Arabic

Learn Arabic - [Lesson 1] Arabic Grammar for Understanding the Quran

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• published: 09 Jan 2013
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This is lesson #1 in the series "Arabic Grammar for Understanding the Quran". In this lesson, we will cover: 1. The four "traits" of the ism: definiteness, gender, number, and case, 2. The adjective (sifah). 3. The three types of plural (jam'): broken, masculine sound, feminine sound. Some useful resources for learning Quranic Arabic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be7gvuBFvh8 Please remember to subscribe to this channel! ~~~ Learn Arabic - Arabic Grammar for Understanding the Quran Knowledge of Arabic grammar is both a core prerequisite and an invaluable asset for the serious student of knowledge. Unfortunately, for the majority of Muslims living the West today, obtaining a working knowledge of Arabic grammar seems virtually impossible. The greatest barrier between us and a mastery of Arabic grammar is the widespread notion that Arabic grammar is irresolvably complex, that it is too detailed, too vast, and too technical. We believe that learning Arabic grammar takes way too long to do, that we will burn out long before we begin reaping its fruits. We further believe Arabic grammar is "all or nothing"--that it's useless unless we learn ALL of it. And it's impossible to learn ALL of it. So we don't bother to start; we decide it's not worth learning ANY of it. These notions are self-imposed psychological shackles OR unpleasant encounters we've had when we tried to learn Arabic before OR the whispers of the sneaky one, Shaytaan (or all of the above). But at the end of the day, our reality is one: we have deprived ourselves of the key for unlocking a deeper, more intimate relationship with the Quran (and Sunnah) and thus, denied ourselves the opportunity of tasting the full sweetness of divine knowledge. As for the misconceptions: (1) Arabic grammar is indeed "complex", but let's be real: everything about the human existence is complex. Life is complex. Think about driving a car and our daily responses to an infinite number of possible occurrences on the road. Because we are so FAMILIAR with driving, much of the required thinking is automated or "reflexive". Complexity is not synonymous with difficulty. Why can't Arabic grammar come as naturally as driving does? It can. We have all earned degrees in engineering, medicine, literature, history, education, accounting, etc. If we can master these complex subjects, why can't we learn Arabic grammar? We can. (2) Like any discipline, the study of Arabic grammar can be a lifelong pursuit, but there's no rule saying, "Once you start to learn Arabic, you cannot stop until you've mastered it". You don't need to be a grammarian to possess a working, intermediate-level understanding of Arabic grammar. We also forget that the fruits of Arabic grammar can be reaped IMMEDIATELY, from day #1, lesson #1. (3) Arabic grammar is NOT "all or nothing". Like mentioned above, even knowledge of a few simple, isolated rules will permanently strengthen our relationship with the Quran. Aware of the above concerns, I made this video series (Arabic Grammar for Understanding the Quran) for anyone who wants to learn Arabic. The following are my objectives: (1) Presenting a "complex" subject in a simple, intuitive way. My goal is to maintain clarity both in the descriptions and in the visuals used. (2) Shrinking 2.5 years of Arabic grammar content into 20 short videos, each lasting between 30-45 minutes (for a grand total of no more than 15 hours), insha'Allah. This requires a massive condensing of material as well as an omission of a few concepts. (3) Demonstrating the relevance of grammar and the real-life application of grammar rules ("theory") to understanding the Quran ("practice"). Thus, every single lesson will feature step-by-step grammatical analyses of Quranic verses. Please subscribe to my channel, and provide me with feedback for this project, insha'Allah. I pray that Allah SWT accepts our intentions and efforts. Ameen.