Halaqah & Kuliyyah

Sitting in the circles of the Haram

For centuries, the two Holy Mosques have been not only places of prayer but places of teaching. Scholars sit after the prayers, students gather around them, and books are read and explained line by line — the kuliyyah, or halaqah, that have run in these mosques for generations. Most visitors never realise this is happening a few metres from where they pray, and fewer still know how to join.

Helping Muslim travellers take part in that is one of the things Rihlah cares most about. It is, we think, the single most valuable thing a visitor can do with their time here — and the part of a journey that keeps giving long after you return home.

What a halaqah actually is

A halaqah is a circle of learning: a teacher, a text, and students seated around. In the Haramain these are typically held after one of the daily prayers, and they work through a classical book over weeks or months — hadith, tafsir, fiqh, aqidah, Arabic grammar. The teaching is traditional and unhurried, and visitors are generally welcome to sit in.

Kuliyyah at Masjid an-Nabawi

In Madinah, the Prophet’s Mosque hosts a wide range of lessons, many taught by well-known scholars, and some organised into structured programmes with registration. We help you find what is running during your stay, understand what level it assumes, and register where registration is required. For travellers who have only ever studied from books or online, sitting in a circle in the Prophet’s Mosque is a different experience altogether.

Kuliyyah at Masjid al-Haram

The same tradition runs in Makkah. Lessons are held in the Haram throughout the day and night, particularly after the prayers, and during Ramadan the programme expands considerably. We help you locate the circles, understand the schedule, and find teaching that suits your level and language.

What we actually do for you

Our role is practical. We find out what is running during your dates, explain the options in plain terms, help with registration where a programme requires it, advise on where and when to sit, and brief you on the adab of attending — how to arrive, where to sit, when to ask questions, and how the circle is conducted. Where language is a barrier, we advise on which circles are accessible and, where useful, arrange help.

Language, and how to prepare

Most teaching is in Arabic, and that is worth being honest about. Some circles are accessible with modest Arabic; others assume fluency. Many travellers pair attendance with Arabic study during the same journey, which makes an enormous difference — even a few weeks of preparation changes how much you take from a lesson. We will tell you frankly what you are likely to follow at your current level.

For those who cannot follow Arabic yet

If your Arabic is not yet there, sitting in a halaqah is still worthwhile — the atmosphere, the manner of teaching, the seriousness of it — but we would rather set expectations honestly than have you sit for an hour understanding nothing. In those cases we usually suggest a mix: attend to experience it, and spend the rest of your study time on Arabic or on Seerah study in a language you know.

Building a journey around study

Some travellers come specifically to study, and build the whole journey around it — a few weeks in Madinah, attending circles daily, with Arabic lessons alongside and time for ziyarah in between. Others attend a handful of lessons within a broader visit. Both work, and we shape the days accordingly.

Ramadan

Ramadan is the richest time for this. The teaching programme expands, the mosques are full through the night, and the whole rhythm of the city turns towards worship and learning. If you can come then, it is worth arranging early — and it pairs naturally with our Ramadan experience.

An honest note

Access, schedules and registration requirements are set by the mosque authorities and can change, sometimes at short notice. We do not promise access to any particular scholar or programme — what we promise is that we will find out what is genuinely available during your stay, help you get to it, and prepare you properly. When you are ready, plan your journey and tell us what you would like to study.