[unfolaReemoma]

Assalam-O-Alaikum!

Is there any student of Al-Azhar University? I just want to ask few questions .

Jazak Allah!

[traiffhetl]

Assalam-O-Alaikum!

Is there any student of Al-Azhar University? I just want to ask few questions .

Jazak Allah!

Yes, I studied there. What do you want to know?

[unfolaReemoma]

Yes, I studied there. What do you want to know?

MASHALLAH!

How about the environment, teaching & learning techniques up there brother?

[traiffhetl]

MASHALLAH!

How about the environment, teaching & learning techniques up there brother?

It was dissapointing. I went there on a scholarship in 2009, and stayed for a year before leaving.

The facilities are all dilapidated and old, and if you stay in the student accomodation, you will definitely feel like you are living in africa. So I would recommend anyone to find an apartment on their own. As for the teaching, it is a joke, seriously. In order to get into the bachelor's program you need to complete their mahad, high school equivalency diploma. Let me just say that the quality of teaching there is laughable. The teachers are not interested in it at all, they are government employees it is just a job to them. They are not like the kind old man who teaches Qur'an for free at your local mosque. Perhaps it's because the pay is not really enough for them to survive on, and they have no other options since studying religion gets you no job. And in Egypt, people really struggle to survive. But anyway, the quality is quite poor, the classrooms are full of dust and the guy will just give a lecture in his colloquial Ammiya Arabic, and if you don't understand, too bad, they don't care. Then of course there is the beaurocracy. It took me six weeks to complete the necessary paperwork in order to just live in the student accomodation, it would not be hyperbole to describe that experience as a nightmare; having to travel all around cairo to get bits of paper signed by random people for God know what reason (I had an interpreter). Though I am thankful that I had some pakistanis to help me do it, out of the goodness of their own hearts they gave up their time to help me. Anyway, you will have to complete 3 years in their high school to get into the university. I can't really emphasise how bad the high school/mahad really is. It really was just a waste of time. You don't learn anything in it, but you MUST attend in order to keep getting your visa renewed. Some times, the teacher would just sit at his desk and order us to write a hadith off the board. He wouldn't say anything for three hours, and we wouldn't understand what the hadith said, nor could we read his writing that well. But three hours of just sitting there, doing nothing. As I said, a waste of time.

As for the university lectures, it is not like in the west, where you have tutorials, labs etc. At azhar, a very large group of students sit in the hall and the guy lectures. Then you have exams at the end. Some indians who can't speak arabic just memorise all the information and regurgitate it at the exam, so they haven't really learnt anything. And a lot of students aren't interested in being there either; it just presents them with an opportunity to live abroad, and it beats living in a mudhut in Nigeria. But of course, that does not cover everyone.

So my final thoughts are, that Azhar does not deserve its reputation. The Azhar of today is not the one of the past. Today it is a large scale government university, designed to churn out government functionaries, religious or otherwise. Traditional scholarship is not something that will be facilitated for you there. The text books are all written by the Shk al Azhar, rarely are primary sources (bukhari etc) studied.

However, there are many other opportunities to learn in Egypt, and those who 'go to azhar' really wanting to learn, don't learn from ahzar, they go outside and sit with scholars on their own time. This is because it is well known you will not get a full, proper islamic education from just 'going to azhar.'

PS: I neglected to mention, azhar will not teach you arabic.

[unfolaReemoma]

It was dissapointing. I went there on a scholarship in 2009, and stayed for a year before leaving.

The facilities are all dilapidated and old, and if you stay in the student accomodation, you will definitely feel like you are living in africa. So I would recommend anyone to find an apartment on their own. As for the teaching, it is a joke, seriously. In order to get into the bachelor's program you need to complete their mahad, high school equivalency diploma. Let me just say that the quality of teaching there is laughable. The teachers are not interested in it at all, they are government employees it is just a job to them. They are not like the kind old man who teaches Qur'an for free at your local mosque. Perhaps it's because the pay is not really enough for them to survive on, and they have no other options since studying religion gets you no job. And in Egypt, people really struggle to survive. But anyway, the quality is quite poor, the classrooms are full of dust and the guy will just give a lecture in his colloquial Ammiya Arabic, and if you don't understand, too bad, they don't care. Then of course there is the beaurocracy. It took me six weeks to complete the necessary paperwork in order to just live in the student accomodation, it would not be hyperbole to describe that experience as a nightmare; having to travel all around cairo to get bits of paper signed by random people for God know what reason (I had an interpreter). Though I am thankful that I had some pakistanis to help me do it, out of the goodness of their own hearts they gave up their time to help me. Anyway, you will have to complete 3 years in their high school to get into the university. I can't really emphasise how bad the high school/mahad really is. It really was just a waste of time. You don't learn anything in it, but you MUST attend in order to keep getting your visa renewed. Some times, the teacher would just sit at his desk and order us to write a hadith off the board. He wouldn't say anything for three hours, and we wouldn't understand what the hadith said, nor could we read his writing that well. But three hours of just sitting there, doing nothing. As I said, a waste of time.

