A comprehensive Arabic course will have to cover...

A comprehensive Arabic course will have to cover: Arabic grammar, theoretical and applied in the form of exercises and drills The four language skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening (i.e. Arabic production and comprehension) Vocabulary building in the relevant fields and situational contexts (i.e.

developing the student’s Arabic lexicon) The textbooks that normally cover these areas of Arabic language study are of two kinds: Textbooks that are general and comprehensive in their coverage in that they attempt to cover all the areas of Arabic language study in a single book or set of books, e.g. al-‘Arabiyyah li al-Nāshi’īn , al-Kitāb al-Asāsiyy , etc.

Textbooks that are more narrow and specific in their coverage in that each textbook is intended to cover at least one area of Arabic language study Furthermore, a student may want to learn Arabic for its own sake or as a means to access the vast Arabic Islamic legacy or as a tool for Islamic da‘wah or for commercial purposes or for numerous other reasons. Accordingly, he will have to include Arabic material that deals with his particular area of interest.

For example, if his goal is to understand Islam and all of its disciplines in Arabic then he is required to study various Islamic components each with its own textbooks, etc. Ten reasons why Muslims should learn Arabic: 1- Allah, the Almighty and Wise, chose and singled out Arabic from amongst all the languages of the world - past, present and future - to be the vehicle for His final Revelation to the whole of humanity.

This fact alone should constitute sufficient reason for Muslims to learn Arabic. Certainly, if Allah so wished He could have revealed the Qur’an not only in any language but in every language but as He Himself states in the Holy Qur’an: “Verily, We sent It down as an Arabic Qur’an in order that you may understand”.

This verse implies that Arabic has certain unique features which make it superior to all the languages of the world and which enable it to convey the subtleties and mysteries of Allah’s Speech in a manner that no other language can. Furthermore, it is Allah who endowed Arabic with these features and made it superior to all other languages.

2- If Allah is who He is - the Creator of the worlds - and His Messenger (Peace and Blessings be upon him) is who he is - the Best of Allah’s creation - should not every Muslim in this world attempt to learn Arabic to understand Allah’s Words and those of His Messenger?