Podcasts about Classical Arabic

Situated opposite Galilee, the “earth” of the Gerasenes marks the site of God's first tactical strike against Greco-Roman assimilation in Luke.The Greco-Roman rulers who possess and enslave the land impose violence and havoc, sowing death where God's many flocks were meant to roam freely, without interference.Like the abusers in Jerusalem, the occupying forces in Decapolis do not want to live and let live. They seek to assimilate, to convert, to impose, to kill—to force others to become like them, “twice as much the sons of Hell as themselves.”Sure, they may be interested in learning something from those they conquer, but ultimately, everything must be “melted down” and absorbed into something of their own making. It's called a “god complex:”“…the logic of American liberalism is a barely warmed-over Hellenism. The world-embracing, universe-striding Hellenic ideology under Alexander was an assimilationist one. In the Alexandrian ideology, it doesn't matter what tribe your parents are from, what your lineage is, or in what area of the world you were born. If you speak Greek, eat like a Greek, dress like a Greek, walk like a Greek, shit like a Greek, think like a Greek—then you're a Greek. It's exceptionally difficult for an American to consider this ideology and not think of the ‘melting pot'”(Matthew Franklin Cooper, And the Lamb Will Conquer)They do not submit to God, who made the heavens and the earth. They do not accept what was made, as it has been made, by his making. His name alone be praised!Unlike every other revolution in human history, the socio-political rebellion of the biblical tradition—be ye not deceived, O man, it is indeed a political rebellion, though it is not about starting something new, it is a reversion—to accept the Bible is to revert to God as your King, your religion, your tribe, your city, and your homeland.To return to his land is to return not to what we build, create, perceive, synthesize, or formulate through our ideolocial or theological assimilations, but to what God himself provided in the beginning: an open field where all living creatures coexist in his care.This week, I discuss Luke 8:27.Show Notesδαιμόνιον (daimonion) / ש–י–ד (shin–yod–dalet) / ث–د–ي (thā–dāl–yāʼ)Demon, other deity, or god. From the root שדד (shadad), which means “to deal violently, despoil, or devastate.” Klein notes that the Arabic ثَدْي (thady), “breast,” reinforces his observation that שֹׁד (shōd) and שַׁד (shad) are two forms of the same biblical root meaning “breast.” In consideration of this link, and the fact that the original text is unpointed, it is difficult to ignore the consonantal link between chaos, havoc, militarism, and the function “demon,” vis-à-vis the field, and violence against the land, since the land is inherently matriarchal:שָׂדָאוּת (sadā'ut) is a feminine noun meaning “military fieldcraft,” derived from שָׂדֶה (sadeh), meaning “field.”Note that שֵׁדָה (shedah), female demon, and שָׂדֶה (sadeh), field or open land, are indistinguishable in the unpointed text.This intersection is intentional. Consider a related sub-function associated with δαιμόνιον in Luke:שׁדד (shin-dalet-dalet) and שׂדד (sin-dalet-dalet)שׁדד (shadad) to devastate, despoil, or destroy, referring to violence or judgment.שׂדד (sadad) to plow or harrow, referring to agricultural activity.In Semitic languages, the function “demon” likely originates from the Akkadian term šēdu, a protective spirit often depicted in Mesopotamian art as a bull-like colossus or a human-bull hybrid, for example, the bull effigy of Wall Street. The question is not what the demon šēdu protects, but whose interests it serves. Does it protect life in God's field or wreak havoc on behalf of its human sponsors? Does it plow and harrow, or does it despoil?Demonic Evil“For [a] root of all evils is the love of money—which some, desiring, wandered away from the faith,and pierced themselves through with many griefs.”(1 Timothy 6:10)As it is written:“ῥίζα γὰρ πάντων τῶν κακῶν ἐστιν ἡ φιλαργυρία”“the love of money is [a] root of all evils”“πάντων τῶν κακῶν” unambiguously indicates “of all evils,” not “all kinds,” underscoring Paul's deliberate rhetorical force in presenting the love of money not as a moral weakness but as a seed giving rise to every form of evil in God's field.