Background – Why Study at IIS

The International Islamic School (IIS) was established in September 1998 and at this point it was located in Batu 14 Jalan Gombak.  It was the fruit of years of study by Muslim scholars from various parts of the world who taught in the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) who thirst for a model integrated Islamic school that could serve their children and also  those of others, especially Muslim expatriates.  The idea of the School was sparked in the mid 1990s by Dato Dr Abdul Hamid Abu Sulayman, the Rector of IIUM then.  The School is thus, a testimony to the university's continuous effort in providing quality, affordable, balanced, integrated and holistic education guided by the principles of Islam. The School moved to its present premise close by the IIUM in 2005. It has grown from a humble beginning of 30 students to an enrolment of approximately 800 students today, ranging from nursery to A-level. 

International character 

The School international environment is obvious from the presence of students and teachers from 46 different nationalities interacting with one another in the spirit of Islamic brotherhood.  It is truly a miniature Mecca without the Ka’abah and ihram!  Such a great blessing for young souls but at the same time could be quite challenging in trying to understand their varied cultures.  As we know Islam is not monolithic. Thus, the School’s slogan – Uniting Differences, creating excellence.

Islamic orientation 

Being an Islamic school means we emphasize an integrated and balanced human development  -- intellectual, physical, spiritual, moral, emotional and social -- based on the Islamic World View anchored on Tawhid (the unity of God).  This means spiritual and character education is regarded as equally important as Intellectual education.  We arouse curiosity and wonder in our students, we inculcate important values such as sincerity, honesty, trustworthiness, self-reliance, excellence and responsibility.  We enhance our students’ spirituality through wonders of the natural phenomena, congregational prayers, Qur’an recitation and memorization, Qur’an studies, halaqah (study circle), and observe Islamic adab.

Culture of excellence

We desire our students to be excellent in whatever they do following the precept of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).  Thus, the School encourages and train them to think critically, creatively and ethically through the method of philosophical inquiry based on Prof Rosnani Hashim’s  Hikmah Programme so that they will be able to make good judgement in their lives.  They are also encouraged to excel in their academic and co-curricular activities. “Grooming wise and sincere individuals” are our goal.

Being international, English is the medium of instruction and the school adopts the University of Cambridge International Examinations Curriculum. Being Islamic, means Arabic Language and the Qur’an are equally or even more important.

International Recognition & Achievements
1. Rank - Top 5th Cambridge Centre in Malaysia 2004
2. ISO certification since 2003

TESTIMONY

Aisha Umar ( Nigeria )

IIS Alumni, currently she is studying at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay,  in the Pre-Med Program  majoring in Human Biology.

She has achieved the following awards :

• Founders Diversity Scholarship
• WiscAMP Scholarship
• SMART Grant
• Dean's List- four continuous semesters
• Alumni Association Continuing Education Scholars
• Member of Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society
• Member of Tri Beta National Science Honor Society

Education has always been a major priority for me. I was brought up in a family that valued education.  Ever since I have been old enough to really understand things, they have stressed how important it is to be educated. Thus growing up I found education to be an important part of my life.My ultimate dream has always been to become a physician.

My first day of school in IISwas in the 5th grade. I remember being both excited and terrified at the thought of my first day at a new school. I was terrified because I didn’t know whether I was going to make friends or whether the teachers were going to be nice. To my surprise, the teachers were amazing and by the end of my first day, I made a lot of friends. I loved IIS because we were all like one great big family.IIS had caring and devoted teachers. The teachers maintained a good rapport with their students. They were always available during consultation hours to advice students on academic and other matters and had encouraged students to consult them anytime they wanted.

I left IIS during 8th grade but I came back to do my  GCE (A) Level courses in IIS after completing my  GCE (O)Level Examinations. Although I did really well for my (O) Levels I did not do that well for my (A) Levels. I was very sick during the examinations but that did not buffer the shock to me because I have always been a good student and I know I studied really hard for my (A) Levels. Even though I was upset,I knew Allah had something better in store for me.

