The book of agreed-upon ahādīth on rulings.
A structured study of ʿUmdat al-Ahkām by al-Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Ghanī al-Maqdisī — taught at Taybah Educational Centre, Leicester, by Ustadh Ariff Olla. Approximately 426 ahādīth across 15 chapters, all from the two Ṣaḥīḥs.
الْأَحْكَامِ
Two semesters
Following the institute's standard September–May academic year.
Leicester · in person
Live classes at Taybah Educational Centre with audio recordings for revision.
English translation
The institute's own published edition — Arabic with full English translation.
Quizzes & exams
Self-assessment quizzes, mid-semester exam, and end-of-year written examination.
A book that does one thing very well.
For the Muslim who wants the actions they already perform every day to rest on the actual words of the Prophet (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) rather than inherited habit alone.
ʿUmdat al-Ahkām was compiled by al-Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Ghanī al-Maqdisī (d. 600 AH), a Ḥanbalī muḥaddith of Damascus, more than eight centuries ago. It is a focused collection: roughly 426 ahādīth, organised into the 15 chapters of fiqh — Purification, Prayer, Funerals, Zakāt, Fasting, Ḥajj, Marriage, Divorce, Transactions, Food, Clothing, and on through to the closing chapter on the freeing of slaves.
What sets it apart is the strictness of its sourcing. Every ḥadīth in the collection is taken from one of the two Ṣaḥīḥs — Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī or Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim — and the majority are muttafaq ʿalayh, meaning that both al-Bukhārī and Muslim recorded them. In the long classical tradition of authenticating prophetic narrations, this is the most trusted tier of material.
The chapter ordering follows the Ḥanbalī school of fiqh, which al-Maqdisī himself adhered to. Despite that, scholars from across the four madhāhib have written commentaries on it — most famously Ibn Daqīq al-ʿĪd's Iḥkām al-Aḥkām and Ibn al-Mulaqqin's al-Iʿlām. The book is widely regarded as a gateway: the natural next step after a student has completed al-Nawawī's Forty.
This course works through it methodically — ḥadīth by ḥadīth, chapter by chapter — over two semesters. Not as a survey, but as the kind of close reading the text was written to receive.
By the end of the year.
Concrete capabilities, not vague promises. These are the abilities that the course is designed to develop.
Read the Arabic matn aloud and translate it.
Familiarity with the Arabic of the ḥadīth text and the standard hadith vocabulary that recurs throughout the Six Books.
Trace each ruling to its narration.
For the rulings covered in the course, you will know which ḥadīth establishes the ruling, who narrated it, and where it appears in al-Bukhārī or Muslim.
Begin to navigate scholarly disagreement.
Where the four madhāhib differ on a ruling, you will be introduced to the ḥadīth each school relied upon and the basis of their respective interpretations.
Understand the language of the muḥaddithīn.
Terms such as muttafaq ʿalayhi, ṣaḥīḥ, ḥasan, marfūʿ, mawqūf — what each means and why they shape a ruling.
Refine your daily ʿibādah.
The practical aim of the book and the course: that wuḍūʾ, ṣalāh, ṣiyām, zakāh, and ḥajj are performed in line with what is established from the Sunnah.
Build a foundation for further study.
Students who complete ʿUmdat al-Ahkām are well-positioned for Bulūgh al-Marām, Ibn Daqīq al-ʿĪd's commentary, and the longer juristic works that build on the same material.
A scholar trained in the traditional way.
The course is taught directly by Ustadh Ariff Olla, the institute's founding instructor.
Riyadh
institute was founded
Ustadh Ariff studied Sharīʿah at Imām Muḥammad ibn Saʿūd Islamic University in Riyadh, completing both undergraduate and postgraduate study at its faculty. His most extended period of direct study was under Shaykh Saʿd ibn Nāṣir al-Shathrī — covering ḥadīth, fiqh, and uṣūl over a number of years.
In addition to his formal studies, he has sat under a number of senior mashāyikh in person — the manner of transmission classical scholars considered essential for religious knowledge. The course at AhleDhikr is taught in this same manner: small in size, in-person, with continuity from week to week and direct opportunity for questions.
Ustadh Ariff is also the translator of the institute's English edition of ʿUmdat al-Ahkām, published under AhleDhikr Publications.
Fifteen chapters. Roughly 426 ahādīth.
Click any chapter on the left to see what it covers and a representative selection of the ahādīth studied within it.
Chapter contents are described in summary. Hadith selections within each chapter are illustrative; precise contents and counts vary slightly between published editions.
