Islamic University of Madinah

The Islamic University of Madinah is a public Islamic university in Medina, Saudi Arabia, established by Royal Decree No. 11 on 25 Rabīʿ al-Awwal 1381 AH (1961). The university states that its studies began in the same year and that its founding legislation established its initial academic structure.

The university has been associated by academic scholars with the Salafi tradition and with the international dissemination of Saudi religious scholarship. Its early administration was closely connected with the Saudi religious establishment. The university's first president was Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti, Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm Āl al-Shaykh, while ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Bāz served as his deputy and was regarded as the de facto administrator of the university during its early years. Following Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm's death in 1969, Ibn Bāz became president and remained in the position until 1975.

After Ibn Bāz left the presidency in 1975, ʿAbd al-Muḥsin al-ʿAbbād, who had taught at the university since its early years and had served as Ibn Bāz's deputy, assumed a leading role in its administration. The ḥadīth scholar Muḥammad Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Albānī also taught at the university during its early years and also donated a part of his library to the university's maktabah (library).

Rabīʿ ibn Hādī al-Madkhalī also studied at the Islamic University of Madinah and later taught at its Faculty of Hadith. He subsequently became head of the Sunnah Studies Department at the university.

Colleges and academic programs

The Islamic University of Madinah offers programs in Islamic and Arabic studies as well as in law, business, computing, engineering, natural sciences, applied studies, and languages. Its Islamic-studies disciplines remain a major part of the university's academic structure, while its academic offerings have expanded over time to include scientific and professional fields.

Islamic studies

The university's Islamic-studies disciplines include Sharia, Qur'anic studies, Hadith, and Creed and Da'wah. The university describes Sharia and Islamic studies as among the fundamental pillars upon which the institution was founded, with these disciplines distributed among several specialized colleges.

College of Sharia

The College of Sharia was established in 1381 AH (1961), the same year as the university. It developed from the university's original higher section, which formed the first nucleus of the college. Instruction began with 85 students. The college includes studies in Islamic jurisprudence, the principles of jurisprudence and Islamic economics.

College of the Holy Qur'an and Islamic Studies

The College of the Holy Qur'an and Islamic Studies was established by Royal Decree No. 26511 in 1394 AH (1974). The university describes it as the first college of its kind in the Islamic world. A distinctive requirement for admission to the college is the complete memorization of the Qur'an. The college specializes in Qur'anic recitation, tafsir and the sciences of the Qur'an and has offered study to students from numerous countries.

The Qur'an memorization requirement is also stated in the university's current admission information, which specifies that applicants to the College of the Holy Qur'an must have memorized the entire Qur'an and pass the designated examination.

College of Hadith and Islamic Studies

The College of Hadith and Islamic Studies was established by Royal Decree No. 15653 in 1396 AH (1976). It began with two academic departments: Hadith Sciences and Fiqh al-Sunnah and its Sources. The college specializes in the study of the Prophetic Sunnah and its sciences and offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs.

The Department of Hadith Sciences covers disciplines including hadith terminology, the authentication and classification of hadith, takhrij, the study of chains of transmission, al-jarh wa al-ta'dil, the study of hadith narrators and the study of fabricated hadith. The college also offers postgraduate programs in Hadith Sciences and Fiqh al-Sunnah.

College of Creed and Da'wah

The College of Creed and Da'wah, originally established as the College of Da'wah and Fundamentals of Religion, was established in 1386 AH (1966). Its fields include Islamic creed, da'wah, Islamic culture and related disciplines. The university currently offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs through the college, including programs in Creed and Da'wah, Islamic Creed, Da'wah, sects and creeds, and religions and intellectual schools of thought.

Distance learning

The Islamic University of Madinah also provides distance-learning and online education. The university established its Deanship of Distance Education in 1428 AH (2007–2008), which was later reorganized and became the E-Learning Center in 1447 AH (2025–2026). The center develops and delivers online university courses, academic programs, micro-credentials and other digital learning opportunities, with particular emphasis on Islamic sciences and knowledge.

The university's distance-learning system is available to international learners and allows students to study individual university courses online and obtain course-completion certificates and micro-credentials. These qualifications can be accumulated and, subject to the university's admission requirements and regulations, applied toward progressively higher academic qualifications. The university currently describes a stackable pathway consisting of an Associate Diploma requiring at least 30 academic units, an Intermediate Diploma requiring at least 60 academic units, and a Bachelor's degree requiring at least 145 academic units.