Initially, I applied to UIA to study Medicine, but my application was rejected. However, my dream was to become a doctor and I became even more determined and began to apply to other Universities for admission. My parents encouraged me to apply to universities in the United States. Before I applied, I took my SATs and I did really well in it. I applied to three Universities, namely, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. I was offered admission by all three universities for a Pre-Med program. My parents decided that I should go to the University Wisconsin-Green Bay because my brother was already living in Green Bay. Although the tuition for Pre-Med program at UW-Green Bay was very high, both my father and brother agreed to help pay for my tuition. Fortunately, I was very lucky to be given a full scholarshipafter finishing only a semester at UW-Green Bay.

The thought of leaving home was inconceivable both for me and my family. Even though it was going to be difficult, I knew I had to leave home so that I can study to become a doctor. I want to become an Obstetrician and Gynecologist so that I can help Muslim women. Currently, there is a shortage of female doctors in Muslim communities. Therefore, I believe that I have an obligation to help Muslim women in the Ummahwith their medical problems. I still remember going to Teacher Nor Jannah to inform her that I was leaving. She was extremely happy for me and she told me that she was proud of me. I really adore and respect her because while many of my teachers stopped believing in me, she did not. She believed in my capabilities and she always pushed me to achieve higher goals. So Teacher Nor Jannah, I am exceedingly grateful to you once again for being an exceptional teacher.

Being a Muslim living in today’s Western society can be very challenging.Most people in the Western world do not understand Muslim women’s culture because the media constantly portrays Muslim women as oppressed individuals. For example, people in the West actually believe that the Islamic world denies Muslim women the right to obtain an education. Thus I knew I had an obligation as a Muslim to change their perception of Islam and Muslims.

I was truly surprised at the hospitality I received at the UW-Green Bay campus. The teachers, students, and staff at UWGB treat me very kindly. There were only less than ten Muslims studying at my new campus, and I was truly taken to find out that I was the only Muslim female there. Nobody really cares that I wear a hijab; many people actually love my hijab. The only problem that I face on campus is that although UWGB has cultural diversity, many people still do not understand the Muslim culture very well. This misunderstanding also creates a barrier between me and them. Because I am confident in myself and religion, people respect me and my religion. However, I feel that the lack of understanding of the true position and role of Muslim women in the society intensifies and contributes to negative depiction of Muslim women in today’s society.Therefore, I know I have to change their negative perception of Muslim women. The correct perception is that Muslim women are not oppressed, narrow-minded, or defenseless individuals, but independent, educated, courageous, and powerful individuals.

I do many things in my university in order to help educate my peers and my professors about Islam. One of my professors has asked me to talk about Islam in her class and I did. I felt really good about giving that speech because I knew it was my obligation as a Muslim to be a true advocate of my religion. In addition, I am constantly talking about Islam to my friends with the hope that one day they may understand the true teachings of Islam and be attracted to it and accept
it either as believers or as people sympathetic to its teachings. I have also requested a prayer room from the university administration and they have granted my request, so now Muslim students have a place to pray. I am also going to start a Muslim organization at my campus because we do not have one. In addition, I have also decided to have an Eid-ul-Adha function on campus and
invite people from the university community to enlighten them about Islam.

Allah says that if you do things because of Him, He will always guide you, so I hope my plan will work out InshaAllah. One of the good lessons in life that I have learned from IIS is that one should always be proud of one's religion no matter what the circumstances are and I am truly proud of my religion. Things have been going really well for me at my university. I am doing very well in my studies and I will continue to work hard to maintain my GPA. I plan to graduate in three years instead of four years and I hope Allah guides me inshAllah. I love my professors because they are extremely helpful. Three of my professors want me to become a Teacher’s Assistant for their classes and one of them wants me to teach tutorials in her class.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all my teachers for always being there for me when I needed them. Thank you again Teacher Nor Jannah for believing in me and for giving me the opportunity to share my story. I sincerely hope my story will enlighten the current IIS students who are struggling in school. I want to let them know that Allah has a plan for everyone and praying to Him will always make things better and easier. So my dear brothers and sisters, my advice to you is to study hard, never give up, and always put your trust in Allah and success will come knocking on your doors.