A rigorous undergraduate program grounded in the classical Islamic tradition and designed for serious students ready to commit to high-level study of the sacred sciences.

3 days
per week
online
and onsite
9 credits offered
per semester
3 year
graduation track

A Higher Standard of Islamic Scholarship | On Your Schedule

Miftaah Institute’s Bachelor’s Degree in Islamic Studies is a rigorous, text-based program grounded in classical scholarship and structured academic learning. Building on the foundation of Miftaah’s 54-credit Associate’s Degree, the Bachelor’s program offers an additional 72 credits of higher-level coursework in Arabic, Fiqh, Hadith, Tafsir, and related Islamic sciences. This degree is designed for students seeking depth, fluency, and precision in their Islamic studies. Students engage directly with primary Arabic texts under qualified instructors, developing advanced understanding across both theoretical and practical subjects of the Islamic tradition.

While the curriculum is demanding and academically structured, it is also flexible. Students have the ability to choose how many classes they take per semester, allowing them to tailor the pace of their studies to suit their individual schedules and responsibilities. Whether taken onsite at our Michigan campus or live online from anywhere in the world, all students are required to attend live sessions and complete examinations and classwork to receive credit.

Through this program, students will not only build intellectual depth, but also a framework of spiritual discipline, critical thinking, and service to the ummah.


Students will explore advanced content in the following disciplines:

Arabic Language & Literature
Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence)
Usul al-Fiqh (Legal Theory)
Hadith Sciences & Literature
Tafsir & Quranic Studies
Islamic History
Theology, Ethics, and Spirituality
Academic Writing & Research

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the program, students will be able to:
Analyze and interpret classical Arabic texts with linguistic precision
Understand advanced jurisprudential rulings and legal methodologies
Engage critically with tafsir, hadith, and Islamic historical sources
Compose academic research papers with structured argumentation and scholarly sourcing
Transfer credits to Islamic Institute to complete the full aalimiyah program

Who Should Enroll

This program is ideal for students who:
Have completed Miftaah’s Associate’s Degree (or equivalent program)
Are proficient in foundational Arabic grammar and morphology
Are committed to serious academic study and spiritual growth
Intend to pursue further scholarship in the Islamic sciences
Are capable of attending live sessions and completing coursework with discipline
Enroll Now

Semester Schedule

Last day to register
January 1st, 2026
First day of semester
January 6th, 2026
Last day of semester
April 28th, 2026

Winter 2026 Courses Offered

3 Year Track
Advanced Arabic Grammar II

Text Covered: Hidayat al-Nahw
Course Code: ARB 401
Status: Requirement 

This course provides an in-depth study of advanced syntactic structures in classical Arabic, emphasizing the application of theoretical grammar principles from Hidāyat al-Nahw. Students will refine their ability to analyze and deconstruct complex sentence patterns, resolve ambiguous constructions, and develop an advanced understanding of grammatical nuance. The course includes applied exercises using excerpts from Qur’anic passages, Hadith, and classical prose, preparing students for independent reading and comprehension of unvoweled Arabic texts.

Principles of Hadith Transmission and Authentication

Text Covered: Taysīr Muṣṭalah al-Hadith by Dr. Maḥmūd al-Ṭahān
Course Code: HAD 402
Status: Requirement

This foundational course covers the science of Muṣṭalaḥ al-Ḥadīth, equipping students with the technical knowledge required to evaluate narrations according to traditional Islamic standards. Based on Dr. Ṭahān’s Taysīr Muṣṭalaḥ al-Ḥadīth, the course examines classifications of hadith (ṣaḥīḥ, ḥasan, ḍaʿīf), criteria for authenticity, types of narrators, and key terminology. It also introduces common causes for weakness or fabrication and explores how scholars preserved the prophetic legacy with academic rigor. The course serves as a gateway into the broader hadith sciences and lays the groundwork for critical engagement with narrations.

Contemporary Tafsir Reading: Safwat al-Tafāsīr

Text Covered: Sections from Ṣafwat al-Tafāsīr by Imam al-Ṣābūnī
Course Code: TFS 403
Status: Requirement

This course offers a guided reading of selected sections from Ṣafwat al-Tafāsīr by Imam al-Ṣābūnī, introducing students to a contemporary yet textually grounded approach to Qur’anic interpretation. Through close study of a few chosen sūrahs, students will explore how modern exegetical works synthesize classical tafsīr, linguistic analysis, and thematic reflection. Emphasis is placed on understanding the author’s methodology, recognizing how earlier sources are integrated, and engaging the Qur’anic message in a clear and accessible way.

