Dr. Pasha's Arabic Language and Cultural Immersion Sessions -- Lesson 60

Here are some essential Tools of the Trade for Participants:

1. Computer: Laptop or Desktop.

2. Cell Phone or Tablet to be used only as a Secondary Source. 

3. Al-Mu'jamul-Mufahrasu by Abdul Baqi -- Hard Copy.

4. Al-Mushafu: clear, large print -- Hard Copy. 

5. Collection of Ahaadeeth from among the following -- Arabic Text with or without Translation, but NOT TRANSLITERATION.

Electronic Sources.

(FIRST, TRY AND FIGURE OUT AS MANY OF THE FOLLOWING NAMES AS YOU CAN CORRECTLY.

NEXT, MEMORIZE AS MANY OF THESE NAMES AS YOU CAN BY LOUD REPETITION)

(Do this to the extent you can, and in each case pay attention to Construction and I'raab)

a) Mishkaatul Masaabeehi Lil-Khateebil Baghdaadiyyi.

b) Riyaadus-Saaliheena.

c) Bulooghul Maraami Libni Hajarin Al-Asqalaaniyyi.

e) Al-Arba'oona Lin-Nawawiyyi.*

f) As-Sihaahus-Sittatu:

i) Sahihul Bukhaariyyi.
ii) Sahihu Muslimin.
iii) Sunanu An-Nasaa-iyyi.
iv) Sunanu Abi Daawooda.
v) Jaami'ut-Tirmidhiyyi.
vi) Sunanu Ibni Maajata.

d) Musnadu Ahmada Ibni Hanbalin.

e) Mustadraku Haakimin.

f) Mu'attaa Maalikin.

g) Sunanud-Daaruqutniyyi*

h) Ash-Shamaa-ilul Muhammadiyyah Lit-Tirmidhiyyi.

i) Musnad Ishaaqu Ibni Raahwaih.

j) Sahihu Ibni Khuzaimata.

k) Arabic-English Dictionary.

l) Arabic-Arabic Dictionary -- if you can easily acquire one.

m) 8.5x11 full-page bound notebook.

n) Pen.

o) Tafsirul Jalaalaini

Read Every Word Carefully! 
Otherwise, You May Be Wasting Your Time!

Our Object Is Allah's Book Qur'an, 

And the Words of Rasulullah, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, in the Hadith.

And Our Approach Is Allah's Language Arabic!

Qur'an And Hadith Are Our Purpose, Arabic Is Our Methodology!

Qur'an and Hadith Are Our Destination, Arabic Language Is Our Heritage!

Learning the Qur'an in its Original Arabic Language is absolutely, positively required of every single Muslim, male or female. 

That means: Learning the Qur'an is Fard 'Ayin, as they say.

And so is learning the Script of the Language of the Qur'an: Arabic. 

This also is Fard 'Ayin, if you ask me. For, without learning the Arabic Script, you cannot learn to read the Qur'an.

And, to me, Transliterations are Haram. 

No question about that. 

For, there is no earthly way you can write the Arabic Language in English Script, and, then, expect to read it correctly and pronounce its letters and sounds properly.

Not a Chance!

Changing the I'raab of a single letter in a word may change the meaning of that word.

Mispronouncing a single letter in a word may change the meaning of that word.

 Aayat Karimah: 
Ud'u Ilaa Sabeeli Rabbika Bil-Hikmati Wal-Mawu-'izatil Hasanati!

And Aayat Karimah: 
Fa-Li-Dhaalika Fad'u Wastaqim Kamaa Umirta, 
Wa Laa Tattabi' Ahwaa-ahum!

And Aayat Karimah: 
Hadhihi Sabeeli Ad'oo Ilallahi Alaa Baseeratin.
Ana Wa Manittaba'nee!

And Aayat Karimah: 
Layisa Lil-insaani Illa Maa Sa'aa!

And Aayat Karimah: 
Fa-Firroo Ilallahi!

And Aayat Karimah:
 Wa Kulla Yawumin Huwa Fee Sha'nin!

 And Aayat Karimah: 
Wa Kullu Shayi-in Indahoo Bi-Miqdaar!

