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The Madinah Books Series The Arabic Course for English-Speaking Students is a comprehensive and popular course for the teaching of the Quranic and Traditional Arabic, originally devised and taught at the renowned Madinah Islamic University, catering for the non-Arabic speaking students from all over the world. Over the years, this course has enabled students to become competent in their use of the Arabic language and to participate and benefit from scholarly pursuits such as Quranic exegeses, hadith, fiqh, sirah, history, and classical and modern Arabic literature. It is concise (consisting of only three books, reasonably short) but extensive in their coverage. It combines modern Arabic vocabulary with Islamic terminology used in the Quran and Sunnah. It Helps acquire an understanding of hundreds of Quranic verses, ahadith, Arabic parables and poetry.” Learning classical Arabic effectively could not be more easier than this course of Madinah Islamic University. A tried and tested course over 40 years with proven track record of success, it is ideal in terms of the the topics covered and short time taken to learn. It is suitable for schools and colleges in the UK and other Western English speaking countries. Download: Arabic Textbook: 1- http://www.dhikrullah.com/knowledge/boo ... rabia1.pdf 2- http://www.dhikrullah.com/knowledge/boo ... rabia2.pdf 3- http://www.dhikrullah.com/knowledge/boo ... rabia3.pdf English Key: 1- http://www.kalamullah.com/Books/Madina% ... %20Key.pdf 2- http://www.kalamullah.com/Books/Madina% ... %20Key.pdf 3- http://www.kalamullah.com/Books/Madina% ... %20Key.pdf Arabic Solutions: 1- http://www.kalamullah.com/Books/Madina% ... utions.pdf 2- http://www.kalamullah.com/Books/Madina% ... utions.pdf 3- http://www.kalamullah.com/Books/Madina% ... utions.pdf Handouts: Part1- http://www.lqtoronto.com/Content/Handou ... ed_PDF.zip Part2- http://www.lqtoronto.com/Content/Handou ... ed_PDF.zip

( بسم الله الرحمـٰنِ الرحيم ) Arabic books to learn from 1- Al-Arabiyatu Bayna Yadayk This series is designed for the non-Arab speaking, senior level student. With a collection of audiotapes and MP3 CD it helps the student learn Arabic through listening and conversation along with reading and writing. The series stresses communication and also offers glimpses into the Arabic culture, both Islamic and national. Divided into 3 grades, it contains textbooks and workbooks combined in one book. The entire series can be taught intensively in 300 classes (averaging 45 minutes one class,) 100 classes for each grade. If the program is not intensive, it can be taught within a three-year period. Download: book 1>>> http://www.dhikrullah.com/knowledge/books/arabic/bayna yadayk.pdf book 2>>> http://www.dhikrullah.com/knowledge/books/arabic/bayna yadayk2.pdf book 3>>> http://www.dhikrullah.com/knowledge/books/arabic/bayna yadayk3.pdf audio CD 1>>> http://www.archive.org/details/arabicbyh-mp3-1 CD 2>>> http://www.archive.org/details/arabicbyh-mp3-2 CD 3>>> http://www.archive.org/details/arabicbyh-mp3-3

