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Salman Hasan
Muhammad Choudhury
Jubril Alao
Usaama al-A’zami
Shaist Khan
Ruksana Nur
Mustafa Abdullah
Alia Azmi
Nazeel al-Azami
Qari Imam Bokhari
Nadia Khalid
Yusra Khreegi
Kamil Sheikh
Nicholas Mahdi Lock
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Assalamu Alaikum,
I read law at the London School of Economics (1997-2000) and completed the Bar Vocational Course at the Inns of Court School of Law (2001).
I started learning Arabic on a gap year after my A-Levels during which I did the first year of the Arabic degree at the
School Of Oriental and African Studies (Certificate in Arabic).
I then let my Arabic tick away in my head for four years while I studied law.
After that, I packed my bags and with the blessings of my parents and family,
I went to and enrolled on the undergraduate Sharia programme at al-Azhar University.
I co-founded the Ibn Jabal Institute in 2001 with my friend and colleague,
Mohammad Motiur Rahman, and have taught this course for the last six years.
In 2004, I started writing a book on Arabic grammar which I have tentatively called 'Arabica'.
Various drafts have been taught on Level One over the last few years and I have tried my best to
judiciously incorporate the ideas gained from our students, their suggestions,
their mistakes and of course, my mistakes.
The final draft is being primed for publication later this year insha Allah.
If you enrol, like previous students, you will be given a unique opportunity to
participate in authoring a book on Arabic grammar.
In 2005 I fell in (arranged) love and got married in December that year.
My wife says that she is my second wife, Arabic being my first.
I confess it is a passionate attachment.
Wassalam
Salman Hasan
salman@ibnjabal.com
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Assalamu Alaikum,
I read Philosophy at the University of Manchester after spending a gap year travelling and learning Arabic in the Middle East. I initially enrolled at the University of Jordan and later took private tuition in Amman and subsequently in Cairo and Damascus. For a living I work for local authorities in developing educational facilities for teenagers and am pursuing postgraduate studies in Education. I also run my own property development business.
Since returning from the Middle East I saw teaching Arabic as the best way of preserving my own proficiency. My tutor in Jordan told me learning Arabic is EASY. 'It is easy if you just memorise 80 words per day, it is easy if you just learn a few rules of grammar per day, and it is easy if you just spend 12 hours studying per day...'. In applying this method with friends I was amazed at how quickly they were able to learn Arabic.
Early in 2001, over a cup of tea and hot chocolate, Salman and I concluded that everything taught in the first year of an Arabic degree, at most universities, could be covered in a matter of a few weeks with small groups of highly committed students of good academic calibre. Over the years many students have told us they'd never worked as hard and learnt so much in so little time.
Wassalam
Muhammad Choudhury
mc@ibnjabal.com
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Assalamu Alaikum,
I read Economics at University College London (1999-2002) and subsequently (2002-2003) completed a Masters in Computer Science at the same institution. I started learning Arabic during my second year at UCL. My first exposure to any formal study of the Arabic language came in the summer of 2001. During that eventful (historic?) summer, I was among the first batch of students attending the nascent Ibn Jabal Institute. I did level 1 twice to consolidate what I had learnt (mainly due to the fact that I couldn’t travel to Syria to do Level 2). I then went on to do the second level of the Ibn Jabal course during term time over the course of my third year at UCL. Simultaneously, I did the SOAS course in Classical Arabic.
After graduating, I travelled to Damascus to learn Arabic and enrolled at the University of Damascus for the Summer Course. I was admitted into the third level and before leaving Damascus, I passed through to the fourth level. While at Damascus, I also enrolled at other institutions, learning some other Islamic sciences in Arabic such as Fiqh and Tajweed.
I am honoured, particularly as I am a former student, to be part of an excellent team of teachers who are seriously dedicated to teaching the Arabic language.
Wassalam
Jubril Alao
jubril@ibnjabal.com
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Assalamu alaikum,
I am currently at St. Anne’s College, Oxford, reading Arabic and Persian with Islamic Studies/History. I gained my initial exposure to Arabic studies during my four years of secondary education in Saudi Arabia. This was intensified considerably over two gap years (2002-04) after my A-levels, the first of which was spent at the European Institute for Islamic Sciences (France), and much of the second of which was spent studying in Saudi Arabia.
My first year in Oxford was primarily focussed on Persian acquisition. I did, however, spend several hours a week studying and attending third and fourth year poetry and literature classes, in which I studied some (pre-Islamic) jahili poetry, in particular the famous mu‘llaqat. I also frequented MPhil tutorials on Arabic Philosophical texts such as Imam Ghazali’s maqasid al-falasifa and it’s refutation, the tahafut. I’ve spent this academic year in the Middle East as part of my course, primarily in Syria, but also for a time in Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, concentrating for the most part on strengthening my Arabic.
