Scholars, students and leaders must feel the pains and share the hopes of Muslims worldwide, working for their unity and uplift through intellectual and practical ways.
Khidma (Service):
At the heart of ADIL is service - through education, daʿwa, pastoral care, scholarship, activism, institution-building, or thought leadership. Students are guided to identify their khidma pathways and supported in realizing them.
A commitment to the Islamic scholarly tradition, which serves as a bedrock for intellectual exploration. Within these bounds, ADIL cultivates diversity of thought, debate, and free inquiry grounded in reverence for revelation and tradition.
Umma-Centric Outlook:
ADIL instills in its students a consciousness of belonging to the global Umma, transcending parochialism and fragmentation. Scholars, students and leaders must feel the pains and share the hopes of Muslims worldwide, working for their unity and uplift through intellectual and practical ways.
Khidma (Service):
At the heart of ADIL is service - through education, daʿwa, pastoral care, scholarship, activism, institution-building, or thought leadership. Students are guided to identify their khidma pathways and supported in realizing them.
Why the Advanced Diploma in Islamic Scholarship and Leadership?
The Advanced Diploma in Islamic Scholarship and Leadership offers a unique and superior learning experience for students worldwide. It has been meticulously designed after years of consultation with leading scholars, academics, and community leaders, ensuring it is both rooted in tradition and responsive to the challenges of modernity.
What sets ADIL apart is its ability to:
- Bridge the classical tradition and contemporary realities.
- Train students in both intellectual depth and leadership capacity.
- Provide access to a network of leading scholars from diverse backgrounds.
- Equip graduates with the tools to respond to modern ideological, social, and cultural challenges.
ADIL graduates will emerge as thoughtful, principled, and capable leaders - able to think globally, serve locally, and faithfully uphold the Islamic tradition in the modern world.
ADIL graduates will emerge as thoughtful, principled, and capable leaders - able to think globally, serve locally, and faithfully uphold the Islamic tradition in the modern world.
World-class instructors
The ADIL Program will offer students the opportunity to learn from top-tier professors from elite institutions around the world. While most students can only gain access to such a calibre of instructors through a Ph.D. program, the students of the ADIL Program will be able to learn directly from such instructors at a level of depth and rigour that mirrors graduate studies at prestigious institutions. Through such instruction, students will be introduced to the academic literature and research in various Islamic fields and have the opportunity to critically engage with such material under the guidance of accomplished instructors.
A two-year part-time program
The part-time nature of the ADIL Program is designed to accommodate early to mid-career Muslim professionals and graduate students who, while harbouring a strong passion for contributing to Islamic scholarship and community service, seek to maintain their professional commitments. The ADIL Program offers two courses per semester. Over the course of six semesters, students will complete 12 courses. Each course will involve two hours of instruction per week that will be held on weekends. Session timings will accommodate North American and European time zones.
International summer intensives
Each summer, a nine-day in-person intensive will be held at an international destination. The intensive will include a series of seminars on a selection of subjects taught by leading instructors that will augment the semester courses. In addition to the educational goals of the intensives, students will be able to strengthen their ṣuḥba (companionship) with one another. The purpose of the international destination is to connect students with the broader Muslim Umma, cultivate Umma-centric thinking, and open for the students a window into the history of Islam and Muslims at a global level. It will additionally be an opportunity for students to connect with the global network of Muslim scholars and instructors.
Personalized learning
With a small teacher-to-student ratio, the learning experience of the students will be highly personalized and flexible in order to meet their needs and aspirations. Each cohort will be accompanied by a student coordinator who will join and accompany the students throughout their journey. The coordinator will serve as a liaison between the students and the program’s administrators. This will allow the program’s administrators to respond to student feedback and aspirations with regards to course design, intensive modules, the courses offered during the summer intensives, and location of the summer intensives.
Accepting Applications for Fall 2027 (Deadline March 31st, 2027)
For any questions or further information, please reach out to us at [email protected].
Faculty
Coursework
Fees & Tuition
Application Requirements
Application Procedure
Program Structure
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Faculty
Coursework
Disclaimer: Course content, and instructor assignments are subject to modification in accordance with the Centre for Islamic Knowledge’s academic policies and institutional guidelines.
Coursework:
Foundations of Islamic Studies (Orientation)
This is a mandatory virtual orientation course that is offered immediately prior to the beginning of the first semester. In this course, students will be introduced to the vision and methodology of the Program. They will become familiarized with essential terminology and concepts. The course will also be an opportunity to ground students in the principles of seeking knowledge which they are to keep with them as they embark on their journey.
History of Islam in Action: Revival and Reform
This course explores the main stages of Islamic history after the death of the Prophet ﷺ until the present time, exploring the interplay of political, religious, and cultural elements and the developments of Islamic civilization. Students will investigate the historical evolution of the political, religious, and cultural institutions of Islamic civilization, including educational institutions and endowments, literature, science, philosophy and the visual arts, as well as their impact and place in broader history. By the end of the course, students will have a broad understanding of the history of Islamic civilization, from which they will be encouraged to draw lessons and inspiration for the contemporary world.
Students will study:
Students will study:
- The effects, and material sources of the religious mission of the Final Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the context of the seventh century world, starting with the era of his immediate successors.
- The creation, development, and evolution of the caliphate to Ottoman times.
