ḥalqah

The term 'alqah refers to a study circle in Muslim education, named for the semicircular arrangement of pupils around a teacher. These circles were a key component of the unintegrated and undifferentiated educational system in the Muslim world. Learning occurred in various institutions, including mosques, maktabs (elementary schools), palace schools, bookshops, literary salons, and colleges like the madrasa.12

The primary goal of early Muslim education was to disseminate the teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad. Elementary schools (maktabs) taught reading, writing, and basic Islamic subjects, with a strong emphasis on memorizing the Qur'an. Higher education, often centered in mosques and later in madrasas, focused on religious sciences, law, and tradition. Scholars and students would travel great distances to learn from renowned teachers within these study circles.32