Course overview

Course 3C 
Awe and Wonder: Teaching Islamic Calligraphy for the non-Calligrapher

This is not just a course about how to teach Islamic calligraphy for the non-calligrapher—it’s about why it matters.
Format

Online
Course

Starting date

22 September 2025

Duration

6 weeks

Time commitment

2-3 hours a week

Weekly live session

Tuesdays
12pm BST

Price

FREE

Who is this course for?

This course is designed for educators working in Muslim educational contexts (primary or secondary school teachers, Islamic studies teachers, art teachers, or curriculum leads) who work with learners aged 3–18 years and are interested in integrating teaching Islamic calligraphy and/or teaching about the heritage, aesthetics of contemporary practice of Islamic Calligraphy. The course is also for anyone interested in art and aesthetics in Islamic education. Running through the course is how Islamic Calligraphy can nurture awe and wonder in learners, helping them to appreciate the beauty of Allah (swt) and His creation.


Do I need to attend the live sessions?

The course can be completed without attending the optional live drop in sessions. All materials are provided to support self-directed course completion.


Do I need prior experience with calligraphy or art to join?

Not at all! The course is designed to be accessible for educators from all subject areas. Whether you're completely new to calligraphy or already familiar, you'll be supported through each step with clear guidance and inspiring examples. We anticipate that each cohort will have participants from many backgrounds and the course is designed so we can all learn from each other.

How this course was developed

This course has been developed as part of the Reorienting Education in Muslim Contexts towards Awe and Wonder through Dialogue, Science and Art project, led by Dr Farah Ahmed at the University of Cambridge, Faculty of Education, and funded by the John Templeton Foundation.

As a learner, you may be invited to take part in our research exploring how educators engage with these ideas in practice. Participation in the research is entirely optional.

~ If you do not opt in, your course administration data will be processed by IELC as part of Shakhsiyah Education Consultancy.
~ If you do opt in, your data (including any research data) will also be securely processed and stored by the University of Cambridge, Faculty of Education, for research purposes.

For more information on how data is used, please see our Research Information Sheet and Privacy Statement.

Course Lessons

Course Instructors

Meet our team

Together, we have designed this course to support teachers in making Islamic calligraphy a living, breathing part of their classrooms—nurturing students’ sense of beauty (jamāl), discipline (adab), and Muslim personhood (Shakhsiyah Islamiyah) through art.

This course brings together our shared commitment to holistic, spiritually grounded, and intellectually rich education in Muslim contexts. It was created in response to a growing need among educators for meaningful tools to cultivate not only artistic skills, but also character, ethics, and spiritual reflection through the arts.
Widad Sirkhotte
University of Stellenbosch
Widad Sirkhotte is a calligrapher,  educator, curriculum designer, and creative practitioner with experience supporting Muslim schools, organisations and educators across South Africa and internationally. Her work focuses on integrating Islamic principles into meaningful, joyful, and reflective classroom practices and curricula. 
Dr. Dunya Habash
University of Cambridge
Dunya Habash is a postdoctoral researcher and arts educator whose research explores aesthetics, belonging, and the role of sonic and visual arts in post-conflict and displacement settings. She brings a deep passion for Islamic arts, decolonial education, and teacher training rooted in spiritual and ethical formation.
Dr. Farah Ahmed
University of Cambridge
Farah Ahmed is the Principal Investigator of the Awe & Wonder project and a leading scholar in Islamic educational philosophy. Her research bridges traditional Islamic pedagogies with contemporary educational theory, with a focus on decolonial, values-based approaches to curriculum design.
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