The Shariah Program is one of the very few institutions to learn the Arabic language in the West with qualified instructors. If one has the opportunity to learn Arabic right here in the West, he or she should seriously consider pursuing such a science with instructors who have sacrificed many years overseas in perfecting their understanding of the language. This program for learning the Arabic language is no substitute for studying such a science in its proper environment in the Middle East. Yet the program does its best to instill the Arabic language into such individuals who may not be fortunate enough to travel across the Atlantic for long periods of time.

There are many advantages that can be enjoyed by individuals who are eager in learning the Arabic language that may not be achieved elsewhere. Such advantages include, the vast grammatical principles (nahw) and verb morphology (sarf) which are taught in a relatively short period of time, the willingness of the instructors in repeating and continually going over misunderstood concepts, and the ability to learn Arabic through an English medium, and aside from the content of the program – inexpensive course, accommodation, and food costs.

To expound on the content of the program itself, it was personally unimaginable to me that in a period of less than six months, we had covered a couple of years worth of Arabic taught in the madrasas of India and Pakistan. The instructors have put in a great deal of effort in rendering the urdu instructing style of the Indian sub-continent into English for those who are not sufficient in the urdu language, thus one does not need to learn urdu to have access to such a deep and rich Arabic curriculum.

  Although all this sounds great (and it is), it only can be obtained with a great deal of effort on the part of the student. Learning the language of Arabic in itself is no easy task, especially when learning the language out of its environment with many learnt principles, which cannot be applied instantly. Therefore, one attending the program should be hardworking, disciplined and have the ability to manage one's time properly. In the beginning stages of the course the needed study time is relatively less than the latter stages of the program and can be tiring at times. But the beauty of the Arabic language is definitely appreciated towards the end, thus the seemingly difficult struggle is well worth it. I would not recommend the 6 month full-time program for locals who might have other responsibilities and therefore are unable to study and review the learnt material for hours each day after class. In conclusion, the program definitely has a lot to offer but it is up to the student to work hard and to repeatedly review the material, thereby taking this blessed language seriously.

-Anonymous

Now formally registering for the 2009 Online Arabic Foundations Program