About Us
“Ulama are the heirs of the Prophets. The legacy of the Prophets is neither dinars nor dirhams, but rather knowledge…”
(Bukhari ta’liqan and Tirmizi)
“The aim of Dar al-Ulum Oxford is to provide the Muslim community in Britain with proper Islamic education within an Islamic environment, which is something the community is in dire need of” Shaikh Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (رحمه الله) (Lucknow 11/08/1999)
Our History
The idea of a traditional Islamic educational institution in Oxford
It was in 1994 that the idea of a Dar al-Ulum in Oxford was first made public. The late, great, Islamic scholar Shaikh Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (رحمه الله) made mention of it in his address to the Board of Trustees of the world famous institution, Nadwatul Ulama, at its annual general meeting. Prior to this, the idea was restricted to private discussions in Lucknow and Oxford amongst the scholars and, in particular, between Shaikh Abul Hasan (رحمه الله) and his student Shaikh Riyad Nadwi (حفظه الله).
The local press covered the story as follows: Shaikh Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (رحمه الله) explained to the annual general meeting of Nadwatul Ulama that “Moulvi Mohammad Riyad Nadwi , resident of Oxford, has made the intention to establish an institution like Dar al-Ulum Nadwatul Ulama in Oxford” (Tameer e Hayat, published 10/11/1994. Lucknow, UP, India).
The first international conference of Dar Al-Ulum Oxford
Bringing the idea of Dar al-Ulum Oxford into reality began with classes being held in living rooms, rented halls and local mosques across Oxford, where both male and female students embarked on studying an alim course on a part-time basis. Eventually, in 1998, an international conference was convened in Oxford under the auspices of Dar al-Ulum Oxford to mark its official inauguration. Delegates from all over the world – India, Syria, Pakistan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Yemen – attended the conference and lauded the idea of such an institution. The news of a Dar al-Ulum in Oxford was reported in several Muslim publications around the world.
The following year, in 1999 Dar al-Ulum Oxford held another international conference on the theme of “Muslim unity” and it was attended again by delegates from several countries.
In the years that followed the institution suffered several setbacks due to fierce local opposition and the sudden health deterioration of its founder. Eventually, the doors of the institution were closed in 2003.
Revival and continuation of the idea
By the grace and mercy of Allah Most High, the initial cohort of students who were taught and mentored by Shaikh Riyad Nadwi (حفظه الله) persisted in their pursuit of sacred knowledge and several of those students are now qualified Ulama and huffaz. These students have revived the idea, after years of it being dormant, and they now serve as administrators and teachers for a new cohort of university students in Dar al-Ulum Oxford.
Please pray for the success of this institution and support it in any way you can.
Institute for Quran Memorisation
The Institute for Quran Memorisation (IQM) is a faculty within Dar al-Ulum Oxford. There are currently over 90 students, old and young, male and female studying with IQM. Its focus is to connect students with the Noble Quran. Alhamdulillah IQM now has three hifdh (memorisation) classes running alongside a number of classes that teach the reading of the Noble Quran.