Principal’s Message

Principal’s Message

While the majority of Muslim children in our city attend public schools, an increasing number of parents are opting to send their children to an Islamic school instead. These parents are motivated by the desire to have their children educated in a school that inculcates Islamic values in an academic setting, which promotes the beliefs and practices of the faith throughout the school year. Students have the opportunity to excel academically while they also acquire a strong grounding in the teachings of Islam, based on the Holy Qur’an and the Noble Prophetic Tradition. This vital early grounding in their faith will provide the students with sound values from which they will draw lessons and use as guiding principles throughout their lives.

A project of the Muslim Association of Canada, Abraar Secondary School, located in the Bayshore area of town, is the city of Ottawa’s leading Islamic school. It is a combined middle school and high school for grades 7 to 12. The school year runs from September to June and is divided into two separate semesters: Semester 1, which runs from September to January, and Semester 2, which runs from February to June. Students typically enroll at the start of either the first or the second semester, but they may also join classes at mid-semester, if need be. We have a team of dedicated teaching staff who are passionate about teaching and have a particular affection for the Islamic environment in which they work. These educators hold degrees in a variety of academic disciplines and are among the best qualified in their profession. Relatively small class sizes allow the teachers to devote considerable time to each individual student – helping the students explore their personal strengths and unique talents as well as encouraging them to always aim high to attain their full potential.

With the aim of facilitating an understanding of the Quran and Ahadith of the Prophet, peace be upon him), we offer language courses that initiate the students into a long-term study of Arabic, the sacred language of Islam in which the Noble Qur’an was revealed. There are classes for both non-native and native Arabic students. This means students from non-native Arab backgrounds get an exposure to and are encouraged to learn Arabic and Arabic-speaking students stay in touch with and strengthen their knowledge of their mother tongue. We also encourage the memorization of the Noble Quran.

We have a mosque on-site where the students perform the daily prayers as well as attend and benefit from the regular Friday khutbas. This is a true blessing because it teaches the young students the importance of rituals in our religion, and inspires a love for prayer and making prayer a central practice in our daily lives. Abraar Secondary School also offers a French language program that meets the provincial requirements and both the middle school and high school programs include French language courses. Students who wish to deepen their knowledge of French have the opportunity to go beyond the basics and take their language skills to a higher level.

Abraar Secondary School encourages an overall attitude towards healthy living and physical activity for all students. We offer a full athletic program that includes swimming, basketball and indoor soccer. We encourage both male and female students to embrace healthy, active living and participate in the school athletic program. Abraar Secondary School offers young students a sound grounding and deep knowledge of Islamic beliefs and practices – while staying fully committed to academic excellence among the highest in the province of Ontario. Students reach for the stars in both their academic studies and Islamic teachings. Our academic programs fully prepare the students for post-secondary education and equip them with the tools they need to become, upon graduation, competitive in their chosen fields of study.

All in all, Abraar Secondary School is all about academic excellence delivered in a nurturing, protective Islamic environment that gives the students a unique growing and learning experience. It is simply the best of both worlds.

This is my seventh year as Abraar Secondary Principal and I also taught at Abraar for 12 years prior to my becoming principal. Our journey has not always been easy, especially during the COVID years,  but I am extremely proud of the way we, as a community, always came together to meet each challenge, overcome difficulties and support and lift each other up.

The Abraar Secondary community is a microcosm of our Ummah- with students and staff members from almost every corner of the Muslim World, from Afghanistan to Algeria, from Ethiopia to Egypt, from Palestine to Pakistan. I am extremely proud of the incredible diversity at Abraar Secondary and the rich Muslim heritage that our students and staff bring with them. Celebrating and preserving this for future generations is at the heart of the MAC mission and Abraar Secondary’s task.

It is an absolute pleasure and a profound honour for me to be part of and to serve this unique community.

Principal,
Ms. Nimao Ali