Arabic

OVERVIEW

The Arabic programme at Hawza Online has been designed for beginners who wish to learn classical Arabic (fuṣḥā). The only prerequisite to the course is the ability to read and write letters of the Arabic alphabet. The programme comprises two levels, each worth 40 credits.

DURATION, HOURS, AND TIMINGS

Duration and Hours

The flexible nature of the programme allows students to progress through the course at two different speeds. Students can choose to study either the:

  • Full Option, which is 8 hours per week. Students complete both levels of the course in 1 year.
  • Half Option, which is 4 hours per week. Students complete both levels of the course in 2 years.

Each academic year comprises 2 semesters. Each semester lasts 12 weeks. Click here to see the academic calendar.

Timings

With regard to the lesson timings, there are several options for students to select from. These options are communicated to students once their application has been processed.

CERTIFICATE, DIPLOMA, AND NON-AWARD

We appreciate that our students have different schedules, commitments, and goals. This is why we offer 3 study options:

    1. Certificate
    2. Diploma
    3. Non-award

 

1. Certificate

To qualify for our Certificate, students must complete both the Hawza Studies and Arabic programmes. This amounts to completing 440 credits in total, i.e. all 80 credits of the Arabic programme, and all 360 credits of the Hawza Studies programme.

Certificate students must do Arabic before or at the same time as their Hawza Studies modules. An exception is made for students joining for the first time in Semester 2 (February). Such students must take Arabic in the following September, i.e. in Semester 1 of the new academic year. This is because the Arabic course can only be started in Semester 1.

Certificate students pay half the fees for the modules and can apply for a scholarship by contacting us in strict confidence.

In terms of getting a place on a course if it is oversubscribed, Certificate students get first priority.

 

2. Diploma

Students can opt to do our Diploma. This requires the completion of 220 credits from the Hawza Studies programme on its own or in combination with the Arabic programme.

Diploma students pay full fees for the modules and cannot apply for a scholarship.

In terms of getting a place on a course if it is oversubscribed, Diploma students get second priority.

 

3. Non-award

Non-award students choose individual modules as stand-alone courses.

They pay full fees for the modules and cannot apply for a scholarship.

In terms of getting a place on a course if it is oversubscribed, Non-award students get third priority.

 

Please note: We are unable to accommodate students who wish to do the Arabic programme on its own (i.e. without intending to do any Hawza modules alongside or after doing the Arabic programme). Therefore, students wishing to apply for the Arabic programme must have the intention to do some Hawza modules.

STRUCTURE

The programme adopts a tried and tested integrated approach: all the different elements of the language – conversation, comprehension, composition, and grammar – are carefully woven into each lesson. The books used in the course have been designed and written by Shaykh Qasim Assady, a teacher with more than 20 years of experience in teaching classical Arabic to students from all over the world.

All the lessons are live and highly interactive. Students are continuously encouraged to engage with the language, thereby improving their active listening and reading skills and enhancing their ability to speak and write Arabic. The lessons are not recorded.

The programme comprises 2 levels:

Level 1 (40 credits)

Level 1 of the programme focuses on correct articulation of letters and words; understanding and using basic vocabulary and grammar; and composing simple sentences and paragraphs in spoken and written form.

Level 1 Syllabus
  • Articulating Arabic letters and words
  • Word formation
  • Basic forms of questioning
  • Basic prepositions, nouns, and particles
  • Masculine and feminine constructs
  • Basic pronoun conjugation
  • Simple sentences
  • Numbers
  • Genitive usage of the noun
  • Essential vocabulary for beginners
  • Comprehension of simple verses of the Qur’an and hadith
  • Discourses related to oneself, the family unit, education, work, and a variety of social settings

 

Level 2 (40 credits)

Level 2 aims to acquaint students with more advanced vocabulary and grammatical constructs. Moreover, comprehension and composition skills are strengthened in the context of new topics and scenarios.

Level 2 Syllabus
  • Assertive sentences
  • Types of negation
  • Conjugation of past and present verbs
  • Compound numbers
  • Conjugation of pronouns
  • Nominative and accusative usage of the noun
  • Active and passive verbal sentences
  • The subject, object, and representative of a subject
  • Attached, detached, and relative pronouns
  • ‘Who’, ‘what’, ‘which’, and ‘when’ questions
  • ‘Kāna’ and ‘innā’
  • Comprehension of verses of the Qur’an and hadith
  • More advanced discourses and new vocabulary related to a range of topics and scenarios