About Us
Assalamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
I still remember speaking to a parent shortly after they arrived in Qatar.
Like many expatriate families, they had moved here hoping to build a better future. Their children were thriving at school, settling into life in Doha and making new friends. Yet the parent quietly shared a concern that many mothers and fathers carry in their hearts:
"My children are doing well in many areas, but I worry whether they are becoming closer to Allah."
It is a question that resonates with many of us.
As parents, we spend years ensuring our children have the best opportunities available. We think carefully about schools, neighbourhoods, activities and future careers. Yet deep down, most Muslim parents know that our greatest hope is not simply that our children become successful adults, but that they become believing adults.
Adults who know their Lord.
Adults who love the Qur'an.
Adults who remain connected to Islam long after we are no longer here to remind them.
Living in Qatar brings tremendous blessings for Muslim families. The adhan echoes throughout our cities. Masajid are part of everyday life. Islamic values remain visible in society. Many parents who come from countries where Islam often feels marginalised find comfort in these blessings.
Yet opportunities alone do not guarantee outcomes.
A child can hear the adhan every day and still never feel connected to the prayer.
A Qur'an can sit beautifully on a shelf and remain unopened.
A Muslim identity can become something inherited rather than something understood and cherished.
Faith, like a seed, must be nurtured.
I was once speaking with a group of children and asked them a simple question: "Who is your best friend?"
Hands shot up immediately.
They spoke enthusiastically about classmates, teammates and friends they spent time with every day.
I then asked, "How many of those friends remind you to pray, encourage you to do good, or help you become a better Muslim?"
The room suddenly became quiet.
It was a powerful reminder that the influences surrounding our children often shape them more than we realise.
This is one of the reasons Hijrah Academy exists.
We wanted to create more than a classroom. We wanted to create an environment where children could sit with the Qur'an, learn about their faith, develop good character and build friendships with other young Muslims who share similar values.
Since opening our doors, we have seen children arrive shy and uncertain, then gradually grow in confidence. We have watched children who struggled to read Qur'an take pride in their progress.
We have seen friendships develop between pupils from different schools and backgrounds who may never otherwise have crossed paths. These moments may seem small, but they matter.
Because childhood passes quickly.
The conversations we have today, the habits we nurture today and the foundations we build today often become the beliefs and character our children carry for the rest of their lives.
At Hijrah Academy, we are simply trying to help families make the most of a precious opportunity. Qatar offers Muslim parents many blessings that previous generations could only dream of. Our hope is that we do not become so busy building a life for our children that we forget to help them build a relationship with their Creator.
Thank you for visiting our website. We look forward to welcoming your family into a community that shares the same hopes, concerns and aspirations for the next generation.
May Allah bless our children, protect their hearts, increase them in beneficial knowledge and make them a source of goodness for their families, communities and the Ummah.
Jazakummulah khair
Abu Suhayb
I still remember speaking to a parent shortly after they arrived in Qatar.
Like many expatriate families, they had moved here hoping to build a better future. Their children were thriving at school, settling into life in Doha and making new friends. Yet the parent quietly shared a concern that many mothers and fathers carry in their hearts:
"My children are doing well in many areas, but I worry whether they are becoming closer to Allah."
It is a question that resonates with many of us.
As parents, we spend years ensuring our children have the best opportunities available. We think carefully about schools, neighbourhoods, activities and future careers. Yet deep down, most Muslim parents know that our greatest hope is not simply that our children become successful adults, but that they become believing adults.
Adults who know their Lord.
Adults who love the Qur'an.
Adults who remain connected to Islam long after we are no longer here to remind them.
Living in Qatar brings tremendous blessings for Muslim families. The adhan echoes throughout our cities. Masajid are part of everyday life. Islamic values remain visible in society. Many parents who come from countries where Islam often feels marginalised find comfort in these blessings.
Yet opportunities alone do not guarantee outcomes.
A child can hear the adhan every day and still never feel connected to the prayer.
A Qur'an can sit beautifully on a shelf and remain unopened.
A Muslim identity can become something inherited rather than something understood and cherished.
Faith, like a seed, must be nurtured.
I was once speaking with a group of children and asked them a simple question: "Who is your best friend?"
Hands shot up immediately.
They spoke enthusiastically about classmates, teammates and friends they spent time with every day.