The academic fields currently available through the stackable distance-learning system include Sharia, the Holy Qur'an, Islamic Creed and Da'wah, Prophetic Hadith, Arabic Language, Legal Studies (Regulations), and Economics. The Qur'an pathway also includes an Associate Diploma in the Seven Qira'at (recitations).

The university maintains a separate admissions portal for distance-learning programs for students residing outside Saudi Arabia. Its admissions information states that the distance-learning programs are conducted online rather than on campus and that tuition fees apply. Arabic-language proficiency is also required for admission to the currently advertised international distance-learning program.

The university has also published admission guides for individual distance-learning programs, including a Bachelor of Sharia through distance education, an Associate Diploma in the Seven Qira'at for international students residing outside Saudi Arabia, and online university courses for international male and female students.

Benefits of Studying at Islamic Academic Institutions

The fully funded scholarship system offered by public Islamic universities—most notably the Islamic University of Madinah in Saudi Arabia—provides comprehensive academic, spiritual, and financial support for international students. Designed to attract global talent, these institutions offer a combination of access to prominent scholars alongside full living and travel provisions.

Direct Access to Scholars

One of the primary non-material advantages for students of Islamic sciences is the opportunity to sit in close proximity to prominent Islamic scholars and jurists ('ulamā'). Beyond regular classroom lectures, students often attend traditional study circles (halaqāt) held in major places of worship, such as Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (The Prophet's Mosque). This environment allows students to receive direct instruction, academic mentorship, and classical certifications (ijāzāt) directly from recognized authorities in Islamic jurisprudence, Hadith, and Quranic recitation.

Daily Transportation to Sacred Sites

Universities situated in holy cities frequently provide complimentary, daily scheduled bus transportation between the main academic campus and major religious landmarks. This allows students to perform daily prayers, attend evening lectures, and study at historic sites without incurring personal transit costs.

Monthly Stipends

Admitted international students on full government scholarships receive a regular monthly allowance (Mukafa'ah) to cover baseline personal expenses throughout the duration of their academic program.

Standard Allowance: The stipend is set at approximately 850 Saudi Riyals (SAR) per month (roughly $225 USD). It runs continuously each month, including during academic breaks and official university holidays, provided the student remains enrolled in good standing.

Academic Excellence Bonuses: Students who achieve exceptional Grade Point Averages (GPAs)—typically a "Excellent" (Mumtaz) ranking—are often awarded an additional monetary bonus equivalent to an extra month’s stipend (850 SAR).

Setup and Graduation Allowances: Scholarship packages typically include a one-time lump-sum arrival allowance upon initial enrollment to assist with settling in, as well as a dedicated book-shipping allowance provided upon successful graduation.

Visa and Vacation Airfare Provisions

The host institution manages student residency visas (Iqama) and handles all required legal permissions for foreign nationals.

Round-Trip Holiday Tickets: At the end of each academic year, the university provides full-coverage, round-trip flight tickets to the student's home country.

Continuous Stipends During Leave: The monthly 850 SAR allowance continues to be deposited into the student’s bank account while they are away on official university summer vacations.

Notable scholars and faculty

The Islamic University of Madinah has been served by prominent Salafi scholars, jurists, and theologians who have served as university presidents, department heads, or long-standing professors:

Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz – Former Vice-President (1961–1970) and President (1970–1975) of the University; former Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia.

Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani – Renowned 20th-century Hadith scholar; former professor of Hadith sciences at the university (1961–1963).

Muhammad Al-Amin Al-Shanqeeti – Influential Mauritanian Quranic commentator and jurist; former professor of Tafsir at the university.

Hammad al-Ansari – Classical Hadith scholar and long-time lecturer at the university's Higher Institute of Da'wah.

Abdul-Muhsin al-Abbad – Former Vice-President of the university and prominent scholar of Hadith who taught at the Prophet's Mosque for decades.

Salih al-Fawzan – Senior member of the Council of Senior Scholars who has served on university examination committees and academic boards.

Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdullah Al Shaykh – Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia; served on university academic and governance boards.

Salih al-Luhaydan – Former head of the Supreme Judicial Council of Saudi Arabia and senior lecturer connected to the university's academic circles.

