What the World Does Not See: al-Sharaa’s Islamist Education System –Will It Become Syria’s Central Education System?

By: Tal Beeri & Dvir Peri

Key Findings:

• “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” is an Islamist education network (currently kindergartens and elementary schools) directly linked to the organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and has become an official education network under the al-Sharaa regime.
• This education network conducts religious-militant indoctrination from an early age, placing the Qur’an at the center of the curriculum and emphasizing jihadist messages in school ceremonies and events.
• There is strict enforcement of full gender segregation and a stringent religious dress code – girls wear abayas and niqabs.
• The network is characterized by rapid “under-the-radar” expansion – exceptional growth since 2017 in Idlib district, and within just one year since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, expansion to more than 70 active schools in key districts across Syria (Aleppo, Damascus, Hama, Homs, Deraa, and Latakia).
• A model has been identified for creating civilian dependence on a parallel civil mechanism (similar to Hezbollah’s civilian mechanisms in Lebanon) by exploiting the crisis in Syria’s public education system.
• The network is transitioning from an illegal institution funded externally via Turkey into a legal, official, and central educational institution supported by the Syrian Ministry of Education under the new regime.
• Organizational and ideological control is exercised directly through the appointment of senior HTS figures.
• A “pragmatic” attempt has begun to introduce a “progressive” pedagogical reform, but without any de-facto change to the Islamist core.
• Future potential threat– a possible breeding ground for shaping a future generation with an Islamist and jihadist identity in Syria, on Israel’s border.

General

The “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” network, (دار الوحي الشريف – in English: The House of the Honored Revelation) is an Islamist education network consisting, as of today, of elementary schools and kindergartens belonging to Ahmad al-Sharaa’s organization, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) (هيئة تحرير الشام) in Syria –.

The “Dar al-Wahy” network is based on independent indoctrination and education systems familiar to Hezbollah and the Taliban, based on HTS ideology– according to which Islamic Sharia will rule Syrian society. This education network is expanding rapidly and “under the radar,” at the expense of the public education system.

It can be assessed that “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” may serve as an educational enterprise for the dissemination of Islamist ideology and jihad-based training of Syria’s future generation, which could pose a threat to Israel in the not-too-distant future.

The nature of the youth’s education will directly shape the nature of the state

An illustration of the messages conveyed to the younger generation was evident at a ceremony honoring male and female Qur’an memorizers held at Deraa Stadium in September 2025. The event featured a staged performance portraying the “liberation of Syria,” in which children appeared in military uniforms carrying plastic weapons, while others carried fellow students symbolizing the bodies of martyrs, set to the soundtrack of the anthem “Saraya al-Mawt” (Death Brigades). See video.

“Death Brigades”- is a clear jihadist anthem, with religious-militant language glorifying sacrifice and death, and rhetoric of violence and dehumanization of the enemy. These are the jihadist messages instilled in youth whose militant-religious zeal has intensified following the revolution.

The messages are reflected in the lyrics:

هذه أفعالنا أوفت بذل عهد القدم  – These are our deeds, fulfilling the covenant of past generations
إنا نذل عداتنا نسقيهم كأس المنون  – We shall humiliate our enemies and give them the cup of death
… إنا نذل عداتنا نسقيهم كأس المنون  – and our soldiers will trample you
ويمينها تعلي الكتب  – With the Qur’an raised in the right hand
بشمالها أسيافنا تقص المجوس بذي الحرام  – And in the left, our swords will cut down the “al-Majus” (a demonizing term for the enemy) by divine prohibition “al-haram”, (i.e., by virtue of the religion of Islam and its laws).

See video.

At another ceremony held in April 2025, students staged a play titled “Signs of Victory”, recounting the liberation of Syria. The opening featured four students in military uniforms holding plastic weapons and shouting “Allahu Akbar” with every announcement of another district’s “liberation.” Later, one student delivered a victory sermon before the large audience.

See video.

Gender Segregation and Strict Religious Dress

As expected in a Sharia-based society, Schools operate– with strict religious dress codes and absolute gender segregation, both among students and teachers. Male teachers teach boys, and female teachers teach girls. Schools operate with uniforms (mainly for girls) provided free of charge.

Boys attend “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” schools in regular clothing, sometimes (especially at religious ceremonies) wearing galabiyas (ankle-length robes in gray, dark blue, or white) with clerical caps. Girls always wear abayas (long, loose cloaks in black or gray) and niqabs (full face veils with only a narrow eye opening). See video.