- The contribution of some notable great leaders, ulama, and other notable men and women of Islam.
- The cultural exchange between Muslim and other civilizations.
- The reactions of Muslims to major onslaughts such as the Crusades, the Mongols, and European colonialism.
Tackling Advanced Questions in Islamic Theology: Past and Present
This module will be an advanced level examination of the discipline of kalām (rational theology). It will cover the emergence and development of the discipline as well as the fundamental doctrines and core methodological principles guiding this approach to theology. Focus will then be on examining some of the major theological controversies that were debated throughout the first several centuries of Islamic thought and culture with detail analysis and evaluation of the ideas employed to construct arguments to support various Muslim beliefs and perspectives, whether of individual theologians or a particular theological school. The module will consist of a core primary text of kalām, in this instance the Ma’ālim uṣūl al-dīn (‘Signposts for the Fundamentals of the Faith’) of Fakhr al-Dīn al-Razī (d. 606/1210) as well as a set of additional readings materials that will form the guiding content of the lessons. In addition, each lesson will contain a discussion of a key philosophical idea related to the lesson topic with the aim of unpacking it for further examination and analysis. The aim behind reading core the primary text of kalām, the additional reading materials as well as the class discussions is for students not only to engage with the content but to appreciate the intellectual deliberations of Muslim theologians on the various complex theological questions they grappled with that are relevant today as they were centuries earlier.
Ummatics
This course aims to strengthen the students’ connection to the Qur'an, Sunnah, and the Islamic tradition on the one hand and their grasp of the modern world on the other, for the purpose of winning the modern world for Islam by unifying and empowering the umma. Students engage in a structured critique of prevailing secular paradigms drawing on a critical engagement with the foundational sources of Islam, and emphasizing the synthesis of modern knowledge with Islamic traditions. This course highlights an ecumenical Islamic vision, bringing together shared values and principles from various Islamic perspectives. This integrative approach aspires to equip its students who are on their journeys to become scholars or practitioners in various fields into ummatic thinkers and leaders, equipped to address contemporary challenges faced by the Umma.
The Prophetic Sunna: Traditional and Critical Narratives
As the second legislative source of Islamic law, the Sunna and its preservation is a necessary component of the student’s knowledge. In this course, students will learn about the “story of the Prophetic Sunna”, through both traditional and modern-critical narratives. By the end of the course, students will have strong a grasp of how the Prophetic Sunna was preserved, how the science of ḥadīth developed, the critical narratives of Sunna preservation and pathways to countering such narratives.
Islamic Legal History: Outlines and Explorations
Where does Islamic law come from? Is it simply the brain-child of four founding jurists? What contributed to the rise of the four dominant schools of Islamic law? And what is exactly is a “legal school”? And why those four schools in particular? How did Muslim jurists adapt to changing political realities and what was the relationship between the law and the state and state actors? What does it mean when Islamic law is described as being constrained by taqlid (blind imitation), and how much truth is there to such narratives? To what extend did the role of Islamic law and the legal schools change with the advent of modernity?
Occidentalism - A Critical Study of Post-Enlightenment Thought
Modern Western civilisation has been profoundly shaped by the Enlightenment and its aftermath. The intellectual movements that arose in Europe from the seventeenth century onwards - across philosophy, science, politics, economics, and culture - have defined the dominant worldview of the contemporary world. This module offers a critical study of post-Enlightenment thought, introducing students to the development of Western ideas in key domains: metaphysics, ontology, epistemology, ethics, anthropology (human nature), politics and society, and economics.
Students will engage with the works of major thinkers - from Descartes, Locke, and Kant to Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Darwin, and beyond - tracing how their ideas gave rise to secularism, liberalism, scientism, materialism, relativism, and other defining features of the modern age. These intellectual currents will be examined not only in their historical context but also in terms of how they continue to inform contemporary Western institutions, culture, and policy.
Particular focus will be placed on the challenges that Western ideologies pose to Islamic thought and civilisation: how concepts of reason, freedom, morality, progress, and human nature differ between Islamic and Western paradigms, and what is at stake in these differences. The module equips students with the critical tools to evaluate, respond to, and engage confidently with Western philosophical traditions, while strengthening an Islamic worldview grounded in revelation and tradition.
By the end of the module, students will appreciate the nature and impact of post-Enlightenment thought, understand the key thinkers and movements that shaped the modern West, and develop the intellectual confidence to engage with contemporary ideological challenges facing Muslims today.
Students will engage with the works of major thinkers - from Descartes, Locke, and Kant to Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Darwin, and beyond - tracing how their ideas gave rise to secularism, liberalism, scientism, materialism, relativism, and other defining features of the modern age. These intellectual currents will be examined not only in their historical context but also in terms of how they continue to inform contemporary Western institutions, culture, and policy.
Particular focus will be placed on the challenges that Western ideologies pose to Islamic thought and civilisation: how concepts of reason, freedom, morality, progress, and human nature differ between Islamic and Western paradigms, and what is at stake in these differences. The module equips students with the critical tools to evaluate, respond to, and engage confidently with Western philosophical traditions, while strengthening an Islamic worldview grounded in revelation and tradition.
By the end of the module, students will appreciate the nature and impact of post-Enlightenment thought, understand the key thinkers and movements that shaped the modern West, and develop the intellectual confidence to engage with contemporary ideological challenges facing Muslims today.
