Classical Arabic 101
Dive into the intricacies of the Arabic language with this well-paced and thorough overview of classical Arabic Grammar.
Enroll in Course
Arabic 101 is a fresh take on Classical Arabic for English-speaking students designed from the ground-up by an Islamic school teacher who has spent 15 years studying the sciences of Arabic language. This is the first in a three-part program that gives students a solid foundation in traditional Arabic grammar alongside strengthening reading comprehension.
Course developer Danya Majeed takes the ultimate introductory text on grammar, al-Ajrumiyyah, and using creative visuals and engaging instruction, brings this timeless text to English-speaking audiences. She gradually develops students' skills until they can analyze the grammar of Qur'anic verses with proficiency and understand the stories of the Prophets directly in Arabic.
At the end of all three parts of this course, students will be well equipped to take on the challenge of an advanced Arabic class dealing with the intricacies of Quranic grammar and rhetoric, or to read Arabic tafseer books such as Sabuni, Sa'di, Tantawi, or Qutb, under the guidance of a teacher.
Fast Facts:
12-week course (Jan 12 – Mar 30)
Thursdays 7–9 PM EST (GMT -5) GIRLS
2 hours of live class per week
Class portal filled with weekly exercises, resources, and quizzes
Weekly TA sessions
Curriculum Overview for Arabic 101
In grammar, we use an easy explanation of the Ajurumiya alongside colorful and easy-to-follow Slideshows to cover the following topics:
- Three types of words, and how to identify each one
- Reviewing Verb Conjugations
- Intro to I'raab and Binaa
- Categories of Mabni Words, Four States of I'raab
- Nouns: Singular, Dual, and Plural
- The "Why" and "How" of the i'raab
- Categories of nouns and verbs that have changes to their case endings
In reading comprehension, we cover the following chapters in Qisas an-Nabiyyeen (Stories of the Prophets): Who Broke the Idols? The Story of Ibrahim”, which is divided into sixteen sections, and “The Best of Stories! The Story of Yusuf”, of which we read the first four sections.
- Read the passages during and outside of class
- Identify key vocabulary words
- Answer questions based on the stories
- Utilize the book to strengthen grammar concepts
By the end of this course, students will be able to categorize words by the type of word (Ism, Fi'l, or Harf), then according to whether they are flexible or inflexible (Mu'rab or Mabni), then further categorize Mu'rab words based on how their endings change. Students will have strengthened their reading comprehension and vocabulary and will be able to read texts with increased fluency.
This is the first of a three-part Arabic course. By the end of Arabic 103, students will be able to correctly parse almost any word in regular writing or in the Quran, with the permission of Allah.
Prerequisites
- Reading Fluency: Students should be able to read Quran fluently and understand some of what they read.
- Pronouns: Students should know detached and attached pronouns in Arabic.
- Verb Conjugation: Students should be somewhat familiar with verb conjugations for Past and Present Tense verbs in Arabic.
- Basic Sentences: Students should understand the two basic sentence structures in Arabic - nominal and verbal.
Testimonial: "The experience has been amazing."
The course was challenging and exciting. The experience of being taught Arabic Grammar with such dedication and passion has been amazing. I have attended Qasid Institue online and Bayyinah online, but the depth and clarity I gained in this course is incomparable. The concepts are explained very clearly, and the intense hands on I’raab practice with teacher’s help constantly available is very encouraging.
- A.M., course attendee
Time-Tested Curriculum
Ajurumiya Simplified
The curriculum follows the path of Arabic expertise used by generations of scholars in the Muslim world, starting with the essential primer in Arabic Grammar - the Ajurumiya. The Ajurumiya is taught through a very simple and easy-to-follow explanation authored by Shaykh Ali Hani. A student who finishes this book will be able to analyze grammatically several types of Arabic sentences with fluency and apply their knowledge of grammatical analysis to most of the Ayat in the Quran.
Quranic Application
Parsing Sentences in Quran
Our goal in learning Arabic is to understand the miraculous words of Allah - His Final Message to humanity. This course never loses sight of this goal, intentionally tying in each new Grammar concept with its practical application in the Quran. Students make connections between their advancement in Arabic and the depth to which they understand the Quran. The effort is truly worthwhile!
Reading Comprehension
Focused, Intentional Exposure
We do not live in a world of constant Arabic exposure, so a key component in our journey towards fluency must be an intentional increase in Arabic comprehension alongside our study in unlocking the grammar. To address this goal, we dive into the beautiful Qisas an-Nabiyeen, a beautifully written collection of Prophetic stories by Shaykh Abul Hasan Nadwi. This book is designed with the intention of taking a non-native speaker step by step towards fluency via familiar stories written with gradually increasing language complexity from the first chapter to the last. This book is also designed for students to regularly interact with the text via comprehension questions and fill-in-the-blanks.
Organized and Streamlined
Clear, Consistent Learning
This course has been meticulously planned out week by week, so students know exactly what to expect. Expectations are made clear, constant support is provided, learning is punctuated by regular assessments, with the result that students always feel confident in where they are now and where they are headed next.
Testimonial: "Very well-organized and interactive"
If you think learning Arabic won't help you in your daily Quran reading and prayers, than think again! This is a great fundamental course to understand why Arabic is important, and it will motivate you to learn Arabic, will answer many of your questions, and is a great way to expose yourself to the Arabic language, starting from the basics! It is a very well organized and an interactive course.
- M.M, course attendee
-S.F., course attendee
Testimonial: "Eager to see her students succeed"
The entire experience was very positive. Supportive TAs and teacher plus the presentation of the material was done in a very clear and organized manner. And the teacher was always available - all times, every day to provide her support and encouragement. I love her passion for the subject and her eagerness to see her students succeed. May Allah reward her. Ameen.
- A. E., course attendee
Your Instructor
Extremely passionate about reviving the language of the Quran in our Ummah, Danya Majeed has been studying Arabic for over fifteen years. In Amman, Jordan she completed the Qasid Classical Program, and then continued her studies with Shaykh Ali Hani. She obtained ijazah in several books with Shaykh Ali and continues to study with him online. She is also a student of Shaykh Ahmad al-Homsi of Itqan Institute for Quranic Sciences, where she takes courses in Arabic and Tajweed. Her biggest goal in life is to learn tafseer and teach it to others, and reviving Arabic in herself and others is the first step towards this goal.