The parent's guide to madrasah

By the Madrasah Bag team · Updated 2026-09-24

Quick answer

Madrasah is the after-school class, usually at a mosque, where UK Muslim children learn to read the Quran and the basics of Islam, typically for 5 to 10 hours a week. Children start with the Qaidah, move onto the Quran, and some go on to hifz. Parents help most by keeping a short daily practice routine at home, packing the right things, and talking to the teacher early if something isn't working.

This guide brings together everything on this site about madrasah life, from the first day to hifz. Each section links to a more detailed page.

1. What madrasah is

A madrasah (sometimes called a maktab at the beginner level) is a supplementary class run by a mosque or community centre. Most children attend on weekday evenings or at weekends, alongside ordinary school.

2. The learning path

The Qaidah: learning the Arabic letters and how they join. Stuck? See child struggling with the Qaidah.
Juz 'Amma and the Quran: reading from a full mushaf, with tajweed. Rushing? See reading too fast.
The first khatm and Ameen: finishing the Quran for the first time.
Hifz (for some): memorising the whole Quran through sabaq, sabqi and manzil. Forgetting? See child forgetting hifz.

3. Getting started

Preparing for the first day
What to pack: Qaidah or Quran, exercise book, pencil case, topi or hijab
First-day gifts
How to address the teacher: ustadh and ustadha

4. Helping at home

5. When it isn't going well

6. The bag

A child carries their Quran to class several times a week for years, so the bag matters more than it seems. Start with how to choose a madrasah bag.

Questions people also ask

How many hours a week is madrasah in the UK?

Commonly 5 to 10 hours, for example two hours on four or five weekday evenings, or longer weekend sessions.

What age do children start madrasah?

Usually between 4 and 7, starting with the Qaidah.

A madrasah bag built to last. We're making a full-grain leather madrasah satchel with a separate Quran sleeve. Join the waitlist to get 10% off at launch.

Get 10% off

Everything in madrasah life and learning

Preparing your child for the first day at madrasahHow to prepare a child for starting madrasah: what to pack, what happens on the first day, how to handle nerves, and questions to ask the teacher.
What to pack for madrasah and the mosqueA simple checklist of what children and adults need in their madrasah or mosque bag: Quran, Qaidah, notebooks, prayer items and a few things parents forget.
What is a madrasah?Madrasah means school in Arabic. In the UK it usually means an after-school class where children learn to read the Quran and the basics of Islam.
What is a maktab?A maktab is an elementary class where children learn to read the Quran and basic Islamic practice. How it differs from a madrasah.
What is a Qaidah?A Qaidah is the beginner's booklet children use to learn to read Arabic before moving onto the Quran. What's in it and how long it takes.
What is tajweed?Tajweed is the set of rules for pronouncing the Quran correctly. What it covers, how children learn it, and colour-coded tajweed Qurans.
What is hifz?Hifz is the memorisation of the whole Quran. How hifz classes work in the UK, how long it takes, and what a student needs.
Sabaq, sabqi and manzil: the hifz system explainedSabaq, sabqi and manzil are the three daily parts of hifz in many UK madrasahs: new lesson, recent revision and older revision. How each works.
What does ustadh mean?Ustadh means teacher in Arabic. The female form, and other titles UK children use for madrasah teachers.
What is a topi?A topi is a prayer cap worn by many Muslim men and boys. Other names (kufi, taqiyah), types, and why children take one to madrasah.
My child doesn't want to go to madrasahWhy children resist going to madrasah (tiredness, boredom, a strict teacher, friends) and practical ways parents can turn it around.
Child struggling with the QaidahPractical ways to help a child who's stuck on the Qaidah: short daily practice, listening, letter games, and when to talk to the teacher.
Child reading the Quran too fastHow to help a child who rushes through their Quran reading and makes tajweed mistakes: slowing down, listening, and pointing.
Child forgetting what they've memorisedWhy hifz students forget earlier juz, and a practical revision plan: manzil, listening, same-mushaf reading, and reciting in salah.
No time to practise the Quran at homeHow busy families fit daily Quran practice around school, homework and work: small habits, anchoring to routines, and listening on the go.
Losing the Quran habit after RamadanWhy Quran reading drops off after Ramadan for adults and children, and small, realistic ways to keep a daily habit going all year.
Madressa bag checklist for the new termGetting ready for a new madressa term: check the bag, the Quran and the kit, what to replace, and what to label, in a 15-minute routine.
Mosque bag for Jummah and Taraweeh: what to bringWhat to pack in a mosque bag for Jummah, taraweeh in Ramadan, and taking children to the mosque: Quran, prayer items, water, and things for kids.
How to choose a Quran for a childChoosing a child's Quran: 13-line vs 15-line, Indo-Pak or Uthmani script, tajweed colour coding, size and weight, and matching the madrasah.
Madrasah in Ramadan: what changesHow madrasah changes during Ramadan: timings, fasting children, taraweeh, khatm goals, and keeping children motivated through the month.