Advanced Islamic Studies (AIS) | 2026-2027

Kufah Institute — Advanced Islamic Studies 2026–2027

Kufah Institute · Academic Programs

Advanced Islamic Studies — AY 2026–2027

AIS · Years 1–3

Weekday Intensive — Tue–Thu daytime only
Evening & Weekend — Mon & Wed evenings + Sat

The Advanced Islamic Studies (AIS) program is a rigorous three-year curriculum building on the Diploma in Islamic Studies. Students engage deeply with Tafsir of the entire Quran, the major Hadith collections, Islamic Legal Theory, Kalām, Classical Arabic, and the broader Islamic intellectual tradition under traditionally trained scholars.

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Duration

3 / 6 yrs

Format

FT or PT

Prerequisite

DIS

Start

Fall 2026

Enrollment Options

■ Full-Time — All Classes

Take all Weekday Intensive and Evening & Weekend sessions. Complete AIS Year 1 in a single calendar year. Recommended for dedicated students seeking the fullest experience.

■ Weekday Intensive

Tue–Thu daytime sessions only. Focused immersive study for students available during the day. Complete Year 1 over two calendar years (AY1 + AY2).

■ Evening & Weekend

Mon & Wed evenings plus Saturday sessions. Designed for working professionals and students. Complete Year 1 over two calendar years (AY1 + AY2).

Students may also enroll in individual courses. All courses in a given year must be completed to advance. Contact info@kufah.org for advising.

Weekly Schedule

Highlight by enrollment path — click to filter

Full-Time (All Classes)

Weekday Intensive (Tue–Thu daytime only)

Evening & Weekend (Mon & Wed evenings + Sat)

All sessions shown. Click a path to highlight it, or enroll in individual courses.

Academic Year:

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Sat
9:00 AM		Weekday Hadith 200B Shaykh Raiyaan Atif 9:00 – 9:50 am	Weekday Islamic Spirituality Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed 9:00 – 10:10 am	Weekday Hadith 200B Shaykh Raiyaan Atif 9:00 – 9:50 am	Eve & Wknd Arabic 201 Shaykh Ahyan Yoonas 8:30 – 9:20 am Eve & Wknd 9:30 – 10:30 am Fall History of Islamic Scholarship Shaykh Raiyaan Atif Spring Usul al-Tafsir Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed Eve & Wknd Al-Ghazālī R Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed 10:40 – 11:50 am Eve & Wknd Hadith 200A Shaykh Raiyaan Atif 12:00 – 12:50 pm
10:00 AM		Weekday Tafsir Juz 6–10 Shaykh Ali Ismail 10:00 – 11:00 am	Weekday Arabic 200 Shaykh Ahyan Yoonas 10:20 – 11:10 am	Weekday Tafsir Juz 6–10 Shaykh Ali Ismail 10:00 – 11:00 am
11:00 AM		Weekday 11:20 am – 12:20 pm Fall Sirah Studies Shaykh Raiyaan Atif & ʿĀlimah Ambareen Khan Spring Sahaba Shaykh Raiyaan Atif & ʿĀlimah Ambareen Khan	Weekday Ulum al-Quran Shaykh Ahyan Yoonas 11:10 am – 12:00 pm	Weekday Authority of the Sunnah Shaykh Raiyaan Atif 11:10 am – 12:00 pm
Evening
6:00 PM	Eve & Wknd Arabic 201 Shaykh Ahyan Yoonas 6:00 – 6:50 pm		Eve & Wknd Arabic 201 Shaykh Ahyan Yoonas 6:00 – 6:50 pm
7:05 PM	Eve & Wknd Tafsir Juz 1–5 Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed 7:05 – 8:05 pm		Eve & Wknd Tafsir Juz 1–5 Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed 7:05 – 8:05 pm
8:20 PM			Eve & Wknd Hadith 200A Shaykh Raiyaan Atif 8:20 – 9:10 pm

Note: Arabic 200 is a review of DIS Arabic and is offered in the Weekday Intensive track. Saturday sessions are part of the Evening & Weekend track (and Full-Time).