Thinking like a Faqih: Contemporary Contextualization and Application
Fiqh - the human effort to understand and apply divine law - has always been central to Islamic scholarship and leadership. Yet producing sound legal judgments (ijtihād) and issuing fatwas (iftāʾ) requires more than mastery of legal texts: it demands a deep awareness of context, circumstance, and the lived realities of Muslims. This module equips students with the intellectual and methodological tools to “think like a faqīh” in addressing contemporary issues.
The module explores what fiqh production involves: the use of Qur’an, Sunnah, ijmāʿ, qiyās, and other usūlī principles; the role of legal maxims (qawāʿid fiqhiyya); and the ethical-spiritual responsibilities of the jurist. It examines the process of iftāʾ and the qualities, considerations, and limits involved in offering fatwas. A key emphasis is on the study of different approaches to contemporary fiqh such as those focusing on al-waqiʿ (reality/context), consequences of actions (ma’ālāt afʿāl), balancing benefit and harm (maṣlaḥa and mafsada) and those that focus on the higher objectives of the law (maqāṣid al-sharīʿa). Each negotiates the factors of time, place, circumstance, culture, custom (ʿurf), and public interest (maṣlaḥa) in shaping fiqh, particularly in non-Muslim lands and in the absence of an Islamic government.
Students will also explore the dangers of misapplication and reductionism in fiqh whether that be treating isolated rulings without context, misapplying legal rulings and maxims to produce aberrant rulings (shudhūdh), neglecting consideration of the objectives of the law, or confusing fatwa with law. The module further highlights the importance of distinguishing between immutable principles and flexible applications of sharīʿa rulings, and how jurists throughout history adapted fiqh to diverse contexts while safeguarding its divine ethos.
By the end of the module, students will gain an appreciation of the depth, responsibility, and contextual sensitivity required in Islamic legal reasoning, and will be better equipped to engage with fiqh issues in a way that is faithful, nuanced, and relevant to the needs of Muslims today.
The module explores what fiqh production involves: the use of Qur’an, Sunnah, ijmāʿ, qiyās, and other usūlī principles; the role of legal maxims (qawāʿid fiqhiyya); and the ethical-spiritual responsibilities of the jurist. It examines the process of iftāʾ and the qualities, considerations, and limits involved in offering fatwas. A key emphasis is on the study of different approaches to contemporary fiqh such as those focusing on al-waqiʿ (reality/context), consequences of actions (ma’ālāt afʿāl), balancing benefit and harm (maṣlaḥa and mafsada) and those that focus on the higher objectives of the law (maqāṣid al-sharīʿa). Each negotiates the factors of time, place, circumstance, culture, custom (ʿurf), and public interest (maṣlaḥa) in shaping fiqh, particularly in non-Muslim lands and in the absence of an Islamic government.
Students will also explore the dangers of misapplication and reductionism in fiqh whether that be treating isolated rulings without context, misapplying legal rulings and maxims to produce aberrant rulings (shudhūdh), neglecting consideration of the objectives of the law, or confusing fatwa with law. The module further highlights the importance of distinguishing between immutable principles and flexible applications of sharīʿa rulings, and how jurists throughout history adapted fiqh to diverse contexts while safeguarding its divine ethos.
By the end of the module, students will gain an appreciation of the depth, responsibility, and contextual sensitivity required in Islamic legal reasoning, and will be better equipped to engage with fiqh issues in a way that is faithful, nuanced, and relevant to the needs of Muslims today.
Understanding Revelation: Tafsīr Past and Present
The Qur’an stands at the heart of Islam as the eternal Word of God and the primary source of guidance for Muslims. This module explores the nature of revelation (waḥy) and its central role in shaping Muslim belief, practice, and civilisation. It introduces students to the development of the tafsīr tradition from the earliest generations to the present day, tracing how Muslim scholars have approached the Qur’an across different historical, cultural, and intellectual contexts.
Students will examine the various types and methodologies of tafsīr—including linguistic, juristic, theological, mystical, rational, and modernist approaches—and how they reflect broader debates within Islamic thought. The module also engages with critical issues in tafsīr and tafsīr studies, including questions of authority, interpretive plurality, and the balance between tradition and innovation.
Particular attention is given to addressing orientalist critiques and modern doubts about the Qur’an and its interpretation, equipping students with the intellectual tools to respond thoughtfully and confidently. Finally, the module asks what tafsīr should look like in today’s world: how Muslims can continue the interpretive tradition in a way that is faithful to revelation while responsive to contemporary challenges.
By the end of the module, students will gain a nuanced appreciation of the Qur’an’s interpretive heritage, an awareness of key debates and issues in tafsīr, and the ability to critically engage with both classical and modern approaches to understanding revelation.
Students will examine the various types and methodologies of tafsīr—including linguistic, juristic, theological, mystical, rational, and modernist approaches—and how they reflect broader debates within Islamic thought. The module also engages with critical issues in tafsīr and tafsīr studies, including questions of authority, interpretive plurality, and the balance between tradition and innovation.
Particular attention is given to addressing orientalist critiques and modern doubts about the Qur’an and its interpretation, equipping students with the intellectual tools to respond thoughtfully and confidently. Finally, the module asks what tafsīr should look like in today’s world: how Muslims can continue the interpretive tradition in a way that is faithful to revelation while responsive to contemporary challenges.