A system that is apt for indoctrination, creating dependencies and based on external funding

The “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” network was founded after HTS, led by Ahmad al-Sharaa (then Abu Muhammad al-Julani), seized control of the Idlib enclave in 2017 and established the “Salvation Government,” which effectively governed an autonomous enclave. Idlib remained a prolonged combat zone, leading to the collapse of public education – turning crisis into opportunity for establishing an independent ideological education network.

“Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” takes in children of jihadists and orphans of martyrs, offering incentives such as heated classrooms, school buses, and almost free tuition (reports state that there is a symbolic fee of 50 Turkish liras per month), from which the poor and martyrs’ children are exempt. As a result, Syria’s Sunni population increasingly seeks to enroll their children in this network, benefiting from relatively well-funded education at low cost.

As known from Shiite-axis models, such civilian institutions help embed organizations within society and create direct dependence. The same applies in al-Sharaa’s system: “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” creates dependency, indoctrination, loyalty, and identification with al-Sharaa’s regime.

In Idlib, the funding model of “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” was based primarily on donations and external Turkish funding, in addition to the taxes collected from residents by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Reports indicate that the Turkish funding was transferred physically through the Bab al-Hawa (باب الهوى) border crossing and covered part of teachers’ salaries as well as the schools’ operational expenses. However, at present, following the rise of al-Sharaa’s regime, it is possible that funding now comes directly from the state budget, with “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” having become an official and legal institution under the Syrian Ministry of Education.

The Network Is Expanding Rapidly

To understand the rapid growth rate of the “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” network—and, consequently, the pace and scale of its influence on future generations in Syria—we shall examine the data from 2017 (the year the network was established) to the present. By 2021 (when Assad was still in power), that is, within just four years, the number of institutions operated by the “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” network in Idlib district had reached 42 schools and 6 Qur’anic kindergartens.

Since the rise of the al-Sharaa regime in December 2024, and within the span of just one year, “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” has undergone significant expansion across Syria, opening new branches in key districts such as Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Deraa, and Latakia—with additional districts likely to follow. As of today, the network comprises more than 70 schools and dozens of active kindergartens throughout Syria, which in the past year alone have produced 1,409 male and female Qur’an memorization graduates and 84 graduates holding official religious certification.

Exploiting the Collapse of Public Education

As it appears, the “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” network functions relatively effectively compared to the public education system, which is in a state of collapse following the prolonged fighting during the civil war and the fall of the Assad regime. Public education in Syria faces numerous severe challenges, including destroyed schools, strikes by volunteer teachers, shortages of textbooks, a lack of classroom heating, and very low teacher salaries (to put it mildly).

In addition, the Syrian Ministry of Education has confirmed that 40 percent of schools in the country remain destroyed because of bombings and fighting in recent years, while UNICEF has reported that 3 million children are not enrolled in any educational institution.

In practice, teachers in “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” schools are better compensated than their counterparts in the public system. According to reports, while a teacher in “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” in Idlib earns a monthly salary of approximately $160, the average salary of a teacher in the public education system in the same district is around $110 per month.

Key Figures

Unsurprisingly, Ahmad al-Sharaa also ensured the appointment of his close associates from the organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham to managerial positions within the “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” network. As a result, the senior figures within the educational institution come directly from the organization itself exerting a direct influence on the agenda shaping the younger generation and the ideology instilled in it.

Sheikh Abdullah (Abu Ahmad al-Shawi), who was one of the commanders of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, currently serves as the general supervisor and chairman of the board of “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif.” Another example is al-Hashim al-Sheikh (Abu Jaber), a member of the board of directors and head of the schools in Manbij in Aleppo district, who previously served as the overall commander of the organization Ahrar al-Sham (احرار الشام), which later merged under Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

“Toward a Unique Qur’anic Generation”

The universal curriculum (as used in Syria’s public schools) has also been incorporated into the curriculum of the “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” school network, albeit only as a supplement to religious studies. In practice, the Qur’an remains the core subject of instruction, as reflected in the network’s slogan: “Toward a Unique Qur’anic Generation” (نحو جيل قرآني فريد).

Indoctrination and religious education accompany students from early childhood, and a student will not be admitted to a “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” school unless they have begun their education in one of the network’s kindergartens. Reports indicate that a student cannot advance beyond first grade without proficiency in reading the Qur’an, nor progress past fourth or fifth grade without memorizing the Qur’an, or at least most of it. In addition, there are reports that morning assemblies begin with the recitation of Qur’anic verses and the chanting of religious slogans.

