ALIPH Full Program

ALIPH’s full-time program features a comprehensive curriculum, designed for students who are able to dedicate their time entirely to learning.  They work methodically to establish their skills in reading, writing, comprehension, and expression in formal Arabic, and to build a solid foundation in the areas of ^aqidah (creed), fiqh (jurisprudence), and Qur’anic recitation. Full-time students are enriched by being in a concentrated learning environment with their peers and absorbing the knowledge directly from their teachers.  They push themselves to exercise the discipline, dedication, patience, and perseverance of a student of knowledge, striving to be among those included in the supplication of the Prophetﷺ:

نَضَّرَ اللهُ امْرَأً سَمِعَ مَقَالَتِي فَوَعَاهَا فَأَدَّاهَا كَمـَا سَمِعَهَا

In his supplication, the Prophet ﷺ asked that on the Day of Judgment, Allah would illuminate the faces of those who heard his sayings, memorized them, and worked in accordance with them, after which they passed them on to others, the way that they had heard them.

ALIPH – Level 1

In their first year of study, students master the reading and scripting of the Arabic letters in their independent and combined forms, laying the groundwork to read and transcribe short passages by the end of the year.  In ta^bir, they establish a foundation for expression, memorizing vocabulary words and commonly used Arabic phrases. Bit by bit, they gain the skills needed to converse, at a basic level, about various topics independently.  In sarf (morphology), they learn the Arabic pronouns and how to use them properly in what relates to different subjects, and they focus heavily on conjugation. They are fortified by understanding and memorizing the text of al-Mukhtasar (the Summary) and Juz’ ^Amma, while applying the basic rules of tajwid.

ALIPH – Level 2

In their second year at ALIPH, students tackle the Arabic subjects (reading, writing, and dictation) in more detail, and gain an introduction to nahu (grammar).  They focus heavily on perfecting their own speech and writing by applying the rules of nahu and sarf.  They continue to establish themselves in ta^bir, reaching a point where they are able to converse about a wide range of topics at an intermediate level.  They depend on their Arabic knowledge to study the subjects of ^aqidah and fiqh, taking the book al-Qawl al-Jaliyy in its entirety.  They focus heavily on memorizing the terminologies and expressions used by the notable scholars of Ahlus-sunnah wal-jama^ah, preparing themselves to study higher-level religious books as they progress through the ALIPH program.  In the area of Qur’an, they memorize and learn the proper recitation of Juz’ Tabarak, and they learn the basic rules of tajwid as outlined in the book, Tuhftatul-Atfal.

ALIPH – Level 3

By the start of their third year at ALIPH, students have established themselves enough in Arabic reading, writing, comprehension, and expression to take the Level 3 courses offered in the following subjects:

^Aqidah and Fiqh: ^Umdatur-Raghib

Nahu: Mutammimat al-Ajurrumiyyah

Additionally, students refine their Arabic articulation by studying Comprehensive Ta^bir, Balaghah, and Adab, a course designed for students who can speak Arabic at an intermediate level, but lack the eloquence of a fluent speaker.  Level 3 students broaden their horizons by studying the expressions of the classical Arab poets and analyzing their literary works.  In addition to expressing themselves correctly (applying the rules of nahu and sarf), students are trained to choose the most apt terms that eloquently portray the meanings they intend.

After completion of the ALIPH full-time program, students have a solid base in Arabic and Islamic studies, and are prepared to continue their education at an advanced level, with the advantage of understanding the subjects the way that a native, fluent Arabic speaker would.