Ebrahim College

Current Work

Ebrahim Al-Khalil Trust is committed to setting up and running projects that develop the academic capacity of the Muslim community and instil in our youth the desire for a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and success. Furthermore, the trust is committed to making a positive contribution to education and curriculum development in Britain, and to promoting education in developing Muslim countries. Some work has already begun to this end as will be detailed below, while other work is planned for the near future, insha-Allah.

Some of Ebrahim Al-Khalil Trust's work is outlined below:

Ebrahim College (EC)

The Trust's flagship project, which provides the unique opportunity for young people to combine Islamic Sciences with AS/A-levels and other qualifications in a wide range of subjects of their choice in an Islamic environment. As the main project of the Trust, it is the academic and administrative platform from which most of the Trust's work is initiated and managed. Thus many EC managed projects are in fact dedicated initiatives of the Trust which may or may not overlap and interlink with the College's core work.

EC began primarily as an Islamic Sixth form college with aspirations to offer undergraduate studies in Islamic sciences. After a successful start which saw EC students achieve 100% passes in their first ever A-level exams for two consecutive years, the College launched a complete Alim course in 2006 and developed a BA in Islamic Sciences and Society - in collaboration with a British university – in 2007.

Part-time and Short Courses

The part-time courses are designed to provide students with the opportunity to study Islamic sciences around their existing commitments in the evenings and on weekends. The courses are open to men and women and are suitable for anyone over 16 years of age. Currently the part time courses run on weekday evenings for men and weekends for women.

Short courses are regularly organised on various topics that educate Muslims and, in certain courses, non-Muslims on topics that are necessary for particular times of the year such as Sawm and Hajj, and general topics of necessity and interest such as marriage, trade, inheritance and spirituality.

Library

A library is a very basic necessity of any centre of learning. However, due to limited resources, many madrasahs and Darul Ulooms lack proper library facilities. It is a firm conviction at Ebrahim al-Khalil Trust that the library is the powerhouse of academic activity and as such the Trust is developing a library which will house learning resources that will feed into its academic activities and projects such as the sixth form college and its courses, the Alim course, the BA Islamic Sciences and Society and the Trust's research and publications wing.

Distance Learning Courses

Distance learning courses are an excellent way to give people greater access to learning and knowledge. As part of its vision to propagate education and knowledge, the Trust has set up a distance learning courses department. The EC distance learning courses have been designed to give a broad introduction to the concepts, teachings and sciences of Islam. So far, it consists of five different courses. Each course has several units which are studied individually.

Curriculum Development

The Trust through its various academic projects is constantly engaged in developing courses, curriculum resources and teaching aids. It is currently developing comprehensive syllabi for all of the traditional Islamic sciences taught in Darul Ulooms. This is part of an effort to improve the standard of teaching and learning in the traditional Alim and Islamic sciences curriculum, highlight its strengths to academia and ensure quality assurance in it.

Ebrahim College Publications

This is Ebrahim al-Khalil Trust's publishing arm. It is committed to publishing books, curriculum resources, research material, Islamic journals and periodicals that are produced by the activity and work of the Trust's projects. This furthers the aim of propagating knowledge and promoting a better understanding of Islam.

Conferences, Hosting International Ulama and Building a Hub of Knowledge

The Trust regularly organises conferences, lectures, and social events for ulama, its students and the community with internationally renowned scholars invited as guests and visiting lecturers. The aim is to create a unique platform and hub of knowledge-access for students, the community, and local ulama so that they can learn from and engage with the leaders of academic fields. Ebrahim College has already become known locally as the organisation that brings great international scholars to the local community. Thus it has become an exciting forum for exchange, debates and information on contemporary and historical Islamic themes and subjects.

Community Work, Projects and Events

In its work, the Trust has been actively engaged in the community through various projects that are geared towards helping the community directly and raising the educational and career aspirations of young people in particular and the community in general. One such project is the 'Faith In Work' course which was developed and delivered in 2006 to inspire the unemployed back to work through their faith and religious teachings. The College also provides Khateebs for Jumua and Huffaz for Taraweeh to ISOCs, Masjids and community organisations.