By the end of the module, students will gain a nuanced appreciation of the Qur’an’s interpretive heritage, an awareness of key debates and issues in tafsīr, and the ability to critically engage with both classical and modern approaches to understanding revelation.
Islamic Political Theory: Premodern and Modern Accounts
Questions of authority, governance, justice, and leadership have been central to Islamic thought from its earliest centuries. This module explores the historical development of Islamic political theory, tracing its evolution from formative articulations in the premodern era to diverse and contested modern accounts.
In the premodern tradition, students will study seminal thinkers and their contributions like Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ and the birth of Islamic political writing; al-Māwardī and theories of the caliphate and provincial order; Niẓām al-Mulk and statecraft in the age of dynasties; Ibn Ṭufayl and the rationalist elitist model and Ibn Khaldūn’s proto-modern reflections on society, authority, and civilisation. These thinkers illustrate how political theory was shaped by both ideals and practical realities of their time.
The module then shifts to the modern period, where the encounter with colonialism, nationalism, secularism, and modern ideologies gave rise to new debates and schools of thought. Students will examine contemporary Islamic political thought across a spectrum ranging from conservative and traditionalist approaches, to Islamist models of state and governance, to liberal, reformist, and progressive perspectives. Key figures and movements will be discussed, alongside themes such as sovereignty, legitimacy, human rights, pluralism, and the place of sharīʿa in the modern world.
Throughout, the module will highlight how Islamic political theory has engaged with—and often challenged - Western political philosophy, while also grappling with internal tensions between ideals and realities, unity and fragmentation, revelation and reason.
By the end of the module, students will gain a critical appreciation of both the continuity and dynamism of Islamic political theory, the richness of its intellectual legacy, and the pressing questions it raises for Muslims in the contemporary world.
In the premodern tradition, students will study seminal thinkers and their contributions like Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ and the birth of Islamic political writing; al-Māwardī and theories of the caliphate and provincial order; Niẓām al-Mulk and statecraft in the age of dynasties; Ibn Ṭufayl and the rationalist elitist model and Ibn Khaldūn’s proto-modern reflections on society, authority, and civilisation. These thinkers illustrate how political theory was shaped by both ideals and practical realities of their time.
The module then shifts to the modern period, where the encounter with colonialism, nationalism, secularism, and modern ideologies gave rise to new debates and schools of thought. Students will examine contemporary Islamic political thought across a spectrum ranging from conservative and traditionalist approaches, to Islamist models of state and governance, to liberal, reformist, and progressive perspectives. Key figures and movements will be discussed, alongside themes such as sovereignty, legitimacy, human rights, pluralism, and the place of sharīʿa in the modern world.
Throughout, the module will highlight how Islamic political theory has engaged with—and often challenged - Western political philosophy, while also grappling with internal tensions between ideals and realities, unity and fragmentation, revelation and reason.
By the end of the module, students will gain a critical appreciation of both the continuity and dynamism of Islamic political theory, the richness of its intellectual legacy, and the pressing questions it raises for Muslims in the contemporary world.
Research Methods and Study
Sound research is the backbone of scholarship. This module introduces students to the principles, methodologies, and conventions of research in both Western academic and Islamic scholarly traditions, equipping them with the skills necessary to produce rigorous, original, and impactful work.
From the Western perspective, students will learn what constitutes research, how to formulate questions, construct arguments, and apply appropriate methodologies. They will gain practical training in the conventions of academic writing - essay composition, citation and referencing systems, critical reading, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The module also covers specific genres of scholarly output such as dissertations, theses, literature reviews, book reviews, and conference presentations, with an emphasis on clarity, coherence, and academic integrity.
From the Islamic perspective, students will be introduced to the classical tradition of baḥth (research) and manhaj al-baḥth (methodology of research). This includes training in sourcing (takhrīj), engaging with primary texts, verifying chains of transmission, and observing the conventions of Muslim scholarly writing and attribution in Islamic literature. Students will explore how earlier Muslim scholars structured treatises, commentaries, and polemical works, as well as how these methods can inform contemporary research.
By integrating Western and Islamic approaches, this module not only equips students with practical skills but also cultivates a critical awareness of what it means to conduct research as a Muslim scholar today. It provides essential preparation for the research thesis in the final year and for future contributions to Islamic scholarship, thought, and leadership.
From the Western perspective, students will learn what constitutes research, how to formulate questions, construct arguments, and apply appropriate methodologies. They will gain practical training in the conventions of academic writing - essay composition, citation and referencing systems, critical reading, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The module also covers specific genres of scholarly output such as dissertations, theses, literature reviews, book reviews, and conference presentations, with an emphasis on clarity, coherence, and academic integrity.
From the Islamic perspective, students will be introduced to the classical tradition of baḥth (research) and manhaj al-baḥth (methodology of research). This includes training in sourcing (takhrīj), engaging with primary texts, verifying chains of transmission, and observing the conventions of Muslim scholarly writing and attribution in Islamic literature. Students will explore how earlier Muslim scholars structured treatises, commentaries, and polemical works, as well as how these methods can inform contemporary research.
By integrating Western and Islamic approaches, this module not only equips students with practical skills but also cultivates a critical awareness of what it means to conduct research as a Muslim scholar today. It provides essential preparation for the research thesis in the final year and for future contributions to Islamic scholarship, thought, and leadership.