ἱμάτιον (himation) / ב-ג-ד (bet–gimel–dalet) / ب-ج-د (bāʼ–jīm–dāl)Outer garment; cloak.A scarce word in Classical Arabic, بَجَدَ (bajada), means “to strive or exert,” technically different than بِجَاد (bijād) — the pre-Islamic Bedouin term for a striped cloak or blanket, which Klein links to ב-ג-ד.Instead of بَجَدَ (bajada), Arabic typically employs roots like ج-ه-د (jīm–hāʾ–dāl) — جَاهَدَ (jāhada) — the basis of جِهَاد (jihād), to express striving or struggle, especially in a religious context. Related roots such as ج-د-د (jīm–dāl–dāl) — جَدَّ (jadda) “to be serious” — and ج-دّ (jīm–dāl–dāl) — جِدّ (jidd) “seriousness” — reinforce the idea of earnest effort and commitment that underlies the concept of jihād.The بِجَاد (bijād)—a coarse, often red or striped woolen cloak worn by Bedouins—symbolizes striving through its association with the harsh realities of shepherd life in God's open field, demanding simplicity, endurance, and honor, in contrast with the soft garments of city dwellers. The reference to soft garments is not incidental. In Luke 7:25, Jesus mocks those dressed in “soft clothing” who “live in luxury” in the royal houses. As such, John the Baptist is “more than a prophet.” Clothed in the rough and unpleasant garment of a shepherd, he survives under God's rule in the open field with an honor imperceptible in the eyes of city dwellers.It is “the smell of a field” that Luke 8:27 makes terminologically functional here, recalling the transfer of Isaac's blessing to his younger son. Now Luke turns the tables. As Esau was denied his birthright in favor of Jacob, so now Jacob is denied the same in favor of the demon-possessed Gerasene:Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come close and kiss me, my son.”So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments (בְּגָדָ֖י begāday), he blessed him and said,“See, the smell of my sonIs like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed;Now may God give you of the dew of heaven,And of the fatness of the earth,And an abundance of grain and new wine;May peoples serve you,And nations bow down to you;Be master of your brothers,And may your mother's sons bow down to you.Cursed be those who curse you,And blessed be those who bless you.”(Genesis 27:26–29)οἰκία (oikia

In every age, empires create words to describe the people in the societies they seek to dominate and exploit. Eventually, these terms are turned inward and used against themselves. The Greco-Romans—and their eastern heirs, whom modern scholars call the Byzantines—labeled those outside their empire as barbarians. The colonials who settled the Americas, after dismantling the peaceful coexistence of Semitic peoples in Southern Spain, referred to the inhabitants of this supposed “new” land as savages.Whether communists, leftists, or terrorists, from age to age and generation to generation, we rely on the notion of the alien or foreigner to demonize the other.Humanities scholars, clinging to the illusion of progress, speak as though they have just discovered this problem, but wisdom literature has tackled this since before Hellenism emerged as a blot on humanity's historical record. When Jesus sets out to make a pilgrimage to Decapolis, he does so under the control of his Father's will, who breathes into his sail and sends him on a mission—not to trample underfoot the barbarians at the edge of Constantine's empire, but to confront Constantine himself. It is Constantine, Habibi, who is the problem. The Emperor is the barbarian from whom the Lord's inheritance must be saved. This week, I discuss Luke 8:22, which exposes the true enemy of God, not the outsiders, but the emperor himself.Show Notesπλέω / מ-ל-א (mem-lamed-alef) / م-ل-أ (mīm-lām-hamza)That which fills, makes full; fullness, full amount, measure, extent:“Sing to the Lord a new song,Sing his praise from the end of the earth!You who go down to the sea, and all that fills it (וּמְלֹאוֹ umelo'o),You islands, and those who live on them.” (Isaiah 42:10)The root مَلَأَ (malaʾa) in Arabic can be found in words such as:مَلَأَ (malaʾa) - to fillمَلِيء (malīʾ) - full, filledمَمْلُوء (mamlūʾ) - filled (passive participle)امْتَلَأَ (imtalaʾa) - to