Azhar Australia College celebrates its fourth year

Azhar Australia College, the Islamic higher education institution located within the LMA complex on Wangee Road, Lakemba – next door to the iconic Lakemba Mosque – resumed classes on Wednesday, 29 April as Semester 1 of its fourth year got underway.

The 2026 academic calendar continues to build on what was one of most significant periods of time since the College opened its doors in 2023, with the first cohort of students graduating from its three-year Shariah program in 2025.

Having transitioned into its fourth year of operation in 2026, the college has steadily grown into a credible and respected centre of Islamic learning in Australia.

Overseen by Education Coordinator Sheikh Mohammad Trad (pictured in feature image), and driven from inception by the vision of College Principal Sheikh Yahya Safi (head imam of Lakemba Mosque), the college delivered 35 unique subjects across its three academic years in 2025, encompassing 24 Shariah subjects, six Quran subjects and five Arabic subjects.

The Shariah program is structured around four core areas: Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence covering worship, transactions and family law), the Foundations of Islamic Legislation, Building the Effective Muslim and Islamic History – a framework deliberately designed to serve both the personal spiritual development of students and their capacity to contribute meaningfully to the broader Muslim community.

Sheikh Yahya Safi.

Sheikh Trad described the significance of the milestone: “Seeing our first students complete the full three-year journey is deeply rewarding.”

Student enrolments remained steady, reflecting continued community confidence in the program.

To give you an idea of the calibre of some of the students involved, among those completing their studies were one who achieved an average mark of 92.5% and has already served as MC at the Mawlid program at Lakemba Mosque and another who began his studies at a tender 14 years of age and went on to secure a scholarship to a global youth summit in Malaysia.

Last year also saw important structural developments at the College.

Detailed unit outlines were finalised, supplementary learning materials introduced and classroom cameras installed to enable online livestreaming – significantly expanding the college’s future reach.

Physical facilities were also upgraded, with increased classroom capacity, a new reception and office area and a library now in place.

The College is working hard to establish relationships with well-recognised learning institutions both locally and overseas, including Azhar Lebanon and Jinan University, also in Lebanon.

Sheikh Trad reflected on the road ahead: “We are building something that will serve this community for generations.”

“In 2026 we are focused on launching our Youth Program, taking our classes online and pursuing accreditation pathways that give our students the recognition they deserve.”

“The foundations are strong and now it is time to grow.”

Azhar Australia College is quietly but steadily becoming one of the most serious Islamic education institutions in Australia – and its home beside Lakemba Mosque places it at the very heart of Muslim community life in Sydney.