As for the university lectures, it is not like in the west, where you have tutorials, labs etc. At azhar, a very large group of students sit in the hall and the guy lectures. Then you have exams at the end. Some indians who can't speak arabic just memorise all the information and regurgitate it at the exam, so they haven't really learnt anything. And a lot of students aren't interested in being there either; it just presents them with an opportunity to live abroad, and it beats living in a mudhud in Nigeria. But of course, that does not cover everyone.

So my final thoughts are, that Azhar does not deserve its reputation. The Azhar of today is not the one of the past. Today it is a large scale government university, designed to churn out government functionaries, religious or otherwise. Traditional scholarship is not something that will be facilitated for you there. The text books are all written by the Shk al Azhar, rarely are primary sources (bukhari etc) studied.

However, there are many other opportunities to learn in Egypt, and those who 'go to azhar' really wanting to learn, don't learn from ahzar, they go outside and sit with scholars on their own time. This is because it is well known you will not get a full, proper islamic education from just 'going to azhar.'

Man u really made me disappointed. Well, anyway thanks for sharing. I thought they have nice infrastructure but it's all opposite.

[traiffhetl]

Man u really made me disappointed. Well, anyway thanks for sharing. I thought they have nice infrastructure but it's all opposite.

Yeah, well I would not recommend studying there. I would still recommend going to egypt. I'm actually planning on going back next year to continue studying arabic.

[unfolaReemoma]

How about International Islamic University Malaysia?

[traiffhetl]

How about International Islamic University Malaysia?

http://www.4icu.org/reviews/1239.htm
http://www.4icu.org/reviews/3214.htm

Compare the rankings. Not that this proves anything, but it may give you an idea.

[unfolaReemoma]

http://www.4icu.org/reviews/1239.htm
http://www.4icu.org/reviews/3214.htm

Compare the rankings. Not that this proves anything, but it may give you an idea.

Thank u so much !

[pharmablogger]

Thank u so much !

Well I wouldn't care much about the rankings on a website like that. If you go to Pakistan, they've ranked Punjab University higher than NUST and FAST, which are two top ranking universities in the country, and a the difference between the skills of a person coming from NUST or FAST(NUCES) versus other universities, is seen by even a common guy.

Either way, I've heard similar stories from a GM brother who studies in Al-Azhar, he wasn't a big fan of the system there either

[unfolaReemoma]

yes u r rite!

But the ranking is only issued by their own country Education Commission. Just like in Pakistan University Ranking is Issued by HEC.

[estelle]

It was dissapointing. I went there on a scholarship in 2009, and stayed for a year before leaving.

The facilities are all dilapidated and old, and if you stay in the student accomodation, you will definitely feel like you are living in africa. So I would recommend anyone to find an apartment on their own. As for the teaching, it is a joke, seriously. In order to get into the bachelor's program you need to complete their mahad, high school equivalency diploma. Let me just say that the quality of teaching there is laughable. The teachers are not interested in it at all, they are government employees it is just a job to them. They are not like the kind old man who teaches Qur'an for free at your local mosque. Perhaps it's because the pay is not really enough for them to survive on, and they have no other options since studying religion gets you no job. And in Egypt, people really struggle to survive. But anyway, the quality is quite poor, the classrooms are full of dust and the guy will just give a lecture in his colloquial Ammiya Arabic, and if you don't understand, too bad, they don't care. Then of course there is the beaurocracy. It took me six weeks to complete the necessary paperwork in order to just live in the student accomodation, it would not be hyperbole to describe that experience as a nightmare; having to travel all around cairo to get bits of paper signed by random people for God know what reason (I had an interpreter). Though I am thankful that I had some pakistanis to help me do it, out of the goodness of their own hearts they gave up their time to help me. Anyway, you will have to complete 3 years in their high school to get into the university. I can't really emphasise how bad the high school/mahad really is. It really was just a waste of time. You don't learn anything in it, but you MUST attend in order to keep getting your visa renewed. Some times, the teacher would just sit at his desk and order us to write a hadith off the board. He wouldn't say anything for three hours, and we wouldn't understand what the hadith said, nor could we read his writing that well. But three hours of just sitting there, doing nothing. As I said, a waste of time.