become full, to be filledمِلْء (milʾ) - fullness, fillingتَمْلِيء (tamlīʾ) - filling (verbal noun)مَلَأ (malaʾ) - assembly, ruling council, crowd, publicἄνεμος / ר-ו-ח (resh-waw-ḥet) / ر-و-ح (rāʾ–wāw–ḥāʾ)ἄνεμος (anemos, “wind,” 8:23) When the wind fully enters (מְלֹא / مِلْء) the sail, it takes shape, and the boat is propelled forward. Classical Arabic poetry often compares the full sail to a “breathing chest”—expanding, alive, and responsive to the unseen force of wind (رِيح rīḥ, which in Scripture functions as God's breath or “Spirit.”) The biblical Hebrew term רוּחַ (ruaḥ) and the Arabic رُوح (rūḥ) both function as wind or divine Spirit.The Greek verb πληρόω (plēroō), meaning “to fill,” “make full,” or “complete,” also corresponds to מ-ל-א and appears numerous times throughout Paul's letters, notably: καὶ μὴ μεθύσκεσθε οἴνῳ, ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν ἀσωτία, ἀλλὰ πληροῦσθε ἐν Πνεύματι,“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”(Ephesians 5:18)Paul deliberately chooses a second term in 1 Corinthians—not πληρόω, but κορέννυμι—to convey sharp sarcasm, mocking the leaders in Roman Corinth for being full of themselves and smug in their self-satisfaction. The only other appearance of this Pauline term, which does not occur in the Septuagint, is in Acts 27, which corresponds to Luke by way of authorship: “καὶ ἐμπλησθέντες τροφῆς ἐκούφισαν τὸ πλοῖον ἐκβαλλόμενοι τὸν σῖτον εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν.”“And when they had eaten enough (ἐμπλησθέντες), they lightened the ship by throwing out the wheat into the sea.” (Acts 27:38)See also: ب-و-ء (bā-wāw-hamza) / ב-ו-א (bet-waw-alef) πλέω also corresponds to בוא (Jonah 1:3), which aligns with Acts 27:38. الْمَلَأ (al-malaʾ) “ruling council, community leaders, chiefs, the elites” is a recurring function in the Qur'an, where prophets confront the elite power structures in their communities. The malaʾ are gatekeepers of institutional norms and the status quo, resisting the prophets' calls for repentance and submission to God.قَالَ الْمَلَأُ مِن قَوْمِ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَسَاحِرٌ عَلِيمٌqāla al-malaʾu min qawmi firʿawna inna hādhā lasāḥirun ʿalīm“The elite of Pharaoh's people said, ‘Indeed, this is a learned magician.'”Surah al-Shuʿarāʾ 26:34 (ref. to Moses)فَقَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن قَوْمِهِ مَا هَـٰذَا إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ…faqāla al-malaʾu alladhīna kafarū min qawmihi mā hādhā illā basharun mithlukum…“So the chiefs of his people who disbelieved said, ‘This is only a man like yourselves…'”Surah al-Muʾminūn 23:24 (ref. to Noah)The malaʾ belittle the prophets:• “He's just a man like us.” (26:155)• “He's a liar.” (26:186)• “He's possessed/crazy.” (26:154)• “He's a magician.” (26:34) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode we present excerpts from the recent conversation (June 2024) as part of SAND's “Conversations on Palestine” around the premiere of the film Where Olive Trees Weep hosted by the directors of the film and co-founders of SAND, Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo. You can watch this full conversation and 22 others at Where Olive Trees Weep: 23 Conversations on Palestine. SAND has created a program with leading historians, spiritual teachers, trauma therapists, poets and performers to complement the themes explored in the film and provide a larger historical, cultural and social context to the plight of the Palestinian people Black activists and scholars come together to shed light on the intersection anti-Black racism, Israeli apartheid, patriarchal oppression and predatory capitalism's interconnected plunder. This panel will model the coalitional power that blossoms when we recognize our kindred liberatory movements. Their dialogue will illustrate how the subjugation of any community reverberates as a threat against the collective freedom and wellbeing of all humanity. Their truth disrupts manufactured divisions and nurtures the global, intergenerational solidarities indispensable for our mutual emancipation. Faith Gay is an activist and incoming Master's student at Princeton University with a background in anti-war organizing and congressional advocacy. Her work focuses on democratizing United States foreign policy so that it can be influenced by those most impacted by it, including those outside of Washington. She is a member of Black for Palestine, a collective organizing Black people in the U.S. to leverage their political, economic, and cultural power in support of Palestinian liberation and to end U.S. complicity in Israeli apartheid. Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart is a Black queer preacher, teacher, strategist, and justice advocate. She is an adjunct professor of theology and religious studies at Villanova University and in the spring of 2024 completed a two year term as the Government Fellow for Religion and Public Life at Harvard Divinity School. Rev. Naomi also serves as the first-ever Strategic Partnerships Director at Political Research Associates (PRA), a social justice research and strategy center that provides strategic insights and actionable research that identifies, disrupts, and competes with movements and institutions that undermine democracy, justice, and human rights. In 2021, Rev. Naomi founded Salt | Yeast | Light, an organization that develops spaces of spiritual education, disruption, reflection, transformation, and public action. Most recently, she joined the national leadership team of Christians for a Free Palestine. Imam Adeyinka Mendes is a spiritual counselor, meditation teacher, rites of passage facilitator, author, and Muslim religious leader based in Houston, Texas. He has been a student of the mystical traditions of Islam as well as indigenous and West African spiritual traditions for over 30 years after a life changing journey to Jerusalem at the age of 16. His focus as a teacher is on conveying the wisdom of our ancestors in ways that address the challenges and opportunities of the modern world. He is the founding director of Marhama (Arabic for 'expressing mutual compassion') Village, a community focused on building sustainable institutions through empowering service, prophetic spirituality, traditional knowledge, indigenous wisdom, and the arts. He has studied Classical Arabic, Islamic Sciences, sacred meditation, and the science of peace-building with sages and scholars from the United States, Syria, Sudan, Morocco, Mauritania, Nigeria, Egypt, Haiti, Senegal, and The Gambia. He imagines a world in which spiritual seekers from every tradition work together to establish a world of sacred service, compassion, and justice for every life. (Scheduled, but not present in the recording because of illness)Pastor Michael McBride is the executive director for LIVE FREE USA, a national organizing and social change network committed to ending the criminalization of people of color, reducing gun violence and transforming the policing and the criminal justice system. He was named by the Center for American Progress as a Top Clergy Leader in 2013 and served on President Obama's Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Council to address Poverty and Inequality in 2016. He is one of the national leaders in the movement to implement public health gun violence prevention programs, recently featured as one of CNN's Champions of Change. He is the co-founder of Black Church PAC and the Black Brown Peace Consortium. Pastor McBride serves as the Lead Pastor of The Way Church in Berkeley, CA. He has been a frequent contributor to the New York Times, the Washington Post, MSNBC, CNN, the Huffington Post and many other media outlets. Topics 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 02:25 Introducing Faith Gay 03:08 Faith Gay's Journey to Activism 06:22 Reverend Naomi's Story 10:46 Imam Adeyinka's Experience 18:06 Pastor Michael McBride's Work 19:55 Recognizing Apartheid and Segregation 28:23 Bearing Witness and Economic Support 33:27 Responding to Apartheid 34:33 Personal Reflections on Compromise 35:58 The Domino Effect of Speaking Out 37:57 White Supremacy and Global Racism 41:54 Solidarity with Indigenous People 42:51 The Importance of Healing 47:55 Spiritual Imperatives and Activism 52:10 Final Reflections and Call to Action SAND's Helpful Resources on Palestine: https://whereolivetreesweep.com/resources/ Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member.

