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Arabic Course in Toronto for even Native Arabs!!

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Arabic Course in Toronto for even Native Arabs!!
Instructor
10/19/03 at 02:22:42
[img]http://www.shariahprogram.ca/Winter_2003_med.jpg[/img]

Toronto Shariah Program


Thorough Traditional Education



Brothers Program / Sister's Program


Starting in December, 2003


http://www.shariahprogram.ca/


Would
you think it would be possible to learn Classical Arabic sufficiently enough
to begin understanding the Qu'ran in a span of 6 months ?... while studying
part-time ? ... right here in Toronto ?  
While it is true that most things that sound too good to be true are indeed
false, this is certainly an exception.





Due to increased demand and the successful launch of the Brothers and Sisters Shariah Program in January and April of 2003, the Toronto Shariah Program is pleased to announce 3 new offerings beginning December 2003.





Based on the proven Dars-Nizaamie methodology used in madrasses worldwide, The Toronto Shariah Program offers, for the first time in North America, an in-depth study of Classical Arabic and Shariah Sciences aimed at English speakers.  While the early part of the program focuses heavily on mastering the Arabic language, concurrent interludes of the other Shariah Sciences (Seerat, Tajweed, Fiqh) provide for a much needed spiritual upliftment. Needless to say, the Toronto Shariah Program provides for an in-depth study of Classical Arabic and the Shariah Sciences allowing one to practice their deen correctly and subsequently opening the doors to more advanced study.








New Course offerings are as follows:





Brothers' Program Commencing Dec 1, 2003 (12 hours per week)


Commencing Dec. 1, 2003. Brothers' weekend program: 12 hours per week; both Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m.


Registration for this program will remain open for a full four weeks from the commencement date.



Venue: Madrasatul Banaat, Rexdale (Parking available, TTC accessible).



Read Brothers Testimonials:



http://www.shariahprogram.ca/testimonials.html






Sisters' Program Commencing Early Dec. 2003 (20-25 hours per week)


Sisters' week-day classes. Timings will be from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. on four of the week-days. These classes will run for six months, the aim being to cover the subject matter of an entire year, thus enabling very serious and dedicated students to effectively merge into our existing sisters' week-end program, which began several months ago. See sisters' testimonials.


Venue: Thorncliffe


Read a Sisters Testimonial in comparison to her University Arabic Program:


http://www.shariahprogram.ca/testimonials_sister1.html






Sisters'
Program Commencing Dec
1 2003 (12 hours per week)


Weekend program exclusively for sisters, in a sisters' only environment, both Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Registration for this program will remain open for a full four weeks from the commencement date.


Venue: Madrasatul Banaat, Rexdale (Parking available, TTC accessible)


Read Other Sisters Testimonials:


http://www.shariahprogram.ca/testimonials.html#sisters ">http://www.shariahprogram.ca/testimonials.html#sisters





"Indeed this discipline of ours is from cradle to grave. Whoever intends to leave this knowledge of ours for one moment, let him leave it now!"


Mohammed Ibn al-Hassan ash-Shaybani



Read classical texts within months!



http://www.shariahprogram.ca/
Re: Arabic Course in Toronto for even Native Arabs
Instructor
10/19/03 at 15:37:56
[slm] Below is a testimonial about the above mentioned program:

Before I start I just want to say that the contents of this brief text are entirely from me, and none of the course organizers had anything to do with its content. You can contact me (Waqar Khan) at 905-201-9504 or wak2@cornell.edu if you want to discuss anything about the course.

Why be interested?
Have you been sporadically going to halaqas for years, but have little or nothing to show for it? Do you crave a serious course that doesn't seem like a "guilty conscience assuager" but actually teaches you something? Do you want to go beyond the numerous lectures/ conferences but don't know where to go? Do you want an organized curriculum, with textbooks, punctual, regular sessions, a clear path and a beginning and an end-goal? Have you been raised here and can't access courses in foreign languages? Do you constantly dream of going overseas for Islamic education but don't have the time/money/freedom-from-responsibility to do so? If you answer Yes to any of these questions then you should seriously consider this course.

