Academic Year 2026–2027
Introducing our year-round Qur'an memorization program for children in Rockford, Illinois. The first of its kind, with full-time and after-school pathways.
5 of 12 full-time seats are already claimed.
خَيْرُكُمْ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ وَعَلَّمَهُ
“The best among you is the one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it.”
Sahih al-Bukhari
The parents of the one who recites the Qur'an will be clothed with crowns of light.
Abu Dawud
Recite the Qur'an, for it will come as an intercessor for its companions on the Day of Resurrection.
Muslim
Fluent recitation with correct tajweed comes before memorization, then a disciplined daily cycle of new lessons and layered review, led by scholars trained in it.
Sahwah Connect, our program platform, logs every child's progress weekly and assesses formally every three weeks, so parents and teachers always know exactly where a child stands.
In partnership with Khalil Center, our scholars and clinicians consult together about every child, so students and families have ongoing social-emotional and spiritual support and each child grows in emotional intelligence alongside their hifz.
“…and recite the Qur'an with measured recitation.” (Al-Muzzammil 73:4)
Before anyone can memorize effectively, they must be able to read correctly. So we correct the recitation, teach tajweed, and build strong habits from the very beginning, because mistakes that get memorized are much harder to fix later.
The teacher guides. The student makes the effort. The parents create a supportive environment at home. When all three work together, a child builds a strong foundation and grows far more effectively.
We start with small lessons so students build the habit and come to love what they read, and it never becomes a burden. We want our students to become people of the Qur'an: reciting it regularly, reflecting on it, acting on it, and living by its teachings.
Fresh memorization every day, recited one-on-one to the teacher.
The last lessons revised daily to lock in retention while they are still new.
Everything previously memorized, cycled continuously so it is never lost.
Alongside the Qur'an, students learn the essentials of their deen, in both the full-time and after-school pathways.
Each report covers:
Prepared by the teacher in Sahwah Connect and published for parents.
What makes our tournaments different:
Tournaments ran all summer, across many different surahs and topics. There were weekly tournaments, where the champion took home a KitKat, and the season ended with the Graduation Cup: 26 students, each playing for a country, through a qualifying shootout and a seeded knockout to the podium. In the Mizana year, tournaments run through every trimester, and the year closes with a championship cup at graduation.
This was the favorite part of our kids' day.
A Summer 2026 program family
Every family's invoice shows the full program cost with the credit applied.
A one-time $100 registration fee for the year's books and materials, and a $15 monthly facility fee.
No family will be turned away because of finances. Apply for assistance and Dr. Asim Ishaq's committee (+1 (847) 858-9683) will review it confidentially.
Every family also joins our Ambassador Program, where students raise support for the whole program.
Admissions are rolling. After August 10, applications are considered case by case as space allows.
A formal assessment every three weeks, logged in Sahwah Connect, means you never wait until an end-of-year exam to learn how your child is doing.
Program Mentor
A hafidh of the Qur'an, Shaykh Munsif spent seven years studying the Islamic sciences in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, within Masjid al-Nabawi and the circles of its scholars, earning degrees in Arabic language and Classical Arabic Literature from the Islamic University of Medina. He is also a registered psychotherapist with a Master of Pastoral Studies from the University of Toronto, and serves at Khalil Center as a clinical psychotherapist. In the Hifz Program he provides direct mentorship and motivation to every student, uniting the program's two deepest commitments: sound Qur'an instruction and real emotional and spiritual care.
Lead Instructor
A Nadwat al-Ulama trained scholar with an Ijazah in Tajweed in the recitation of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim. Shaykh Abdullah led our Summer 2026 Hifz Program and continues with students into the academic year.
Consultant · Tajweed & Qira'at
Trained at Darul Uloom al-Madania, Darussalam Seminary, and the Institute of Islamic Education. Holds an ijazah from Sh. Abdul-Hayy Habbal in the Arabic and Islamic sciences, and a shahada in the 10 Qira'at of the Qur'an from Dr. Fawqi Jawadah al-Azhari.
Program administration & family liaison: your first call for enrollment, logistics, and any concern along the way.
Chairs the curriculum committee, serves as a program mentor, and is a source of immense support for students and teachers alike.
Program administration: operations, assessment design, and the systems that keep teaching accountable.
Financial assistance: chairs the committee that reviews every assistance application confidentially and works with families one on one.
Students in the Summer 2026 Hifz Program used this same methodology.
Talk to a real person before you decide anything.
Under the legal name Awakening Academy, Sahwah Academy is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Your tax-deductible donation directly supports scholarships, instructional materials, and the everyday operation of our educational programs.
Giving pays you back. Every gift is tax-deductible and comes with a receipt for your records; savings shown assume a 30% tax bracket for donors who itemize.