The primacy of Arabic in acquiring Islamic knowledge cannot be understated. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stated that “Whosoever speaks Arabic is an Arab” in reference to Bilal ibn Rabah, Salman al-Farsi, and Suhaib al-Rumi (may Allah be well pleased with them). Depending on translations for our relationship with the Qur’an, Sunnah, and our scholarly tradition should be perceived as a deficiency for those of us with the fortunate possession of the resources and mental faculties required to learn Arabic. Not only does learning Arabic remove a crutch in accessing knowledge, it draws us nearer to God through our sincere efforts for His sake and in giving us an intimacy, from which we would not otherwise benefit, with His names, His word, His Sacred Law, and His final prophet ﷺ.
We will be conducting a 17-week Arabic course for those students already in possession of basic Arabic pronunciation skills (e.g. those who have already studied Arabic, the Qur’an, or pronunciation texts such as Qa’idat al-Nuraniyyah). Drawing on the instructor’s years of experience as a foreign language teacher and of Arabic studies, the aim will be to complete the first half of Peter Abboud’s Elementary Modern Standard Arabic Vol. 1. From this book, some of the most well-known translators of Arabic to English had their first introduction to the language. By the course’s end, students should be able to discuss and write about common daily and academic themes and will develop a vocabulary relevant to studies in hadith, fiqh, and the Qur’an. Those who successfully complete the course can continue on to complete Volume 1 of Elementary Modern Standard Arabic in subsequent a term (إن شاء الله). The class will meet 3 days per week for 50 minutes. Students will be expected to complete approximately 15 – 30 minutes of homework for every hour of class. The class will meet evenings in sha’ Allah to allow for students in school or working to attend.
Duration: 17 Weeks / Meetings: 3 evenings per week / Start Date: January 18 / Register here