Muslim Spirituality Illuminating the Path to Freedom: An exploration of how the spiritual heart of the Islamic tradition can inspire and fuel contemporary struggles for liberation, justice and humanity. Through their unique lens, this panel of visionaries modeled how spiritual life is not an escape from systemic injustice, but a revolutionary process which strengthens our collective capacity to transform unjust realities. They discuss Islam's deepest essence and the spiritual fortitude to remain anchored in the commitment to truth, beauty and universal human flourishing. Today's episode is a live talk as part of the World People's Premiere of 21 days of conversations on Palestine with the release of the film Where Olive Trees Weep by SAND. Today's talk is entitled Dancing in the Fire: Muslim Spirituality Illuminating the Path to Freedom with Farah El-Sharif, Ayesha Kajee, Seemi Bushra Ghazi and hosted by Daniel Foor. This talk is part of a package of talks that includes the 21 days of conversation with leading historians, spiritual teachers, trauma therapists, poets, artists, and more, plus extended interviews from the film, a live Q&A with Dr. Gabor Maté and Ashira Darwish from a live screening in Oakland, CA, a film discussion guide, and six community conversations on Palestine. To find out more about purchasing this package and supporting the mission of SAND and the film, visit WhereOliveTreesWeep.com. Dr. Farah El-Sharif is a writer, educator and research scholar. She received her PhD from Harvard University where she specialized in West African intellectual Islamic history. She earned degrees from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA and Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and served as Associate Director of the Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies at Stanford University, where she is currently a Visiting Scholar. Her writings have appeared in CNN, Newlines, and Muftah. Read more of her work on her Substack sermonsatcourt@substack.com Ayesha Kajee is a human rights and governance consultant based in Johannesburg, Ayesha Kajee has conducted research across much of sub-Saharan Africa, and has observed elections and peace processes in several countries. Her published research and opinion-analyses appear in various academic and news media, and she is often called upon by media houses for comment on topical issues. She was previously the founding director of the International Human Rights Exchange program at Wits University in Johannesburg, where she also lectured in Politics and International Relations. Ayesha briefly directed South Africa's Freedom of Expression Institute before leaving full-time work to care for an invalid parent. She now works on a freelance basis. Her focus areas include transitional justice, media and media rights, African political economy, gender justice, migration and environmental rights. Seemi Bushra Ghazi is lecturer in Classical Arabic at the University of British Columbia, specializes in Islamic literature, culture, and spirituality. A student in the Rifai Marufi lineage, she performs traditional Islamic arts, including Qur'anic recitation featured on BBC, CBC, NPR, and PBS. Her work appears in "Approaching Islam: the Early Revelations" and "A New Encyclopedia of Islam." Born in London and of South Asian origin, Ghazi studied at prestigious institutions in the U.S. and Middle East. Deeply involved in interfaith work, she hosts a monthly Unity Dhikr in Vancouver and is a founding board member of the Rumi Society and Vancouver Interspiritual Centre Society. Her expertise spans Islam, gender, and cross-cultural understanding Daniel Foor is a doctor of psychology, experienced ritualist, and the author of Ancestral Medicine: Rituals for Personal and Family Healing. He is a practicing Muslim and initiate in the Òrìṣà tradition of Yoruba-speaking West Africa who has also learned from Mahayan Buddhism and the older ways of his English and German ancestors. Daniel was a U.S. Fulbright scholar in Cairo, Egypt as a student of Arabic language, and he is passionate about generational healing and training leaders and change makers in the intersections of cultural healing, animist ethics, and applied ritual arts. He lives with his wife and daughters near his adoptive home of Granada, Spain in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. www.ancestralmedicine.org Sumud: https://muftah.org/2024/05/16/sumud-as-a-key/ Topics: 0:00 - Introduction 01:27 - Daniel Foor's Introduction 07:27 - Farah El-Sharif 21:17 - Ayesha Kajee 33:51 - Seemi Bushra Ghazi 47:45 - Closing Statements Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member.

