As you know, the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London has been producing textbooks for years, covering pre-school (4-6 years) to primary (6-12 years). Currently, secondary education books (12 to 18 years old) are also available.
What has traditionally been called 'religious education' is not what many people imagine. In the Ta’lim system, education about Islam and the Ismaili tariqa is done from an approach that is called ´civilizational,´ that is, the history of Islam and Muslims is not studied only from the Ismaili point of view; rather, our beliefs are explained in a larger context. Furthermore, Islam is not only studied as a religion or a belief, but as a civilization, considering all aspects of human endeavour: science, technology, ethics, philosophy, literature, art, commerce ... However, the most important thing is that while children and youth are encouraged to participate in the loyalty to the Imam of the Time and to belong to the Jamat, they are also encouraged to use their intellect to acquire 'tools' to think for themselves.
Let us remember that the word Ta'lim means 'instruction' or 'to impart knowledge' ('Ilm), in our Shi’i tradition of Islam it designates the teachings of the Imam of the Time (to such extent that often Ismailis are referred to as `Taʿlimíes´).
The Ta'lim teachers are voluntary members of the Jamat, either already born in Spain (Miriam and Omar), or living in Spain coming from other countries (Manzoor Ali from Afghanistan and Sadaf from Canada). The classes are in Spanish, which we hope will contribute to create a sense of belonging to the Jamat of Spain. Currently, the classes are online, the third Sunday of each month.
There are 22 students attending the classes. They come from Barcelona (11), Valencia (4), Seville (2), Vitoria (2), Lisbon (2) and Madrid (1). We have an attendance of around 78%, which is a resounding success.
If your children have not joined the classes yet, we encourage you to do so. We welcome you with open arms!
