This note was created during 2006-08. So, the information may be outdated.

For any further information/query, Muhammad Ashiqul Hoque Abdullah ( Email: ashiqulhoque@gmail.com )
National Education Summit
Road Map to Higher Islamic Education in prominent Universities of the World

Probable Fields of Islamic Studies:

• Quranic Sciences / Tafsir
• Hadith / Usul al-Hadith
• Dawah
• Theology / Comparative Studies on all Religions
• Shariah (Islamic Law, Fiqh)
• Comparative Studies on Islamic Law, Economics, Civilization, Culture, Sociology etc.
• Arabic/Islamic Literature, Language, History & Culture

Probable universities for Higher Islamic Education:

Saudi Arabia
• Islamic University of Madinah (Established only for quality Islamic Education and does not concern
anything else)
• Umm al-Qura University (Established for good/quality education on all fields, but does have
equivalent/good emphasis on Islamic Studies)
• Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University (Established as a quality Islamic University but also
provide good /quality education on all other fields too)
• King Saud University (The oldest and largest university of KSA, concerns all fields of studies, maintains
the quality of International standard, have a position in the world universities ranking)
Malaysia
• International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) (established with an Islamic motive, to promote Islam
and Muslims with quality modern education, provides quality education in all fields)
Egypt
• Al-Azhar University (probably the oldest university in world history, provides quality education in all
fields and specially in Islamic fields)
Sudan
• Omdurman Islamic University
• University of the Holy Quran and Islamic Sciences
(*Universities in Sudan are very good and equivalent to those in Saudi Arabia. The govt. of Sudan is verily in favor
of Islam and starting from the 1990s they are very sincere about the quality of education.)
Netherlands
• Islamic University of Rotterdam
(established to promote Islam and Muslims, provides quality education in fields of Islam, does not concern
other fields, have similar Islamic subjects like in other Islamic universities)
Some Common Pre-Conditions
(May Differ and Depend on universities, students or other influential causes)
1. Good academic result (not below 70%, better if 80%+).
2. An applicant must be a high school graduate.
3. Not more than 5 years should have passed since the applicant obtained the high school certificate.
4. An applicant should not exceed the age of 25 years.
5. An applicant should not have been dismissed from another university on disciplinary or educational
grounds.
This note was created during 2006-08. So, the information may be outdated.
For any further information/query, Muhammad Ashiqul Hoque Abdullah ( Email: ashiqulhoque@gmail.com )
 This note was created during 2006-08. So, the information may be outdated.
For any further information/query, Muhammad Ashiqul Hoque Abdullah ( Email: ashiqulhoque@gmail.com )
6. An applicant seeking admission to the Faculty of Qur’an should have memorized the entire Qur’an.
Some Common Required Documents
- to be provided with the written application / application form
(May Differ and Depend on universities, students or other influential causes)
1. The higher secondary certificate
2. The higher secondary transcript
3. Two letters of recommendation [tazkiyyah]. A certificate bearing witness to the good character and
religious practice of the applicant from a reliable source. (Prominent Islamic Figures or Organizations)
4. Testimonial/Character Certificate from your Educational Institution.
5. Four/Six recent passport-size photographs
6. Photocopy of the passport
7. “The no objection letter” from your government (Police Clearance Certificate); mostly necessary after grant
of application, when applying for visa.
8. A copy of the birth certificate.
9. A medical certificate from a reliable source (govt. civil surgeon, health officer), testifying that the applicant
is physically fit, with good eyesight, and is free from any infectious diseases.
10. A letter (known as a Khitab) addressed to the Rector (Mudeer) /Concerning authority written in Arabic and
attached to the application like a cover page.
11. A short essay (within 150 words) expressing your goals for learning Arabic. (this is for UQU only)

• Any other papers or documents that may concern your Islamic education or activities or gives witness to
your extra-ordinary qualities can be provided may lead to extra consideration or priority.
• All documents must be translated into the Arabic language and notarized. (the passport does not need to
be in Arabic, but can be notarized for authentication)
• The high school certificate should be attested from the embassy.

THE BIGGEST REASON APPLICATIONS ARE REJECTED IS BECAUSE OF:

• Missing required documents
• Lack of arabic translation
• Improper processing of documents

Some more info:

▪ All the four mentioned univs of KSA takes students only through scholarship.
▪ The medium of education is arabic for the islamic subjects.
▪ When someone is granted, his status of arabic language will be tested and if found up to the standard,
then will be given direct admission to university education.
▪ If not, then, will be admitted to the language institute of the university with a maximum limit of 2 years
to reach the standard; otherwise sent back.
▪ It differs from university to university, that to whom the application is referring to. Sometimes the
application is towards the central admissions office of the university, sometimes to the language
institute, sometimes to the mudeer or may be it is reffered to the mudeer but sent to the admissions
office, also sometimes it is both reffered and sent to the dean of admissions.
▪ Understanding the specific demand of the authority and mentioning and sending the application to the
right authority/office/address is very important and helpful. Your application may not even reach the

This note was created during 2006-08. So, the information may be outdated.
For any further information/query, Muhammad Ashiqul Hoque Abdullah ( Email: ashiqulhoque@gmail.com )
 This note was created during 2006-08. So, the information may be outdated.
For any further information/query, Muhammad Ashiqul Hoque Abdullah ( Email: ashiqulhoque@gmail.com )
right desk if not addressed towards the right place. May be You will keep on applying and no result will
come.