Supervised Dissertation writing for publication in the CIK Ihya’ Journal
Intensive Seminars:
Lifting the Fog on Qur’anic Variants (qirā’āt)
This intensive module introduces students to the intricate topic of Qur’anic variants (qirā’āt) and their enduring significance for Muslims today. Far from being “errors” or “contradictions,” the qirā’āt represent divinely-sanctioned modes of recitation that reflect the Prophet’s ﷺ teaching, preserve the Qur’an’s multi-layered meanings, and accommodate linguistic diversity across the early Muslim community. Through a study of the aḥruf hadith, the canonization of the ten recognized readings, and the transmission methods of the qurrā’ and their students, participants will explore how these recitations were authenticated and standardized. The module will also trace the historical spread of different qirāʾāt across the Muslim world, their role in law and theology, and their relevance for deepening tadabbur (reflection) on the Qur’an. By lifting the fog of confusion surrounding Qur’anic variants, students will come to appreciate them as a vital aspect of the Qur’an’s preservation, eloquence, and accessibility.
Islamic Daʿwa: Principles and Methodology
This module provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject of daʿwa - the call to Islam - examining its meaning, importance, and status as a collective and individual duty upon Muslims. Students will explore the role of the dāʿī (daʿwa carrier), the essential ṣifāt al-dāʿiya (qualities of the daʿwa carrier), and the categories of the madʿū ilayh (those to whom the call of Islam is directed). Core subject matter will include the principles of conveying the message, the obligation of amr bi-l-maʿrūf wa-l-nahy ʿan al-munkar (commanding right and forbidding wrong), and the legal, ethical and methodological guidelines that govern it. Attention will also be given to the organization of daʿwa efforts, whether through groups, movements, or parties, and the challenges and opportunities these forms of collective work present. Crucially, students will learn to situate daʿwa within the broader framework of al-sunan al-ilāhiyya (divine laws operating in creation) and ḥarakāt al-tārīkh (the movement of history), allowing them to derive lessons about how daʿwa can succeed, adapt, and remain faithful to its divine mandate across time and context. Finally, the module will highlight the connection between daʿwa and the caliphate, whose ultimate objective includes carrying Islam beyond its borders - making the state itself the supreme and most effective vehicle for daʿwa on a global scale.
Detoxing the Ego-Self: Islamic Tazkiya and Tarbiya
It is the purified heart that distinguishes the rabbānī scholar. If service of Islam and Muslims is the ultimate goal of knowledge, then this cannot be done without a heart that is constantly being purified. In this course, students will learn about the diseases of the heart and their remedies. They will also learn about the tradition of taṣawwuf and tazkiya, its history, figures, and development. Students should come out of this class with a strong awareness of their heart, its diseases, and its remedies.
Delving into The Dialectics of the Qur’an (al-jadal al-qur’ānī)
This module explores the Qur’an’s distinctive use of jadal (dialectical argumentation), a mode of reasoning central to its engagement with diverse audiences. Students will first examine the meaning and nature of jadal, its historical evolution as a discipline, and its formalized protocols and procedures within Islamic intellectual traditions. Against the backdrop of a sectarian and pluralistic milieu, the Qur’an’s dialectical style emerges as uniquely effective - challenging falsehood, clarifying truth, and guiding hearts through rational and rhetorical force. The module will highlight Qur’anic examples of dialectical encounters, particularly in the debates of the Prophets with their communities, showing how divine discourse models persuasion, refutation, and appeal to higher truths. It will also consider how leading Muslim scholars such as al-Ghazālī and Najm al-Dīn al-Ṭūfī analyzed the Qur’an’s dialectical strategies, identifying its characteristic features and extracting principles that shaped later traditions of argumentation and theology. By delving into the Qur’an’s dialectics, students will gain deeper insight into its style, method, and power as a living discourse that continues to speak across contexts.
Islamic Ethics: Precepts, Principles and Practices
This module introduces students to the breadth and depth of Islamic ethics (al-akhlāq al-islāmiyya) by examining its sources, principles, and applications. Rooted in the Qur’an, the Divine Names, the Sunna of the Prophet ﷺ, and the intellectual traditions of kalām, philosophy, Sufism, and fiqh, Islamic ethics addresses the perennial question of “what ought to be” in light of Allah’s guidance. Students will engage with competing metaethical theories such as Muʿtazilite ethical objectivism, Ashʿarite divine command theory, and the Māturīdī middle ground while also exploring the role of human fiṭra, intentionality, and freedom in moral responsibility. Alongside this theoretical study, the module emphasizes applied ethics, examining how Islamic principles illuminate contemporary challenges in fields such as bioethics and medicine, finance and economics, AI and technology, sexuality and gender, warfare and peace, and ecological responsibility. Special attention will be given to how virtue ethics and the cultivation of inner character (taqwā, iḥsān, ṣidq, ikhlāṣ) complement rules and duties in shaping moral life. By combining classical insights with modern dilemmas, this module equips students to appreciate Islamic ethics as a living moral vision capable of guiding Muslims in an age of rapid change and complex global challenges.
