About the academy
A quiet place to learn
Birhan Academy is an Islamic educational platform devoted to making the Qur'an clear and accessible — in Arabic, English, Tigrinya, and Amharic — for Muslims and sincere seekers around the world.
Our story
From a name to a responsibility
The project began with a simple observation: many people want to read the Qur'an but feel shut out — by language, by the assumption that they should already know, or by resources designed for specialists rather than worshippers.
Birhan Academy was built to remove those barriers without lowering the standard. The Arabic is presented exactly as transmitted. The translations are named and credited. The lessons are sourced. And the languages of our communities — Tigrinya and Amharic among them — are treated as first-class, not as an afterthought.
We are small, and we intend to stay careful. Everything published here passes through review before it appears.
Gold shield, open Mushaf on a rehal, laurel wreath — the emblem of the academy.
Mission
Make the Qur'an clear, accessible, and life-shaping
We serve readers in Arabic, English, Tigrinya, and Amharic with the text, the meaning, and the tools to keep going — free of charge and free of pressure.
Vision
A generation that reads, understands, and lives by the Book
Not a generation of spectators. We want the Qur'an to be opened daily in homes, understood in the languages people think in, and carried into ordinary decisions.
Reverent
The Qur'an is presented exactly, completely, and with adab.
Sourced
Every claim has a reference. Every hadith has a collection and number.
Clear
Plain language. Short sentences. No jargon used to exclude.
Humble
We are not a authority for fatwas. We point to qualified scholars.
The meaning of Birhan
Light — and clear proof
In Ge'ez, Tigrinya, and Amharic, birhan (ብርሃን) means light. It is the word our communities use for the light of morning and the light of understanding.
In Arabic, the related word burhān means a clear, decisive proof. The Qur'an pairs proof with light in a single verse: a clear proof has come from your Lord, and a clear light has been sent down. 4:174
These are not the same word, and we do not present them as identical. What we honour is the resonance: revelation that shows the way and satisfies the mind at once.
Explore the versesብርሃን
Tigrinya · Ge'ez · Amharic
نُّورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ
“Light upon light” — Qur'an 24:35
Statement of belief
What we believe
A simple, mainstream outline. We follow the Qur'an and the Sunnah as understood by the broad tradition of Islamic scholarship, and we do not engage in sectarian polemics.
The six articles of faith
- Allah — one, unique, without partner, equal, or likeness.
- The angels — created servants of Allah who carry out His command.
- The books — revelation sent to the prophets, preserved and completed in the Qur'an.
- The messengers — from Adam to Muhammad ﷺ, sent with guidance for their peoples.
- The Last Day — resurrection, accountability, and the fulfilment of justice.
- Divine decree — Allah's knowledge and will encompass all things, and people remain responsible for their choices.
The five pillars
- Shahādah — bearing witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger.
- Ṣalāh — the five daily prayers.
- Zakāh — the annual obligatory charity on qualifying wealth.
- Ṣawm — fasting the month of Ramadan.
- Ḥajj — pilgrimage to Makkah once in a lifetime for those able.
Our translation and content approach
The text first, always
The Arabic text in our reader comes from a verified Uthmani source and is displayed in full, ayah by ayah. We never retype it, abbreviate it, or alter it.
English translations are named with their translator and edition. The reader opens with Saheeh International (© Dar Abul Qasim Publishing House, 1997), displayed with full attribution via the Quran.com API, and also offers Abdullah Yusuf Ali (1934) and M. M. Pickthall (1930), both public domain. Every translation is a human interpretation of meaning, and we say so on every page.
We do not machine-translate the Qur'an. Tigrinya and Amharic spaces in the reader are clearly marked as reserved. They will be filled only with translations from qualified translators after review.
How content is published
- Draft — written, not visible.
- Reviewed by scholar — checked for accuracy and adab.
- Published — live, with sources listed.
- Corrections — dated and noted when a published item changes materially.
The people
Who prepares this
Birhan Academy's teaching is written by a small editorial team and reviewed by scholars before publication.
The teaching team
Writers and teachers preparing lessons, courses, and reflections. Individual biographies are published as each teacher joins.
Scholarly review
Every lesson and course is checked by a qualified reviewer for accuracy of references and adab before publication.
Translators and reviewers
Tigrinya and Amharic work is prepared with named translators and independent proofreaders. We publish their names with the text.
Our promises
What you will not find here
No advertising
Not on any page, and never beside the Qur'an.
No autoplay
Audio and video begin only when you choose.
No pressure
No countdowns, no urgency, no guilt.
No polemics
We teach; we do not attack other communities.