Course Material Sessions are organized into sarf (morphology), nahw (grammar), seerah, tajweed, and a reading/vocab session. The pace is fast but reasonable. I have previously studied some Arabic in Damascus and in comparison to my previous course this one is very thorough and systematic. What we cover, we cover comprehensively without leaving out bits and pieces. The emphasis on the "gurdans" i.e reciting the verbs aloud makes a big difference in comprehension, although it can be nerve-wracking in the beginning.

We use several textbooks, some of which are very hard to find here. We cover subjects and use the relevant part in the textbooks. There is no single text for any of the subjects. The first few months are spent mostly on Arabic (and Tajweed) before starting the Shariah portions of the course.

Why I like the course

I don't know of anything comparable being offered elsewhere in Canada or the US in English. WHAT YOU COVER IN THIS COURSE IS WHAT PEOPLE GO OVERSEAS TO SYRIA, PAKISTAN AND ELSEWHERE FOR. I spent 9 months in Damascus studying Arabic and this course is better organized and more thorough, and you can take it without quitting your job. If this had been offered then I wouldn't have needed to go (for the Arabic-there are benefits to being in a Muslim country). And once you finish you'll have a solid foundation to go abroad and study further.
Sessions run every week from 8am-2pm and are REGULAR. I have never seen last-minute cancellations or teacher no-shows (barring snowstorms).
The teachers know the materials inside out and are very well qualified to teach it. This isn't your well meaning but busy/not-so-knowledgeable local brother teaching a "micro-halaqa" in his spare time. Nor is it a "feel-good" conference or seminar that lasts a few days at most. It is a systematic, rigorous, sustained 5 year course that starts with the basics and builds on that for a good grounding in the basics of the Shariah.
The teachers are committed to the course and give it priority. There are 4 teachers so the burden isn't unreasonable on any individual, and nobody cancels because they have other engagements.
It has textbooks so one can (and is encouraged to) read ahead and prepare for what's coming next. You can also refer back once the material has been covered in class. No danger of coming late and missing the handout because there weren't enough copies. No photocopied, handwritten, disorganized class notes reinventing the wheel.
The only foreign accent you'll hear from the teachers is British! No struggling to understand/make yourself understood.
Conclusion I've attempted to give my honest view of this course here, and contrast it to (in my opinion) the sorry scene of Islamic education in Toronto in general. I've left out detailed course descriptions because you can read that elsewhere. I hope I haven't put the Eye on it, so let me say Masha'Allah, and may Allah bless and reward the teachers and organizers for their efforts!


Follow-up on Oct 2003

Well, it's been about 10 months from the start of the course, and we are now nearing the end of the first year of the Shariah Program. It's been a long, tough journey, but well worth it. I'd advise new students to stick with it no matter how tough the first few months seem. The electric shocks to the brain definitely take some getting used to, but the payoff is immense. The majority of the first year has been spent on Arabic, but we've also done reading from Imam Zarnuji's Instruction of the Student as well as started our first fiqh book, the famous Mukhtasar al-Quduri. We've also been translating the Qasas an-Nabiyeen series of books; all in their original Arabic of course! In addition, the grammar books we have been using the last few months are themselves in Arabic. We've also had the privilege of listening to an occasional series of guest lectures from Sidi Hamza Karamali on the Ihya Uloom ad-Deen. All in all it's been the longest sustained Islamic education I've had the blessing to receive and insha'Allah things will only get better in the second year when we start to translate the last third of the Quran itself in class and move deeper into the Quduri.

For anybody contemplating joining the program I'd say: GRAB THE OPPORTUNITY! And if you can make it for the full-time program go for it! It's not everyday this chance comes along in North America. With the dearth of qualified traditional scholars, the opportunity to study full-time with one in a small class is not to be missed. May Allah reward the teachers for their sacrifices—and without a doubt, they have made heary sacrifices for this course—and allow us to benefit fully from this unique chance to pursue Islamic education right here in Toronto.


Re: Arabic Course in Toronto for even Native Arabs
se7en
11/13/03 at 21:28:34
as salaamu alaykum,

masha'Allah this program looks amazing  :o  we need more stuff like this in the US & CA..

when you complete the program, do you have any type of degree / ijaza?  or is it more about proficiency in Arabic and preparation for further study?

11/13/03 at 21:29:30
se7en


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