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Sat
9:00 AM		Weekday Arabic 201 Shaykh Ahyan Yoonas 9:00 – 9:50 am	Weekday Arabic 201 Shaykh Ahyan Yoonas 9:00 – 9:50 am	Weekday Arabic 201 Shaykh Ahyan Yoonas 9:00 – 9:50 am	Eve & Wknd Hadith 200B Shaykh Raiyaan Atif 8:30 – 9:20 am Eve & Wknd 9:30 – 10:30 am Fall Sirah Studies Shaykh Raiyaan Atif & ʿĀlimah Ambareen Khan Spring Sahaba Shaykh Raiyaan Atif & ʿĀlimah Ambareen Khan Eve & Wknd Islamic Spirituality Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed 10:40 – 11:50 am Eve & Wknd Arabic 202 Shaykh Ahyan Yoonas 12:00 – 12:50 pm
10:00 AM		Weekday Tafsir Juz 1–5 Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed 10:00 – 11:00 am	Weekday Al-Ghazālī R Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed 10:00 – 11:10 am	Weekday Tafsir Juz 1–5 Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed 10:00 – 11:00 am
11:00 AM		Weekday Hadith 200A Shaykh Raiyaan Atif 11:10 am – 12:00 pm	Weekday 11:20 am – 12:20 pm Fall History of Islamic Scholarship Shaykh Raiyaan Atif Spring Usul al-Tafsir Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed	Weekday Hadith 200A Shaykh Raiyaan Atif 11:10 am – 12:00 pm
Evening
6:00 PM	Eve & Wknd Authority of the Sunnah Shaykh Raiyaan Atif 6:00 – 6:50 pm		Eve & Wknd Ulum al-Quran Shaykh Ahyan Yoonas 6:00 – 6:50 pm
7:05 PM	Eve & Wknd Tafsir Juz 6–10 Shaykh Ali Ismail 7:05 – 8:05 pm		Eve & Wknd Tafsir Juz 6–10 Shaykh Ali Ismail 7:05 – 8:05 pm
8:20 PM			Eve & Wknd Hadith 200B Shaykh Raiyaan Atif 8:20 – 9:10 pm

Note: Saturday sessions are part of the Evening & Weekend track (and Full-Time).

Detailed Year 2 schedule coming soon. Contact info@kufah.org for information.

Tafsir

Tafsir: 10 Juz

Literary, Scholarly & Thematic

Hadith

Hadith: Mishkat, Bukhari, Muslim & Abu Dawud

Arabic

Quranic Arabic III

Theology

Islamic Theology (Kalām) / Hadith Methodology

Seminar — rotates annually

Jurisprudence

Islamic Legal Theory I & II (Uṣūl al-Fiqh)

Seminar — rotates annually

History

Intellectual History / Biographical Study

Seminar — rotates annually

Detailed Year 3 schedule coming soon. Contact info@kufah.org for information.

Tafsir

Tafsir: 10 Juz

Literary, Scholarly & Thematic

Hadith

Hadith: Jurisprudential Chapters (Fiqhī Abwāb)

Arabic

Quranic Arabic IV

Jurisprudence

Islamic Legal Theory III & IV (Uṣūl al-Fiqh)

Seminar — rotates annually

Tafsir / Philosophy

Advanced Tafsir / Philosophy of Religion

Seminar — rotates annually

History

Hadith Methodology / Early Islamic History

Seminar — rotates annually

Courses by Year

Tafsir

Tafsir Juz 1–5

Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed · Eve & Wknd AY1 / Weekday AY2

Tafsir

Tafsir Juz 6–10

Shaykh Ali Ismail · Weekday AY1 / Eve & Wknd AY2

Hadith

Hadith 200A

Shaykh Raiyaan Atif

Hadith

Hadith 200B

Shaykh Raiyaan Atif

Spirituality

Al-Ghazālī R

Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed · Sat AY1 / Weekday AY2

Islamic Spirituality

Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed · Weekday AY1 / Sat AY2

Arabic Language

Arabic 200, 201 & 202

Shaykh Ahyan Yoonas · Arabic 200 is a review of DIS Arabic

Quranic Sciences

Ulum al-Quran

Shaykh Ahyan Yoonas · Weekday AY1 / Eve & Wknd AY2

Hadith Sciences

Authority of the Sunnah

Shaykh Raiyaan Atif · Weekday AY1 / Eve & Wknd AY2

History & Biography

Fall

Sirah Studies

Spring

Sahaba

Shaykh Raiyaan Atif

History & Methodology

Fall

History of Islamic Scholarship

Shaykh Raiyaan Atif

Spring

Usul al-Tafsir

Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed

Tafsir

Tafsir: 10 Juz

Literary, Scholarly & Thematic

Hadith

Hadith: Mishkat, Bukhari, Muslim & Abu Dawud

Arabic

Quranic Arabic III

Theology

Islamic Theology (Kalām) / Hadith Methodology

Seminar — rotates annually

Jurisprudence

Islamic Legal Theory I & II (Uṣūl al-Fiqh)

Seminar — rotates annually

History

Intellectual History / Biographical Study

Seminar — rotates annually

Tafsir

Tafsir: 10 Juz

Literary, Scholarly & Thematic

Hadith

Hadith: Jurisprudential Chapters (Fiqhī Abwāb)

Arabic

Quranic Arabic IV

Jurisprudence

Islamic Legal Theory III & IV (Uṣūl al-Fiqh)

Seminar — rotates annually

Tafsir / Philosophy

Advanced Tafsir / Philosophy of Religion

Seminar — rotates annually

History

Hadith Methodology / Early Islamic History

Seminar — rotates annually

Faculty

Tafsir & Islamic Spirituality

Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed

Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed was born and raised in Manhattan. While at college at the University of Chicago, he turned to religion, and in 1999, he left America to spend twenty years abroad. He pursued the classical disciplines of Islamic learning, becoming a traditionally trained Islamic scholar, receiving the ʿĀlimiyyah and Takhassus fi’l-Fiqh degrees. He then served as an instructor and guide to university students and professionals in Pakistan, England, and South Africa. From 2005–2013, he was a professor of Islamic Thought and Intellectual History at leading universities in Pakistan, including LUMS and AKU. In 2017, he returned to academia to pursue a PhD in Islamic Intellectual History at the University of Oxford. From 2020–2023, he held research fellowships in Islamic philosophy at Princeton University and Yale University. His talks are available at: Islamic Spirituality YouTube Channel.