And Aayat Karimah: 
Innamaa Amruhoo Idhaa Araada Shayi-an An Yaqoola Lahoo Kun,
Fa-Yakoonu! 

And Aayat Karimah: 
Innamaa Qawulunaa Li-Shayi-in Idhaa Aradnaahu An Naqoola Lahoo Kun, Fa-Yakoonu.

1. Ours is a Language-Based Approach to Qur'an and Hadith.
2. Our Focus for now is Language Analysis of the Qur'an and Hadith.
3. You can call it Textual Analysis of the two most fundamental sources of Islam.
4. First, we use an Arabic-English Dictionary to get the meaning of Individual Words of the Qur'an and Hadith.
5. Then, we check Translations -- as many of them as we can find -- to get a sense of what Translators are saying that word means.

6. We also check the Qur'an to see how the Qur'an itself uses that particular word, or its variations and derivatives, in other places, and how that helps us to understand this particular word in this particular Aayat.

   So, we use the Qur'an itself as a Mu'jam and as a Dictionary.

   And then we connect the Qur'an to the Hadith and the Hadith to the Qur'an.

7. We make every effort to stay away from Commentaries-- no matter by whom. For, Commentaries are comments and observations by People -- Mufassireen -- on the Text of Allah's Words.

   We shall return to the Tafaaseer (plural for Tafsir: Commentary) at a later stage as necessary.

8. As a rule, we search -- and Research -- the Qur'an to see what Allah says about that particular concept or idea or topic or theme in other places in the Qur'an: in other Aayats.

9. Thus, we look to the Aayats of the Qur'an to provide us the Tafsir of the Aayats of the Qur'an.

   As they say:

   Al-Qur'anu Yufassiru Ba'duhu Ba'dan.

   Paraphrase:

   "Some parts of the Qur'an, 
   provide the Tafseer of some other parts"

10. Tafseer to us means getting an understanding and explanation of the Primary, or obvious, or surface, meaning of the Qur'an, using the Words of the Aayats of the Qur'an as basis. Approaching the whole thing basically from an Arabic Language Perspective.
11. In a sense, what is called Ta'weel is a stage beyond Tafseer. Ta'weel has to do with bringing out what may be considered the inner or deeper meaning or implications of the Aayats of the Qur'an.
12. We rely on Qur'an, and Hadith, and Sahaabah Kiraam, and Akaabir Mufassireen, and Ijmaa' Ummat, for Ta'weel of the Aayats of the Qur'an, and build on those resources for continuing guidance in our own times.
13. All this, however, is limited to those Aayaat (or Aayats) that the Qur'an refers to as Muhkamaat: Clear and Unambiguous.
14. With regard to another category of Aayats that the Qur'an calls Mutashaabihaat, we, as a rule, defer to whatever the Great Translators and Akaabir Mufassireen say.
15. By far, the best and the safest way to interpret and understand the Mutashaabihaat is to look to Hadith Sharif (and Qur'an itself for direct and unambiguous guidance).
16. We study the Qur'an and Hadith as part of our Arabic Language Program because Qur'an is the Word of God Almighty and Hadith is the word of God Almighty's Rasul, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam.
17. At the same time, we can see Empirically, with our own eyes that is, that Qur'an is absolutely the Finest and the Most Wonderful, and the Most Amazing, Text that exists in all of Arabic Language.
18. Or in any language for that matter.
19. And so is the Hadith, only removed from the Qur'an by a degree, which anyone with any understanding of Arabic Language can see.
20. That means, in being the finest text of any kind on earth, the Qur'an is closely followed by Hadith Sharif.
21. We hope to Graduate Soon to Studying the Original Text of the Hadith, Using Arabic Language, the way we are presently Analyzing and Studying and Trying to Understand the Aayats of the Qur'an -- using a purely Arabic Language-based approach.

22. Remember Arabic Language is two things:

    (a) Ilm As-Sarf: 

    Manipulation of individual words to change them to different forms.

    (b) Ilm An-Nahw: 

    Building text and creating meaning by locating words in certain positions and places.

23. And also remember Arabic Language is two other things:

    (a) Verb or Fi'l.

    (b) Noun or Ism. 

    (c) And, in addition to those two, something called Huroof.

    Just don't worry about them for the time being.