The short answer: "online Islamic school" can mean two very different things. Some are full-time online schools that teach the whole school curriculum (maths, English, science) with Islamic subjects added, and may hold accreditation. Most, including ours, are supplementary: live online Quran and Islamic Studies classes a child takes alongside their normal school. Ours is not an accredited school and does not replace school; it adds Quran and Islamic learning around it.
Two meanings of the same phrase
| Full-time online Islamic school | Supplementary online Islamic classes | |
|---|---|---|
| Replaces normal school? | Yes, for families who choose it | No, taken alongside school |
| Subjects | Full school curriculum plus Islamic subjects | Quran reading, Tajweed, Hifz and Islamic Studies |
| Hours | School-day hours, most weekdays | Usually 30–45 minutes, a few times a week |
| Accreditation | Some are accredited or registered; check each one | Usually not applicable; check what any certificate means |
| Class format | Often small groups or larger online classes | Often one-to-one |
When you search for an online Islamic school, check which kind you are looking at before comparing prices or timetables. They are solving different problems.
What a supplementary online Islamic school teaches
- Quran reading: from the Arabic letters with Noorani Qaida to reading the Quran with Tajweed.
- Memorisation: short surahs for every child, and full Hifz for those who are ready.
- Aqeedah: belief in Allah and the pillars of Iman, at a child's level.
- Salah and wudu: how to pray, step by step, and what the words mean.
- Duas and Kalimas: for daily life, with meanings.
- Seerah and the prophets: the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the stories of earlier prophets.
- Akhlaq: manners and character, from kindness to honesty online.
For what fits at each age, see Islamic Studies for kids by age.
How it compares with weekend or evening madrasa
Many families grew up with a mosque madrasa: a group class after school or at the weekend. A supplementary online Islamic school covers similar subjects, but works differently:
- One-to-one instead of a group. The teacher hears every word your child reads and moves at their pace.
- At home, at your time. No travel, and classes can be fitted around school, clubs and time zones.
- Parents can see in. You can watch the lesson rather than wonder what happened.
- Less community. A madrasa gives children Muslim friends and time in the mosque, which online classes cannot fully replace. Many families keep both.
Our pages on online Quran classes vs mosque madrasa and weekend Islamic school or online classes look at this choice in more detail.
Accreditation: what to ask honestly
Accreditation means an outside body has checked a school against a standard. It matters most for full-time schooling, where your child needs recognised qualifications or records for the next stage of education. Rules differ from country to country, so check with your local education authority if you are considering full-time online schooling.
For supplementary Quran and Islamic Studies classes, accreditation is usually not the right question. Better questions are:
- Who are the teachers, and what are their qualifications?
- How are teachers checked before they are hired?
- Is someone reviewing the classes for quality and safety?
- Can I watch any lesson?
- What does any certificate actually mean?
To be clear about ourselves: Online Quran Lessons is not an accredited school, and our classes do not replace your child's school education. We give a certificate of achievement when a course is completed, which records what your child has learned with us; it is not a school qualification. Our guide on how to choose an online Quran academy has more questions worth asking any provider.
Who supplementary online Islamic classes suit
- Children in mainstream school whose families want structured Quran and Islamic learning at home.
- Families with no madrasa nearby, or whose local timetable does not fit.
- Homeschooled children whose parents want a specialist teacher for Quran and Islamic Studies.
- Children who need a slower or faster pace than a group class allows.
- Families with siblings at different levels, each needing their own lesson.
What our online Islamic school looks like
Our online Islamic school is a programme of live one-to-one classes: Quran reading, Tajweed or Hifz combined with Islamic Studies for kids. Classes are 30 minutes (Hifz 45 minutes), with a male or female teacher at the same fee, taught in English or Urdu over Zoom, Google Meet or Skype. Every teacher's ID and certificates are checked and they teach a demo class before hiring, a female supervisor checks every class, and parents can join any lesson without notice. Classes run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so they fit around school in your time zone.
Try it before you decide
The easiest way to see whether supplementary classes suit your child is to try them. Book 3 free trial classes, no card needed. Ask for one Quran lesson and one Islamic Studies lesson, sit in on both, and decide afterwards.
