Arabic Language and Qur’an Summer Intensive

The Vision of Having Direct Access to the Qur’an

Every serious pursuit of ‘Sacred Knowledge’ begins with the Arabic language.

Without question, knowledge of the Arabic language should be the academic goal of every Muslim as it provides direct access to the Qur’an, the speech of Allah, the hadith of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and, for serious students of knowledge, all of the Islamic sciences.

Even for casual learners of the language, the experience of reciting the Qur’an while understanding its divine meanings is awe inspiring. Hence, there is NO comparison between reading translations versus understanding the Qur’an in Arabic.

Context of this course

This course is available to everyone. However, there is a context to it.

Shaykh Shams has been teaching the Youth Mentoring Programme (YMP) and the Learned Youth Programme since 2020. As of 2024, the Learned Youth Programme, a two year Islamic studies programme with Arabic language targeting young people, will be DISCONTINUED. Instead, the Youth Mentoring Programme will be extended over multiple years, and a separate Arabic language course will be offered in parallel for those who which to to study Arabic.

A unique opportunity for External Students

Whilst, the Arabic language course will mainly comprise of YMP students external students will be given an opportunity to join every cohort. At the moment, we are only able to launch a new cohort every two years.

This summer intensive, grants the opportunity to external students (i.e. everyone not on the YMP) to study Arabic intensively over the summer with the aim of joining the current cohort of students who have been studying Arabic with shaykh Shams for some time. The course also includes a rigorous Tajweed programme.

It is also an opportunity for past LYP students to review their past Arabic learning, and continue their studies with Shaykh Shams.

This programme has 3 key objectives:

• Give students access to the language of the Qur’an.
• Enable students to pursue higher Islamic studies directly in Arabic.
• Give committed adults the capacity to recite Qur’an proficiently with a high standard of tajweed and teach it to others.

Duration of the programme:

Summer intensive – 10 weeks

(once the summer intensive is concluded, students will be able to continue their studies immediately by enrolling on the 2 year programme which will start in late September).

Start date and weekly schedule

Start: Mon 1st July

Weekly lesson 6pm-9pm on Mondays

We will have 3 normal sessions, then break from 22nd July. We will then resume on 15th Aug until 19th September. During the break in between, students must remain available for some limited sessions. The reason for the break is that Shaykh Shams will be travelling for Umrah.

Minimum age of students

This course is for students who are 14 and above. It is not suitable for anyone younger. Anyone of any age above 14 can study the course.

Learning outcomes

1. Read and write Arabic.
2. Pronounce Arabic letters with proper makharij and sifat
3. Complete 8 lessons of al-Kitab fi Ta’allum al-Arabiyyah. In these lessons we will cover various themes and the following grammar topics: Gender, the definite article, the nisbah adjective, pronouns, dual and plural forms, the nominal sentence, the genitive construction and possessive pronouns, the present tense verb, the verbal sentence, adverbs, adjectives, the demonstrative pronoun, the past tense verb, etc.

Resources

Students will have to acquire the textbook to study the course. The textbook is called Al-Kitaab Fii Ta Allum Al- Arabiyya, published by Georgetown University Press. It is used as a textbook by universities for degrees in Arabic Language.

What happens after the summer course?

They will continue studying Arabic with Shaykh Shams on the full programme from late September 2024. They will enrol and pay for this course separately. This course will continue their progress in reading, writing, understanding, and speaking modern standard Arabic to be able to have dialogue at a general level. (Roughly equivalent to an AS or the first year of a degree at some universities). F urthermore, they will study Arabic grammar and classical Arabic to a level that facilitates direct access to the Qur’an, the Hadith, and the texts of the Islamic sciences.

Teacher/s

Shaykh Shams Adduha Muhammad

Shaykh Shams was a founding director of Ebrahim College where he helped develop their well-known Arabic programme. He is currently Director and instructor at Mawarid Lifestyle, and imam and khateeb of Chelmsford Muslim Society.

Other teachers to be confirmed.

Admission criteria

We are looking for serious dedicated students for this course. Students should only apply if they meet the following criteria:

1. Able to read the Qur’an in Arabic. Beginners can try out the first two weeks which will be the only time given to basic writing and reading. Writing will be the main focus at this stage. If you are a beginner, please let us know and we can discuss your options.
2. Committed to studying Arabic long term. There are no quick solutions or magic wands when it comes to studying Arabic in a non-Arabic environment. You have to put in the time and dedication. To successfully study the course, you will need study 3- 5 hours a week in addition to the lessons and be willing to immerse yourself in Arabic.
3. Able to pay fees up front. There will be no instalment plans nor refunds. You must pay up front, and commit fully or lose your money. Refunds will only be considered in serious extenuating circumstances. Do not apply if you are not absolutely committed.
4. Able to attend every lesson. Every absence must be explained and you cannot fall behind due to absence. Students will be removed from the course after more than two absences in this part of the course.

Fees

£200.00

After the summer intensive the course will be £600 per annum with some discounts applied for YMP students.

Mode of study

Online

There may be some face to face provision for students who are local to Shaykh Shams. But this is subject to numbers and availability of a study space. For now, please assume it is only online.

Other benefits and features

• All lessons will be recorded and made available via the Mawarid learning management system.
• Students who join the full programme in September will be given free access to all Mawarid on-demand short courses. See course list for details.

Terms and conditions

1. You must maintain 80% and above attendance and punctuality.
2. You must complete all work given in the course. There will be homework every week that will take 3-5 hours to complete.
3. As part of your Tajweed development, you must practise Qur’an recitation daily as instructed.
4. You must pay the full fee up front.
5. Fees are non-refundable after commencement of the course.
6. Only students whose commitment to learning Arabic and progress is deemed satisfactory will be allowed to progress on to the full Arabic programme in September 2024.

Enquiries

If you have any questions, please email info@mawaridlifestyle.com