The Institute of Sharia Sciences

"It is a great honor to be a student at the 

"Auspicious Institute"

I acknowledge all those scholars, sheikhs and teachers (males and females) who taught me a single letter, and whose guidance and encouragement served as a beacon light and crowned my life with success." By Bint Ibadh.

About Institute

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said – may Allah protect him- has given a great care to the teaching of Sharia science; as religion and good manners are essential pillars in the building up of modern civilization of Oman.

His Majesty has confirmed this in his speech, when he said: "We build, construct, and raise the edifice of construction high and erect a well-established modern civilization for Oman; based on solid foundation of religion, morals and useful knowledge."

The Institute began its scientific activities in 1977 with the name of "Institute of preparation of Judges, Imamat and Oratory".

And later, His Majesty issued a Royal Decree No. 24/86 to construct the Institute of Sharia Judicature, Preaching & Guidance, and it follows the Ministry of Justice, Endowment and Islamic Affairs at that time, to assume this great mission of graduating qualifications that are aware of the fact of religion and are able to comprehend data of contemporary civilization and its renewable problems and, at the same time, maintain the national values ​​and ethical ideals inspired by the principles of Islam and the reality of the cultural heritage in general and the Omani heritage in particular.

In 1999, a Royal Decree No. 6/99 was issued to specify the specializations of the Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs and the adoption of organizational structure, which included the Institute of Sharia Sciences and follows the Office of the Minister directly. In consequence of this there was alteration to the name of the Institute of Sharia Judicature, Preaching & Guidance. This required consideration in the study plan and opening the door of specializations in the Institute.

In 2000, the Institute began for the first time a new phase by accepting female students for study at the Institute for a diploma degree in Sharia sciences; as it was earlier restricted to male students, and giving them a high degree (bachelor) certificate; in three batches until 2006.

In 2006, the Institute moved to its own premises and permanent location, God willing, at Al-Khuwair in Bawshar State of the Governorate of Muscat, close to the Mosque of Sultan Said bin Taimur. It began a phase of expansion in admission and specialization.

Female students who already had a diploma were allowed to continue their study at the Institute for two more years in order to receive a high degree in Sharia sciences.

The Institute continues to render its bounties and to constantly renew its educational programs, and develop teaching methods to cope with the rapid development of modern life.

Objectives

The Institute occupies its position through the role that it plays and the aim that it seeks to achieve. Article (3) of Royal Decree No. 24/86 contains the aims that are sought by the Institute.

There is no doubt that the pursuit of the Institute's performance of its scientific message, and spreading religious awareness among the people, directs the scientific performance in various areas of life to be in accordance with the provisions of Islamic law, in order to attain absolute slavery to Allah Almighty for humanity to progress and to be happy.

In the context of this overall aim, the role of the Institute in the local and global surroundings can be summarized as follows:

1. Institute teaches Sharia sciences as a specialty for the preparation of a generation that is aware of the requirements of contemporary life, and offers solutions on the basis of religious facts, and plays a key role in building the spiritual and cultural community in Oman.

2. Institute attaches great importance to teach the intellectual products of Oman and introducing it with modern educational style that combines tradition and contemporary. The Institute thus became the focus of attention of many researchers, students and education institutions in Oman and beyond. It has established a scientific and research links with many Arab and foreign countries, as represented by the following:

·        Signing of a number of agreements for the scientific and cultural exchange with universities and institutes worldwide, including AI-Azhar University, the University of Leiden (Netherlands), the University of Tübingen (Germany), the University of Petersburg (Russia), the Islamic University of Malaysia, and the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies.

·        Accepting a number of foreign students for study in the Institute. The students representing more than a dozen countries, including the United States of America, Britain, Germany, Croatia, and Rwanda, Mali, China, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and other countries from Africa.

·        Accepting a number of Institute graduates for continuation of higher studies in several international universities; whether in Britain or France or Germany or Malaysia, besides Arab countries.

·        The Institute provides many of the government sector institutions with unique scientific qualifications. This is apparent as its graduates represent the majority of the court corps and mosque imams and Friday speakers in the Sultanate.

·        The Institute has its active presence on the national level, whether by participating in the Sultan Qaboos Competitions for Holy Quran Memorization, or by participating in seminars and conferences held in the Sultanate, or by participating in scientific committees and cultural and literary events. The Institute also represents the Sultanate in many international congregations, such as Holy Quran Memorization Contests, and synagogues jurisprudence, and the global Islamic organizations and others. In light of these data, the Institute of Sharia sciences is one of the achievements of the Renaissance given by His Majesty's personal attention - may Allah protect him. So it is an important national wealth benefiting the homeland, its institutions and its members.