( بسم الله الرحمـٰنِ الرحيم ) Learning Arabic -- Pronunciation of the Letters We now have the tools which will allow us to read and scribe Arabic script. But before taking an Arabic course which will give us the tools to speak and understand Arabic, we must first be able to pronounce the letters of this language the way the Arabs do. This is an important aspect of learning Arabic because there are many letters in the alphabet which sound very similar. We must be able to differentiate between these letters in order for our listeners to properly understand our speech, and in order for us to derive the correct meaning of words when we read. After having studied this aspect of the language, one would be sufficiently prepared to start a course on Arabic grammar. In this lesson, we will study the exact places of exit of each letter. That is to say, exactly where from the mouth the letters originate, and how to positions the lips and tongue. In the next two lessons, we will look at the primary and secondary qualities of each letter which will further enhance pronunciation. The letters are divided into seventeen groups. Each group of letters comes from a certain place in the mouth or throat and is given a name accordingly. Please study the places of exit of the letters. It is not vital, however, that one memorize the names of the groups or the names of the places of exit. Click on this link to view the whole picture http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2690/4155807917_02a84ccda9_o.png Click on this link to view the whole picture http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2761/4156570132_59bebd96e7_o.png Click on this link to view the whole picture http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2595/4155808073_eb1a7f9218_o.png Rule of 'noon' saakin and tanween: a) When there is a 'noon' saakin or tanween (since tanween is actually the addition of a 'noon' saakin) followed by one of the six throat letters, the two letters will be pronounced separately. b) When it is followed by 'laam' or 'raa', the 'noon saakin or tanween will be assimilated into the following letter; the result will be a 'noon' saakin which is not pronounced and the following letter will become mushaddad. An example of this is the phrase "min rajulin". The first 'noon' is saakin and it is followed by a 'raa'. Following the rule, we will assimilate the 'noon' into the 'raa'. The 'noon' will loose its pronunciation and the 'raa' will become mushaddad: "mir rajulin". c) When a 'noon' saakin or tanween is followed by the letters 'yaa', 'noon', 'meem', or 'waow', OR a 'meem' saakin followed by another 'meem', the 'noon' saakin, tanween, or 'meem' will be partially assimilated into the following letter retaining part of its pronunciation. This partial pronunciation will be from the khayshum - the seventeenth place of exit. This place of exit is special in that it originates from the part of the nose where the soft portion meets the bone. A 'noon' pronounced with what is called ghunnah from the khayshum is comparable to the 'N' in the word 'monkey'. d) When a 'noon' saakin or tanween is followed the letter 'baa', the 'noon' will be switched into a 'meem'. An example of this is the phrase "min bayni". We see that a 'noon' without a vowel is followed by a 'baa'. According to the rule, the 'noon' changes to a 'meem' resulting in the phrase "mim bayni". e) When it is followed by other than the thirteen mentioned letters, the 'noon' will be read with no assimilation but from the khayshum. Click on this link to view the whole picture http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2719/4155808133_44ab3d92b9_o.png Click on this link to view the whole picture http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2521/4155808193_04c1e74f10_o.png