Islamic Etiquette and Ethical Conduct

Text Covered: Min Adab al-Islam by Shaykh ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ Abū Ghuddah
Course Code: TZK 452
Status: Elective

This course offers a focused study of Islamic etiquette and ethical conduct through the book Min Adab al-Islam by Shaykh ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ Abū Ghuddah, a concise yet profound work that gathers prophetic teachings and classical guidance on manners. Students will explore key themes such as modesty, hospitality, proper speech, emotional discipline, and the refinement of daily behavior. Emphasizing the harmony between inward purification and outward practice, the course guides students to embody prophetic character through practical adab rooted in authentic texts.

The Evolution and Methodologies of Islamic Legal Schools

Text Covered: TBD
Course Code:
FIQ 451
Status:
Elective

This course offers a historical survey of the emergence and evolution of the Islamic legal schools (madhāhib), with a focus on their methodological distinctions and contributions to the development of fiqh. Students will examine the legal environments of early Islamic history, the foundational figures of each school, and the sociopolitical factors that shaped jurisprudential interpretation. The course also investigates how legal theory was codified and transmitted, highlighting the enduring relevance of these methodologies in modern legal discourse.

Prophetic Biography: Advanced Readings and Analysis

Text Covered: Select chapters from al-Luʾluʾ al-Maknūn by Musa ibn Rāshid al-ʿAzimī
Course Code:
HIS 401
Status:
Requirement

This advanced sīrah course offers a deep, source-driven exploration of the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through selected chapters of the contemporary work al-Luʾluʾ al-Maknūn by Musa ibn Rāshid al-ʿAzimī. Although modern in authorship, the text is built upon authentic narrations drawn directly from the major hadith collections, allowing students to study the Prophetic biography through verified reports. Guided close readings will highlight how the author compiles, organizes, and analyzes these narrations. Through this careful engagement with evidence-based narration, students will experience the sīrah in a more precise, nuanced, and textually grounded way.

Program Instructors

Learn from traditionally trained scholars
Mufti Aasim Rashid
Instructor

Mufti Aasim Rashid is a distinguished Muslim scholar, speaker and educator (the title ‘Mufti’ indicates his expertise and authority in Islamic law). He is devoted to the study and explanation of Islamic sacred texts and their relation to the modern context. His lectures, delivered at conferences and institutions around the world, are known to be inspiring and pertinent to the issues and pressing questions of the day. Mufti Aasim is the founder of the Al-Ihsan Educational Foundation, which has initiated the ‘Islam Unravelled’ project.

Shaykh Daood Butt
Instructor

Shaykh Daood Butt was born and raised in Montreal, Canada and has always had a desire to learn and teach Islam. Following secondary studies, he obtained a degree in Automotive Technology and graduated as valedictorian in 2002. During this time, he studied with local Imams and was hired as an Imam and Qur’an instructor at a local Mosque. Back in Canada, he is involved in various Da’wah activities including giving lectures and Khutbah in English, French, and Arabic. He has always been really interested in youth-related programs and is quick to develop a rapport with them. Shaykh Daood has traveled the world extensively in efforts to help others understand Islam through his teachings. He currently serves as Director of Community Outreach and Education at the Islamic Community Center in Milton, as a Muslim Chaplain at the Milton District Hospital, and was awarded Imam of the Year for 2015 in Mississauga, Canada

Mufti Abdul Wahab Waheed
Instructor

Mufti Abdul Wahab completed his Hadith Intensive in the renowned Islamic University  founded by Sheikh Yusuf Binori RA known as Jamia Binoritown, where he had the fortune of studying under teachers who had received their Ijaazat from Al- Azhar, Madina Univsirty, and Ummul Qura. Upon graduation, Mufti Abdul Wahab wanted to pursue his passion in understanding and education in the field of Islamic Jurisprudence and Law.

Shaykh Oosman Mustoofa
Instructor

Born in England, with ancestral ties to Mauritius, and having been raised in Ethiopia, profoundly influenced his personality, worldview, and life perspective. In 2005, his pursuit of knowledge and spiritual growth began under the guidance of the esteemed Mufti Aasim Rashid in Montreal and later at Al-Ihsan Institute in Vancouver, a mentor cherished for seven transformative years. Following his graduation from Al-Ihsan, he relocated to Montreal, where he served as a full-time federal prison chaplain, providing spiritual services and aiding in the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates in the province of Quebec. Concurrently, he resides in Windsor and has become an integral figure at Muneer Academy and an instructor at Miftaah Institute, where his passion for Islamic studies and pedagogy continues.

