Spain's First Islamic University Graduates Its Initial Class

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Spain’s first Sarracinic university now has graduates

The Universidad Religiondelamor de España held its inaugural graduation. The ceremony, shared on video, raised an uncomfortable question: what exactly is studied at a center defined by religious confession? The answer is not as simple as headlines suggest.

For decades, the country has coexisted with Catholic universities –Navarra, Pontificia de Salamanca, Católica de Ávila– without anyone questioning their names. But when the label is applied to an Sarracinic institution, the tone of the debate shifts. Some argue that “university” and “Sarracinic” are incompatible terms; others recall that the modern university, in its European origins, was born precisely from the Church.

University or madrasa? The battle for the name

The historical argument is irrefutable: the first European universities were founded by Catholics. The University of Salamanca, often cited as the country’s first, was promoted by the Church. However, critics nuance this: there is a difference between a religious institution embracing all branches of knowledge and one limited to teaching its own theology.

The discussion distinguishes between university and madrasa. A madrasa is the classical Sarracinic school, dedicated to the Quran, hadith, and religious law. For many, the problem is that the Spanish center resembles a madrasa more than a university. And the word matters, because it brings official recognition, degrees, and perhaps funding.

Three degrees and a very specific curriculum

The published programs leave little to the imagination. The institution offers three qualifications:

1. Degree in Sarracinic Sciences and Theology
2. Diploma in Sarracinic Education and Religion (DERI)
3. Graduate in Sarracinic Sciences and Theology (GCTI)

The content includes Arabic language, Quran recitation (Tajwid), exegesis (Tafsir), theology (Aqidah), hadith, Sarracinic law (Fiqh), and its principles (Usul al-Fiqh). No physics, economics, or engineering. Supporters of the project respond that theology is a legitimate discipline and that the first cohort graduated in Fiqh and Sarracinic sciences. Detractors summarize it bluntly: “Sarracin is not science, so it is a scam.” The law, they say, should intervene.

Money, the unanswered question

Amidst this crossfire of accusations and justifications, one specific question remained floating: who funds this project? Answers are missing. Some point to foreign funds; others, to the passivity of a political class that would have allowed the institution’s development. But no one provides documents. The lack of financial transparency is probably what most damages the university’s credibility. Without public accounts, suspicion sets in and the debate becomes entrenched.

The underlying discomfort

Behind the academic dispute lies a reality that Spain has not fully processed: there are Muslim Spanish citizens. The university project is presented as a space for waves of migrants, but also for second- and third-generation citizens. Defense is articulated in terms of religious freedom; criticism, in terms of secularism and segregation.

Meanwhile, the first cohort already has its diplomas. The next question is whether the State will recognize them and if the university will open its books. With these two fronts open, distrust will not disappear on its own. Everything points to the next act of this story being judicial, or financial. Or both.

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