Al-Mahdi Institute

Al-Mahdi Institute Al-Mahdi Institute (AMI) provides an open platform for critical Muslim scholarship.

AMI provides a platform for open and critical scholarship that addresses contemporary concerns of Muslims around the globe. Through our educational programmes and research activities, we provide an open platform for critical, innovative, and thought-provoking Muslim scholarship that bridges the gap between traditional Muslim seminaries and contemporary academia.

Join Shaykh Arif Abdulhussain for this year's Muḥarram lectures, running from 16th to 26th June 2026. Over ten nights, t...
05/06/2026

Join Shaykh Arif Abdulhussain for this year's Muḥarram lectures, running from 16th to 26th June 2026. Over ten nights, the series will trace the full Qurʾānic journey of the soul — from the origins of creation to death and the afterlife — culminating in a portrait of God not as the judge to be feared, but as Walī (Guardian and Protector) and Al-Wadūd (the Most Loving).

Each evening will also feature original poetry by Sister Fatemeh Mohimi, "The Lucky Mom," and parallel children's workshops for children in Reception to Year 6.

🗓 16th – 26th June 2026
📍 Join us in person at Al-Mahdi Institute or stream the lectures live

🔗 Find out more: ami.is/muharram26

👶 Register your children for workshops: ami.is/muharram-workshops

💛 Donate towards the programmes: ami.is/muharram-donate

On 29th April, AMI hosted its inaugural Islamic Philosophy and Theology Reading Workshop — five sessions of close readin...
04/06/2026

On 29th April, AMI hosted its inaugural Islamic Philosophy and Theology Reading Workshop — five sessions of close reading through original Arabic and Persian texts by Ibn Sīnā, Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, Naṣīr al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī, Mullā Ṣadrā, and Ākhūnd Khurāsānī.

The workshop attracted over 100 participants in both in-person and online formats, and featured presentations by Professor Mohammad Saleh Zarepour, Dr Shoaib Ahmed Malik, Dr Wahid Amin, Dr Zoheir Esmail, and Professor Seyed Mohammad Fatemi.

Supported by the British Society for the History of Philosophy, this is the first of what we envision as an annual gathering: a rigorous, collegial space for scholars of the Islamic intellectual tradition to connect, read, and think together. 💡

🔗 Read the full report at: ami.is/reading-workshop

⏰ Tomorrow! Don't miss our research seminar with Professor Hashem Morvarid (Trinity University) on "The Problem of Ghayb...
02/06/2026

⏰ Tomorrow! Don't miss our research seminar with Professor Hashem Morvarid (Trinity University) on "The Problem of Ghayba in Twelver Shīʿism: A Case Study in Islamic Analytic Theology."

How can an Imam fulfil the religious and political functions of the Imamate while remaining in occultation (ghayba)? Professor Morvarid draws on the Qurʾān's treatment of moral evil in Q 2:30–33 to advance an understudied account in which the imam serves as God's moral reason for preserving humankind in existence — a role that can be fulfilled even by a hidden imam.

🗓 Wednesday, 3rd June 2026 from 3:00–4:30pm (BST)
📍 In person at AMI or Online
🔗 Find out more or register now: ami.is/seminar-hm

29/05/2026

A sect within Islam, or a community apart? How did the Shi'a of colonial India redefine who they were after the fall of Awadh? 🤔

In this episode of Thinking Islam, Prof. Justin Jones explores the indigenous character of Indian Shi'ism after the fall of Awadh in 1856. Drawing on his landmark book "Shi'a Islam in Colonial India," he challenges the idea that Iran and Iraq are the sole heartland of Shi'ism — tracing the rise of madrasas, autonomous mujtahids, and the Shi'a as a distinct qaum. The conversation turns to the Pakistan Movement, the fear of a "Sunnistan," and the alliance with Ambedkar's untouchables movement, where Imam Hussain became a universal symbol of justice and resistance.

