Islamic education through suhbah
Learning Made Beautiful, Human, Intentional, Joyful, Connected, Meaningful
Ihsan Circle forms thoughtful, capable Muslims — through online courses, private study, and mentorship cohorts — and prepares the teachers and masajid responsible for forming them.
A Word From the Founder
A decade of youth workHundreds of lives changedTraditionally groundedInformed for the moment
Start Here · من أنت
Four doors, one circle
Ihsan Circle serves families, masajid, teachers, and the people who keep a seat open for a student who cannot pay. Take the door that is yours — the rest of the page will still be here.
Here to volunteer, drive, or host instead? Get involved.
Find the kind of support you need
We form students — and we prepare the people and institutions responsible for forming them.
Not sure where you fit? book a call and we'll help you find the right next step.
Our Philosophy
Suhbah. Ihsan. Mentorship.
Content informs. Companionship transforms. A lecture hands over an idea; a mentor who knows your name walks beside you until it becomes character. That's the throughline beneath every branch of Ihsan Circle's work.
Track Record · الأثر
Built on a decade of results
A decade of youth work in Dallas — now building the same model in Chicago, where the first cohorts begin August 22–25, 2026.
students served weekly at its peak
learned adab and faith in Ihsan Circles
partner organizations throughout Dallas
years of sustained youth work
Associated Organizations
Studied At
Served Formally
Now Enrolling
Ihsan Circle is welcoming applications for a new circle.
Seats are limited so every student gets real mentorship, not a classroom seat.
First classes begin the week of August 22, 2026
Life Together
A community that raises young people
Play any clip — halaqat, workshops, outings, and everything in between.
A decade of this work has reached hundreds of students across two cities — never programs first, always people first.
And the vision hasn't moved since the first circle: every child included, and every Muslim boy walking into the masjid certain that he belongs there.
The Founding Story · القصة
Before it had a name
Before the cohorts and the curriculum, there was a fifteen-year-old with a daily ride to school and a teacher who took him seriously. Everything on this page grew out of that seat.
Two Formations, One Circle
From sacred study to responsible service
Traditional study forms knowledge; leading a community also takes guided practice among real people. We prepare students of knowledge to become capable teacher-mentors, and give young Muslims guidance they actually trust.
See How the Model WorksWhat Families Can Expect · أمانة
Trust, written down
Same-gender supervision, attendance logged rather than assumed, published 12-month standards reviewed quarterly, tuition in the open with sliding-scale seats, and a parent's right to their child's data — every commitment stated on one page, not scattered through ours.
Read Our SafeguardingIn Their Own Words · بأصواتهم
Hear it from the circle
Written quotes are easy to publish. These are the students themselves — unedited, and recorded because they offered to.
Abraar
Ihsan Circle student
Inside the Circle
The learning, up close
Halaqahs, lessons, and the people leading them.
The circle doesn't pause between sessions.
The group chat keeps going, the reflections pile up, and the brothers continue to grow and support one another. Check out our page for more Ihsan on Instagram.
@ihsan__circle · Follow AlongVoices
What families and students say
From ten years of this work in Dallas — the same model now enrolling in Chicago.
“I finally have begun, after 4 decades of study, to put together how Arabic and Islamic studies work by learning privately with Irslan.”
Dr. Seema
Arabic student
“Rayyan always disliked his tutors, which made him resist reciting Qur'an — but after just one class with Br. Irslan, he fell in love with it. Irslan's patience, encouragement, and real love for revelation captivated my son.”
Umm Rayyan
Qur'an parent
“I have never had a mentor who genuinely looked out for my wellbeing the way Br. Irslan does. Outside of class, I counted on him for guidance on everything.”
Hamzah N.
Ihsan student
“Irslan's teaching style made the Arabic of the Qur'an immediately accessible, and I have never appreciated it as much as I do now.”
Muadh A.
Arabic student
“Br. Irslan has a way of reaching every student's heart, so even the first-timer and the veteran are both transformed by the lesson.”
Muhammad M.
Ihsan student
“Youseff always had his reservations about Islam. But after this course, not only is he proud of his faith — he practices it and shares it in a way that makes us proud as parents.”
Umm Youseff
Faith parent
Questions
Asked before joining
The questions parents and masjid boards bring to a first conversation — answered plainly, cost included.
Something we didn't cover? Ask us directly
What is Ihsan Circle, exactly?
A Chicago-based Islamic education organization doing two kinds of work: forming students — through Online Courses, Private Study, and Ihsan Circles — and preparing the people and institutions responsible for forming them, through Teaching with Ihsan and Hilaq. All five are built on the same idea: formation through sustained companionship, not one-off content.
How much does it cost?
Online Courses are $160 for an eight-week course and $400 for the sixteen-week Arabic course. Ihsan Circles are $75 per student each month. Teaching with Ihsan is $400 for the twelve-week cohort, with sponsorships available. Hilaq runs on monthly partnership tiers from $2,000 to $5,000, depending on scope. Private Study typically runs $160–$300 per month depending on subject and frequency, with an exact written quote after a consultation. No sincere student is turned away from our student programs for inability to pay — write to us before registering and we will find a way forward.
How do the five programs differ?
Online Courses are live, semester-paced classes in faith, adab, Qur'an, and Arabic, open to students anywhere. Private Study is one-on-one instruction shaped around a single student. Ihsan Circles are selective weekly cohorts — the same guide, the same students, for years. Teaching with Ihsan forms adults who want to teach and mentor. Hilaq installs a trained youth-development system inside a masjid.
Do I have to live in Chicago to take part?
No. Online Courses are fully online and open to students anywhere, and Private Study is often available remotely depending on the instructor and subject. Ihsan Circles and Hilaq are the two that are place-based, and both currently run in the Chicago area.
Is Ihsan Circle affiliated with a specific masjid?
No — it is an independent organization, fiscally sponsored by Ideal Foundation. It serves families directly through Online Courses, Private Study, and Ihsan Circles, and partners with masajid and schools through Teaching with Ihsan and Hilaq.
How can my masjid get involved?
Two ways. Start a conversation about Hilaq, which installs a youth-development system your community eventually owns and runs. Or send the people already serving your youth to Teaching with Ihsan, so they are formed before they are asked to lead. Either way the first step is a conversation, with no commitment required.
Ready to begin?
Not sure which branch fits your family or masjid? Book a short call and we'll help you find the right next step.
Ready to skip the call? Apply directly or support the work.