Ibrahim ibn Muhammad Al ash-Sheikh – Former Minister of Justice of Saudi Arabia who supported and overseen university initiatives.

Saleh Al al-Sheikh – Former Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs and member of the university's supreme council.

'Ubayd al-Jabiri – Former professor at the Faculty of Shariah at the Islamic University of Madinah.

Ali Nasir Faqihi – Former professor and head of the Department of Aqeedah (Islamic Theology) at the university.

Hasan ibn Abdul-Wahhab al-Banna – Renowned Egyptian Salafi scholar who delivered guest lectures and collaborated with scholars at the university.

Notable alumni

The university's international alumni network includes prominent scholars, community leaders, and theologians across the globe:

Muhammad Ayyub – Renowned Qari and former Imam of Al-Masjid an-Nabawi.

Ali Abdullah Jaber – Former Imam of Masjid al-Haram in Makkah.

Rabee al-Madkhali – Prominent Salafi scholar and former head of the Sunnah Department at the university.

Muqbil bin Hadi al-Wadi'i – Founder of Dar al-Hadith al-Dammaj in Yemen.

Ihsan Ilahi Zahir – Pakistani Islamic scholar, author, and graduate of the university.

Ziya-ur-Rahman Azmi – Former Dean of the Department of Hadith at the university and author of comprehensive Hadith compilations.

Zayd ibn Muhammad al-Madkhali – Salafi scholar from Jizan and graduate of the Islamic University of Madinah.

Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Najmi – Former head of the Salafi da'wah in southern Saudi Arabia and graduate of religious institutes affiliated with the university system.

Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab al-Wassabi – Prominent Yemeni Salafi scholar who studied at Dar al-Hadith in Madinah.

Abdullah ibn Abd al-Rahim al-Bukhari - a Saudi Arabian Islamic scholar and former professor of Hadith at the Islamic University of Madinah, where he served until his retirement in 2025.

Abdullah ibn Sulfiq al-Dhufayri – Islamic lecturer and graduate of Islamic scholarship programs in Saudi Arabia.

Arafat ibn Hasan al-Muhammadi – Islamic lecturer and researcher.

Admission Criteria and Application Requirements

Admission to the undergraduate scholarship program at the Islamic University of Madinah is subject to specific administrative, academic, and age requirements set by the Saudi Ministry of Education and university administration. Applications are submitted online through the centralized scholarship portal.

Eligibility Requirements

Gender: Admission to the main on-campus scholarship program is strictly open to Muslim male applicants.

Age Limit: Applicants must generally be between 17 and 25 years of age at the commencement of the academic program.

Educational Background: Applicants must hold a general secondary school certificate (high school diploma, GCSE, A-Levels, or equivalent) issued by a recognized government or accredited private educational institution.

Recency of Diploma: The high school certificate must generally have been obtained within the last five years.

Full-Time Dedication: Admitted students must commit to full-time academic study and abide by all university regulations.

Medical Fitness: Applicants must be physically fit and free from contagious or severe infectious diseases.

Prior Dismissal: Applicants must not have been previously dismissed from any higher education institution in Saudi Arabia for disciplinary or academic reasons.

Quran Memorization (Faculty Specific): Candidates applying specifically to the Faculty of the Holy Qur'an are required to have memorized the entire Qur'an and pass an oral entrance examination.

Mandatory Application Documents

All submitted documents must be scanned in original color copies, accompanied by an officially certified Arabic translation if the original document is issued in another language:

High School Certificate: Official diploma or graduation certificate.

Academic Transcript: Detailed mark sheet covering grades earned during secondary education.

Valid Passport: Clear scan of a passport valid for at least six months.

Birth Certificate: Official state-issued birth certificate.

Good Conduct Certificate: A formal letter or testimony of good character from a school, local authority, or security agency.

Medical Report: A comprehensive health certificate issued by an accredited medical clinic verifying the applicant’s physical health, vision, hearing, and absence of infectious illnesses.

Letters of Recommendation: Two academic or religious recommendation letters (Tazkiyah) issued by recognized Islamic institutions, foundation heads, or prominent Muslim scholars in the applicant's country of residence.

Personal Photograph: A recent passport-sized color photograph taken against a plain white background.

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