I am fundraising to support my studies for year one of the Alimiyyah programme at Cambridge Islamic College, where I have enrolled for the 2018-19 Academic year. The Advanced ‘Alimiyyah Degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies is the flagship degree level programme of Cambridge Islamic College. It is a two-year full-time residential intensive programme covering Arabic Language, Islamic Studies and Communication Skills at an advanced level. It is designed for those who wish to become Islamic scholars (‘Ulema) with deep and comprehensive understanding, yet combine this high level of Islamic scholarship with their chosen professional career paths. The course is designed by Shaykh Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi and taught by himself and other scholars who have excelled in both traditional Islamic studies and conventional university education.

 I have always envied people who committed the best years of their lives to seeking sacred knowledge. After completing a bachelor's degree in English and then a PGCE, I worked as a teacher for a while. Such was Allah's Plan that a spell of illness led me to re-evaluate what my priorities ought to be.

I came to the realisation that worldly knowledge, although important, does not satisfy the soul and only through knowledge of our Deen we can quench the thirst of hearts. I applied to enrol onto the Alimiyyah programme, and Alhamdulillah I am now on that journey which I had always been secretly hoping for!

I realise that studying at CIC is only a stepping stone to a lifelong journey towards understanding our Deen, but it is the crucial step on that journey. If the foundation is made solid here, the forthcoming acquisition of knowledge will have a firm base to build on, in shaa Allah. I hope to eventually return to teaching, but this time in an Islamic School.