Islamic Constitutionalism in the Late Ottoman Empire
Islamic Legal Maxims (al-qawāʿid al-fiqhiyya): Sources, Cases and Application
This module explores the science of Islamic legal maxims (al-qawāʿid al-fiqhiyya), the general principles distilled from the detailed rulings of fiqh that provide coherence, flexibility, and consistency across Islamic law. Students will examine the historical emergence of legal maxims, their sources in the Qur’an, Sunna, and juristic practice, and their codification by leading pre-modern scholars. The module will focus on the “five universal maxims” - al-umūr bi-maqāṣidihā (matters are judged by their intentions), al-yaqīn lā yazūl bi-l-shakk (certainty is not removed by doubt), al-mashaqqa tajlib al-taysīr (hardship begets ease), al-ḍarar yuzāl (harm must be removed), and al-ʿāda muḥakkama (custom is authoritative) - while also exploring subsidiary maxims and their applications. Through case studies and hypothetical scenarios, students will see how these principles operate in diverse fields such as worship, family law, contracts, politics and governance, medicine, finance, and contemporary issues like AI. By the end of the module, students will appreciate how the qawāʿid fiqhiyya serve as both a unifying framework for Islamic jurisprudence and a practical tool for addressing new challenges with fidelity to the Sharia’s higher objectives (maqāṣid al-sharīʿa).
Islam, Gender and the Making of the Modern Self
This module examines Islam’s theological and philosophical vision of the human being in relation to gender, sexuality, and selfhood, set against the backdrop of modern transformations of identity. Students will first explore Islam as a worldview before moving into Islamic anthropology: the Qur’anic and theological account of human nature, its origins, properties, and purposes. Within this framework, gender and sexuality are situated not as social constructs or autonomous choices, but as divinely embedded aspects of human nature (fiṭra) that serve spiritual, moral, and communal ends. The module then turns to the concept of the self in Islam, examining metaphysical and mystical essentialist accounts. In contrast, students will critically engage modern conceptions of the self, particularly that of the expressive individual and the psychologized self, showing how these developments stand in stark tension with Islamic religious commitments. By juxtaposing Islamic and modern frameworks, the module highlights the profound implications for Muslims in contemporary debates around identity, gender, and sexuality, equipping students to navigate these contested terrains with intellectual clarity and fidelity to an Islamic worldview.
The Orientalist Malaise and Dispelling Doubts (shubūhāt)
History of Islam in Southeast Asia
History of Islam in the Horn of Africa
The annual summer intensives will involve instruction in a wide variety of topics, including:
- Islamic Finance & Economics
- Islam, Gender, and the Family
- Islamic Political Thought and International Relations
- Working With Manuscripts
- Select Topics in Hadith Studies
- Maqāṣid al-Sharī'a
- Arabic Linguistics
- Select Topics in Fiqh
Fees & Tuition
The ADIL Program offers competitive tuition rates that seek to break barriers to knowledge. The ADIL Program is largely subsidized by the Centre for Islamic Knowledge. Rates are as follows:
Tuition per semester: $1850 USD.
In-person session in Toronto, Canada: Students will be expected to fly in to Toronto, Canada at the beginning of the program for a weekend. Lodging and meals will be covered by the Centre for Islamic Knowledge.
Summer Intensive: Each year, a summer intensive will be hosted at an international destination. Students will also be expected to pay $1000 USD to cover tuition.
Prospective students who find the ADIL’s Program’s tuition and fees to be prohibitive are still highly encouraged to apply. While CIK cannot guarantee the availability of financial support, CIK will assess financial need on a case-by-case basis and seek to secure funding for such students.
Tuition per semester: $1850 USD.
In-person session in Toronto, Canada: Students will be expected to fly in to Toronto, Canada at the beginning of the program for a weekend. Lodging and meals will be covered by the Centre for Islamic Knowledge.
Summer Intensive: Each year, a summer intensive will be hosted at an international destination. Students will also be expected to pay $1000 USD to cover tuition.
Prospective students who find the ADIL’s Program’s tuition and fees to be prohibitive are still highly encouraged to apply. While CIK cannot guarantee the availability of financial support, CIK will assess financial need on a case-by-case basis and seek to secure funding for such students.
Application Requirements
The Admissions Committee values the diverse backgrounds and experiences of all Muslims interested in contributing to Islamic scholarship and serving their communities. As such, admission to the ADIL Program will be based on a holistic approach that takes into account all the applicant’s application material, credentials, and experience. A holistic approach means that the Admissions Committee does not, for example, stipulate a minimum GPA, nor a formal and complete training in Islamic Studies. The presence of such credentials will certainly make an applicant more competitive. However, the Admissions Committee seeks to take into account all of the applicant’s achievements, experiences, and goals when assessing their application. As such, a weakness in one part of the application may be compensated by a clear strength in another. Ultimately, the Admissions Committee will assess, on a holistic basis, the applicant’s strength and the degree to which their objectives align with those of the Advanced Diploma in Islamic Scholarship and Leadership.
Minimum Requirements:
Undergraduate-level education: Applicants are required to have, at least, an undergraduate degree from a post-secondary institution. Applicants with higher degrees will be more competitive. Education in a specific field is not required. And while the Admissions Committee does not stipulate a minimum GPA (as part of its holistic approach), a strong academic performance will make for a more competitive application.
Intermediate-level Islamic knowledge: While it is not a requirement for applicants to have trained in Islamic Studies at a formal institution, intermediate proficiency in Islamic sciences is expected, and advanced proficiency is desirable. The Admissions Committee will pay particular attention to the core sciences, such as: Fiqh, Ḥadīth, and ‘Aqīda.