( بسم الله الرحمـٰنِ الرحيم ) Learning Arabic -- Joining Letters - Forming Words In the lessons that have passed, we learned how to read Arabic script. In this one lesson, we will learn how to scribe words ourselves using the Arabic alphabet, Arabic vowel symbols, and other symbols which we have studied. There are two parts to this lesson; the general case which deals with normal letters, and the specific case which deals with letters which require further discussion. The General Case: Firstly, it is important to note that all the letters in the alphabet do not have a small or capital form; they exist in one form. In English, we indicate the begin of a new sentence with capital letters, but in Arabic, the reader must understand when one sentence has finished and another has started. Furthermore, there is no punctuation in this language. The period, comma, colon, semi-colon, quotation, exclamation mark, question mark, and all other punctuation that exists in the English language is not considered in Arabic script. All of these grammatical purposes are fulfilled using other methods that involve the positioning of words and the inclusion of particles. Therefore, in order to learn how to write Arabic text, all we need to focus on is the letters. When forming words in Arabic, letters are joined with one another. Each word is a combination of letters which are attached to each other. Spaces are placed between the words in order to differentiate between them. This style is comparable to that of cursive script in the English language where there are no spaces between letters, there are spaces only between words. Although this is the general situation, there are several instances where, if a word is small enough, it is attached to the following or preceding word. Also, some words are broken down because they contain letters which do not allow connections to be made to their end. As for the former, this is only apparent when we study the meanings of the words. As for the latter where words are broken down due to letters that do not allow connection, one might assume that the current word has ended and the next word has started when in fact it is the same word. To avoid this confusion, we will learn about these types of letters. Each letter of the alphabet looks different when it stands alone as a letter, when it is the first letter of a connected set of letters, when it is somewhere in the middle of a connection, and when it appears at the end of a set of connected letters. The table below describes each situation for all of the letters. Notice the letters that do not allow connections at their end. When we see these letters, we must be careful whether to assume that the word has ended or not. They are 6 letters (*). Remember, Arabic is written the way it sounds; there are only a handful of situations in the language where there are silent letters. These silent letters are denoted by being empty of all symbols. The Specific Case: In the specific case we deal with three letters; the 'hamza' and the two letters that are extensions of existing letters. As for the 'hamza', it is not always written in the same way; it abides by the following rule: If the 'hamza' is in the beginning of a word, it will be written atop or beneath an 'alif'. If it is maftooh or madhmoom, the 'hamza' will be written over the 'alif', and if it is maksoor, the 'hamza' will be written beneath the 'alif'. If the 'hamza' is in the middle of a word, it will be written on atop or beneath the long vowel appropriate to its short vowel. In the case that the 'hamza' is saakin, it will be written atop or beneath the long vowel appropriate to the short vowel on the preceding letter. Finally, if the 'hamza' is at the end of a word, it will be written by itself. There are two letters in the Arabic language which are extensions of the existing letters. The first is the extension of the 'taa'. This letter occurs only at the end of words and it is used as an indication that a noun is feminine. The second extension is from the 'alif'. This letter also occurs only at the end of words. It is a non-dotted 'yaa' and is used to indicate femininity in nouns and base-letters in verbs. The extension of the 'taa', if it is connected to a letter which allows connection, is called a 'taa marboota'. If it is part of a word whose last letter does not allow connection, it is called a 'taa mudawwana'. The extension of the 'alif' is known simply as the 'alif maksoora'. Practice We now understand how to join letters to make words and we have become acquainted with the details regarding Arabic script. Given each set of letters below, attach them in the given order to form a word.

