Choose a topic to explore — each one is its own page with its own comment thread, so you can add a tip or question right where it belongs.
Farsi Language
Why Farsi is your first hurdle in Qum, and how the SIOS Intensive Language and Maʿarif (ILM) Program gets you to a working level within six months.
Explore ›Introductory Islamic Studies
The Maʿarif segment of the ILM Program — a bridge from language learning into the Islamic sciences, taught in a blend of English and Farsi.
Explore ›Hawzah Studies
The thirteen-year Hawzah Program in three phases — foundational, intermediate and advanced — for students who complete the ILM Program.
Explore ›Subjects & Topics
A tour of the principal subjects taught in the hawzah — from Arabic grammar and logic to jurisprudence, philosophy, mysticism and Qurʾanic exegesis.
Explore ›Mubahatha
The hawzah's daily peer-discussion tradition — why it matters for retention, and how to get the most out of it.
Explore ›Private Tuition
When private tutors make sense — the etiquette around Islamic studies, and the very affordable market for one-to-one Farsi lessons.
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Libraries
Your second home as a student — the hawzah libraries, Qum's public and specialist collections, and the digital libraries that put thousands of books a click away.
Explore ›Noor Software
The digital backbone of modern hawzah research — Noor's software, cloud apps and online libraries, and how to get hold of them affordably.
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