Arabic proficiency: As a benchmark, applicants are expected to be able to read and comprehend a text such as Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr with occasional use of a dictionary. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate their language proficiency in an Arabic assessment interview. The details of the assessment will be provided to applicants in due course. An applicant who does not satisfy the Arabic-proficiency requirement may still gain admission to the ADIL Program for the following admission round on the condition that the applicant achieve satisfactory Arabic-proficiency.
Minimum Requirements:
Undergraduate-level education: Applicants are required to have, at least, an undergraduate degree from a post-secondary institution. Applicants with higher degrees will be more competitive. Education in a specific field is not required. And while the Admissions Committee does not stipulate a minimum GPA (as part of its holistic approach), a strong academic performance will make for a more competitive application.
Intermediate-level Islamic knowledge: While it is not a requirement for applicants to have trained in Islamic Studies at a formal institution, intermediate proficiency in Islamic sciences is expected, and advanced proficiency is desirable. The Admissions Committee will pay particular attention to the core sciences, such as: Fiqh, Ḥadīth, and ‘Aqīda.
Arabic proficiency: As a benchmark, applicants are expected to be able to read and comprehend a text such as Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr with occasional use of a dictionary. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate their language proficiency in an Arabic assessment interview. The details of the assessment will be provided to applicants in due course. An applicant who does not satisfy the Arabic-proficiency requirement may still gain admission to the ADIL Program for the following admission round on the condition that the applicant achieve satisfactory Arabic-proficiency.
Application Procedure
Application Procedure:
Step 1: Begin Filling Out the Application Form
Start your application by filling out the application form. In this form, you will submit your information and application materials (see the Application Materials section below). You will have the ability to save your progress and return to the form at your convenience.
Step 2: Complete Application Form and Submit Required Documents (deadline: March 31st, 2027)
Make sure that you have inputted all your information accurately and completely. Upload all required documents. Once you are confident that you have submitted all the necessary information and materials, submit your form before the deadline.
Step 3: Interview
Within a few weeks of receiving the application form, the Admissions Committee will update each applicant about the status of their application. Shortlisted students will be invited to a virtual interview. Details of this interview will be provided in due course.
Step 4: Arabic Assessment Interview
Following the first interview, shortlisted applicants will be invited for a virtual Arabic assessment interview. The details of the assessment will be provided to applicants in the course of the admission process in order to give them adequate time to prepare.
Start your application by filling out the application form. In this form, you will submit your information and application materials (see the Application Materials section below). You will have the ability to save your progress and return to the form at your convenience.
Step 2: Complete Application Form and Submit Required Documents (deadline: March 31st, 2027)
Make sure that you have inputted all your information accurately and completely. Upload all required documents. Once you are confident that you have submitted all the necessary information and materials, submit your form before the deadline.
Step 3: Interview
Within a few weeks of receiving the application form, the Admissions Committee will update each applicant about the status of their application. Shortlisted students will be invited to a virtual interview. Details of this interview will be provided in due course.
Step 4: Arabic Assessment Interview
Following the first interview, shortlisted applicants will be invited for a virtual Arabic assessment interview. The details of the assessment will be provided to applicants in the course of the admission process in order to give them adequate time to prepare.
Rolling-Basis Applications
Admission to the ADIL Program is offered on a rolling basis. This means that the Admissions Committee will assess applications as they are received instead of evaluating all applications at once after the deadline. Considering the small cohort, applicants are highly encouraged to submit their applications as soon as practicable to maximize their chances of admission to the ADIL Program.
Admission to the ADIL Program is offered on a rolling basis. This means that the Admissions Committee will assess applications as they are received instead of evaluating all applications at once after the deadline. Considering the small cohort, applicants are highly encouraged to submit their applications as soon as practicable to maximize their chances of admission to the ADIL Program.
Application Materials:
- Personal Statement: A personal statement of no more than 750 words. The statement should address intellectual interests, academic and professional background, community service experience, professional / scholarly / khidma (service) objectives, and the reasons for applying to the ADIL Program.
- Transcripts: Applicants must submit transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended.
- Two Letters of Recommendation: These are to be submitted by the references you list in the application form. The references will be contacted and informed of the steps to submit recommendation letters. Recommendation letters are due: April 1, 2027.
- Writing Sample: Please upload a writing sample of 7-10 pages (double-spaced). While the writing sample is optional, it is highly recommended for students to upload a writing sample.
- Personal CV
Program Structure
Students will be enrolled in two modules per semester over a two-year period. Each course will involve two hours of live virtual instruction per week, scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays to accommodate time zones in North America and Europe. Virtual classes will run for fourteen weeks per semester, giving each course a total of 28 hours of direct instruction per term.
In addition to the two-semester modules, students will also take part in one to two intensive modules per semester, ranging from 3 to 6 hours in length. These intensives are designed to broaden horizons, engage pressing issues, and complement the main curriculum with specialized explorations of particular themes and disciplines. Each intensive is taught by a leading specialist in the field of that intensive topic.
Across the programme, students will also participate in two summer intensives, each lasting nine days and held at international destinations like Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, Cairo and Karachi. These intensives will provide opportunities to study with leading shuyukh, instructors and scholars, delve into new subject areas, and connect with a global network of Muslim scholars and students.