( بسم الله الرحمـٰنِ الرحيم ) Learning Arabic -- Syllables and Doubled Letters There are two more concepts in the Arabic language in regards to reading Arabic script. They are ending a syllable with a consonant and the doubling of a letter. Ending a Syllable with a Consonant: Recall that there are three ways in which we can construct a syllable. They are 1) consonant vowel, 2) vowel consonant, and 3) consonant vowel consonant. In the first instance, the syllable ends in a vowel and this is represented in the Arabic language by the consonant letter of the syllable having one of the three vowels. The second instance is not an option in the Arabic language because vowels do not precede consonants; rather they follow them. As for the third instance, we do not yet know how to construct that syllable whose last letter is a consonant. That is to say, all of the words we have seen so far were composed of a certain number of consonants, and each of these consonants was paired with a vowel or followed by a long vowel (type one). But if we wish to transliterate the word 'FROM', for example, into Arabic, the last letter of the word wouldn't need a vowel. What would we do in this case? When a syllable ends in a consonant, the consonant is free of all vowels. In Arabic, this is represented by means of a special symbol atop the letter. This symbol is called a sukoon and the letter which holds this symbol is called saakin. Therefore, the letter 'M' in the word 'FROM' would be transliterated with a sukoon atop the letter 'meem'. Only the sound of the letter would be pronounced just as we pronounce the sound of the letter 'M' when we recite this word. Remember that a syllable is not a word. Therefore, saakin letters can occur in the middle or at the end of a word. Notice that the word 'FROM' is strange in that the first letter of this word is saakin. Only the sound of the 'F' is pronounced and there are no vowels surrounding it. It is as if the 'F' is a syllable of its own. In Arabic, this is an intolerable situation; we cannot initiate pronunciation with a saakin letter. In English, the 'F' is incorporated into the other syllable. There is no problem in saying that this letter combined with the 'R' together act as the first consonant of this syllable. In Arabic, however, the 'F' would be preceded by a consonant-vowel pair. This consonant-vowel pair would connect with the 'F' forming a new syllable. The word 'FROM' would be changed to something like 'IFROM' with a hamza maksoor preceding the 'faa' in order to complete the incomplete syllable (the 'F'); the vowel of the 'hamza' varies. The broken syllable was 'F', it has now been changed to a sound syllable type three because that is the only type of syllable in Arabic which ends in a consonant. It is type three because there is a consonant (the 'hamza'), a vowel (the kasra beneath the 'hamza'), and the 'faa' of the original word. This is a common problem when Arabs speak or write. Often, a syllable ends in a consonant, and the next syllable starts with a consonant. This is not a problem for us, however, as our goal is to learn how to read and scribe Arabic, not to speak it. Below are a few examples of saakin letters in the middle of syllables, at the end, and syllables which are created in order to complete incomplete syllables. Notice that the third example in the first table has 'type 3' listed twice. This is because there is a syllable between the first two letters and the vowel in between, and there is a syllable between the last letter, its vowel, and the 'N' sound which is made by the tanween. Also notice that in the last two examples, there was an incomplete syllable which was completed by adding a 'hamza' in the beginning of the word. Double Letters: In Arabic, when two of the same letter appear one after the other in the same word, it is considered a special situation. An example of this occurrence in the English language is the word 'FUNNY'. The 'N' comes twice consecutively in the same word. Although the letter is written twice in English, in Arabic, the letter is written once and a special symbol is placed atop the letter to indicate that the reader must pronounce it twice. There is more emphasis in the pronunciation of the doubled letter in Arabic than there is in English however. The symbol which is placed atop the letter is called a shaddah or tashdeed. The letter which holds the shaddah is called mushaddad. The reality of the mushaddad letter is that it is a saakin letter followed by a mutaharrik letter of the same type. So when we read mushaddad letters, we see one letter, but it is actually two; the first saakin, and the second mutaharrik. The haraka of the second may be any of the three and it is written either above or beneath the shaddah, not the letter itself. When a letter is mushaddad, the first of the two same letters is saakin which means that it is part of the previous syllable. It cannot start a syllable of its own because we have recently learned that pronunciation cannot begin with a saakin letter. This previous syllable must be type three since that is the only type which ends in a consonant. The second of the two same letters is part of the following syllable which may be either type one or three. If the letter following the mushaddad letter is saakin, the second of the same letters is of type three, and if it is mutaharrik, the second of the same letters is of type one. Below are a few example of mushaddad letters appearing in normal words. Remember, a mushaddad letter may have any of the three vowels as well as the doubled vowels, it may be preceded and followed by any letter, and it may occur in the middle or at the end of a word. If, however, the mushaddad letter occurs at the beginning of a word, since the first letter will be saakin, the syllable will have to be completed as seen in the final example.