I then asked, "How many of those friends remind you to pray, encourage you to do good, or help you become a better Muslim?"
The room suddenly became quiet.
It was a powerful reminder that the influences surrounding our children often shape them more than we realise.
This is one of the reasons Hijrah Academy exists.
We wanted to create more than a classroom. We wanted to create an environment where children could sit with the Qur'an, learn about their faith, develop good character and build friendships with other young Muslims who share similar values.
Since opening our doors, we have seen children arrive shy and uncertain, then gradually grow in confidence. We have watched children who struggled to read Qur'an take pride in their progress.
We have seen friendships develop between pupils from different schools and backgrounds who may never otherwise have crossed paths. These moments may seem small, but they matter.
Because childhood passes quickly.
The conversations we have today, the habits we nurture today and the foundations we build today often become the beliefs and character our children carry for the rest of their lives.
At Hijrah Academy, we are simply trying to help families make the most of a precious opportunity. Qatar offers Muslim parents many blessings that previous generations could only dream of. Our hope is that we do not become so busy building a life for our children that we forget to help them build a relationship with their Creator.
Thank you for visiting our website. We look forward to welcoming your family into a community that shares the same hopes, concerns and aspirations for the next generation.
May Allah bless our children, protect their hearts, increase them in beneficial knowledge and make them a source of goodness for their families, communities and the Ummah.
Jazakummulah khair
Abu Suhayb
When Ustadh Abu Suhayb arrived in Qatar from the UK back in 2022, he brought with him years of experience teaching in some of Britain's most respected Islamic schools and maktabs.
What he did not find — at least not in the form he knew — was a Saturday Islamic school that matched the structure, rigour and warmth of the UK model. Especially so in the English language.
There were online programmes. There were private tutors. But there was nothing that brought children together in a classroom, face to face, with a qualified teacher who knew how to make Islamic education come alive.
So he decided to build one.
What he did not find — at least not in the form he knew — was a Saturday Islamic school that matched the structure, rigour and warmth of the UK model. Especially so in the English language.
There were online programmes. There were private tutors. But there was nothing that brought children together in a classroom, face to face, with a qualified teacher who knew how to make Islamic education come alive.
So he decided to build one.
Hijrah Academy was founded on a simple belief: that children raised in an international, expat environment deserve Islamic education that is every bit as professional, structured and engaging as the schools they attend Sunday to Thursday.
Not a Tuesday evening rush through tajweed. Not a screen. A real classroom, real teachers, real friendships — and real results.
We named the academy after the hijrah — the journey of the Prophet ﷺ and his companions towards something better. For many of our families, raising children with strong Islamic identity in Qatar is its own kind of hijrah. We want to be part of that journey.
Not a Tuesday evening rush through tajweed. Not a screen. A real classroom, real teachers, real friendships — and real results.
We named the academy after the hijrah — the journey of the Prophet ﷺ and his companions towards something better. For many of our families, raising children with strong Islamic identity in Qatar is its own kind of hijrah. We want to be part of that journey.
Today, Hijrah Academy serves families from across Doha's international school community — children from Park House English School, Oryx International, King's College, Newton International and beyond.
Our curriculum spans five progressive stages from ages 5 to 12, covering Qur'an, Islamic Studies, adab and character development. Classes are small by design. Every child is known by name.
We are proud of what we have built alhamdulilah— and we are just getting started.
For the next academic year we are taking a further 16 more pupils split between stage 1 and stage 2.
Our curriculum spans five progressive stages from ages 5 to 12, covering Qur'an, Islamic Studies, adab and character development. Classes are small by design. Every child is known by name.
We are proud of what we have built alhamdulilah— and we are just getting started.
For the next academic year we are taking a further 16 more pupils split between stage 1 and stage 2.
So you enter Qatar and everything is in Arabic.
Every friday is frustrating becasue you don't know what the Imam is saying.
Alhamdulillah after much perseverance we finally received our approval from the ministry.
Now alhamdulillah khutbah translations take place weekly and shared to allow the english speaking expats to benefit.
Get in touch and enquire about the link to join weekly khutbah translations.
Every friday is frustrating becasue you don't know what the Imam is saying.
Alhamdulillah after much perseverance we finally received our approval from the ministry.
Now alhamdulillah khutbah translations take place weekly and shared to allow the english speaking expats to benefit.
Get in touch and enquire about the link to join weekly khutbah translations.