In the final year, in addition to the taught modules, students will complete a research component in their last semester. This will involve conducting independent research and writing a thesis on a selected topic under faculty supervision, with the aim of producing publishable work for the CIK Ihyaʾ Journal of Islamic Thought. This capstone element ensures that graduates not only master the curriculum but also contribute actively to the advancement of Islamic scholarship.
In addition to the two-semester modules, students will also take part in one to two intensive modules per semester, ranging from 3 to 6 hours in length. These intensives are designed to broaden horizons, engage pressing issues, and complement the main curriculum with specialized explorations of particular themes and disciplines. Each intensive is taught by a leading specialist in the field of that intensive topic.
Across the programme, students will also participate in two summer intensives, each lasting nine days and held at international destinations like Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, Cairo and Karachi. These intensives will provide opportunities to study with leading shuyukh, instructors and scholars, delve into new subject areas, and connect with a global network of Muslim scholars and students.
In the final year, in addition to the taught modules, students will complete a research component in their last semester. This will involve conducting independent research and writing a thesis on a selected topic under faculty supervision, with the aim of producing publishable work for the CIK Ihyaʾ Journal of Islamic Thought. This capstone element ensures that graduates not only master the curriculum but also contribute actively to the advancement of Islamic scholarship.
Two Years (Three Semesters Per Year) |
Two Courses Per Semester |
Twenty-Eight Hours of Instruction Per Course |
One to Two Intensive Seminars Per Semester |
Summer Intensive |
*While the ADIL Program welcomes applications from around the globe, students will be responsible for making the necessary visa and travel-related arrangements in order to attend the in-person session in Toronto, Canada. Due to limited resources, CIK is unable to facilitate visas for students. The same consideration applies to the summer intensives that will be held in international destinations.
FAQs
How much of a time-commitment is the ADIL Program?
The ADIL Program is a two-year part-time program. We have deliberately designed the program to accommodate the schedules and commitments of professional Muslims. Two courses will be offered per semester. Each course will involve two hours of virtual instruction per week. Class will be held on Saturday and Sunday between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM EST. There will also be one virtual intensive module per semester.
How is this different from a typical Islamic seminary?
The ADIL Program is not intended to teach the basic Islamic sciences or give foundational knowledge. We expect students to have already acquired intermediate knowledge in core Islamic sciences as well as Arabic proficiency. The ADIL Program is designed to refine students’ knowledge and equip them with critical thinking and research skills in a manner that mirrors graduate programs. This is achieved by giving students access to world-class instructors who combine traditional knowledge with academic rigour and modern research techniques.
How expensive is the ADIL Program?
The ADIL Program prides itself on being very affordable. This is part of CIK’s commitment to breaking barriers to seeking knowledge. As of today, each semester of the ADIL Program involves a tuition fee of $1850 USD. This does not include travel costs to Toronto, Canada for the in-person session nor the summer intensives.
Prospective students who find the ADIL’s Program’s tuition and fees to be prohibitive are still highly encouraged to apply. While CIK cannot guarantee the availability of financial support, CIK will assess financial need on a case-by-case basis and seek to secure funding for such students.
Prospective students who find the ADIL’s Program’s tuition and fees to be prohibitive are still highly encouraged to apply. While CIK cannot guarantee the availability of financial support, CIK will assess financial need on a case-by-case basis and seek to secure funding for such students.
I don’t think my Arabic is strong enough. Can I still apply?
Yes. Even if your Arabic proficiency is not at the requisite level, you may still gain conditional acceptance to the ADIL Program. This means that you would be admitted to the next cohort, provided you attain the requisite Arabic proficiency.
Is the ADIL Program accredited?
The ADIL Program focuses on attracting students who are seeking knowledge and are passionate about it. The ADIL Program does not have its objective of securing employment opportunities for its alumni (especially considering that many would have already received an undergraduate-level education at the very least and are likely to be working professionals). The ADIL Program aims to take students of knowledge to the next level and give them what they need to become prolific scholars and effective leaders. In addition, considering the unique objectives of the ADIL Program, CIK requires a degree of freedom to design and teach a curriculum that serves its objectives. Accreditation would highly limit CIK's ability to achieve the unique objectives of the ADIL Program. Consequently, the ADIL Program is not accredited.
I already studied Islamic Studies elsewhere. How does the ADIL Program help me?
If you have already studied Islamic Studies, we strongly encourage you to apply. The ADIL Program is a great way to refine your research skills, critical thinking, familiarize yourself with the academic literature, and fill in gaps in knowledge. By studying with leading Muslim academics, you will be able to combine your traditional knowledge with the tools needed to produce high-quality Islamic scholarship.
Will CIK help me acquire a visa to attend the in-person session in Toronto and the summer intensives?
While CIK strives to facilitate what it can for its students, students of the ADIL Program will be responsible for all visa arrangements.
What about accommodations during the in-person session and summer intensives?
For the in-person session in Toronto, Canada, at the beginning of the program, students are expected to cover their own flight costs. Once in Toronto, CIK will cover all lodging and meals.
For the summer intensives, students are expected to cover their flight and lodging costs. The summer intensives will also involve a fee in order to cover tuition and lunch.
For the summer intensives, students are expected to cover their flight and lodging costs. The summer intensives will also involve a fee in order to cover tuition and lunch.
