Online Quran Classes or a Local Madrasa? When Online Is the Better Choice
Many parents, especially in the UK, Europe and North America, face the same question: send our child to the local madrasa, or learn online? We will be honest from the start: a good in-person circle is the better choice when it is truly available. The problem is that, outside a few places, it often is not. This guide explains when in-person is best, when online is the better choice, and what to check before trusting anyone with your child’s Quran.
When an In-Person Circle Is the Best Choice
An in-person circle has a deeper effect on a student, especially in upbringing: the student sits with the teacher, learns from his example, and can gain righteous companions. So if there is a circle near you, and you trust the teacher, his method and his recitation, then in-person is the better option.
But we say this carefully, because it is better only under conditions:
- The teacher is properly qualified.
- His recitation is correct, with sound Tajweed.
- He is a role model in his character.
- The circle has a good system that gives each student real attention.
In the West, circles that meet all of these conditions have become rare, and in many areas almost non-existent. That is where online learning becomes the better choice.
What Parents Tell Us About Their Previous Experience
Many families come to us after years elsewhere. In the first meeting with every new student, we ask: “Have you memorised the Quran, or part of it? If yes, with whom?” The answers are often painful. Common problems we hear and see:
- Too many students in one class, so the teacher cannot focus on any one child.
- Weak Tajweed in the teaching itself, passed on to the students.
- Years spent with weak results: memorisation that is not firm, students who do not know the order of the surahs, and weak Tajweed rules.
Most of these parents were not careless. They simply had no other option and did not know of a trusted alternative that would take real responsibility for teaching, so they continued with the same place even when it was not benefiting their child.
Why Online Can Be the Better Choice
- One-to-one attention: the teacher hears every letter your child recites, with no crowded class.
- Qualified teachers wherever you live: your child can learn from teachers from Madinah without leaving home.
- A clear, personal plan, reviewed every month, with a daily record and a monthly result for parents.
- Short, flexible classes of up to about 25 minutes, Sunday to Thursday, that fit around school.
How We Choose Our Teachers
This is the question every parent should ask any Quran school. Our answer:
- All our current teachers learned in the Quran circles of Madinah and taught in the circles of Al-Masjid an-Nabawi.
- We will only add new teachers in the future if they studied in Madinah, with the same scholars who taught us, so their method matches ours.
- Every teacher is qualified under the sheikhs and reciters of Madinah.
- And questions on teaching: managing a class, especially remotely, and how to discover a student’s abilities and use them, instead of complaining that a restless student is “bad” or “cannot memorise”.
Read more about this approach in The Role of a Quran Teacher: Lessons from the Circles of Madinah.
Can Parents Watch the Class?
Classes are not recorded at present. A parent can be present when the child joins the class, for example in the same room or the same house, and follow along.
Joining the video call itself is usually not needed. In some cases, for example a parent living far from the child, we can occasionally add the parent to the class on request, so they can see their child’s progress and encourage him. But if we feel the parent’s presence puts pressure on the child, we will advise against it, because that is better for the child. The final choice remains with the parent.
What If My Child Does Not Get On with the Teacher?
A student can change teacher on request. We first look at the reasons and try to fix them, and if a change is better, we make it. Because all our teachers follow one unified system, the plan and the method continue smoothly with the new teacher.
Questions to Ask Before Choosing Any Quran Program
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Where did the teachers learn?
Ask about their own teachers and qualifications.
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How many students per class?
The fewer, the more attention your child gets.
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Is there a personal plan?
And how is progress reported to parents?
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Can I try first?
A trial shows you the teaching before you commit.
Questions Parents Ask
Is online learning better than a madrasa?
Not always. A trusted in-person circle with a qualified teacher is excellent. Online is the better choice when such a circle is not available near you, which is common in the West.
Are your classes recorded?
Not at present. Parents can be present at home during the class.
Can my child change teacher?
Yes. We first address the reasons, and all our teachers follow the same system, so the change is smooth.
See the Difference for Yourself
Book a free 3-day trial: a teacher from Madinah assesses your child, builds a personal plan and gives a first real lesson, with payment only after the trial.
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Sheikh Abdul Rahman Yaqoob is a certified Quran & Tajweed scholar, holding a Bachelor’s Degree with Honors in Noble Quran and Islamic Studies from the Islamic University of Madinah. He is the Lead Instructor at Quranic Values, dedicated to bridging the gap for Muslim families in the West by providing authentic Islamic education and nurturing a generation connected to their faith and identity