Abdullah Ibn Rawahah Arabic Diploma 3 year advanced programme (part-time) All you need to access Quranic Arabic
Abdullah Ibn Rawahah (May Allah be please with him)
The ethos of this diploma is inspired by the legacy of the legendary poet, military general, and companion of the messenger of Allāh ﷺ: Abdullāh Ibn Rawāha. Abdullāh was one of the twelve leaders selected by the Prophet ﷺ in the pledge of Al-Aqabah to manage the affairs of the new Muslim community in Yathrib. He participated in all the major battles fought by the Muslims, including the battles of Badr, Uhud and Al-Khandaq. He was one of the few individuals in the city of Yathrib who could write proficiently, and was an accomplished poet. He was therefore appointed as one of the poets responsible for defending the honour of the Prophet ﷺ, alongside Hassān Ibn Thābit and Ka’b Ibn Mālik. His legacy was sealed in the battle of Mu’tah, in which a small army of approximately 3,000 Muslims was dispatched by the Prophet ﷺ to face a Roman Army of almost 200,000 soldiers. Abdullāh was instructed by the Prophet ﷺ to take control of the army should Zayd ibn Hārithah and Ja’far ibn Abī Tālib be killed. Soon after the battle began, both Zayd and Ja’far were felled by the onrush of Roman swords. The battle-flag was therefore hastily passed onto Abdullāh, who hesitated for a moment before reciting the following lines of poetry:
I swear oh my ego, you will submit voluntarily You will submit voluntarily, or you will be forced to submit Why is that I see you detesting paradise? You are nothing but a sperm drop in a small worn-out vessel
After reciting these lines, he thrust himself into the ranks of the Roman army and fought valiantly until he was martyred.
The Purpose of the Diploma
1) To equip the learner with the language skills needed to read classical Arabic texts and thereby gain access to the rich heritage of traditional Islamic scholarship and the source texts; the Qur'an and ahadith.
2) To equip Muslims in the West who wish to study the classical Islamic sciences abroad or at a domestic institute with the language skills they need in order to do accomplish such a task.
The Methodology Adopted in the Delivery of the Diploma
The methodology of teaching fuses both traditional and modern approaches to teaching the sacred Arabic language. The focus will be on practical application of grammatical rules by directly reading and translating classical Arabic texts. Students will consequently be able to see the fruits of their efforts very quickly after embarking upon their studies.