Try the actual tools students use.
Two of the resources built for current students are open to anyone — try a sample of the quiz format and browse the searchable archive of ahādīth.
Ten multiple-choice questions on the first ten ahādīth — sources, narrators, exact wording, and meaning. Each question explains its answer with the relevant references.
- Instant grading and explanations
- References to al-Bukhārī & Muslim numbers
- Approximately ten minutes — retake at any time
A searchable archive of the ahādīth covered in the course — Arabic text, English translation, narrator, source citation, and topical tagging for revision.
- Search by number, narrator, keyword, or topic
- Filter chips for the major chapters
- Free for everyone — no login required
Enrolled students: lecture recordings, weekly notes and additional resources are provided directly by Ustadh Ariff. Contact the institute →
Lectures from the course itself.
A growing archive of recordings related to the ʿUmdat al-Aḥkām module — overview videos, intensive revision sessions, and individual ḥadīth explanations.
The practical side.
Everything you need to decide whether the course is right for you, and how to enrol.
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Next intakeSeptember 2026Two semesters · approximately 32 weeks
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Class timesSundaysWithin the Year 2 timetable · please confirm exact slot at registration
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LocationTaybah Educational Centre362 St Saviours Road, Leicester, LE5 4HJ
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Tuition£320 per yearSingle-track rate · payment plans available on request
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MaterialsEnglish translation includedThe institute's edition of ʿUmdat al-Ahkām · weekly notes provided
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PrerequisitesYear 1 of the Ilm Course preferredOpen to enrolment with prior study or instructor approval
Frequently asked questions.
Things people ask before signing up — answered as plainly as possible.
Do I need to know Arabic to take this course?
No. Lectures are delivered in English, though the Arabic text of each ḥadīth is read aloud and discussed. Over the course of the year, students develop a working familiarity with the standard hadith vocabulary — terms like ḥaddathanā, ʿan, marfūʿ, mawqūf — but you do not need to read or speak Arabic to begin.
Students who already have Arabic will, of course, get more out of the matn directly. The course accommodates both.
How is this different from reading ʿUmdat al-Ahkām on my own with a translation?
You can certainly read it on your own — the institute's English edition makes the matn accessible to any literate reader. What a structured course adds is what reading alone cannot easily provide: explanation of why a particular ḥadīth was placed in a particular chapter, the points of disagreement between the four madhāhib on its meaning, the relevant ʿillah (defects) discussed by the muḥaddithīn, and a teacher to ask when something is unclear.
Classical scholars consistently held that books on aḥkām should be read with a teacher, precisely because the rulings depend on subtleties that the text alone does not always make explicit.
Is the course suitable for someone who has never formally studied Islam before?
It is best taken as part of the Year 2 sequence of the institute's Ilm Course, after Year 1, which covers ʿaqīdah foundations, an introduction to fiqh, and basic ḥadīth methodology. Year 1 establishes the vocabulary and framing that ʿUmdat al-Ahkām assumes.
Students with strong prior study elsewhere may be admitted directly with the instructor's approval. Email the institute to discuss your background.
What is the time commitment outside of class?
Realistically, an hour or two of revision per week is enough to keep up. The course is designed for working adults and family people; it is not intended to replace your day. Reading the assigned ahādīth before class and reviewing the notes after is the recommended pattern.
Students preparing for the written exams typically increase this in the four weeks before each examination.
Are classes recorded?
Audio recordings of the live classes are made available to enrolled students, so missing a class for travel or illness is not catastrophic. The expectation is still that students attend in person whenever possible — both because in-person learning is more effective, and because the right to ask questions in real time is part of the value of enrolment.
Are there exams? What happens if I don't pass?
Yes — a mid-semester written examination and an end-of-year final. Marks are weighted, with continuous assessment counting toward the overall grade. Students who fall short of the pass mark are given the option to resit at the start of the following academic year before progressing.
The exams exist to mark genuine understanding, not to gatekeep. Most students who attend regularly and complete the readings pass comfortably.
Can sisters enrol?
Yes. The institute accommodates both brothers and sisters with appropriate seating arrangements at Taybah Educational Centre. Email the institute to confirm details before the start of term.
What if I have to withdraw mid-year?
Refund policies depend on when in the year you withdraw. Email the institute to discuss your situation; the institute is generally accommodating where there is a genuine reason.
Begin where the scholars began.
The next intake of the ʿUmdat al-Ahkām course opens for registration each summer. Places are limited.