Al-Mahdi Institute

Al-Mahdi Institute

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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.

Operating as usual

24/01/2025

Following the success of our Self-Coaching Mastery programme held in October 2024, we're delighted to announce that the next programme will be held on 26th-27th April 2025 in Ontario, Canada!

Led by Dr Zoheir Esmail, the programme is designed to inspire meaningful change and empower you on your spiritual path. Register now to secure your spot on the programme with our early bird offer of $300 CAD per person until 28th February 2025!

🔗 Visit ami.is/scm-canada for more info or to register now!

21/01/2025

REMINDER: Join us tomorrow at 3PM (GMT) for our next Research seminar with Shaykh Arif Abdulhussain who will be exploring the 'Quranic notion of "Rabb" in the context of the Abrahamic scriptures.'

📍 Join us in-house at AMI or online from 3PM- 4:30PM (GMT)
🔗 Find out more or register to join online here: ami.is/dqs-seminar

Photos from Al-Mahdi Institute's post 17/01/2025

🌟 Books of the Month: Self-Development 🌟

Kickstart 2025 with these inspiring reads on personal growth and spirituality to help you on your journey of self-development:

📖 The Inner Journey – Insights on navigating the self from Islamic thought.
📖 Combat with the Self – A guide to overcoming inner struggles.
📖 Paths to Transcendence – Discover universal truths from spiritual masters.
📖 Growth to Selfhood – Sufi wisdom for balance and self-discovery.
📖 In Quest of the Sacred – Living with sacred purpose in a modern world.
📖 Closer to God – Practical tips for a deeper spiritual connection.

👉🏼 Access these and more with an AMI Library Membership from just £20 per year! Visit ami.is/library to join now!

15/01/2025

What does Mysticism have to offer for the modern human? 🤔

In this first episode of the 'Thinking Islam' podcast by AMI, Syed Arman Kazmi sits down with Dr Arash Naraghi to explore the relationship between science, mysticism, and Islamic reform.

From Rumi’s spirituality to the struggles of reconciling faith with modern values, discover how mysticism offers a path to a deeper, more meaningful connection with God.

▶️ Watch the full episode here: ami.is/tip1

🎧 Or, listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YT Music, and more: ami.is/tip1-audio

10/01/2025

📣 Funding available for PhD candidates researching Imami Shi'ism!

AMI is offering funding of up to £3000 for students working on the study of Imāmī (Twelver) Shīʿism. Applications close on 10th February 2025 - apply now to secure your funding and take the next step in your academic journey!

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

09/01/2025

AMI Student, Rida Jichi shares his experience of studying at AMI and being taught by experts with both seminarian and academic backgrounds whilst being part of a global community of like-minded learners. 🌍 💡

Enrol now to access our wide range of courses and study at your own pace from wherever you are in the world!

🔗 Visit ami.is/hawza to get 75% OFF all courses until 31st January 2025 - use code 'NEWYEAR25' at checkout to begin your journey today!

08/01/2025

Join us on Wednesday, 22nd January, at 3:00pm (GMT) for our upcoming seminar with Shaykh Arif Abdulhussain who will be exploring the Qur’anic concept of "Rabb" through its interactions with Adam, Abraham and Moses in the Quran and Bible. This study aims to uncover how the Biblical accounts can provide a broader understanding of the Qur'an.

📍 The seminar will be held in-house at AMI and online from 3PM - 4:30PM (GMT).

🔗 Find out more or register to join online here: ami.is/dqs-seminar (no registration required for in-house attendance)

06/01/2025

The Centre for Intra-Muslim Studies (CIMS) at AMI is excited to reconvene its roundtable discussions for 2025! The inaugural session will focus on Islam and Violence, bringing together scholars from diverse Muslim traditions to explore themes like violence in Islamic texts, theological and juridical perspectives, and contemporary issues such as blasphemy, tolerance, and freedom of expression and their impact on interfaith relations.

Please note this is a closed-door discussion and not open for public registration. A detailed report and video highlights will be published online to benefit Muslim communities worldwide. For more info, visit ami.is/cims-iav

03/01/2025

In today’s rapidly changing world, grounding ourselves in faith and deepening our self-awareness has never been more essential. To support you on this journey, we’re thrilled to offer you 75% OFF all our Islamic Studies courses until 31st January 2025.

Enrol now to benefit from flexible learning options and expert guidance to support you on your journey! Use code 'NEWYEAR25' at checkout to redeem your discount!

🔗 Find out more or enrol now at ami.is/hawza

23/12/2024

📣 CALL FOR PAPERS: The Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology at AMI is delighted to release the call for papers for its second international conference exploring 'Islamic Perspectives on Prophecy and Revelation' to be held on 24th - 25th July 2025 at Duke University. The deadline for abstract submission is 7th March 2025.

Find out more or submit an abstract here: ami.is/dipt

19/12/2024

Are you pursuing advanced research in Imāmī (Twelver) Shīʿism? The AMI Doctoral Scholarship offers funding of up to £3000 to support your research within this field.

Since its inception in 2022, the scholarship has awarded over £15,000 to students worldwide, such as Mehdi Ali from the University of Southern California.

