École Supérieure de Parisمركز الإمام (عج) – باريسImam (AJ) Center – Paris
Espo Paris Academy presents the work of Imam (AJ) Center – Paris: an Islamic educational institute in France, preparing students, teachers, and preachers through traditional study shaped for life in France, Europe, and connected communities beyond.
Traditional Islamic studies, taught with an awareness of the languages, questions, and responsibilities that shape Muslim life in the West.
Mission and beginnings
The institute was shaped around a clear conviction: in countries like France, where intellectual and cultural diversity is especially strong, religious learning must be present, accessible, and able to speak with clarity to the societies around it.
About the CenterFor Muslim communities living in France and across Europe, serious religious learning cannot remain distant. The institute was established as a local response to that responsibility, helping scholarship take root where people actually live, ask, teach, and serve.
In 2002, Ayatollah Shaykh Ismail al-Khaliq began teaching traditional Islamic sciences in Paris. In 2012, those study circles were formally organized under the name Imam (AJ) Center – Paris.
This educational institute in France offers religious learning to followers of the Ahl al-Bayt and welcomes Muslims more broadly.
Shaykh Ismail al-Khaliq brings close to fifty years of experience in institute education, and has carried out missionary and educational work in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Canada, Africa, Pakistan, and many other countries.
About the founder
Ayatollah Shaykh Ismail al-Khaliq
Founder, Imam (AJ) Center – Paris
About the founder
Ayatollah Shaykh Ismail al-Khaliq is among the most prominent Shi'a religious scholars in the West, with a missionary experience spanning more than four decades.
Born
1957, Karbala, Iraq — raised beside the shrine of Imam al-Husayn (peace be upon him).
Early formation
institute of Karbala; examined in the advanced levels (al-suṭuh al-ʿulya) at thirteen years of age.
Najaf al-Ashraf
Bahth al-kharij under Sayyid Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei, Sayyid Muhammad al-Ruhani, and Sayyid al-Khomeini.
Academic
Master's degree from the Arab University in Beirut; attained al-Fadil al-Arabi in Pakistan, ranking first nationally.
What makes this institute unique
Its faculty includes highly distinguished scholars, but what distinguishes the Center most is the range of languages it teaches in and the practical shape of what it teaches.
Instruction in several languages helps students study in the languages they use in daily life and community service.
Although its faculty includes highly distinguished scholars led by Ayatollah Shaykh Ismail al-Khaliq, the curriculum emphasizes the real needs of Muslims living in Europe, the West, and Africa. Rather than focusing on abstract theoretical debates, it prioritizes the practical religious knowledge Muslims need in contemporary society.
Programs and curriculum
Teaching is organized into study circles with a defined subject, level and sequence of lessons. A circle may cover a complete subject, a class or a longer sequence. Its title, duration and access conditions are stated separately; annual and semester labels remain useful for organizing existing academic records.
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Educational and cultural courses designed to strengthen the religious identity of Muslims, intended for students who cannot dedicate themselves to full-time institute studies because of work or university commitments.
Covers the Holy Qur'an, jurisprudence (fiqh), Islamic beliefs (ʿaqidah), and ethics.
Programs and curriculum02
Teaching is organized into study circles with a defined subject, level and sequence of lessons. A circle may cover a complete subject, a class or a longer sequence. Its title, duration and access conditions are stated separately; annual and semester labels remain useful for organizing existing academic records.
Teaching is organized into study circles with a defined subject, level and sequence of lessons. A circle may cover a complete subject, a class or a longer sequence. Its title, duration and access conditions are stated separately; annual and semester labels remain useful for organizing existing academic records.
Programs and curriculum03
As Muslim populations continue to grow in Europe and North America, there is an increasing need for qualified teachers who can educate Muslim children. This programme is distinct from the institute's scholar-training track: it specifically prepares educators to teach children in Western societies.
Islamic subjects: jurisprudence (fiqh), beliefs (ʿaqidah), ethics, and Arabic language.
Programs and curriculumInstruction at the Center is carried out by scholars who teach, preach, and lead communities across Europe, North America, Africa, and the Middle East.
Teaching facultyAffiliated institutes and centers
Alongside its attention to the European and Western spheres, the Center places considerable emphasis on Africa, sponsoring a number of religious institutes and institutes.
Imam al-Jawad Institute — Brussels
Imam al-Sadiq Institute — Garko, Kano
Sadiq al-Amin Center — Tanzania
Lady al-Zahra (peace be upon her) Center
Study & Resources
Move between the official academic programme, the digital library, and recorded lessons through a structure designed to grow with the Center.
Center Updates
A structured home for official news, events, academic announcements and documented activities from the Center and its associated initiatives.
Activities, announcements and academic life.This section is prepared for verified institutional updates only. It remains outside the main navigation until approved content is added.
Programs and curriculum
Imam (AJ) Center – Paris exists to prepare students, preachers, and teachers who can serve France, Europe, Africa, and the wider French-speaking world with language fluency, sound religious grounding, and a contemporary sense of responsibility.
Those who wish to support Imam (AJ) Center – Paris may contact the administration directly for the currently available donation methods.