( بسم الله الرحمـٰنِ الرحيم ) Learning Arabic -- The Third Long Vowel Lesson eleven is regarding the final long vowel which is the letter 'yaa'. This letter corresponds to the kasra and it enhances and emphasises the sound of this vowel just as the 'alif' emphasised the fathha on the preceding letter and the 'waow' emphasised the dhamma on the preceding letter. As mentioned, the 'yaa' may be mutaharrik itself and thus will not be considered to be a long vowel. Also, it may be without a vowel but preceded by a maftooh letter. In this situation, too, the 'yaa' is not a long vowel. The 'yaa' maddah is that 'yaa' which has no vowel of its own and is preceded by a maksoor letter. Just as in the previous exercise, the 'yaa' is left empty of symbols. Later we will learn how to show the lack of vowels on a letter. Please read through the alphabet and click on each entry to hear a demonstration of the pronunciation. Please attempt the exercise which will revise the alphabet, short vowels, and long vowels. To listen to the letters' third long vowel click on the letter in this page http://www.shariahprogram.ca/Arabic-alphabet11.shtml

( بسم الله الرحمـٰنِ الرحيم ) Learning Arabic -- The Second Long Vowel This lesson deals with the second long vowel which is the letter 'waow'. Recall that the 'waow' may have a vowel of its own; in this case, it is not a long vowel. Also, it may be empty of the three vowels but preceding it may be a fathha; in this case too, it is not a long vowel. The final situation is where the 'waow' is empty of the three vowels and preceding it is its appropriate vowel; the dhamma; this 'waow' is a long vowel. This 'waow' is called the 'waow' maddah. In the following charts, the letters of the alphabet have been given a dhamma, and a 'waow' empty of vowels has been placed after each letter. In lesson 12 we will learn more about the lack of vowels and that letters adopt a special symbol to indicate on their emptiness. For now, however, the 'waow' has been left clear of symbols to avoid confusion. The letter 'baa' with a dhamma atop it, for example, sounds like 'bu'. But adding the 'waow' causes the word to sound like 'buu'. Please read through the alphabet and click on each letter to listen to a demonstration of the sound the letters make with the long vowel. Please attempt the exercise as it will revise all that we have learned thus far. To listen to the letters' second long vowel click on the letter in this page http://www.shariahprogram.ca/Arabic-alphabet10.shtml

( بسم الله الرحمـٰنِ الرحيم ) Learning Arabic -- The First Long Vowel Apart from the three normal vowels, the Arabic alphabet contains three letters which are often considered to be long vowels. They are considered this because they elongate and emphasise the short vowels on the letter before them. The three long vowels are the 'alif', 'waow', and 'yaa'. As for the 'alif', it is always empty of vowels. (Se lesson 12 for details on lack of vowels.) Even though we have learned that each letter in the alphabet may be given one of the three vowels, the 'alif' is an exception. And whenever we see the 'alif' with a vowel, this letter is not an 'alif'; rather it is a 'hamza'. This is why we have been seeing the 'alif' with a small 'hamza' above or beneath it in each of the charts with the omission of the actual 'hamza' from the end. This letter always necessitates a fathha before it. That is to say that we will never see an 'alif' before which there is a dhamma or a kasra. The job of the this letter is to lengthen the stretch of the fathha on the letter before it, and it is for this reason that it is known as a long vowel. For example, the letter 'baa' with a fathha atop it sounds like 'ba'. But adding the 'alif' causes it to sound like 'baa'. The other two long vowels are the 'waow' and the 'yaa'. These letters are not always considered to be long vowels. This is because they may have vowels themselves; in this case, they are treated as consonants. However, if these letters are empty of all vowels, they may be considered to be long vowels. When they are empty of vowels, there are two situations; either they are preceded by their appropriate haraka (dhamma for 'waow', and kasra for 'yaa'), or they have a fathha before them. Never will the 'waow' be preceded by a kasra. In the case of them being preceded by a fathha, the letters are not considered long vowels; they are called 'waow' leen and 'yaa' leen. But if they are preceded by their appropriate vowels, they are considered long vowels and they are called 'waow' maddah and 'yaa' maddah. They emphasise the sound of the preceding haraka. For example, the letter 'baa' with a dhamma on it sounds like 'bu' and with a kasra on it sounds like 'be'. Adding a 'waow' to the former and a 'yaa' to the latter causes the letter to sound like 'buu' and 'bee'. The 'alif', 'waow' maddah, and 'yaa' maddah may occur in the middle of words. The same applies for the 'waow' leen and 'yaa' leen. The leen will not be discussed as they are like any other letter. Read the alphabet carefully and attempt the practice regarding the 'alif'. Notice that the 'alif' has been brought before the other two long vowels. This is because this letter is more fundamental. To listen to the letters' first long vowel click on the letter in this page http://www.shariahprogram.ca/Arabic-alphabet9.shtml

( بسم الله الرحمـٰنِ الرحيم ) Learning Arabic -- The Third Short Vowel Doubled This lesson is regarding the final vowel when it is doubled. The vowel is the kasra, known as the kasratein when doubled. This vowel is the English equivalent of the letter 'E' and 'I' with the addition of the letter 'N'. Taking the letter 'baa' for example, and placing a kasratein beneath it will cause the letter to sound like 'bin'. Please memorize the alphabet, vowels, and the associated sounds of the combinations of the two. Also, please attempt the exercise at the bottom which will revise all that we have learned thus far. With the kasratein we conclude the short vowels. To listen to the letters' third short vowel doubled click on the letter in this page http://www.shariahprogram.ca/Arabic-alphabet8.shtml

