Students often ask us about the meaning of Midad. The word مِداد (midād) is Arabic for ink — the ink with which scholars have written down knowledge for centuries.
We chose the name because we hope our students will carry the Arabic language and the knowledge of the Qur’an forward, just as ink carries words onto the page.
Midad meaning in Arabic
In classical Arabic, midad is the ink used for writing. It appears in the Qur’an itself, in a verse about the endless words of Allah: قُل لَّوْ كَانَ الْبَحْرُ مِدَادًا لِّكَلِمَاتِ رَبِّي لَنَفِدَ الْبَحْرُ قَبْلَ أَن تَنفَدَ كَلِمَاتُ رَبِّي وَلَوْ جِئْنَا بِمِثْلِهِ مَدَدًا — “Say: Though the sea became ink for the Words of my Lord, verily the sea would be used up before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even though We brought the like thereof to help” (Surah Al-Kahf, 18:109, Pickthall).
For a school devoted to Arabic and the Qur’an, we could not think of a better name. Ink is humble and quiet, yet without it no book, no lesson and no chain of knowledge would have reached us — and that is the role we hope to play for our students.
How Midad began
Midad Centre was established in 2017 by brothers passionate about the Arabic language, based in both the UK and Egypt. Their aim was not merely to generate profit, but to serve and spread Arabic — the language of the Qur’an, whose status was raised when Allah chose it for His Book: “Indeed We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an that you might understand” (Surah Yusuf, 12:2).
Today, the teachers who run Midad have more than 15 years of experience teaching Arabic, the Qur’an and Tajweed, online and on the ground in Egypt.
Our goals
- Spread Arabic to every corner of the globe, as every Muslim needs it to truly understand the Qur’an — and in daily life, such as the adhkar.
- Remove the barrier of translation, so that students can connect directly with the texts of the religion, history and literature.
- Prepare students to become teachers, so that they can spread Arabic in their own countries. Alhamdulillah, many of our students have gone on to open small and large Arabic centres in their localities.
- Help every student reach their own goal — religious, conversational, or for work and trade — with flexible syllabus, methods and timing.
What Midad offers today
- Arabic from beginner to advanced (nahw, sarf and balagha), and conversation programmes.
- A Qur’anic Programme from the alphabet to Ijazah.
- A children’s programme taught by teachers who specialise in children.
- Arabic taught in Arabic, a teacher-training programme, and certificates certified by the World Federation of Schools (Arabic) and by Al-Azhar Al-Sharif (Qur’an).
- The opportunity to study an intensive full-time programme in Alexandria, Egypt, for a minimum of 3 months.
Read more on About us and Why study with Midad?
Frequently asked questions
Is Midad the same as Midad Centre?
Yes. Midad Institute is the same school, founded in 2017 as Midad Centre.
Where are your teachers?
Our teachers and administration are based in Egypt and the UK; our location in Egypt is in Alexandria. Meet our teachers.
Midad Institute (Midad Centre) has taught Arabic, the Qur’an and Islamic sciences online to non-Arabic speakers since 2017. Our teachers have more than 15 years of experience, online and in Egypt.
