Intensive Arabic Course

[Umm Binyameen]

I've had a few people mention to me recently how they'd love to be able to travel to a Muslim country so that they can attend an intensive arabic course. And it got me thinking....why do we need to travel to do that? Most of the sisters don't have mahrams, and it would cost a lot of money. What if something was available here?

So I'd like to know how many people would be serious and committed to study arabic for 3 hrs per day 5 days per week? Of course the classes would be done in a completely professional manner and taught by very experienced teachers with the goal of being able to have a good grasp of arabic by the end of it (both fus'ha and slang from different regions), and it would also contain a strong component of 'islamic arabic' for lack of a better word to describe the arabic being taught referenced back to Qur'an, hadith and du'as.

It goes without saying that it would be a big committment, and only the serious student should participate. It would take a lot of sacrifice and hard work, as well as striving for the sake of Allah. Shaytan would be your enemy and try to stop you and disrupt you. You would need to be aware of all of this.

The cost would be kept to a minimum, probably somewhere between $75 and $90 per week (not including books). There would be the option to pay weekly as well.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Jazak Allahu kharyan

[fatima_43]

sis that sounds good except for the 3hrs a day 5 days per week part. Can't it be spaced out?

[Umm Binyameen]

That's the whole point sis....the only way to really learn arabic quickly is to do it every day. On the weekends you'll have to review the weeks work.

We have arabic 2 evenings a week for 2 hrs each session already for those who only want to do it part time.

[Najah]

Unless it was during the day, a night time class every night would be too much everyday, I don't think u would get the interest sis.

[Umm Binyameen]

It's in the day during school hours

[UmMKY]

Jazak Allah khair for the initiative.
May Allah make it a great success.

I think if It was 10-15 years ago I would have joined straight away but with the load of online Islamic study, and work (which I have kept to a minimum so I can study Islam) and 3 kids I think it is just not possible for me.

I would however say to those who are single young or older but free from family obligations that this is a golden opportunity not to miss.

The price although is kept to a minimum but to afford that people still need to work and the reality most people work monday to friday.

I would benefit from part time arabic that was during the day rather than evening because it would supplement the Islamic studies.

Anyway this is just my personal perspective.

The arabic language is worthy of such investment and hard work on our part SubhanAllah I wish this type of thing was around when I was 18/19 yrs and less committed overall. Allah help us!

[Umm Binyameen]

Ameen sis...Jazak Allahu khayran. Yes I understand all that you're saying, and my idea came from people who were willing to and wanting to travel overseas to study, so I'm offering a cheaper, easier alternative insha'Allah. And mostly, I want it for myself. I really want to learn arabic Insha'Allah....I feel I can't truly understand what I'm learning islamically without understanding arabic and I can't keep waiting for the opportunity to go to a muslim arabic speaking country. I ask Allah (swt) to make it something that is of huge benefit for all who attend.

[UmMKY]

what would be the min number of people needed to start ? I'm so tempted my heart wants to say yes but my head says i cant possibly

[Umm Binyameen]

Very minimum would be 6.

I'm also looking for sisters who do Family Day Care in their homes close to the school for any sisters who need childcare

[jasmin]

That sounds great Umm Binyameen but that means the working sisters can't attend. You know I would jump at this opportunity!

I'm still a little bummed that I had to cancel my plans to go overseas to study Arabic. But Allah s.w.t is the best of Planners!!

Of course the classes would be done in a completely professional manner and taught by very experienced teachers......

MaashaAllah.....Umm Binyameen you always keep true to your words. When I studied at your school last year I was really impressed by the teachers. They are excellent! I still can't believe that in just 1 year I went from not even knowing my alphabet to communicating and writing in Arabic comfortably!

May Allah put barakah on your school!

[fatima_43]

sis Umm Binyameen, are the classes accredited yet?

[Umm Binyameen]

Getting accreditation for Arabic is not an easy process and very costly. In terms of getting Skills Vic funding to study for free, they don't pay for straight out language courses, but there are other options like Dipoloma in Translation in which arabic would be a component. We are looking at all options for the future, but as I said its a long and costly process. And sadly, these kinds of 'projects' are not really supported as a whole by the community.

[asalamualaykum]

Assalamu alaikum,

That's really cheap masha'Allah! cheaper than my children’s' online Arabic classes all the way from Egypt (live classes should cost a lot more than online ones for obvious reasons). I would have loved to take the classes if I wasn't already a pro in Arabic (as if :P ).


