The Micro Certificate in Muslim Studies from the University of St. Michael’s College Continuing Education Division and the Shi’a Research Institute, offers a rigorous and accessible introduction to Islamic thought, spirituality, and history. Designed to move beyond stereotypes and surface-level narratives, this program equips learners with the knowledge and perspective needed for meaningful engagement in academic, professional, and interfaith contexts.
This is program is open for everyone!
- No prior knowledge needed
- Not only for students or academics
- Open to anyone, anywhere in the world
- 100% online — no need to be in Toronto or show up in person
- Only $150 per course
Complete any 3 of the 4 online courses and earn an official University of Toronto certificate — not only from SRI, but from St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto.
The micro-certificate program includes 4 courses:
- Introduction to Islamic Prayer and Spirituality (Fall 2026)
- Introduction to Islamic Philosophy and Mysticism (Fall 2026)
- Introduction to the Qur’an (Winter 2027)
- Making of the Shiʿa Tradition (Winter 2027)
Each course is 12 hours in duration and delivered over six weeks in a synchronous online format.
See details for all four courses below.
SMCE3019:
“Introduction to Islamic Prayer and Spirituality”
Explore the rich spiritual traditions of Islamic prayer in this introductory course on Muslim devotional life. Learn about the structure and meaning of daily ṣalāh (ritual prayer), supplications (duʿāʾ), and a wide range of devotional practices across Sunni, Shiʿī, and Sufi traditions.
Through guided readings and discussion, engage deeply with key spiritual texts, including the Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya (Psalms of the Family of Muhammad), a classical collection of supplications attributed to Imam ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn (Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn).
This course invites learners to move beyond abstract knowledge into a more reflective and experiential understanding of Islamic spirituality, supporting meaningful and informed interfaith dialogue.
- Online via Zoom
- 6 weeks on Tuesday evenings
- Oct 27 – Dec 1, 2026
- $150 for the full course
SMCE3019 is part of the Micro Certificate in Muslim Studies, offered in partnership with the Shi’a Research Institute.
Apply online here, or contact ce.stmikes@utoronto.ca
About the Instructor
Mehreen Zahra Jiwan (MPhil) is a PhD candidate in the Religion Department at Columbia University. She completed her first Master’s degree at the University of Toronto, where she developed her interest in approaches to early Islam and Shīʿism that foreground sensory and material culture studies. Her dissertation explores the (re)configuration of sacred geography as central to a shifting praxis of mediating sacred authority between the ninth and tenth centuries.
Jiwan’s work engages oft-neglected sources such as early pilgrimage manuals, hadith collections, and understudied mosques and gravesites in Baghdad and Samarrāʾ to recover early Shīʿī voices. She brings five years of undergraduate teaching experience at Columbia University and Barnard College, both within and beyond religious studies. She has also led introductory workshops on Islamic theology in collaboration with the Sacred Door Project and the ABSA Network at NYU’s Islamic Center.
In both academic and community settings, she employs an inquiry-driven teaching approach that emphasizes student-led textual engagement and collaborative thinking. Her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is shaped by her background as a Shīʿī Muslim and her focus on voices marginalized in both religious and academic contexts. Jiwan’s teaching and scholarship highlights the plurality and complexity of the Islamic past while fostering inclusive and respectful learning environments.
SMCE3020:
“Introduction to Islamic Philosophy & Mysticism”
Discover the rich intellectual and spiritual traditions of Islam in this introductory course on Islamic philosophy and mysticism. Engage with the ideas of major thinkers such as al-Fārābī, Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna), Ibn Rushd (Averroes), and Mullā Ṣadrā, and explore how their work shaped philosophical inquiry within and beyond the Islamic world.
Alongside these traditions of rational thought, the course introduces the mystical dimensions of Islam through Sufism and the Shiʿī tradition of ʿIrfān (gnosis). Through guided discussion and accessible readings, learners will encounter key questions about the nature of existence, the role of reason, and the human search for meaning.
This course is designed for non-specialists seeking a thoughtful and engaging introduction to Islamic intellectual history, and for those interested in deepening interfaith understanding through philosophical and spiritual dialogue.
- Online via Zoom
- 6 weeks on Wednesday evenings
- Oct 28 – Dec 2, 2026
- $150 for the full course
SMCE3020 is part of the Micro Certificate in Muslim Studies, offered in partnership with the Shi’a Research Institute.
Apply online here, or contact ce.stmikes@utoronto.ca
About the Instructor
Faezeh Izadi is a Sessional Instructor and a scholar of Islamic thought with over a decade of teaching experience at the university and secondary levels. Her research focuses on Shi‘i intellectual history, Islamic and Western moral philosophy, and philanthropic studies. Faezeh’s scholarship has earned several prestigious honors, most notably a SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship and the AMI Scholarship for young scholars of Twelver Shīʿism.
As the co-founder of the Muslim Impact Lab—a multidisciplinary initiative designed to bridge scholarly research with tangible social impact—and a former Public Humanities Fellow at the Calgary Institute for the Humanities, Faezeh is dedicated to bridging the gap between scholarly research and community action.
Faezeh’s pedagogical approach is rooted in fostering epistemological humility and imaginative inquiry, encouraging students to engage deeply with complex religious and philosophical traditions. Her expertise is informed by four years of traditional Islamic seminary training in Qom, alongside dual Master’s degrees: one in Religious Studies from Queen’s University and another in the Comparative Study of Religions and Mysticism from the University of Kashan. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Religious Studies at the University of Calgary.
“Introduction to the Qur’an”
Explore the Qur’an as a sacred text and a work of divine literature. This course introduces its themes, structure, and interpretive traditions, including Sunni and Shiʿa approaches to exegesis.
To be offered in the Winter 2027 Semester.
Details coming soon. Check back later, or contact ce.stmikes@utoronto.ca
“Making of the Shi’a Tradition”
Trace the historical development of Shiʿa Islam and its contributions to theology, philosophy, and political thought. Gain context for understanding contemporary diversity within the Muslim world.
To be offered in the Winter 2027 Semester.
Details coming soon. Check back later, or contact ce.stmikes@utoronto.ca