( بسم الله الرحمـٰنِ الرحيم ) Learning Arabic -- The Second Short Vowel Doubled Lesson seven deals with the second of the three vowels; the fathha when it is doubled. A doubled fathha is known as a fathhatein. Click on the letters of the alphabet to hear what they sound like with this vowel. When a letter such as 'raa' is given a fathhatein, it sounds like 'run', as in the word 'run' in English. There is an important observation to make with the fathhatein; it is that when a letter is written with this vowel, it is always followed by the letter 'alif'. Each letter in the alphabet below will have the letter 'alif' after itself, and the fathhatein will be written atop this 'alif'. This is only for script purposes. When writing in Arabic, this is how a fathhatein is used. In Arabic script, there are actually no vowels written. These symbols are to assist non-Arabs in reading the Qur'an. So when reading traditional Arabic books, these vowels will not be there and the reader will have to use his knowledge of Arabic grammar to figure out the vowelling. This 'alif' is a clue to the reader that the word has a fathhatein at its end. To listen to the letters' second short vowel doubled click on the letter in this page http://www.shariahprogram.ca/Arabic-alphabet7.shtml

( بسم الله الرحمـٰنِ الرحيم ) Learning Arabic -- The First Short Vowel Doubled In lesson two, we were introduced to the three vowels of the Arabic language. We also learned that these vowels have the capability of doubling. That is to say, they would appear as two of the same vowel upon or beneath a given letter, and the pronunciation would change. Each harakat may be doubled in order to add the sound of the letter 'N' to the end of the word. For example, the letter 'baa' with two dhamma sounds like 'bun' or 'bon'. When a letter is doubled, the vowel is called a tanween. The letter which holds this tanween in known as munawwan. Since all three harakat have this capability of doubling, they are given separate names: a doubled dhamma is called a dhammatein, a doubled fathha is called a fathhatein, and a doubled kasra is called a kasratein. This is a feature in the Arabic language that few, if any, languages adopt. This is primarily used to differentiate between nouns and other parts of speech. That is to say, the noun in Arabic may or may not have a tanween, but verbs and particles will never have it. Also, the tanween occurs on the last letter of the word; it may not come upon a letter which is in the middle or beginning. The dhamma, when doubled is called a dhammatein. Read through the alphabet and try and remember the sounds associated with this vowel To listen to the letters' first short vowel doubled click on the letters in this page http://www.shariahprogram.ca/Arabic-alphabet6.shtml

( بسم الله الرحمـٰنِ الرحيم ) Learning Arabic -- The Third Short Vowel This lesson deals with the final harakat in the language. Below is the alphabet with a kasra under each letter. Please click on the letter to hear a demonstration of the sound associated to the letter / vowel combination. Recall that the kasra is one of the harakaat. The letter which holds the kasra under it is known as maksoor. This vowel is the English equivalent of the letter 'E' and 'I'. For example, the letter 'baa' with a kasra beneath it sounds like 'be'. Please become familiar with the sounds associated with these letters when they are makssor. To listen to the letters' third short vowel click on the letter in this page http://www.shariahprogram.ca/Arabic-alphabet5.shtml

( بسم الله الرحمـٰنِ الرحيم ) Learning Arabic -- The Second Short Vowel In this lesson, we proceed with the next harakat. Each letter of the alphabet is given a fathha. Click on the letter hear to a demonstration of what it sounds like with the given vowel. Recall that this vowel is placed atop the letter and is called a fathha. The letter which holds the fathha is known as maftooh. This vowel is the English equivalent of the letter 'A'. For example, the letter 'baa' with its fathha sounds like 'ba'. After the maftooh alphabet is a series of words designed to be a practice for the dhamma as well as the fathha vowels. To listen to the letters' second short vowel click on the letter in this page http://www.shariahprogram.ca/Arabic-alphabet4.shtml