As for the university lectures, it is not like in the west, where you have tutorials, labs etc. At azhar, a very large group of students sit in the hall and the guy lectures. Then you have exams at the end. Some indians who can't speak arabic just memorise all the information and regurgitate it at the exam, so they haven't really learnt anything. And a lot of students aren't interested in being there either; it just presents them with an opportunity to live abroad, and it beats living in a mudhut in Nigeria. But of course, that does not cover everyone.

So my final thoughts are, that Azhar does not deserve its reputation. The Azhar of today is not the one of the past. Today it is a large scale government university, designed to churn out government functionaries, religious or otherwise. Traditional scholarship is not something that will be facilitated for you there. The text books are all written by the Shk al Azhar, rarely are primary sources (bukhari etc) studied.

However, there are many other opportunities to learn in Egypt, and those who 'go to azhar' really wanting to learn, don't learn from ahzar, they go outside and sit with scholars on their own time. This is because it is well known you will not get a full, proper islamic education from just 'going to azhar.'

PS: I neglected to mention, azhar will not teach you arabic.

I agree in part with what he posted. The ma'had is sub-par, but you only have to spend a few months there and can start in the university if you place into the last year of high school after the entrance test. I'm starting in the university this year without ever having stepped foot into the ma'had, because I placed into the final year 2 months ago after classes were already over for the year, and I have my graduation exams now.

As for the quality of education at the university level, it largely depends on which college you are in and on the teacher. The college of Dirasat Islamiyyah generally has smaller class sizes and a decent quality of instruction and the students seem to have a much better impression of it than those in the college of shari'ah, which has massive class sizes, and most of my friends enrolled there don't even attend class.

The availability of quality teachers outside of the university in various fields is what really makes Egypt stand out above the rest, in my humble opinion. For example, there is a small institute in Cairo associated with al-'Ashirah al-Muhammadiyyah that has an amazing four year program consisting of around 18 subjects, each of which is taught by one of the best scholars in Egypt in the field, and the class sizes are much smaller and the quality of instruction is generally better than what would find in al-Azhar. Furthermore, places like the Azhar mosque and the Madhyafah have long-running lessons on ever subject you can think of, including fiqh/usul of all four madahib, nahw, sarf, balagah, adab, qira'at, hadith, etc. You have the opportunity to study advanced books, such as Mughni al-Labib, al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhathab, Tafsir al-Baydawi, etc., that are covered in graduate level programs in other places with masters in the field. Some of my friends privately studied some of the Alfiyyah and al-Zamakhshari's tafsir with a blind Azhari scholar who was so strong in the Arabic sciences, that he would quote the text of ibn 'Aqil's sharh from memory. One cool thing about Egypt is that it is a nexus of scholars and students of knowledge from around the world. I personally have had the opportunity to study Hanafi fiqh/usul (still a beginner) and the Muwattah with a very competent shaykh who is a specialist in Hanafi fiqh and hadith who taught in a Darul Uloom in Bangladesh for several years. Some of my friends studied Sunan al-Tirmidhi with a Nadwi shaykh, and since the class consisted of only a few students, they were able to receive more one-to-one attention and cover the text in more depth than what one would receive in Dawrah Hadith at a large institution. Other students I know have been studying Maliki fiqh with a shaykh from Mali and a shaykh from Algeria, both of whom have memorized several texts and are highly proficient in the field. In short, there is a lot of benefit in Egypt, but a student should first become proficient in the Arabic language and prepare adequately for the Azhar entrance exams, in addition to taking advantage of the various opportunities to study with scholars outside the university. I would like to write a bit more about this after I'm done with my exams and have more time, inshallah.

[estelle]

BTW there are a number of downsides to studying in Egypt as well, but I limited my post to mentioning the positives since I'm sure others on the forum will gladly take up the task of listing out all the flaws in Egypt/Azhar.

[BypeVupyide]

yes u r rite!

But the ranking is only issued by their own country Education Commission. Just like in Pakistan University Ranking is Issued by HEC.