Shaykh Hunzla Zaidi
Instructor

Shaykh Hunzla Zaidi was raised in Canton, Michigan. He started the memorization of the Quran at Masjid Bilal Ypsilanti under Qari Shahid Mahmood, and finished when he was ten years old. After middle school, high school, and a couple years of university level studies in the field of Biochemistry, Hunzla left the field and devoted himself full time to learning Deen. He studied at AlHussnain Seminary, a branch of senior scholar Maulana Tariq Jameel’s schools based in Pakistan. Shaykh Hunzla then finished his studies under the guidance of world renowned scholars in Jamia Uloom-ul-Islamia in Binori Town, Pakistan, receiving his certification of Hadith from there. He is currently a Miftaah Institute instructor.

Mufti Sultan Mohiuddin Mohammed
Instructor

Mufti Sultan is a Canadian Scholar who began his formal Islamic education at a tender age commencing with committing the Qur’an to memory in Canada simultaneous to his academic education. Subsequently, he enrolled in the 8-year Intensive Aalim program in Canada initially but traveled overseas to a traditional seminary (Madrasah Arabia Islamia, Azaadville, South Africa) for its final years. After acquiring proficiency and receiving Ijaazah (where applicable) in the major fields of traditional Islamic theology including Arabic grammar, Islamic Credence, Jurisprudence, Prophetic Traditions (including all six authentic books and more), Quran Exegesis etc, he was selected to specialize in Jurisprudence through a postgraduate course (Iftaa) authorizing him to issue verdicts according to the Hanafi school of thought. The Iftaa was done in Al Mazaahir Institute in Sandton, South Africa.

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Alhamdulillah my experience so far is amazing, the vibe and the personalities of the teachers really bring the class together. They all know when to be funny and when to be serious. The topics for this year were absolutely amazing, my favorite class would have to be Mufti Abdul Rahman’s class “Etiquettes of a Seeker”. I feel like in whatever you’re learning, the teacher makes or breaks the class for you. Alhamdulillah these teachers are always positive and always put their students first.

Mujaba Ahsan
Year 2 Associate Student

frequently
Asked
Questions

Who is this program designed for?

This program is designed for students who have already completed foundational Islamic studies—such as Miftaah’s Associate’s Degree—and are ready to engage in advanced coursework rooted in classical texts and Arabic literacy. It is best suited for students who are serious, self-motivated, and disciplined in their studies.

How long does it take to complete the Bachelor’s program?

The program typically takes 3–4 years to complete, depending on how many courses you choose to take per semester. Students may study full-time or part-time.

Is the program offered onsite or online?

The Bachelor’s program is offered in a hybrid format. Students can attend either onsite at the Miftaah campus in Warren, Michigan, or join live online from anywhere in the world. However, all students are required to attend classes live during their scheduled times.

Will I receive a degree upon completion?

Yes. Upon successful completion of the full curriculum, students will receive a Bachelor’s Degree in Islamic Studies from Miftaah Institute. Please note that Miftaah Institute is a private Islamic educational institute and is not accredited by any regional or national accrediting body.

Can I transfer credits from another institute?

In some cases, yes. If you have completed course work else where that is equivalent in content and rigor, you may apply for credit transfer. All transfer requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may require exams or interviews.

Can I take this program if I haven't completed Miftaah’s Associate’s Degree?

If you have studied elsewhere and can demonstrate equivalent knowledge (especially in Arabic), you may be eligible to take a placement exam for admission.

Is the program live or self-paced?

The program is self-paced in terms of course load, but live attendance is required for all classes. There is no recording-only option. Students must attend their registered courses in real-time, whether onsite or online.

Can I audit courses or take classes without doing exams?

No. This is a credit-based academic program. Students must complete all coursework, exams, and attendance requirements to earn credit and progress through the program. There is no casual or audit option available.

Do I need to be fluent in Arabic?

You should already have a strong foundation in Arabic grammar and morphology (nahw and sarf) before beginning the program. Many of the primary texts used in the curriculum are written in Arabic.

Will there be exams?

Yes. Each course includes at least two formal assessments per semester. Passing all assessments is required to complete the course and remain in good academic standing.

Will I have lifetime access to class materials?

Yes. Enrolled students will retain lifetime access to their course materials for personal review and continued benefit.