We partnered with Habibi Festival for a six-night celebration of ancient + contemporary sounds from Lebanon, Tunisia, Syria, Morocco, Palestine, Algeria and more! It all took place from October 1-7 at Joe's Pub in NYC.Each night we taped live conversations with the artists on stage. This special Quartertones episode is the third of six, featuring a conversation with Bab L'Bluz's Yousra Mansour and Brice Bottin, along with snaps from a performance by Tarek Yamani and the the Yacine Boulares Quartet at Joe's pub.Bab L'Bluz is a Moroccan-French rock band that was formed in Marrakesh in 2018 by Yousra Mansour and Brice Bottin. Their music takes inspiration from Gnawa music, blues, Chaâbi and Afrobeat and is born out of the "Nayda" movement which seeks to honor local culture and heritage.Tarek Yamani is a Lebanese jazz-pianist, composer, producer and educator. Through his music, he explores the relationship between African-American jazz and Classical Arabic music.Yacine Boulares is a French-Tunisian saxophonist, clarinetist and composer based in New York. His music explores North & West African rhythms as well as Jazz. He founded the Shems Record label and Habibi Festival in 2020.THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORKQuarterTones is afikra's music podcast which hosts current Arab musicians from different geographies who play contemporary and modern music, including alternative scene or hip-hop, electronic, classical music, among other genres. The guests are invited to talk about their work and play their music – whether live or recorded – in three segments. The audience gets a chance to listen to some of the most interesting work from across the region and genres, and understand the music that these musicians and musicologists perform or study.Explore all episodes in this series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg2zwxYLPXg&list=PLfYG40bwRKl7FiLcdH_iSgv4RiXEy4GAhABOUT AFIKRAafikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.

This episode was recorded on Jan 10th, 2023. Sheikha Fatima Barkatulla is an Islamic scholar, author, and director of Muslim Womanhood, an organization that builds resilience and educates Muslim women in the West. She completed her Islamic education in the UK and studied Classical Arabic in Egypt at Al-Azhar University. She holds a Masters degree in Islamic Law from SOAS, University of London, where she received the Doreen Hinchcliffe Memorial Prize for best performance in her year. Fatima is the author of 'Khadijah, Islam's First Lady', and her research focuses on British female converts to Islam. Sheikha Fatima Barkatulla's book: Khadijah, The Story of Islam's First Lady: https://amzn.to/3uZsij2 Muslim Womanhood: www.muslimwomanhood.org Follow Fatima Barkatulla: https://www.youtube.com/fatimabarkatulla Muslim Central Podcast: https://muslimcentral.com/audio/fatima-barkatulla/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/fatimabarkatula   Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tammy.m.peterson/ Faceboook: https://www.facebook.com/MrsTammyMPeterson  

 Learning Arabic Online Though The Traditional Method The conventional method for acquiring proficiency in the Arabic language is widely followed by many students, including those studying at top universities like SOAS and Oxford, as well as Arabic tutors who advocate for this approach. The reason for this preference is that they believe Modern Standard Arabic is the most effective way to learn Arabic. Moreover, most Arabic tutors are only trained to teach Modern Standard Arabic, while classical Arabic is the predominant language used in books. Most of the best universities rely on textbooks like Al-Kitab,1,2,3, which are primarily designed to teach Modern Standard Arabic. By adopting this method, learners can achieve proficiency in reading and writing Arabic, comprehend its grammar, read modern Arabic literature, and understand news published in outlets such as BBC Arabic. Learning classical Arabic comes with its drawbacks. It is a highly complex language with intricate grammar, making it a challenging task to master. It typically takes students anywhere from three to five years to speak it moderately. Even after this lengthy period of learning, when students visit Arab countries like Lebanon, Syria, or Dubai, they may struggle to comprehend native Arabic speakers. If students attempt to speak classical Arabic, locals may find it unusual and they see them as the Shakespeare of the Arab world, it's a good title to have on the other hand. Learning Arabic Online Using The Natural Method From Spoken to Classical Arabic   The second approach to learning Arabic is through the Natural method, where students opt for one of the primarily spoken dialects in the Middle East, such as Levantine Arabic, Gulf Arabic, or Egyptian Arabic. As they gain confidence in conversing with native speakers in Arabic, they can gradually transition to learning Modern Standard Arabic. This approach is the most natural way to learn Arabic and allows students to pick up the language fast Why is This Method to Learn Arabic is Most Natural Way to Learn Arabic?  