Unfortunately, there's not islamic environment in the University. Not around where the uni stated anyway. Facilities is good, but ISLAM only left at the name of the Uni. also, many of their lecturer is salafi/wahabi orientated as well. Many of them came to so Phd in UK...and I do know many of them as well..From my point of view, to get certificate yes, to learn Islam, NO.

What I mention is is for UIA

[KeettyGlots]

Salam Aleykum,

Sadly this is what they've reduced al-Azhar to, we would do ourselves a favour if we rebuild it.

[Tinasblue]

Salam Aleykum,

Sadly this is what they've reduced al-Azhar to, we would do ourselves a favour if we rebuild it.

We have ''Deoband''

[7kitthuptarill]

We have ''Deoband''

Theyre different. Azhar is centuries old, and in the centre of the Muslim world, may Allah resurrect Azhar's greatness and benefit the Ummah through it.

[Endatrybeeddy]

I agree in part with what he posted. The ma'had is sub-par, but you only have to spend a few months there and can start in the university if you place into the last year of high school after the entrance test. I'm starting in the university this year without ever having stepped foot into the ma'had, because I placed into the final year 2 months ago after classes were already over for the year, and I have my graduation exams now.

As for the quality of education at the university level, it largely depends on which college you are in and on the teacher. The college of Dirasat Islamiyyah generally has smaller class sizes and a decent quality of instruction and the students seem to have a much better impression of it than those in the college of shari'ah, which has massive class sizes, and most of my friends enrolled there don't even attend class.

The availability of quality teachers outside of the university in various fields is what really makes Egypt stand out above the rest, in my humble opinion. For example, there is a small institute in Cairo associated with al-'Ashirah al-Muhammadiyyah that has an amazing four year program consisting of around 18 subjects, each of which is taught by one of the best scholars in Egypt in the field, and the class sizes are much smaller and the quality of instruction is generally better than what would find in al-Azhar. Furthermore, places like the Azhar mosque and the Madhyafah have long-running lessons on ever subject you can think of, including fiqh/usul of all four madahib, nahw, sarf, balagah, adab, qira'at, hadith, etc. You have the opportunity to study advanced books, such as Mughni al-Labib, al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhathab, Tafsir al-Baydawi, etc., that are covered in graduate level programs in other places with masters in the field. Some of my friends privately studied some of the Alfiyyah and al-Zamakhshari's tafsir with a blind Azhari scholar who was so strong in the Arabic sciences, that he would quote the text of ibn 'Aqil's sharh from memory. One cool thing about Egypt is that it is a nexus of scholars and students of knowledge from around the world. I personally have had the opportunity to study Hanafi fiqh/usul (still a beginner) and the Muwattah with a very competent shaykh who is a specialist in Hanafi fiqh and hadith who taught in a Darul Uloom in Bangladesh for several years. Some of my friends studied Sunan al-Tirmidhi with a Nadwi shaykh, and since the class consisted of only a few students, they were able to receive more one-to-one attention and cover the text in more depth than what one would receive in Dawrah Hadith at a large institution. Other students I know have been studying Maliki fiqh with a shaykh from Mali and a shaykh from Algeria, both of whom have memorized several texts and are highly proficient in the field. In short, there is a lot of benefit in Egypt, but a student should first become proficient in the Arabic language and prepare adequately for the Azhar entrance exams, in addition to taking advantage of the various opportunities to study with scholars outside the university. I would like to write a bit more about this after I'm done with my exams and have more time, inshallah.

JazakAllah Khayr bro, this was very beneficial. Looking forward to your more detailed post after your exams, inshaAllah.

[traiffhetl]

Unfortunately, there's not islamic environment in the University. Not around where the uni stated anyway. Facilities is good, but ISLAM only left at the name of the Uni. also, many of their lecturer is salafi/wahabi orientated as well. Many of them came to so Phd in UK...and I do know many of them as well..From my point of view, to get certificate yes, to learn Islam, NO.

I can testify to that as well.

You'll never see a beard on an azhar graduates face. Perhaps because of the government. It's not a good place to learn islam. But as was mentioned, i WOULD recommend going to another school in egypt.

[verybigf]

Unfortunately, there's not islamic environment in the University. Not around where the uni stated anyway. Facilities is good, but ISLAM only left at the name of the Uni. also, many of their lecturer is salafi/wahabi orientated as well. Many of them came to so Phd in UK...and I do know many of them as well..From my point of view, to get certificate yes, to learn Islam, NO.

UIA malaysia or al-azhar ?