"I don't know of anything comparable being offered elsewhere in Canada or the US in English. What you cover in this course is what people go overseas to Syria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and elsewhere for. I spent 9 months in Damascus studying Arabic and this course is better organized and more thorough, and you can take it without quitting your job. If this had been offered then I wouldn't have needed to go (for the Arabic there are benefits to being in a Muslim country). And once you finish you'll have a solid foundation to go abroad and study further."
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Two-Year ‘Foundations Program’ - Complete Course Description
Why be interested?
Have you been sporadically going to halaqas for years, but have little or nothing to show for it?
Do you crave a serious course that doesn't seem like a "guilty conscience assuager" but actually teaches you something?
Do you want to go beyond the numerous lectures/conferences but don't know where to go?
Do you want an organized curriculum, with textbooks, punctual, regular sessions, a clear path and a beginning and end-goal?
Have you been raised here and can't access courses in foreign languages?
Do you constantly dream of going overseas for Islamic education but don't have the time/money/freedom-from-responsibility to do so?
If you answer Yes to any of these questions then you should seriously consider this course.
To give you the best possible idea of what is being offered, an entire week's worth of content has been placed on our Audio Samples Page.
What follows is a summary of our goals and methods being employed since 2003.
The "Foundations Program" in Classical Arabic Grammar is designed to take students with no more than basic recognition of the Arabic alphabet and turn them into the most proficient grammarians, able to independently read and comprehend classical Islamic texts in subjects such as Fiqh, Hadith, and Tafseer, all in the shortest possible time.
In a systematic manner, the course quickly moves through the essentials of both Arabic Grammar and Morphology required in order to decipher the manuals. In-class reading of "vowel-less" texts by students themselves begins in the 6th month of the program and continues until the end. Carefully chosen texts in various Islamic disciplines are introduced gradually into the program to maximize the deciphering capabilities of students.
Summary of the ‘Foundations Program’ structure:
Two-year part-time program
Two 12-week semesters (Winter and Fall)
Two 8-week spring and summer semesters
Commitment of 7 hours per week, 5 pre-recorded, and 2 live
Program Features:
Classes will be taught at a moderate pace, with new concepts introduced at a pace conducive to learning, allowing students time to familiarize with the concepts and establish a stronger base in grammar.
Clear expectations will be communicated at the beginning of each semester (course format, syllabus, books, class hours, expected outcomes etc.)
Students will be given assignments to supplement class room learning. Typically this would include:
1) Determining various verb groupings and identifying irregularities within verbs.
2) Revising portions of text, deciphering meanings of words, grammatical analysis of sentence structures.
Online aids to provide additional support.
1-2 week break will be provided between new semesters and a five-week break for Ramadan.
Additional breaks will be given after normally 4-5 weekends of continuous class, giving students opportunity to revise and consolidate material.
There will be a mid-term and end of semester exam. Students with low grades will be given conditional entry to the next level based on demonstrable future progress.
The first day of the new semester will be designated for review.
An important intent of the program is to enhance mutual Adab, a core concept towards Islamic learning and living.
Course Content:
At the end of the two-year program students will have covered:
All pertinent concepts in Morphology (Sarf)
Advanced level concepts in Grammar (Nahw) - Hidayatun Nahw (entire book), Sharh Ibn Aqeel (150-200 couplets)
Reading/Analysis of four books in Arabic Literature (Stories of the Prophets)
Reading/Analysis of several hundred traditions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), along with selected commentary from Hadith scholars such as Imam an-Nawawi and al-Hafidh Ibn Hajr.
Reading/Analysis from biographical works on the Sahabah, and Luminaries of Islam.
Introductory Fiqh (Hanafi) – Nur-ul-Idah
Fiqh of Commerce (Hanafi) - Mukhtasar-al-Quduri
Exegesis of the Noble Qur'an (1 juz)
Classical Logic – Mantiq
Course Outlines & Registration:
Course outlines for individual Semesters can be accessed from the message board. Click here for first semester syllabus (March 27, 2010-June 26, 2010).
You can view details regarding costs, exact timings, and hours of instruction etc. on our Online Arabic Courses page.
Note that we are not holding any Toronto-based classes in 2010. All classes in 2010 will be fully online
The first week's content has been placed on our samples page. Please visit the Samples Audio Page and download the content for free.
Please proceed to our Registration Instructions page for details on all steps towards creating your forum account and subsequently upgrading it in order to access premium content. You may Contact Us at any time with any questions.
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