Board of Institute

Institute's administrative and academic structure

The Royal Decree No. 24/86 dictated the formation of the Council of the Institute which consists of His Excellency the Minister of Justice, Endowment and Islamic Affairs at that time as the President of the Institute. The presidency of the Institute then turned to the Minister of Endowment and Religious Affairs, according to Decree No. 6/99, and His Eminence the Grand Mufti of the Sultanate as the Council's Vice President and the Director General of the Institute with some delegates from other parties.

The Council is the supreme body in the management of general policies of the Institute, and comes after the Council, in terms of the administrative authority, the Director General of the Institute and his office followed by the following departments:

1)      Department of Administrative and Financial Affairs.

2)     Department of Educational Affairs and followed by the heads of departments in the specializations of the Institute.

3)      Department of Acceptance and Registration.

4)    Department of Students Affairs and followed by the hostels and cultural, sports and social activities.

5)     Department of Post Graduate Studies and Scientific Research and followed by postgraduate masters and doctoral degrees, scientific research and community service.

Majors

Below is a short list of the majors offered at the Institute of Sharia Sciences:

1)      The Major of Principles of Religion (for males)

2)     The Major of Jurisprudence and its Principles (for males)

3)      The Major of Jurisprudence and Dawah (for males)

4)    The Major of Islamic Studies (for female)

Students Service

The Institute provides different services and facilities for the studying students to make it easier for them to seeking knowledge and provide them with enough time to read and culture. These services and facilities include:

1)      Monthly stipend for male and female students.

2)     A hostel provided with all means of comfort for students and is based on special administration.

3)      Transportation to and from the Institute for students living in hostel.

4)    A computer hall connected to the global network of information. The computer laboratory is equipped with the latest configured devices.

5)     A public library: It is a huge library that is one of the largest libraries in the Sultanate in terms of availability of sources and references of Sharia. The library contains more than 40 thousand books in different knowledges and cultures; the most important are: the books of Tafseer, Ouranic sciences, Hadith sciences, jurisprudence, Arabic language sciences, dictionaries and general culture.

6)    Travel tickets and health care: which is related to the foreign students who are non-Omani; where the Institute provides to them a health card for free treatment in hospitals of the Sultanate. It also provides to them travel tickets to and from their home country at the beginning of the study and at the end of the study; where the Institute receives students from India, China, Britain, Germany, America, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Tanzania, Ghana and others.

7)     Gym: A hall equipped with the latest sport equipments. A specialist coach oversees the training of students.

8)     Theater: Institute offers a special building for the events that are held on whether lectures, workshops, or seminars.

9)     Classrooms: Modern comfortable learning environment is provided for students, where the devices that help to transfer information are available.

Library

The Institute's Library is one of the leading libraries that are rich in diverse and renewed sources. It is considered as the first cognitive tributary for male and female students as it contains in its facilities a large amount of references and books, which in turn contribute to the nurturing and building of students cognitively. It is headed for by researcher of sources and Sharia references as it contains more than 40 thousand books in the various knowledge and cultures, including books of Tafseer, Quran sciences, and Hadith sciences, jurisprudence, Arabic language sciences, dictionaries and general culture. 

The Department of the library works through its services to collect, arrange and classify the references and books, by working on an electronic program that works on cataloging and arranging the content in an organized and sophisticated manner, which facilitate the searching process for the students or the researcher of any books or publications by using the search engine of the program.

E-Learning and Distance Education

The Institute of Sharia Sciences has launched a new program in Bachelor of Islamic Studies, through what is known as "system of distance education"; in a gesture is the first of its kind at the level of higher education institutions in the Sultanate, where can the student in this program (from inside or outside the Sultanate) get adequate study in Sharia sciences without having to commit to daily attend study halls.

The Institute has opened the door of Registration in the program over the location of the program within the Institute's electronic network. Thus opening new and plenty of room to serve the community and to spread the umbrella of noble Sharia science within the homeland.

The System of Study

The study in the program of e-learning and distance education is via e-content, which offers visual recordings and electronic texts as well as an interactive environment between the student and the scientific material on one hand, and the student and the academic supervisor on the other.

The study in the program is by entering into the content management program and browsing the courses through the control panel with the ability to see the lectures more than once, as well as corresponding with the teacher through questions and inquiries, and then progressing to perform the examinations at the end of the year.

Reference:

Institute of Sharia Sciences official web site:

http://www.iis.edu.om/index.php#1