Arabic

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

Please note: We are unable to accommodate students who wish to enrol solely in the Arabic Programme without also participating in the Hawza Studies programme.

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 is divided into two semesters, each lasting 12 weeks. The semesters begin on the first Monday of September and February, respectively.

Timing

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

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 alonside of 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.

To qualify for our Diploma, students must complete 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.

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

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

Structure

The Arabic course 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 course textbooks, Fusha Arabic, have been specifically designed to provide a rich variety of examples, exercises, and illustrations, making learning Arabic both engaging and rewarding.

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.

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.

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.

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