To begin with, you must be curious as to why I referred to this method as the natural approach. Allow me to explain. As a child growing up in the Middle East, I, like every other Arab child, learned my native dialect from my family and surroundings. Later, when I began attending school, I was introduced to Classical Arabic (MSA). The books used in Arabic schools are written in Classical Arabic, which helped me learn the language passively. Additionally, our teachers taught us Classical Arabic and literature. In Syria, we were required to study Classical Arabic and Arabic literature until we graduated from university, which provided us with a solid grasp of both spoken and Classical languages. It's worth noting that our teachers never used Classical Arabic to explain complex subjects like math or physics. Instead, they used Levantine Arabic to communicate their ideas. One of the main advantages is that students can start speaking Arabic within six months. This early focus on speaking creates confidence and motivation to continue learning and progress to higher levels. Additionally, spoken Arabic is a simplified version of Classical Arabic, making it easier to learn with less grammar and the language itself is poetic and beautiful, especially if you choose to learn Levantine Arabic. Nassra Arabic Method - Our Fluent in Six Months Online Arabic Program Omar and I have been using the Natural approach to teaching Arabic for 20 years now. We firmly & strongly believe that going from Learning Spoken Arabic to Classical is the most effective, efficient, and natural way to learn Arabic. That's why we have incorporated this approach into our online program, which is backed by a tried and tested method that guarantees fluency in Levantine Arabic and a seamless transition to Modern Standard Arabic. You will be able to speak Levantine Arabic with confidence and read newspapers, Arabic novels, and more.

The power of Semitic poetry stems, literally, from the functionality of its consonantal roots. With but three consonants, a long series of words, used in a specific way, set in a specific pattern, according to an ordained order and rhythm, can be carefully arranged so that even the sound of the words can be manipulated to conform to the author's design. Classical Arabic and Hebrew poets have so much power to create this kind of literary structure, that the structure itself conveys meaning.Once you understand Semitic functionality, the only obvious question is, "why wouldn't the arrangement of biblical books work the same way?" We struggle with this because we are Hellenists. Someone asks our opinion and we start talking about the words we form in our mind, which are based on other words in our mind. We converse with ourselves about our own philosophical abstractions and marvel at the imaginary connections we invent within our artificial systems. We make stuff up. The fancy word for that in academia is "interpretation." If you really want to sound smart at coffee hour, call it, "hermeneutics." That's why we are all naturally dubious about the significance of the order of books. Because everybody knows that interpretation is dubious. But functionality is not interpretation. What a functional element means can be discussed and debated, but the consonants and the structure itself are right there, alongside the earth mammals and the vegetation. No interpretation required. Richard and Fr. Marc revisit Mark 1. Episode 428 Mark 1; Music:Tiki Bar Mixer by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/6836-tiki-bar-mixerLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Assalamu alaykum,As I begin my own spiritual journey, I want to hear from those who have taken this path before me. This podcast focuses on them and listening to their stories — uninterrupted. My name is Hebah Masood and I invite you to reflect on the trajectories of their lives, and the guidance and blessings provided by Allah swt along that journey.Imam Dawud Walid grew up south of the Mason-Dixon line in Chesterfield County, Virginia. It was commonplace to see Confederate flags and signs like “The South will rise again.” Like others of his generation, listening to hip hop, watching Spike Lee's “X,” and the protests following the brutal beating of Rodney King and murder of Amadou Diallo played a huge role. They awakened in him not only an interest in social justice but also Islam. He wanted to learn Classical Arabic to better understand the Quran. At that time, the best place to learn Arabic in the U.S. was in Detroit, Michigan, and so he moved to the Midwest.His spiritual journey would take him from learning in Detroit to eventually traveling to Ghana, Mali and Senegal. Today, Dawud Walid heads Cair-Michigan. He has authored four books. Two titled “Centering Black Narratives,” a third titled "Towards Sacred Activism," and a fourth, coming out this February InshaAllah titled “Blackness in Islam.”In this episode, he sheds light on the importance of learning Black Muslim history and the relationship of tasawwuf with sacred activism and anti-racism work within our communities.His story intersects with many familiar names: Shaykh Ali Suleiman Ali, Imam Salim Abdulrahman, Dr. Sherman Jackson, Shaykh Abdullah Bin Hamid Ali, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Sidi Ahmad Mubarak, Chris Abdur-Rahman Blauvelt.***Pre-order his new book "Blackness in Islam" here!***-Also available on most other major podcast streaming services including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox and Podbay.-Do you enjoy this podcast? Support the Patreon to ensure the best podcast quality possible. All funds go to equipment and editing software. May Allah reward you. https://www.patreon.com/thejourneypodcast★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Every prophet and messenger was sent by God with a miracle that served as evidence of their mission. The miracle of Islam that accompanied Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was the Qur'an. But how many Muslims today are unable to access and understand this miracle? The fact of the matter is that the Qur'an was revealed exclusively in Arabic and, while this miraculous text is still among us today, too many of us are completely disconnected from it by a language barrier. Have we neglected the true value of the language that God chose when He spoke to us? Should we reassess our treatment of Classical Arabic?

