Al Kawthar Academy

What Al Kawthar Academy does

Al Kawthar Academy is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1106630) and Islamic educational institution founded in 2004 and headquartered at 62 Gough Road, Leicester. It delivers traditional Islamic scholarship, most prominently the multi-year ʿĀlimiyyah course covering Arabic language, fiqh, hadith, and tafsir, offered in both onsite (Leicester) and online formats, alongside a non-intensive Islamic Essentials Course targeted at sisters. Instruction is led by Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq, who serves as the primary scholar and spiritual guide across the curriculum. The organization also operates a Prayer Timings service for Leicester and runs a WhatsApp community for ongoing learner engagement.

Its product surface combines structured academic courses with a large multimedia library, including a lectures archive (93+ pages spanning Tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh, and general Islamic talks dating back to 2008), an annual Ramadan content series running from 2018 to 2025, an Excerpts video series, and a live audio streaming capability. Distribution is omnichannel and predominantly free: the website (akacademy.org) acts as the central hub, with lectures published to YouTube and SoundCloud for global self-serve consumption, supported by organic social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest) and email newsletter subscriptions.

The business model is non-commercial and donation-funded, consistent with its UK charity status. Course fees for the ʿĀlimiyyah program are referenced but not publicly disclosed, and the website features a prominent Donate button as the primary revenue mechanic. The institution has 1-10 employees, no disclosed revenue, no funding rounds, and no parent company. Its customer base is horizontal and individual, comprising adult learners (men and women), students, and working professionals seeking traditional Islamic education, with a geographic footprint centered in Leicester and Birmingham but online channels extending reach globally.

Name

Al Kawthar Academy

Legal name

AL KAWTHAR ACADEMY

Website

https://akacademy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Al Kawthar Academy is a UK-registered charity in Leicester offering traditional Islamic education through onsite and online ʿĀlimiyyah courses, a sisters' essentials course, and a global multimedia library of lectures and Ramadan content led by Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Islamic Colleges & Sharia/Fiqh Institutes (EDAHAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Islamic Broadcasting (MPABALAG)

Keywords

• Islamic education
• Religious studies
• Arabic language courses
• Traditional Islamic seminary
• Islamic scholarship training

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Al Kawthar Academy delivers traditional advanced Islamic education through three structured courses (ʿĀlimiyyah Onsite, ʿĀlimiyyah Online, and Islamic Essentials for Sisters) covering Arabic language, fiqh, hadith, and tafsir. It supplements these courses with a free multimedia library of lectures, excerpts, spiritual content, live audio streaming, and prayer timing services, all rooted in the scholarly tradition of Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq. The academy operates as a UK-registered charity (No. 1106630) and distributes teaching both in-person at its Leicester campus and globally online.

Product overview

Al Kawthar Academy is an Islamic educational institution based in Leicester, UK, operating as a registered charity (No. 1106630). The academy offers a unified educational platform comprising structured academic courses and multimedia content. The academic offerings include three main courses: the onsite ʿĀlimiyyah Course (rigorous in-person advanced Islamic studies covering Arabic language, fiqh, hadith, and tafsir), the online ʿĀlimiyyah Course (equivalent online delivery), and the Islamic Essentials Course for sisters (non-intensive foundational studies). The multimedia division provides Lectures (categorized into General Talks, Hadith, Fiqh, and Aqeedah), Content Soul (daily spiritual content and Ramadan reflections spanning 2018-2025), Excerpts (video-based educational content), Prayer Timings (daily prayer schedule service), and Listen Live (real-time audio streaming). All offerings are delivered under the spiritual guidance of Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq and are rooted in traditional Islamic scholarship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ʿĀlimiyyah Course Onsite A rigorous in-person course in advanced Islamic studies based on a traditional curriculum, comprising in-depth study of Arabic language, fiqh, hadith, and tafsir, delivered at the Leicester campus.
• ʿĀlimiyyah Course Online A rigorous online course in advanced Islamic studies based on a traditional curriculum, comprising in-depth study of Arabic language, fiqh, hadith, and tafsir, accessible globally.
• Islamic Essentials Course (Sisters) A non-intensive course designed to help students improve their knowledge of Islamic essentials and enable them to apply what they learn to daily life, tailored for women learners.
• Lectures Multimedia lecture archive covering topics including General Talks, Hadith, Fiqh, and Aqeedah, delivered by Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq, available globally for free.
• Prayer Timings Service Daily prayer timings service providing Fajr, Sunrise, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha prayer times for Leicester, with Hijri calendar integration.
• Listen Live (Live Audio Streaming) Live audio streaming service allowing users to listen to broadcasts from Al Kawthar Academy in real-time.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9 years to complete full ʿĀlimiyyah course for working adults
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Emerging players

• Bayyinah Institute: US-based online Islamic education platform delivering Arabic and Quran-focused programs via video to global audiences. Comparable on the digital-first delivery model and traditional Islamic curriculum emphasis.
• Qalam Institute: US-based Islamic seminary delivering structured Alimiyyah programs online to a global student body. Comparable on online delivery, scholarly-led teaching, and traditional curriculum positioning.
• Al-Maghrib Institute: US-based Islamic education provider running intensive seminars and online courses on traditional Islamic sciences. Comparable on scholar-led instruction and a hybrid onsite/online delivery model.
• Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research: Global Islamic education and research organization producing high-quality multimedia content and courses. Comparable on the multimedia-first model reaching global Muslim audiences with traditional scholarship.

Broad incumbents

• International Open University (IOU): Major global online Islamic university offering tuition-free accredited programs in Islamic sciences to a worldwide student base. Comparable on the online delivery and global access dimensions, but operates at substantially larger scale.
• Al-Madina International University: Established international Islamic university offering accredited undergraduate and graduate programs in Islamic studies. Comparable as a larger-scale provider in the same traditional Islamic higher-education category.

Direct peers

• Ebrahim College: London-based Islamic college offering traditional Islamic studies and Alimiyyah training to UK Muslim communities. Operates a similar seminary-style higher-education model with comparable target learners.
• Cambridge Islamic College: UK-based higher-education institution offering undergraduate and postgraduate Islamic studies programs. Comparable as a traditional Islamic higher-education provider targeting serious students of Islamic sciences.
• Al Balagh Academy: UK-based online Islamic education provider offering structured Alimiyyah and Islamic studies courses with global reach. Closely comparable on online delivery model and traditional curriculum focus.
• Al Qalam Academy: UK-based Islamic higher education institute based in Leicester, offering traditional ʿĀlimiyyah-style programs with similar curriculum focus. Directly comparable in city, model, and target audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/alkawthar
• Facebookfacebook.com/alkawtharacademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/al-kawthar-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Al Kawthar Academy