“shaikh al-Albaani said, “Indeed the blessings of Allaah upon me are numerous such that I cannot enumerate them. Perhaps from the most important of them are the following two: the migration of my father to Syria...the first [blessing] made learning arabic easy for me, for if we had remained in Albania I do not believe that I would have learnt a letter from it, and there is no path to the Book of Allaah or the Sunnah of his Prophet, except by way of arabic.”

[Najah]

Assalamu alaikum

I would like to give my personal experience on learning arabic, so that maybe it might help others out there who might think they are too busy a second thought in taking it up.

I've been learning it for 6 years now Alhumdulilah. We do 2 courses a year so its 30 weeks a year and in between that there is breaks and breaks for school holidays, for Eid and for Ramadan, plus the place we do it at closes down over christmas holidays.

Anyways during that time I was single and living at home when I started the course. I got married, and went between working full time to part time and full time again. I did hajj and travelled twice. I also had a baby and on top of that had a c-section which took me roughly 6 weeks to recover from fully. I did my oral and written exam when my son was 4 weeks old and I had to bring him with me, so I was doing my exam whilst having to feed/change him, it was such a long day, I won't forget it.

What I have learnt in all these years is priceless. I can read and write arabic fluently and can speak it on a medium plus level. I can do so many things like ask for directions, to go a post office, speak about my level of education, read a newspaper, identify shapes, colours, numbers, several objects, talk about food, animals et. We have learn't a wealth of grammar, and one very important thing is that we have been able to understand the quraan now on a more deeper level Alhumdulilah. You truly can't understand our beautiful deen without learning arabic. We are studying suratul kahf ande have reached up to verse 31 and SubhanAllah there is soooo much meaning in just one word!!

We have even read tafseer in arabic!

All bar one sister in teh class is a mother and we have an older sister who is a grandmother but also works full time and learns arabic. So we all have committments that we could easily make up excuses with and say we can't learn arabic with. Some sisters are studying Al Kauthar, doing arabic, working, and have kids.

We have all had our struggles, it has been hard and many times I have thought of quiting, especially after giving birth but Alhumdulilah I have perservered and only by the will and help of Allah have I been blessed with staying in the course.

One thing I would definitely stress to anyone wanting to do arabic is to make sure you find a teacher (if possible) that is passionate about the subject, that has a genuine love for the language, because that made a huge difference on my attitude towards learning the subject and my committment and passion I developed for it. Had it not been for my teacher's constant care and committment to me as a teacher and of course Allah's will then I don't think I would of survived in this course.

SubhanAllah we started from scratch and now we are having a debate all in arabic!

It can be used for travel too, we can all read signs now with ease, we can understand dialect through understanding fusha/modern standard arabic.

[Najah]

We are in class for 3.5 hours a week and u need to do at least 3-4 hours a week at home.

[Umm Binyameen]

Masha'Allah Najah that is great news. My own desire and need to learn arabic is so great, for all the reasons you mentioned. And what you said about the teacher is so true. This is why I'm so excited about doing this new course, because the teacher is amazing, and I feel because it will be an intensive course, we will get to where you are much quicker insha'Allah.

And insha'Allah Najah that will mean you and the others who have done your course, will be able to teach others in the future. We need more dedicated arabic teachers here, and to encourage more people to learn arabic for the sake of Allah (swt)

[UmMKY]

SubhanAllah I have heard so many great things about your teacher Najah.....MashaAllah May Allah preserve her..........I am seriously weighing up my options Allah is our helper...........May Allah make it possible for us all.

UmmB when would we have to let you know by.......I have to get permission from my husband first and foremost and also my work arrangements would need a bit of rescheduling.......nothing is impossible Bi idhnillah!

[El Muslima]

I am tempted but am not sure if I can commit 100% - 5 days a week .....hmmm...but that's a good way to learn quickly.

[muslimah09]

We are in class for 3.5 hours a week and u need to do at least 3-4 hours a week at home.

who is ur teacher sis? where do u have ur classes?

[Umm Binyameen]

UmMKY we haven't even done any marketing yet. Once we start doing that we will have a cutoff date, but probably won't be till early July, so you have plenty of time.

SubhanAllah I have heard so many great things about your teacher Najah.....MashaAllah May Allah preserve her..........I am seriously weighing up my options Allah is our helper...........May Allah make it possible for us all.

Yes me too masha'Allah may Allah (swt) reward her efforts greatly.

I am tempted but am not sure if I can commit 100% - 5 days a week .....hmmm...but that's a good way to learn quickly.

Yes sis it is, and it is a big committment. And we need to realise that shaytan will try and stop us from all sides, because for sure doing this will benefit us greatly for our akhria insha'Allah. May Allah (swt) purify our intentions, and protect us and help us to achieve this goal.