Arabic, Ulum al-Quran & Hadith

Shaykh Ahyan Yoonas

Shaykh Mohammad Ahyan Yoonas is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, where he began his Islamic education by completing Ḥifẓ at Masjid Omar bin Abdul Aziz. He pursued his ʿĀlimiyyah studies at Tibyan Seminary and later at DarusSalam Seminary, from which he graduated in 2023. He subsequently earned a Master’s degree in Islamic Texts with a concentration in Islamic Law from Zaytuna College, where he authored his thesis titled “Critically Speaking: Early Matn Criticism in the Ḥanafī Madhhab from Shaybānī to Ṭaḥāwī.” His intellectual interests center on Uṣūl al-Fiqh, Kalām, Philosophy, and the broader landscape of Islamic Intellectual History.

Hadith, Sirah & Islamic History

Shaykh Raiyaan Atif

Shaykh Raiyaan Atif teaches Tafsir and Hadith in the DIS and AIS programs at Kufah Institute.

Tafsir

Shaykh Dr. Mohammed Ali Ismail

Shaykh Dr. Mohammed Ali Ismail was raised in Florida and studied at USF, where he served as MSA president. He began Islamic studies while pursuing medical school and radiology residency at Ohio State University. He studied the Dars-e-Nizami curriculum through multiple institutes and graduated from Jamia Falah Darayn in Dayton, OH in 2024. He is now an Assistant Professor at OSU and an Abdominal Radiologist.

Sirah & Hadith

ʿĀlimah Dr. Ambareen Khan

Raised in Philadelphia, ʿĀlimah Dr. Ambareen Khan studied at Villanova University and completed medical school and anesthesiology residency at Drexel University. While balancing motherhood and medicine, she pursued tajwīd in 2015 and completed her Alimah degree from Zaynab Institute in 2024. She resides in Tampa, FL.

Prerequisites & Admission

Diploma in Islamic Studies (DIS) Required

The AIS program requires completion of the Kufah Institute Diploma in Islamic Studies, or equivalent foundational coursework as assessed by the faculty. Students who have studied elsewhere may contact info@kufah.org to discuss placement.

Tuition & Fees

Full-Time

All Classes — Both Tracks

One-Time Payment

^$5,500

per academic year

Monthly Plan

^$585

× 10 months

Part-Time

Single Track — Weekday Intensive or Evening & Weekend

One-Time Payment

^$2,750

per academic year

Monthly Plan

^$300

× 10 months

Part-Time

Individual Course Enrollment

One-Time Payment

^$750

per course

Monthly Plan

^$80

× 10 months · per course

Financial Aid — Based on Amānah

We are committed to ensuring that financial hardship does not prevent anyone from studying at Kufah. Students are encouraged to contribute whatever they can, but payment is not required if unable. This financial aid process is based on trust (amānah) and does not involve any financial checks or assessments.

Frequently Asked Questions

What enrollment options are available?

Students may enroll Full-Time (all sessions — complete each year in one calendar year), Weekday Intensive (Tue–Thu daytime only, no Saturday), Evening & Weekend (Mon & Wed evenings + Saturday), or in individual courses. Part-time students complete Year 1 across two calendar years (AY1 and AY2).

What is the AY1 / AY2 rotation?

AIS Year 1 runs on a two-calendar-year rotation. AY1 (2026–2027) and AY2 (2027–2028) offer a distinct set of courses so that new cohorts can join each year and complete the full Year 1 curriculum over two years. Some seminars (Sirah Studies / Sahaba; History of Islamic Scholarship / Usul al-Tafsir) alternate between Fall and Spring within each calendar year.

How long is the AIS program?

Full-time students complete each year in one calendar year — three years total. Part-time students complete the program in six years.

What is the prerequisite for AIS?

Completion of the Kufah Institute Diploma in Islamic Studies (DIS) is required. Students with equivalent prior study may contact info@kufah.org to discuss placement options.

What certification is awarded upon completion?

Students who successfully complete all three years of AIS receive the Advanced Islamic Studies certificate from Kufah Institute.

What if I am unable to pay the tuition?

We are dedicated to ensuring financial hardship does not prevent anyone from enrolling. See the Tuition & Fees section for pricing and payment plans. Financial aid is available on the basis of trust (amānah) — no financial checks or assessments required. Contact info@kufah.org for further assistance.

Will recordings be available?

In-person attendance is expected; however, recordings will be made available to registered students for review in cases of absence.