“Raising a Balanced Qur’anic Generation Combining Science, Knowledge, and Religion”

Today, Ahmad al-Sharaa, seeking to rebrand himself and his regime in the eyes of the international community, is attempting to present a more pragmatic model (at least on the surface) for governing a modern state, while preserving a Sunni Islamic identity and distancing himself from the image and more extreme ideological frameworks of al-Qaeda, with which he was previously affiliated.

Accordingly, over the past year a reform has been initiated within the “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” network, involving the integration of Qur’anic studies with life-skills education, and the combination of Sharia studies with secular, practical subjects. On the one hand, this reflects the fulfillment of the Prophet’s commandment to memorize the Qur’an, study it, and act in accordance with it; on the other hand, it aims to provide students with scientific and practical skills.

Within this framework, it has been reported that recent adjustments to the network’s school curricula have raised concerns among its more ideologically committed supporters in Idlib. “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” was previously an unofficial entity within the state and therefore required licensing, one of whose conditions was a limited revision of the curriculum in favor of mathematics, English, and science, as well as the addition of civics and social sciences. Changes were also introduced in Arabic-language instruction to prepare students for the new scientific material, while maintaining the Islamic and Qur’anic curriculum intact.

The current stated objective of the “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” school network is to “raise a balanced Qur’anic generation that combines science, general knowledge, and religion.” While this may appear, on the surface, to be an optimistic promise, in practice it seems aimed at cultivating an Islamist and jihadist generation—albeit one more educated than its predecessors.

Appendix: “Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif” Branches:

Below is a list of schools (for which documentation has been identified), organized by districts and localities. The list includes more than 70 schools, and it should be emphasized that it is expected to continue expanding.

Note – Where a school is designated as “First” or “Second,” this refers to its geographic location. “First” indicates that the school is located within the main city, while “Second” indicates that it is located in a suburb or a locality adjacent to the main city.

Idlib District:

• Idlib City:

1. “Abu Bakr al-Siddiq School” – Boys
2. “Asmaʾ bint Abi Bakr School “– Girls
3. Binnish:

3. Boys’ School
4. Girls’ School
5. Saraqib:

5. “Ubayy ibn Kaʿb School” – Boys
6. “Umama bint Abi al-ʿAs School” – Girls
7. Ariha:

7. “Saʿid ibn Zayd School” – Boys
8. “Arwa bint ʿAbd al-Muttalib School” – Girls
9. Taftanaz:

9. “Hamza ibn ʿAbd al-Muttalib School” – Boys
10. “Zaynab bint Khuzayma School” – Girls
11. Sarmada:

11. “Abu ʿUbayda ibn al-Jarrah School” – Boys
12. “Sumayya bint al-Khayyat School” – Girls
13. Harem:

13. “Saʿd ibn Abi Waqqas School” – Boys
14. “Juwayriya bint al-Harith School” – Girls
15. Atarib:

15. “Khalid ibn al-Walid School” – Boys
16. “Khawla bint al-Azwar School” – Girls
17. Maʿarrat Misrin:

17. “al-Farouq ʿUmar School” – Boys
18. “Hafsa bint ʿUmar School “– Girls
19. Hazano:

19. “ʿAbdallah ibn ʿAbbas School” – Boys
20. “al-Khansaʾ Umm al-Shuhadaʾ School” – Girls
21. Klali:

21. “ʿAbdallah ibn Masʿud School” – Boys
22. “Zaynab bint al-Nabi School” – Girls
23. Atmeh:
24. “Musʿab ibn ʿUmayr School” – Boys
25. Kafr Lusin:

24. “ʿUthman ibn ʿAffan School” – Boys
25. “ʿAʾisha Umm al-Muʾminin School” – Girls
26. Bab al-Saqa:

26. “Abu Hurayra School” – Boys
27. “Ruqayya bint al-Nabi School” – Girls
28. Salqin:

28. “al-Zubayr ibn al-ʿAwwam School” – Boys
29. “Nusayba bint Kaʿb School” – Girls
30. Qurqaniya:

30. “Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman School” – Boys
31. “Khadija bint Khuwaylid School” – Girls
32. Barisha:

32. “ʿAli ibn Abi Talib School” – Boys
33. “Fatima al-Zahraʾ School” – Girls
34. al-Yaʿqubiya:

34. “Talha ibn ʿUbayd Allah School” – Boys
35. “Safiyya bint ʿAbd al-Muttalib School” – Girls
36. Armaz:

36. “Bilal ibn Rabah School” – Boys
37. “Umm Salama School” – Girls
38. al-Shaykh Yusuf:

38. “Muʿadh ibn Jabal School” – Boys
39. “Maria al-Qibtiyya School” – Girls
40. al-Fuʿa:

