Different Approaches to Teaching Arabic Language
The debate within Nadwat al-ʿUlamāʾ Among the pedagogical questions that have occupied the educational mind of Nadwat al-ʿUlamāʾ, and have provoked a profound scholarly…
Arabic and Language
Arabic is the language of the Qur’an and the key that unlocks the Islamic scholarly tradition. These articles gather Shaykh Akram Nadwi’s writing on learning Arabic, approaches to teaching it, and the deeper idea of language as a sign that carries meaning. They are aimed at students who want the language not as an end in itself but as a way into the sources.
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Different Approaches to Teaching Arabic Language
The debate within Nadwat al-ʿUlamāʾ Among the pedagogical questions that have occupied the educational mind of Nadwat al-ʿUlamāʾ, and have provoked a profound scholarly debate among its shuyūkh and lecturers, is the question of the…
Reflections on Arabic Language Learning
Abī and Akhī—or Abūy and Akhūy When I was nine, I joined the Ḍiyāʾ al-ʿUlūm school in Mani Kalan, Jaunpur—the very school where our…
Language as a Sign: Ibn Taymiyyah’s Insights
Language as Indication: Ibn Taymiyyah and Contemporary Theories of Meaning Throughout the history of human thought, scarcely any theme has held scholars’ attention as…
Understanding Bakra Eid and Its Name
Bakra Eid In India, Eid al-Adha is commonly referred to as “Bakra Eid.” In our villages, the fate of the letter ‘qaf’ is often…
The Strength of Inner Unity
The cotton folded upon itself and became a sturdy rope If we wish to seek a metaphor that brings this image closer to human…
Clarifying Misunderstandings About ‘Turki’
What is “Turki”? I am often puzzled by how misconceptions form in people’s minds and then grow until they seem like undeniable truths, immune…
Bring Me Someone Who Has Himself Fallen from a Roof
The tales of Khwaja Nasiruddin are peculiar. At first glance, they provoke laughter, but if one pauses to reflect, it becomes evident that the…
The Reform of Arab Education: Between What Was and What Should Be
An Address to the Students of Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama Dear students gathered in a house intended by its founders to be the intellect…
Reforming Arabic Education: Between What Was and What Ought to Be
_A خطاب (Address) to the Students of Dār al-ʿUlūm Nadwat al-ʿUlamāʾ_ 5 May 2026 O dear students gathered in an institution whose founders intended…
New Arabic Translation of Prophet’s Biography
A Glad Tidings that Delights the Hearts: “The Biography of the Prophet ﷺ” Finally in the Hands of the Arabic Reader There are radiant…
Language and Literature: Shared Human Heritage
Language and Literature: A Shared Heritage of Human Civilization A profound study of human history highlights the truth that human intellectual, cultural, and spiritual…
Reflections of Bitter Yet True Realities
Through enduring blow after blow, dignity was attained, Amir’s shattered heart became a unique gem. It was a silent winter evening, with gentle raindrops…
Questions & Answers on Arabic and Language
View all Q&A →al-Jāḥiẓ on the definitions of balāghah
Assalamo Alaikum, I pray Almighty to find you in good health. Of late, I was studying up. It was Al-Bayan wa-Al-Tabyeen of Al-Jahiz (775-868 A.D.). An erudite para stuck me up. I was, indeed, at a loss. I could not…
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Respected Maulana Rida ul-Haq, Principal of Jamiat Al-Huda in Nottingham, may Allah preserve him, has a daughter, Ustadha Safiyya Zaid, who is an accomplished scholar, a specialist in Arabic language and Hadith, and also one of my students. She has…