▶️ Watch the full podcast now: ami.is/ti15

🎧 Or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more: ami.is/ti15-audio

How do mystics know what they claim to know? 🤔 There's only a week to go until our upcoming conference on 'Ways of Knowi...
26/05/2026

How do mystics know what they claim to know? 🤔

There's only a week to go until our upcoming conference on 'Ways of Knowing in Sufism,' and we're excited to welcome a diverse range of leading scholars to explore one of the most profound questions in Islamic thought: the nature of mystical knowledge itself.

From kashf (unveiling) and ilhām (inspiration) to visions of the Prophet, the soul, and the heart, the Conference examines how Sufi traditions have understood knowing, certainty, and spiritual authority, and what that means for us today.

🗓️ 1–2 June 2026 at Al-Mahdi Institute

📖 View Conference Programme: ami.is/ims-pdf

🎟️ Find out more or register now: ami.is/ims-conf

🌙 Eid al-Adha Programme at Al-Mahdi Institute!We are delighted to invite you and your family to join us for our Eid Prog...
22/05/2026

🌙 Eid al-Adha Programme at Al-Mahdi Institute!

We are delighted to invite you and your family to join us for our Eid Programme and Lunch at AMI on Wednesday, 27th May 2026 at 11:00 AM (BST).

The programme will be led by Shaykh Arif Abdulhussain, followed by lunch and kids' entertainment, including a bouncy castle.

🗓️ Wednesday, 27th May 2026 from 11:00AM (BST)

🔗 Can’t join in person? Stream it live: https://ami.is/eid26

On behalf of everyone at Al-Mahdi Institute, we wish you and your loved ones a blessed and joyous Eid. 🌙

How can an Imam fulfil the religious and political functions of the Imamate while remaining in occultation (ghayba)? Joi...
20/05/2026

How can an Imam fulfil the religious and political functions of the Imamate while remaining in occultation (ghayba)?

Join us on Wednesday, 3rd June 2026 at 3PM (BST) as Professor Hashem Morvarid from Trinity University explores this long-standing debate.

Twelver Shīʿī theology defines the Imamate in terms of religious and political leadership - roles that seem to require public presence. Drawing on the Qurʾān's treatment of moral evil in Q 2:30–33, Professor Morvarid advances an understudied account in which the imam serves as God's moral reason for preserving humankind in existence — a role that can be fulfilled even by a hidden imam.

🗓 Wednesday, 3rd June 2026 from 3:00–4:30pm (BST)

📍 Join us in person at Al-Mahdi Institute or online (no registration needed for in-person attendance)

💻 Find out more or register to join online: ami.is/seminar-hm

📌 Seminar Cancelled!Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, our upcoming research seminar with Dr Shadaab Rahemt...
18/05/2026

📌 Seminar Cancelled!

Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, our upcoming research seminar with Dr Shadaab Rahemtulla, titled "To be a (Decolonial) Muslim Settler: Critical Reflections in Comparative Liberation Theology," will no longer be taking place tomorrow, Tuesday, 19th May 2026.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused. A new date and time will be confirmed in due course, and we look forward to your attendance then.

Thank you for your understanding. 🌿

📢 Applications are now open for the Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Studies (PGDip.) 2026–27!Have you ever wanted to eng...
01/05/2026

📢 Applications are now open for the Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Studies (PGDip.) 2026–27!

Have you ever wanted to engage seriously with the Islamic seminary (ḥawza) tradition but felt held back by time, work, or the need to learn Arabic first?

The PGDip. at Al-Mahdi Institute brings the heart of the seminary tradition into a flexible, online programme, taught entirely in English, with just 3 hours of live teaching per week.

✅ Two 12-week terms (30 Sept 2026 – 9 May 2027)
✅ Four core modules: Theology, Philosophy & Mysticism, Comparative Legal Theories, Qur'an & Ḥadīth
✅ Pathway to a fully-funded MA in Islamic Studies with the University of Birmingham
✅ Scholarships of up to 90% available on academic merit

⚠️ Places and funding are limited. Apply early to secure your place and be considered for financial support.

📖 Read Programme Prospectus: ami.is/pdis-pdf

🔗 Find out more or apply now: ami.is/pdis

Address

60 Weoley Park Road
Birmingham
B296

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+441214465047

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