One Year Intensive in Arabic and Islamic Studies

Arabic Skills develops students’ reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities, progressing from partially vowelized texts and basic conversations to more complex texts without vowel marks and increasingly fluent dialogue. Students apply what they learn in Arabic Grammar and Morphology as they build toward writing extended compositions and communicating about everyday life, their studies, and work.

Arabic Grammar & Morphology explores the structure of Arabic through ṣarf (morphology) and naḥw (syntax). Students begin with explanations designed for non-native speakers, then progress to the classical approach used by native speakers, applying what they learn to examples from the Quran, Hadith, and classical texts.

Incoming students are assessed and placed in either the Qaʿidah or Tajwīd track based on their reading and recitation ability. In the Qaʿidah track, students build the Arabic literacy, pronunciation, and reading fluency needed to recite directly from the Quran and prepare for Tajwīd study. In the Tajwīd track, students study the rules of Quranic recitation—including the articulation and qualities of Arabic letters, vowel sounds, and where to begin and stop—while developing accuracy and fluency through guided practice.

Theology (ʿAqīdah) introduces students to the foundational beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah through al-ʿAqīdah al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah, al-ʿAqāʾid al-Nasafiyyah, Umm al-Barāhīn, and Dafʿ Shubhah al-Tashbīh. Students study beliefs about Allah, prophethood, and revealed matters while tracing the historical development of Sunni theology and the emergence of the Māturīdī and Ashʿarī schools. They also examine the methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah in theological inquiry, including how classical scholars understood scriptural passages concerning the divine attributes.

Legal Theory (Uṣūl al-Fiqh) introduces students to how jurists derive rulings from the Quran and Sunnah through al-Waraqāt by Imām al-Ḥaramayn al-Juwaynī. Students study foundational topics such as categories of rulings, abrogation, and the qualifications of a mujtahid, then examine legal reasoning in practice through Iẓhār al-Surūr li-Mawlid al-Nūr by Shaykh Muhammad bin Yahya al-Ninowy.

Hadith Sciences introduces students to both the methods scholars use to study Hadith and the teachings preserved in them. Through Nukhbat al-Fikr by Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, students learn key terminology and how Hadith are transmitted and assessed. They also study al-Arbaʿīn al-Nawawiyyah (Imām al-Nawawī’s Forty Hadith), exploring the meanings of selected Prophetic teachings and their place in Islamic belief and practice.

• Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh) introduces students to the rulings governing the core acts of worship in both the Ḥanafī and Shāfiʿī schools. Through Mukhtaṣar al-Qudūrī and Matn Abī Shujāʿ, students study purification, prayer, fasting, zakāh, and ḥajj while becoming familiar with the terminology and structure of each school’s legal texts. Emphasis is placed on accuracy in worship, familiarity with authoritative legal texts, and confidence in practicing and explaining the rulings studied.

Quranic Sciences (ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān) gives students the background to study the Quran with a deeper understanding of its revelation, transmission, and preservation. Using Bridge to Quranic Sciences by Shaykh Dr. Muhammad bin Yahya al-Ninowy, students explore its miraculous nature, variant readings, theories of abrogation, and approaches to tafsīr. They also learn the etiquette of engaging with the Quran and how scholars have approached its interpretation.

Seerah guides students through the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ using The Prophet of Mercy by Shaykh Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi. Students study his character and teachings alongside key events of the Makkan and Madinan periods, including the Hijrah and the establishment of the first Muslim community. The course invites students to reflect on his compassion, humility, and mercy, and on how his example can guide their relationships with family, community, and wider society.

• • Tazkiya begins with Taʿlīm al-Mutaʿallim, which guides students in approaching the pursuit of knowledge with sincere intentions, good adab, patience, and consistent effort. Students also study Imām al-Ghazālī’s Bidāyat al-Hidāyah, exploring daily acts of worship and learning to recognize conduct that can draw them away from Allah. Together, these texts help students bring what they learn into their daily practice and character. Students will learn the significance of maintaining a correct intention in seeking knowledge, effective study methods, and the responsibilities that come with being a student of knowledge. Through this text, students will gain valuable guidance on how to approach their studies with sincerity and discipline, laying a strong foundation for their academic and spiritual growth.