Islamic University of Madinah

official application form available, no need of writing application letter. The application is towards university.
Umm al-Qura University
official application form available, no need of writing application letter. The application is towards the Arabic
language institute so needs a short essay expressing your goals for learning arabic to be written in Arabic or
English.
Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University
application form available, but also requires the application letter. The application is towards rector (mudeer).
King Saud University
official application form not available, must have to write an application letter.

Some Common Benefits

(concerns the Saudi Arabian Universities) (May Differ and Depend on universities)
• Paid airline tickets to accepted students for their introductory arrival, and upon the completion of their
studies.
• Paid round-trip airline tickets annually for students wishing to travel to their home countries at the end
of the academic year [in the summer holidays], according to University regulations.
• A monthly stipend is paid to each student, the amount of which is determined according to the educational
stage he is enrolled in. [840 Saudi Riyals for those enrolled in University-level studies]
• Free furnished accommodation is provided to unmarried students. [You will share a room with other
students, some 2/4 to a room]
• The University restaurant offers meals to students at nominal prices.
• The University hospital provides students with medical care.
• The University buses carry students free of charge to the Kabah/Prophet’s Mosque.
(above mentioned are specifically for UQU/IUM, but others in KSA offers similar benefits)
*** students there are also being able to live with their family/spouse.

Things that Help:

▪ Letters of recommendation (Tazkiyah) by people known to the University, such as present or ex
lecturers/professors at the University, or students who have graduated from the University.
▪ Having a current student speak to a lecturer/professor in the University so that he [the lecturer] can remind
the administration of you as well as give in a good word for you.
▪ Having a current student visit the administration once in a while, reminding them about you and asking
them about your paper work.
▪ Personally, visiting the University and getting interviewed. Usually those who personally come to get
interviewed are given precedence over those sending applications by mail/post.

Things that Might Help (from Personal Experience of current students):

• Those who have applied once to the University, and did not receive acceptance, should apply again. It
seems, Allah knows best, that those who apply for the second time, are accepted more often. This may be
true especially in light of the fact that the official application form for the Islamic University of Madinah
contains a question which reads: “Have you ever applied to the Islamic Univ before?”

This note was created during 2006-08. So, the information may be outdated.
For any further information/query, Muhammad Ashiqul Hoque Abdullah ( Email: ashiqulhoque@gmail.com )
 This note was created during 2006-08. So, the information may be outdated.
For any further information/query, Muhammad Ashiqul Hoque Abdullah ( Email: ashiqulhoque@gmail.com )
• From personal experience, it seems, Allah knows best, that presenting your documents in a professional
manner seems to impress the people working in the administration.

Some info about Int’l Islamic University Malaysia, IIUM

▪ A online application form can be filled out.
▪ A print-out of that application, with all required documents is to be sent to the university by post mail.
▪ You will also have to pay and amount to about tk.1800/- as a charge of processing your application.

Some info about Al-Azhar University

▪ in Bangladesh, the Islamic Foundation deals the selections & Admissions in cooperation with the Egyptian
embassy.
▪ Mostly in Jan/Feb of the year, circular is given in national newspaper.
▪ a board of selection, examines and interviews the applicants and chooses for grant of scholarship.
▪ students may personally apply to the university and bear their own expenses.
▪ the cost of living and studying at al-Azhar university is cheap and most people say that its not hard to
afford.
▪ for applying personally, a current student of al-Azhar must be set by the applicant as responsible for
carrying out all procedures in university administration in behalf of the student.

Processing of your application/documents

• All documents is firstly to be translated by govt. authorized centers and then notarized.
• Before notarization, It is better to have a check (for wrong or missing information or mistakes/bad quality of
translation) by an expert in Arabic after translating the documents.
• All documents (issued by govt.) submitted with the application (mainly the educational and medical
certificates) is to be attested by the foreign ministry.
• But the foreign ministry does not attest any education certificate without the attestation of education
ministry and the medical certificate without the attestation of health ministry.
• And the education ministry will not attest any certificate without the attestation from the education board.
• Both the English and Arabic copy of certificates will be attested by the board and ministry.
• Health ministry may not attest the Arabic of health certificate.
• This process of attestations from several authorities of govt. there may be difficulties, acts of patience and
hassles due to corruption/insincerity of govt. employees.
• You must have patience and be legal in all your steps.

BE AWARE…
• DO NOT use anybody else do these attestations in behalf of you.
• And you must know that the ministries mostly do not accept papers from anybody else other than the owner
of the papers.
• If any fake attestation is done, it may result to serious consequences

AND…
• You will have to collect the right/latest application form for the university.
• If there is no official application form available, then you will have to write a application letter in arabic
requesting for a grant.
• A university may want both – a filled up official application form with a written application letter.
This note was created during 2006-08. So, the information may be outdated.
For any further information/query, Muhammad Ashiqul Hoque Abdullah ( Email: ashiqulhoque@gmail.com )
 This note was created during 2006-08. So, the information may be outdated.
For any further information/query, Muhammad Ashiqul Hoque Abdullah ( Email: ashiqulhoque@gmail.com )

This note was created during 2006-08. So, the information may be outdated.
For any further information/query, Muhammad Ashiqul Hoque Abdullah ( Email: ashiqulhoque@gmail.com )