🔗 For more information and to apply, visit ami.is/doctoralscholarship. The deadline for applications is 10th February 2025.

Photos from Al-Mahdi Institute's post 18/12/2024

Christmas memories at AMI with our faculty and family 🎄✨

Photos from Al-Mahdi Institute's post 17/12/2024

On 26th November 2024, Dr Belal Alabbas from the Cambridge Muslim College delivered a research seminar at AMI on "Similar Questions, Different Answers? Reading the Sunni and Imami Hadith Corpus Together."

Dr Alabbas examined how Imam Al-Shafi’i and Shaykh Al-Tusi addressed contradictions in hadith, highlighting similarities in their methods and the role of ‘qiyas‘ and ‘taqiyya‘ in resolving contradictions among narrations and hadith.

🔗 Read more or listen to the seminar here: ami.is/seminar-ba

13/12/2024

What connects Sufism, Shi’ism, and Mysticism—and what sets them apart? 🤔

In this episode of The AMI Podcast, Dr Zoheir Esmail and Dr SeyedAmir Asghari delve into the similarities and ongoing controversies within these areas of Islamic thought. They explore the contrasting philosophies of the School of Najaf and the School of Separation, the interplay between intellect, revelation, and self-purification, and practical methods for inner transformation in the modern age.

Watch the full podcast here: https://youtu.be/ND06j4rpC5s

Or, listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Amazon Music here: ami.is/podcast-aa

Photos from Al-Mahdi Institute's post 12/12/2024

On 20th November 2024, we were delighted to host Jamie Turner from the University of Birmingham to deliver a seminar on “A New Islamic Approach to Design-Based Theism.”

Drawing on the ideas of Ibn Taymiyya, Jamie explored the deeper, metaphysical causes behind nature's design and how these theological beliefs harmonise with scientific explanations.

🔗 Read more, watch, or listen to the full seminar here: ami.is/seminar-jt

Photos from Al-Mahdi Institute's post 09/12/2024

📚 AMI Library's Books of the Month: Spirituality with Al-Ghazālī ✨

This month, we're exploring Al-Ghazālī's profound insights on patience, gratitude, the beautiful names of God, supplication, the marvels of the heart, and the remembrance of the afterlife. These thought-provoking books from 'The Revival of the Religious Sciences' series are perfect for deepening your understanding of spirituality and Islamic ethics.

👉🏼 Access these and more with an AMI library membership: ami.is/library

04/12/2024

📣 REMINDER: Our webinar on 'Academic Writing for Islamic Studies' by Dr Ali-reza Bhojani is tomorrow, 5th December 2024, at 3PM (GMT). The webinar is open to all - don't miss this opportunity to enhance your academic writing skills!

🔗 Learn more or register now here: ami.is/arb-seminar

Photos from Al-Mahdi Institute's post 03/12/2024

Dr Haidar Hobballah presents his research on 'Avicennian Philosophy in Contemporary Imami Seminaries’ at a conference jointly organised by the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and the German Oriental Research Center of Beirut on 15th - 17th November 2024, in Munich, Germany.

In his presentation, Dr Hobballah discussed the decline of Avicennian philosophy in Shia seminaries due to the rise of Sadrian thought and its potential to bridge traditional and mystical thought today.

🔗 Read more here: ami.is/hh-conference

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Our Story

The Al-Mahdi Institute was established in 1993 with the objective of contributing to Muslim religious scholarship and learning, with particular emphasis on the Twelver Imāmī (Ithnāʿasharī) tradition, through engagement with both historical and contemporary discourses. The Institute’s activities are marked by its non-dogmatic, open philosophy, coupled with an attention to scholarly rigour. This facilitates the pursuit of excellence across a range of perspectives that are not necessarily confined to the theological and religious heritage of any particular tradition. The Al-Mahdi Institute seeks to explore the relationship of religious ideas to all dimensions of contemporary thought and culture in a spirit whereby the human face of Islam, epitomised in the teachings of the Prophet Muḥammad and his impeccable progeny, can inform the holistic development of all individuals and societies.

Videos (show all)

AMI Student, Rida Jichi, shares his personal experience of how the courses on Mysticism and Philosophy at AMI changed hi...
Science, Mysticism and Islamic Reform with Dr Arash Naraghi | Thinking Islam | Ep. 1
Meet AMI students and married couple, Yasser Alaskary and Sama Hadad, who share how the flexibility of studying at their...
Studying at AMI by Rida Jichi
Does the Qur’an provide guidance on dealing with our current climate crisis? 🤔 In this insightful book talk, Farhana May...
🎥✨ AMI 2024 Highlights ✨📚As 2024 comes to a close, we take a moment to reflect on a year of meaningful dialogue and acad...
Sufism, Shi’ism & Mysticism: Connections, Controversies and the School of Najaf
Hadith Transmission and Confessionality by Dr Hossam Ouf
AMI Masterclasses
Are Muslim men and women responsible for representing Islam in the West? 🤔 Join Dr Muhammed Reza Tajri and special guest...
How have the controversial ideas of the Ghulat (extremists) influenced our understanding of Shi'ism and its beliefs? In ...

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60 Weoley Park Road
Birmingham
B296

Opening Hours

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