Lara Harb's Arabic Poetics: Aesthetic Experience in Classical Arabic Literature (Cambridge University Press, 2020) is a delightful and formidable study on the details and development of poetics and aesthetics in medieval Arabic literature. The central theme of this splendid book centers on the emergence of the evocation of wonder as a key aesthetic experience and criterion connected to the beauty and eloquence of speech in medieval Muslim intellectual thought. With breathtaking clarity and painstaking elaboration, Harb charts the key literary tropes, categories, and strategies, as well as the broader intellectual and theological stakes, such as the question of the Qur'an's inimitability, invested in how poetry was imagined, experienced, and evaluated in this context. The strength of this book lies in the meticulous care with which it walks readers through a complex yet deeply fascinating discursive arcade of thinkers, texts, and poetic registers. While focused on the thought of the preeminent eleventh century scholar ‘Abd al-Qāhir al-Jurjānī, Arabic Poetics presents and explores a panoply of scholars and texts situated at the intersection of religion, and literature. Written with sparkling clarity, this book will also make an excellent text to teach in various undergraduate and graduate courses on the Muslim Humanities, Arabic, Religion and Literature, and Religious Studies more broadly. SherAli Tareen is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Franklin and Marshall College. His research focuses on Muslim intellectual traditions and debates in early modern and modern South Asia. His book Defending Muhammad in Modernity (University of Notre Dame Press, 2020) received the American Institute of Pakistan Studies 2020 Book Prize. His other academic publications are available here. He can be reached at sherali.tareen@fandm.edu. Listener feedback is most welcome.

Lara Harb's Arabic Poetics: Aesthetic Experience in Classical Arabic Literature (Cambridge University Press, 2020) is a delightful and formidable study on the details and development of poetics and aesthetics in medieval Arabic literature. The central theme of this splendid book centers on the emergence of the evocation of wonder as a key aesthetic experience and criterion connected to the beauty and eloquence of speech in medieval Muslim intellectual thought. With breathtaking clarity and painstaking elaboration, Harb charts the key literary tropes, categories, and strategies, as well as the broader intellectual and theological stakes, such as the question of the Qur'an's inimitability, invested in how poetry was imagined, experienced, and evaluated in this context. The strength of this book lies in the meticulous care with which it walks readers through a complex yet deeply fascinating discursive arcade of thinkers, texts, and poetic registers. While focused on the thought of the preeminent eleventh century scholar ‘Abd al-Qāhir al-Jurjānī, Arabic Poetics presents and explores a panoply of scholars and texts situated at the intersection of religion, and literature. Written with sparkling clarity, this book will also make an excellent text to teach in various undergraduate and graduate courses on the Muslim Humanities, Arabic, Religion and Literature, and Religious Studies more broadly. SherAli Tareen is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Franklin and Marshall College. His research focuses on Muslim intellectual traditions and debates in early modern and modern South Asia. His book Defending Muhammad in Modernity (University of Notre Dame Press, 2020) received the American Institute of Pakistan Studies 2020 Book Prize. His other academic publications are available here. He can be reached at sherali.tareen@fandm.edu. Listener feedback is most welcome. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices