The Story of Legacy IOHS
The Spark
We were concerned parents, grappling with the same questions many Muslim families ask: How do we ensure our children receive a top-tier education without compromising their faith?
Like many others, we explored different options. Traditional Islamic schools promised to offer a morally safe environment, but their academics often struggled to meet rigorous college preparatory standards. Public and private schools touted strong academics but were devoid of an Islamic worldview, and at times, outright hostile to it. We tried traditional homeschooling, but found that our children craved interaction and intellectual discourse with peers and teachers alike.
The more we looked, the more we realized there was a fundamental flaw in how education had been approached: Islam was being treated as an add-on, relegated to only a few periods of Islamic Studies while the rest of the curriculum was taught from a secular worldview, absent of any mention of God. We weren’t just worried about education; we were concerned about identity, conviction, and the long-term faith of our children.
We asked Allah to guide us to a better way.
The Vision
The idea for Legacy International Online High School was simple, yet profound:
✔ Provide college-preparatory education that meets the highest academic standards.
✔ Infuse Islamic values and the Quranic Worldview seamlessly into the study of all subjects.
✔ Leverage technology to make this accessible to families worldwide.
When we first shared this vision in 2017, it sparked curiosity and raised several questions:
Could an online school provide a truly rigorous, engaging experience?
Would parents trust a new, unconventional model and approach?
Could we find teachers who were highly qualified experts, yet deeply grounded in the Quranic worldview?
These concerns were valid, and truthfully, there were moments when we questioned whether our vision would ever become a reality. Yet, we knew that not trying wasn’t an option. If we continued relying on systems that compartmentalized education, we feared the same heartbreaking outcomes would persist: bright Muslim students from practicing families losing connection to their identity, grappling with crises of faith, and, in some cases, leaving Islam altogether.
We weren’t alone in this vision. When we reached out to leading Muslim educators, scholars, and parents, they echoed the need for a new model of secondary education. Gradually, the Legacy team crafted a unique learning model, developed the curriculum with care, and searched far and wide to find talented, passionate murrabbis who wholeheartedly believed in this vision.
The Breakthrough
Our first year–2019– was a leap of faith. We started small, enrolling a handful of students—families willing to embrace an innovative new approach. We refined our curriculum, built interactive and engaging online classrooms, and witnessed something incredible happen:
Students thrived. Alhamdulillah!
They didn’t just excel academically; they gained confidence in their Muslim identity.
They weren’t just memorizing facts; they were learning how to think critically through an Islamic lens.
And then, the word spread.
More families reached out, eager for an option that didn’t force them to choose between academic excellence and their deen. More educators joined our team, bringing expertise in Islamic pedagogy, STEM, humanities, and leadership.
What started as an idea has grown into a trusted alternative for families seeking an education rooted in the Quranic worldview.
Where We Are Today
Today, Legacy IOHS is serving a growing number of students from diverse backgrounds, each seeking an education that nurtures not only their intellect and identity, but also their spiritual growth and socio-emotional capacity. The impact has been profound.
We’ve had the pleasure of witnessing students’ beautiful journeys of growth, transformations of mind and soul, from a place of following Islam as a religion of their parents to embracing it out of their own conviction. We’ve seen parents relieved that they no longer have to choose between their child’s religious and academic future.
Alhamdulillah, in this process, we’ve grown to over 170 students from all over the world—but we know this is just the beginning, inshaAllah.
