Madina Series Book 1: Lesson 0 (Part 1)

Asslamo Allaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,

Maghrib has just finished in UK on Thursday so Islamically Friday has just begun.

This is an introductory lesson and you are under no obligation to memorise this text. Just sit back, read, relax and enjoy.

Why learn Arabic?

Allah (SWT) emphatically states in the Qur’aan:

إِنَّآ أَنزَلۡنَـٰهُ قُرۡءَٲنًا عَرَبِيًّ۬ا لَّعَلَّكُمۡ تَعۡقِلُونَ

[12:2] We have sent it down, as an Arabic Qur'aan, so that you may understand.

Allah (SWT) in his infinite wisdom has categorically linked His word (i.e. the Qur’aan) with the Arabic language; therefore, the two are interlinked until the day of judgement and declared inseparable.

Shaykh Allamah Shabbir Ahmed Uthmani (RA) writes in his Tafseer, "The Arabic language, which is the most eloquent, versatile, regulated and magnificent of all languages, was chosen for the revelation of the Quran. Because the Messenger (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) was an Arab, it logically follows that its first audience will be Arabs. Then, by means of the Arabs this light spread all around. The words "so you may understand,” indicate the reason for revealing the Quran in Arabic i.e.  that you, who are the nation of the Messenger, should first taste its knowledge and thereafter make others do the same. So it happened.”

Shaykhul-Hadeeth (Maulana) Mohammed Zakariyya Kandhalwi (RA) wrote a treatise on the virtues and superiority of the Arabic language entitled, “Fazail-e-Arabi (Virtues of the Arabic Languages)” and mentions many narrations on the subject of the virtues of learning the Arabic language which all students are requested to obtain and study.

Some of the narrations about the Arabic language are as follows:   

Sayyidina Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (RA) said: Learn Arabic for it strengthens the mind and enhances chivalry . In [Shu'abul-Eman']

Sayyidina Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (RA) also wrote to Abu Musa al-Ash'ari : Learn the Sunnah (Prophet's Tradition) and Arabic. Learn to parse the Qur'an for it is written in Arabic . [Musannaf" of Ibn Abi Shaibah] In another version, he said: learn Arabic for it is part and parcel of your Religion . It is also narrated in the aforementioned 'Musannaf' that Ubayy Ibn Ka'b said: Learn Arabic as you learn (memorize) the Qur'an .

Arabic Alphabets (Consonants & Vowels):

Arabic language consists of 29 letters (including Hamza) which are mostly consonants. If these letters are simply thrown out and strung together like

ع +  ب +  د  =  عبد

It will be extremely difficult to read and decipher the meaning so these letters must be combined with vowels to assist the viewer in reading and interpreting the words correctly. There are mainly 3 short vowels in the Arabic languages which can be displayed as a single unit (known as Damma, Fatha & Kasra OR Paish, Zabar & Zaer in Urdu)

  ُ +َ  + ِ

OR as double (known as Dammatain, Fathatain & Kasratain OR Do Paish, Do Zabar & Do Zaer in Urdu)

  ٌ +ً + ٍ

We strongly encourage the students to adopt the names of these short vowels in Arabic.

These short vowels on top of the consonants give meaning to the word e.g.

  (Abada) meaning “To Worship” عَبَدَ

OR

عَابِدٌ (Aabidun) meaning “The one who worships”

Arabic Words:

Broadly, Arabic words are divided into three (3 categories):

1. اسم (Ism or Noun):  This category is defined as those words that impart a single meaning on their own  and do not afford a tense e.g. “Masjidun” i.e. you know what this word means and it has no association with time.
2. حرف (Harf or particle): This category is defined as those words that do not impart a meaning on their own e.g. “Waa” i.e. you would not know what “Waa” means on its own unless and until you join some words to the right and left of it.
3. فعل  (Fi'l or verb): This category is defined as those words that impart a single meaning on their own  and afford a tense e.g. “Abada (He worshipped)” i.e. you know that this refers to the action of worshipping which occurred in the past

This Level 1 course will predominantly deal with Ism & Harf with a conjugation table of simple past tense as Dr V.Abdur Raheem (the Author) doesn’t introduce anything else in Book 1.

Exercise:

In this course you will be doing a lot of writing so lets get started.

1. Click on this link to get to onscreen Arabic Keyboard http://www.arabic-keyboard.org/
2. Type 8 Arabic words of your choice OR type these and copy/paste them into your reply

مَسجِدٌ  (Masjidun means "A Masjid")

المَسجِدُ (Al-Masjidu means "The Masjid)

رَسُولٌ

الرَسُولُ

دَينٌ

الدَينُ

رَبٌّ

الرَبُّ

Bonus Question?

Can you spot the pattern in these words? What are the changes?

Next Lesson?

With the Taufeeq of Allah (SWT) will be in 48 hours, Insha'Allah.

Asslamo Allaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,

Masha'Allah every one, please don't forget to recite Suratul Kahf because its a Friday.

http://muftisays.com/forums/articles-stories-more/5628/don-t-forget-to-recite-surah-al-kahaf%29-the-virtues-of-jumu-ah.html

By Lesson 5 you will figure out why it is written in English like Suratul Kahf and why يَا رَسُولُ ألله is a grammatical mistake (let alone an Aqeedah issue), Insha'Allah.

Jazakullah Khairun

P.S: Will keep monitoring this thread for questions and post the next Lesson in 24 hours.

Asslamo Allaikum,

There are only 4 past tense verbs in the whole book 1 and we will provide a link when we get to it and an easy method to memorise it, Insha'Allah.

Jazakullah Khairun