About us
Arafura's Mission
The Arafura sea has acted as a maritime bridge between the world’s most populous Muslim country, Indonesia and the land of Australia, where the Arafura institute was founded and is based. At the Arafura Institute, our teaching and research aims to produce scholars who have mastered, not only the rich Muslim tradition that has passed from generation to generation, but also the modern, secular knowledge that is essential for understanding the world and humanity today.
Just as the Arafura sea connects the Muslim world with the foreign traditions and cultures of the west, the Arafura institute seeks to leave a legacy of accessible, all-encompassing and holistic level research and education that retains its traditional identity, while also remaining in-line with the ever transforming reality of the modern world.
Our History
Shaykh Muhammad Ramadan al-Qadri has been active as a scholar, researcher and educator in the Islamic sciences and theology for nearly 3 decades in various countries, from Hong Kong, to the United Kingdom, and now, in Australia. Shaykh Ramadan was born in a village in the district of Layyah, Pakistan where his family had migrated after the partition of Pakistan and India.
His parents and older siblings did not have easy access to education and made their living as farmers. Shaykh Ramadan was the first in his family to attend school and graduated as a high achieving student, ultimately opting to study the traditional Islamic sciences at Minhaj University in Lahore, Pakistan. Shaykh Ramadan graduated as the valedictorian and gold medallist in his faculty. Since then, Shaykh Ramadan has studied under various scholars around the world such as Shaykh Asad Muhammad Saeed as-Sagherji of Syria, Shaykh Tahir Alaudin al-Gilani of Iraq and Shaykh Muhammad Tahir ul Qadri of Pakistan. He also completed postgraduate studies at al-Azhar university under the famous grand Imam of al-Azhar, Shaykh Ahmed Tayyib, in 2011.
Keen to share the knowledge he had accumulated around the world from erudite scholars, Shaykh Ramadan was mainly active in the United Kingdom where he founded the Farghana Institute and taught the Islamic Sciences for several years before moving to Australia. Since being in Australia, Shaykh Ramadan has been active in the growing Muslim community and has worked as a mosque imam for 7 years and as a prison chaplain for 3 years. Alongside his community work, Shaykh Ramadan provides research and Fataawa (legal verdicts) for the Baseerah forum, Victorian Islamic Commission, and Geelong Islamic Community Centre and until now, has continued to teach privately.
Shaykh Ramadan’s goal of educating Muslims in the arts and humanities has been shared by his private students in Australia, who have worked with him to establish the Arafura Institute, with the intention of paving the way for first class education and research in a manner that is accessible to all.
Become a link in our prestigious Sanad
By studying under Shaykh Mohammad Ramadan al-Qadri you will be part of a community of scholars who have studied under an uninterrupted chain of teachers, dating back to legendary figures such as Imam Malik, Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, Imam Bukhari and indeed, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
See an abridged Sanad of teachers below. Note: Imam Muhammad bin Muhammad al-Emir al-Kabir al-Masri al-Azhari, Sayyid Abdul Qadir al-Gilani and Imam Ibn Abidin hold direct chains to prominent figures such as the aforementioned Imam Bukhari, Imam Malik, Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Ahmed.
Staff
Ahmad Qadri
CEO / Philosophy & Theology Tutor
Ahmad Qadri is a Philosophy graduate and has gained multiple ijazaat in Islamic Studies subjects from different teachers. He is also the co-founder of the popular Islamic philosophy YouTube channel, Oases of Wisdom.
Abdur-Rahman Butler
CTO / Economics & Politics Tutor
Abdur-Rahman Butler is a Masters of Economics student, Economics and Politics writer, and the co-founder of the popular Islamic philosophy YouTube channel, Oases of Wisdom.
Ammar Sultan
Arabic & Hadith Tutor
Ammar Sultan is a graduate in linguistics and Arabic language. In addition to this, he is also a khateeb and experienced Islamic studies teacher with multiple Ijazaat from various teachers.
Rubab Ramzan
Sisters Communications / Social Media Officer
Rubab Ramzan is an active member of the Muslim community, working for GICC for several years now. Rubab is passionate about women’s rights and is an advocate for issues facing Muslim women.
The Alimiyyah & Humanities Program
Being authorised by Shaykh Muhammad Ramadan al-Qadri, a graduate of the preeminent al-Azhar University, the Shahadatul Alimiyyah (Certification of Islamic Scholarship) is the degree awarded upon five years of completion of the major subjects of the Islamic Sciences, while the diploma is conferred after three years of study.
The full Shahada signifies that you, the seeker of knowledge, has sufficiently studied and attained recognition in learning by his or her teachers within fields such as Arabic Languages, Islamic Law, Hadith, Quran and much more. While we recognize and teach the sacred traditional sciences that have enriched Islamic history for more than a millennia, we also are cognizant of the dawn of the age of information and the globalisation of knowledge.
It is not enough for the scholar of the modern day to possess knowledge in a unidimensional way, therefore the Arafura Institute has combined the traditional syllabus with modern, secular fields of study such as philosophy and the political, economic and social sciences.
The Shahadatul Alimiyyah is one of the most prestigious forms of qualification that a student can attain within their journey of the Islamic Sciences and this is only complemented further with Arafura’s unique humanities course. With our Alimiyya & Humanities course, we aim to become one of the principal institutions in the Southern Hemisphere and beyond to teach and aid students in their quest for all forms of knowledge – allowing them to blossom into the accomplished scholars of tomorrow.
Frequently Asked Questions
The course is designed to accommodate the busy schedules of students and workers. Key features include:
- Weekend Lectures: 7 hours of online lectures every weekend.
- Recorded Sessions: Lectures are recorded and can be accessed later.
- Self-paced Study: Weekly content can be revised at the student’s own pace.
- Accessible Instructors: Teachers and instructors are available for assistance through group messaging applications.
No, the Arafura Institute has structured its academic timetable and calendar to allow students to pursue their passion for knowledge without giving up their full-time occupations or studies.
Yes. The Arafura courses are all online and can be accessed anywhere in the world. We encourage students from all over the world to enrol.
Students can easily access help, tuition, and answers to their questions through group messaging applications, ensuring continuous support throughout their studies.
While live attendance to lectures is encouraged to keep on top of one’s studies, it is not a necessary hurdle for passing the course. As all lectures are recorded, if a student misses a class they can easily access the recorded lectures on the LMS and catch-up and revise at their own pace.
All lectures are given in English and students will need to have a decent grasp of the English language in order to progress in their studies. Readings that are in a language other than English will be translated and taught in Engish as well.
As of now, all of Arafura’s courses are taught 100% online.
Students are assessed through a number of different methods such as quizzes, reflection journals, MCQ’s and written and oral exams. The exams and assessments are designed to test your creativity and critical thinking skills, not your ability to rote learn information.
Our courses are designed for beginners in Islamic Sciences, aged 18+. Having qualifications in related fields may grant you credits in our subjects. Please contact us to ask about an expedited pathway.
Due to logistical constraints, we are not offering the ability to take two programs at once. Enrolment in the Alimiyyah & Humanities program includes ALL of the content from the Islam, Philosophy and Politics program.
Completing the Islam, Philosophy and Politics program will grant you full credits for the Humanities components of the first year of the Alimiyyah program.