40. “ʿAbdallah ibn ʿUmar School” – Boys
41. “Fatima bint al-Khattab School” – Girls
42. al-Bardaqli:

42. ʿUkasha ibn Mihsan School” – Boys
43. “Asiya bint Muzahim School” – Girls
44. al-Zouf Camp:

44. “Abu Dharr al-Ghifari School” – Boys
45. “Khawla bint Thaʿlaba School” – Girls
46. Sarmin:

46. “ʿUbada ibn al-Samit School” – Boys
47. “Umm Sulaym bint Milhan School” – Girls
48. al-Dana:

48. “al-Baraʾ ibn Malik School” – Boys
49. “Umm Kulthum bint al-Nabi School” – Girls
50. Jisr al-Shughur:

50. “Zayd ibn Thabit School” – Boys
51. “Fatima bint Asad School” – Girls

Aleppo District:

• Aleppo City:

52. “Aleppo First School” – Boys
53. “Aleppo First School” – Girls
54. Manbij:

54. “Aleppo Second School” – Boys
55. “Aleppo Second School” – Girls

Homs District:

• Homs City:

56. “Homs First School” – Boys
57. “Homs Second School” – Girls

Hama District:

• Hama City:

58. “Hama First School” – Boys
59. “Hama First School” – Girls

Damascus District:

• Kafr Sousa:

60. “Damascus First School” – Boys
61. “Damascus First School” – Girls
62. al-Mezzeh:

62. Damascus Second School – Boys
63. Damascus Second School – Girls
64. Jahiyat Harasta:

64. “Rif Damascus School” (Damascus suburbs) – Boys
65. “Rif Damascus School” – Girls
66. al-Tal:

66. “Rif Damascus Second School“– Boys
67. “Rif Damascus Second School” – Girls

Deraa District:

• Deraa City:

68. “Deraa First School” – Boys
69. “Deraa First School” – Girls
70. Tasil:

70. Deraa Second School – Boys
71. Deraa Second School – Girls
72. Izraʿ:

72. “Deraa Third School” – Boys
73. “Deraa Third School” – Girls

Latakia District:

• Latakia City:

74. “Latakia First School” – Girls

Sources:

Al-Modon website المدن (04.12.23) – https://www.almodon.com/media/2023/12/04/%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%AD%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%81-%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3-%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B5%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A5%D8%AF%D9%84%D8%A8

Enab Baladi website عنب بلدي  (06.01.24) – https://www.enabbaladi.net/681807/%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%AD%D9%8A-%D8%A3%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%84%D9%80%D8%AC/#

Syria TV (Television Syria) تلفزيون سوريا (18.10.25) – https://www.syria.tv/%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%AF-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B9%D9%87%D8%A7-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%AD%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D8%B3%D8%A8%D8%A8-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%AC

DAMA Post website – https://damapost.com/18/10/2025/%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B9-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%AD%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%AB%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%8B-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7/98596/

Al-Sharq Al-Awsat website الشرق الأوسط  (Damascus) on the education crisis in Syria (31 October 2025) – https://www.syria.tv/%D8%A3%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%85-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7-40-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A6%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3-%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%85%D9%91%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%883-%D9%85%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%8A%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%84-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AC-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%B3%D8%A9

YouTube channel of Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif  دار الوحي الشريف  – https://www.youtube.com/@Quranicschools1/videos

Promotional video of Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif دار الوحي الشريف , YouTube (29.04.25) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBsbKBaun1s

Female student holding a Hayat Tahrir al-Sham flag – https://x.com/quranicschools1/status/1998721405706174548?s=20

Facebook page of Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif  دار الوحي الشريف  – https://www.facebook.com/Quranicschools1/

UN situation report on north-west Syria (18.10.24) – https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/syrian-arab-republic/north-west-syria-situation-report-18-october-2024-enar

Telegram channel of Dar al-Wahy al-Sharif دار الوحي الشريف  – https://t.me/Quranicschools1

Performance simulating the liberation of Syria at Daraa Stadium – https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=678142358091583

Twitter (X) account of دار الوحي الشريف  – https://x.com/quranicschools1

Lesson: “Our Arabic Language Is the Language of the Qur’an” – https://x.com/quranicschools1/status/1991463733437374874?s=20

Facebook page of Abu Ahmad al-Shawi – https://www.facebook.com/abw.ahmd.alshawy.469160/photos

Ceremony and play “Signs of Victory” – https://t.me/Quranicschools1/15165

Distribution of abayas to female students – https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1BqeSxEaZP/

Appointment of al-Hashim al-Sheikh – https://x.com/azelin/status/1753386952206725606?s=20