School of Islamic and Occidental Studies

An introduction to SIOS — the seminary behind this guide — its vision, its programmes, and a look around the campus.

Launched with a vision to address the increasing challenges stemming from Western ideological, social and cultural hegemony, the School of Islamic and Occidental Studies (SIOS) is an Islamic seminary (hawzah) for brothers, based in the holy city of Qum.

Founded by Muslim scholars hailing from the West, SIOS aims to ground seminary students in the traditional Islamic sciences while equipping them with the insight and necessary tools to understand and address contemporary issues with precision and foresight. Its international faculty members have been selected for their intellectual depth and traditional breadth, as well as their experience in responding to and dealing with such challenges and issues. Students who join SIOS also share these same concerns. The coming together of such teachers and students in this unique school provides for an exciting, engaging and enriching learning experience. The founding team and staff of the school, like the teachers and the students, is composed of Muslims from different lands who speak English and who are inspired by the same vision.

Vision

The tradition of knowledge and learning in Islam is primarily an oral tradition. All knowledge (ilm) pertains to Allah (the Alim, the Knower), Who taught man what he did not know. He taught the first man and His representative (khalifah) the Names, all of them, just as He taught the greatest and most perfect of men (s) the Qurʾan. Consequently, the Noble Prophet (s) taught his companions in general and his deputy (wasi) in particular. They in their turn taught their companions and students. In this way, by a continuous unbroken chain of teachers and students, something of the knowledge taught by Allah and His prophets and guides (a) has come down to us today as priceless heritage. This great heritage is inherited by those who recognise these authentic unbroken channels and who make the efforts to be connected with them in a real way.

The hawzah ilmiyyah (Islamic seminary) is the traditional institute in which such connections are made and true knowledge acquired. In line with this, SIOS seeks, firstly, to introduce this luminous tradition of knowledge and learning to those who are seriously in search of it and come from the West or from places that have been Westernised, and secondly, to properly prepare those who have already been introduced to pass on the heritage intelligently and effectively within the context of the modern world.

To facilitate the introduction to this great tradition of knowledge, SIOS offers an Intensive Language and Maʿarif (ILM) Program — a ten-month introductory course in Islamic sciences and classical & spoken Farsi. Participants who complete the ILM Program will gain sufficient insight and resources to help them face the challenges of trying to live a holistic Muslim life in the modern world and to continue to seek knowledge alongside their responsibility of making a living.

For those who make the weighty decision to take up the calling and become full-time students of the hawzah, SIOS provides a solid grounding in the Islamic sciences. Teachers who have immersed themselves in hawzah will seek to initiate the students into the fuller and more substantial aspects of the luminous and living tradition of Islamic knowledge and wisdom. At the same time, the holy city of Qum and the presence of the shrine of Lady Masumah (a), as well as the great scholars who are the living models of knowledge and spirituality, will nourish the souls of students and seekers during their journey of knowledge.

For those who have already answered the calling and have been engaged in studying the traditional Islamic sciences in the hawzah, SIOS aims to provide these serious seekers (tullab) access to the deeper and more profound levels of these sciences. This will help foster a better understanding of the times in which we live — times which are marked by the dominance of Western culture and thought. Such an understanding will serve to protect the students from the confusions and deceptions of the modern and postmodern times and will allow them to formulate a response that is firmly based in the intellectual and mystical dimensions of Islam. This profound knowledge will firstly save the soul of the person who realises it, and will also allow for the possibility of the salvation of others. In addition to gaining command of classical Arabic and Farsi, students will hone their English literacy, better equipping them to convey the message of Islam to their people.

Campus

The main building of the School is situated in a peaceful, central area of Qum, just a short distance from the haram and in close proximity to other prominent seminaries and research institutes. It has a range of facilities designed to support students’ academic and spiritual needs, including modern and traditionally styled classrooms, a large prayer hall, a well-stocked library and a handy student kitchenette. Additionally, all administrative offices are conveniently housed within the main building, ensuring easy access for students and staff alike.