Introduction
Islamic education in Canada has grown from a handful of mosque classrooms in the 1970s into a sophisticated network spanning every major city in the country. Today, over 1.8 million Muslims call Canada home — the fastest-growing religious community in the country — and thousands of Canadian Muslim families are actively seeking Islamic education for their children alongside their regular schooling.
From after-school maktabs running in mosque basements across the Greater Toronto Area to accredited full-time Islamic schools in Ottawa, Edmonton, and Vancouver, Islamic education in Canada takes many forms. This guide offers a complete overview of the landscape: what institutions exist, who runs them, what they teach, and what tools they need to run effectively.
The Muslim Community in Canada: A Growing Presence
Canada is home to approximately 1.8 million Muslims according to the 2021 census — roughly 4.9% of the national population and a figure that has nearly doubled since 2001. Muslims are now the second-largest non-Christian religious group in Canada, and projections suggest that number could reach 3.2 million by 2031.
The Muslim community in Canada is highly diverse in origin: South Asian Muslims (Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan) form the largest bloc, followed by Arab Muslims (Egyptian, Lebanese, Syrian, Moroccan), Somali, Afghani, and West African communities, as well as a growing number of converts. This diversity directly shapes the Islamic education landscape: there is no single dominant tradition, no national board, and no standardised curriculum — only a mosaic of community-run institutions.
The Muslim population is concentrated in urban centres:
| City / Region | Estimated Muslim Population |
| Greater Toronto Area | ~500,000+ |
| Montreal | ~250,000+ |
| Ottawa | ~100,000 |
| Edmonton | ~85,000 |
| Calgary | ~75,000 |
| Vancouver | ~80,000 |
| Winnipeg | ~25,000 |
| Halifax | ~10,000 |
This concentration shapes where Islamic schools and maktabs have taken root — and where the largest unmet demand for digital management tools exists.
Types of Islamic Education Institutions in Canada
Islamic education in Canada operates across four main institutional forms, each with a distinct model, audience, and set of operational challenges.
| Institution Type | Schedule | Age Range | Cost | Curriculum Control |
| After-school maktab | Mon–Thu, 5:30–7:30pm | 5–14 | 50–50–50– 100/month | Mosque committee |
| Weekend Islamic school | Sat/Sun, 9am–1pm | 5–16 | 40–40–40– 80/month | Mosque committee |
| Full-time Islamic school | Mon–Fri, full day | JK–Grade 12 | 4,000–4,000–4,000– 12,000/year | School board / CISNA |
| Hifz programme | Intensive or part-time | 8–18+ | Varies | Islamic scholar in residence |
| Adult / community classes | Evenings and weekends | Adults | Free or donation-based | Imam or organisation |
Most Canadian Muslim children who receive Islamic education attend either an after-school maktab or a weekend school — not a full-time Islamic school. Full-time schools, while excellent, remain accessible to only a fraction of the Muslim student population due to cost and geography.
The After-School Maktab: Canada’s Most Common Model
The after-school maktab is the backbone of Islamic education for Canadian Muslim children. These programmes typically run Monday to Thursday from around 5:30 to 7:30 pm — slotted between the end of the regular school day and the evening prayer. Children aged five to fourteen attend for two hours, learning Quran recitation with Tajweed, basic Islamic studies, memorisation of duas and Surahs, and foundational Fiqh.
The maktab model was transplanted directly from the South Asian Muslim tradition — particularly the Hanafi/Deobandi community that first established Islamic education in Canada through institutions like the Al-Rashid Islamic Institute in Cornwall, Ontario (est. 1983), widely recognised as the first madrasa in North America.
Today, nearly every mosque of significant size in Toronto, Mississauga, Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton, and Calgary runs some form of after-school Islamic programme. IPC Jame Masjid in Mississauga, for example, offers its after-school madrasa Monday to Thursday 5:30–7:30 pm for $75 per month, covering Quran and Qaidah with Tajweed, Islamic Studies, and memorisation of duas and Surahs. Ommah Madrasah in Stittsville (Ottawa) runs a similar programme three days per week, with additional adult Arabic and Quran programmes in the evenings.
What a Typical Maktab Session Looks Like
A standard two-hour maktab session in Canada typically follows this structure:
- Opening du’a and attendance (10 min)
- Individual Quran recitation with the teacher (30–40 min)
- Islamic Studies lesson — Fiqh, Aqeedah, or Seerah (30–40 min)
- Surah or dua memorisation (20 min)
- Closing du’a and homework assignment (10 min)
Unlike South Asian maktabs where detailed Quran progress tracking (Sabak, Sabak Para, Dhor, Manzil) is deeply embedded in the teaching model, most Canadian maktabs use simpler attendance-and-assessment approaches. Progress in Quran is tracked by the Surah or Juz reached, rather than daily lesson logs.
Full-Time Islamic Schools: Growing Across the Country
Full-time Islamic schools in Canada are provincially regulated private schools that integrate the provincial curriculum with a comprehensive Islamic studies programme. They operate as registered nonpublic schools, meeting Ontario, Alberta, BC, or Quebec education ministry requirements while delivering an Islamic identity alongside academic subjects.
The Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) operates the largest network of full-time Islamic schools in Canada, with nine schools across Ontario, Alberta, and BC — including Abraar School (Ottawa), Al-Furqan (Ottawa and Toronto), MAC Calgary Islamic School, Maple Grove School, and Olive Grove School. These schools serve thousands of students from JK to Grade 12 and have been operating for over three decades.
Full-time Islamic schools face a distinctive dual challenge: they must hire teachers capable of delivering the provincial curriculum (and meet provincial licensing requirements) and maintain a teaching staff grounded in Islamic knowledge and character. This staffing challenge is consistently cited as the top operational difficulty by Canadian Islamic school principals.
Hifz Programmes in Canada
Hifz — the complete memorisation of the Quran — is a deeply respected tradition in all Canadian Muslim communities regardless of ethnic background. Most major Canadian cities have at least one Hifz programme, offered either as a dedicated intensive boarding or day programme, or as part of a larger Islamic school.
MAC’s network includes dedicated Quran schools such as Al-Otrojah for Quran Studies and Raheeq Institute in Edmonton. IPC Jame Masjid in Mississauga operates a full Hifz Academy alongside its madrasa programmes.
Hifz programmes in Canada face unique challenges compared to their South Asian counterparts:
- Students are simultaneously enrolled in full-time secular schools (making the time commitment very demanding)
- There is no nationally standardised Hifz tracking methodology
- Teacher shortages — qualified Hifz teachers (Qaris) willing to work in Canada are limited
The Organisations Behind Canadian Islamic Education
Several key organisations shape Islamic education nationally and regionally across Canada.
Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) — the largest organised Islamic educational institution in Canada, operating 9 full-time schools, multiple part-time schools, and Quran schools from British Columbia to Ontario. MAC also runs eLearning programmes and youth initiatives.
ICNA Canada — the Islamic Circle of North America’s Canadian wing provides education programmes, community schools, and Islamic curriculum for both children and adults. ICNA Canada focuses strongly on tarbiyah (character development) alongside academic Islamic learning.
Islamic Schools Association of Canada (ISAC) — established in 2022, ISAC is the emerging national body for Islamic schools in Canada, working to provide collective voice, resources, and connection to accreditation pathways including CISNA.
ACIC Maktab (Toronto) — the Afghan Canadian Islamic Centre’s maktab in North York, offering a distinctive programme that combines Farsi, Quran, Islamic Studies, and Kindergarten programmes, with transportation across the GTA.
IPC Jame Masjid (Mississauga) — one of the GTA’s most comprehensive Islamic education programmes, offering after-school madrasa, weekend madrasa, Hifz Academy, elementary school, and kindergarten all under one roof.
Ommah Madrasah (Stittsville, Ottawa) — a self-funded, free-of-charge after-school programme for children combining Arabic and Quran, with separate evening adult programmes. A strong example of the volunteer-run community maktab model.
Challenges Facing Islamic Education in Canada
Despite its growth, Islamic education in Canada faces several persistent challenges.
Teacher recruitment and retention is the most commonly cited difficulty. Finding qualified teachers who can deliver both Islamic content and manage a classroom of Canadian Muslim children — often second or third-generation youth navigating dual identities — is genuinely difficult. Salaries at maktabs are often below market rate, and many maktab teachers are volunteers.
Curriculum standardisation is largely absent. Unlike South Asia’s board-based systems (Deeniyat, Samastha, MTB), Canadian maktabs each develop their own curriculum or adopt imported materials. This leads to inconsistency in student learning outcomes.
Administrative burden falls heavily on underpaid staff and volunteers. Most maktabs still use paper registers for attendance, WhatsApp groups for parent communication, and informal systems for fee collection — creating inefficiency and communication gaps.
Funding and financial sustainability is a challenge especially for smaller community maktabs. Unlike full-time schools which charge tuition, many maktabs charge low fees or operate on donations, making investment in staff and resources difficult.
Identity and engagement — keeping Canadian Muslim teenagers engaged in Islamic education when they face competing social and academic pressures requires modern pedagogy and strong tarbiyah programmes.
The Role of Technology and Software
As Canadian Muslim communities grow and their Islamic institutions professionalise, the demand for management software is increasing. Most maktabs and Islamic schools need tools for:
- Student registration and profile management
- Attendance tracking
- Quran progress tracking (Surah completion, Hifz milestones)
- Fee collection and financial reporting
- Parent communication and progress reports
- Teacher scheduling and management
Platforms like e-maktab (originally from the UK) have begun listing Canadian and American mosques. However, most general school management systems are not designed for the unique workflows of a maktab — they don’t understand Hifz tracking, Surah memorisation milestones, or the dual-session model of an after-school Islamic school.
ilmify.app is purpose-built for exactly this context — a management platform designed for maktabs and Islamic schools that understands how Islamic education actually works.
Conclusion
Islamic education in Canada is a vibrant, growing, and diverse sector — shaped by the experiences of over 1.8 million Canadian Muslims from dozens of national backgrounds. From humble after-school maktabs to full-time accredited Islamic schools, Canadian Muslim communities have built an educational ecosystem that holds profound importance for families raising their children with Islamic identity in a secular society.
The sector’s continued growth will depend on professionalising its administration, standardising its curricula, and investing in the tools that allow teachers and administrators to focus on education rather than paperwork. That starts with software built for this purpose.
Ready to modernise your maktab or Islamic school? Try ilmify.app free — purpose-built for Islamic educational institutions in Canada and around the world.