( بسم الله الرحمـٰنِ الرحيم ) Learning Arabic -- The First Short Vowel In the previous lesson, we learned about the vowels, the doubled vowels, and the many names associated with vowellization and lettering. In this lesson, we will specifically look at the first short vowel. The entire alphabet is presented with the first vowel atop the letter. Click on each letter to hear what it sounds like when coupled with this vowel. After the alphabet is a serious of practice questions. These questions are a series of small, selected letters designed for practice purposes. To start, recall that this first short vowel is known as the dhamma. The letter which holds the dhamma is known as madhmoom. The dhamma is one of the three harakaat and the letter which holds one of these harakaat is known as mutaharrik. The dhamma is the English equivalent of the letter 'O' and 'U'. For example, the letter 'baa' with its dhamma will be pronounced 'bu' with a long 'U'. One should have memorized the Arabic alphabet. In this lesson, please make an effort to become acquainted with the sounds vowels make. In the next many lessons, each of the vowels will be targeted for practice; take this opportunity to become familiar with reading Arabic script, and attaching vowels. Note that the letter 'hamza' has bee transfered from the end of the alphabet to atop the letter 'alif'. The reason for this will be discussed in Learning Arabic -- The First Long Vowel lesson. To listen to the letters' first short vowel click on the letter in this page http://www.shariahprogram.ca/Arabic-alphabet3.shtml

( بسم الله الرحمـٰنِ الرحيم ) Learning Arabic -- Introduction to Vowels Lesson two deals with the vowels of the Arabic language. You would have noticed that the alphabet is composed entirely of consonants. This type of alphabet is useless because we speak in syllables, and in order to create syllables, we require vowels between our consonants. Syllables are the building blocks of speech and they come in three types; 1) consonant vowel, 2) vowel consonant, and 3) consonant vowel consonant. That is to say, a syllable may be formed by having a consonant followed by a vowel, such as in the word 'TO', a vowel followed by consonant, such as in the word 'OF', or two vowels with a consonant in between, such as in the word 'FOR'. In Arabic, we use only types one and three. Since the Arabic alphabet has no letters which are vowels, there are symbols that are placed either above or beneath the consonants and these act as vowel sounds. They are three. Furthermore, towards the end of words, the vowels may be doubled. When a vowel is doubled i.e. two of the symbols for that vowel are placed atop or underneath the letter, the sound of the word ends with an 'N'. Click on the vowels in the charts to hear the demonstrations. The long vowels will be discussed in chapters to come. Note that each vowel has a name, the vowels collectively have a name, the letters which contain a vowel have a name, letters are named specifically depending on which vowel they hold, and doubled vowels are also given names. The first row of the charts contain the examples, the second rows show the individual names of the vowels, the third rows show the adjective used to describe the letter which is attributed with the given vowel, the fourth rows show the English equivalents, and the columns to the right show the collective name for the group.

( بسم الله الرحمـٰنِ الرحيم ) The Arabic Alphabet In this lesson, we will learn the characters of the Arabic alphabet, their English equivalents, and their names. Click on the Arabic letter to hear what its name is, and click on the English equivalent for a demonstration of its pronunciation. You will need the latest version of Real Player to play the files. Please note that the characters of the Arabic alphabet are neither capital nor small; they have one form only. Also note that some of these Arabic letters are very similar to English letter sounds e.g. 'baa' is very close to the letter 'B' in the English language; this is a useful way to remember the sounds. However, many Arabic letters have no equivalent sound in English e.g. 'ein', and some letters have subtle but important differences in pronunciation, e.g. 'haa' which is pronounced with a lot more emphasis in the throat than the letter 'H' in English. Also, please note that the Arabic script is read from right to left. Please read the Arabic alphabet below starting from the right and proceeding to each letter to its left. The Arabic Alphabet In the Arabic alphabet, we have 29 letters three of which are long vowels. The rest of the letters are consonants. Each letter is given a name which contains the letter itself. To listen to the letters' sounds click on the letters in this page http://www.shariahprogram.ca/Arabic-alphabet.shtml