This will be my second year of teaching with Ibn Jabal. I found last year invigorating, challenging, and instructive. It allowed me to fine tune my method of delivery, and this year I look forward to getting to know and teaching another group of dedicated students of the Arabic language.
Wassalamu alaikum
Usaama al-A’zami
usaama@ibnjabal.com
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Assalamu Alaikum,
I read Economics and History at SOAS, University of London (2002-2005) and was subsequently elected as a sabbatical officer of the Students' Union. I am currently studying for a Masters in History with 'Islam in South Asia' as my major.
My study of Arabic until this year had been quite spasmodic but strongly formative. I learnt the Qur'an with tajweed from an early age so I have been fairly well exposed to the style and sound of the Arabic language from a young age. I believe that having this phonetic grounding has helped me greatly in my subsequent study of Arabic. In the summer of 2003 I travelled to Hadramaut, Yemen, where I took short courses in fiqh and aqeeda. It was on the Ibn Jabal summer program of 2006, where I completed Levels 1, 2 and 3 that I formally consolidated all my previous learning and added a lot of new material to my Arabic repertoire. I am currently studying Hanafi and comparative fiqh with the Ibn Jabal institute at Level 4.
I am also a student of Urdu literature and will be taking a course in Persian as part of my Masters degree.
The Ibn Jabal Institute takes a real academic approach to teaching Arabic and I am truly humbled to be among such an esteemed group of teachers.
Wassalam
Shaist Khan
shaist@ibnjabal.com
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Assalamu Alaikum,
I began my epic Arabic journey with a 3-week intensive Ibn Jabal Arabic course in the Summer of 2005. I followed up this course immediately with another 3-week intensive Level 1 course to consolidate my learning. I then progressed to the Level 2 course and eventually was honoured to be able to study in Syria in the Autumn of 2005, made possible by the Bounty of Allah and the generosity of the Ibn Jabal Institute.
During my 9 weeks study in Syria, I enrolled at the 'Arabic for Foreign Language Speakers' Department in the Abu Nour University, Damascus. Because of the very well structured delivery of my Arabic learning in London, I was able to enter the course at Level 3 rather than beginning with most other new students at Level 1. Although I found my course in Syria challenging (at times mind boggling!), it was both inspirational and motivating - and my previous learning put me on a par with other students in my class.
Since Syria, I have been developing my Arabic by talking as much Arabic as I can, reading as much Arabic as I can, looking up as many words as I can, and, most humbly, teaching (as much as my 'teachers', aka students, will allow me). I am also currently studying Level 4 with Ibn Jabal, where we engage with Hanafi fiqh - and come across lots of interesting issues for discussion (in Arabic!).
My Arabic journey has provided, and still is providing, me with amazing experiences. I wish and encourage everyone out there to take a step on that journey. It really is quite an epic path to tread - I promise that you will meet lots of people with pointy ears and/or beards!
Wa ma thawfeeqi illa billah.
Ma'asalama(ti)
Ruksana Nur
ruksana@ibnjabal.com
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Assalamu Alaikum,
After learning to read the Arabic script at a young age, my first introduction to the language was at Islamic College where I studied basic Arabic grammar, morphology and vocabulary to GCSE level. I later read Chemical Engineering at UCL followed by a doctorate in Gas Engineering at Imperial College.
In 1996 I had the opportunity to travel to Syria where I completed a summer course at Al-Aminiyyah Shariah Institute in Damascus. The main subjects included Tajweed, Nahw, Seerah, Fiqh and Hadith. Trips to Jordan, Central Arabia and Egypt which followed helped build on the knowledge that had been gained previously and allowed me to put it into practice.
Even in parts of the world where Arabic might not be so widely spoken, I have found that there are always some people who speak the language and are very comfortable with it. One such place was the island of Lombok in Indonesia where school children as young as 9 or 10 are able to communicate in Arabic. There was something deeply reassuring about that experience and it constantly serves as a source of inspiration.
I have followed the Ibn Jabal Institute's progress over the past few years and have been impressed by the dedication and professionalism of all those who have been involved.
Wassalam
Mustafa Abdullah
mustafa@ibnjabal.com
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Assalamu Alaikum,
I am currently in my 3rd year at the University of Cambridge studying Arabic and Islamic Studies. The third year is spent studying abroad in the Middle East. So far I have spent five months in Egypt at al-Diwan Language Centre, and hope to spend the next three months in Jordan studying with private tutors and possibly at the Qasid institute.
I started studying Arabic with a Qur'anic Arabic course in Manchester in 2001. The following summer I attended a 6 week Arabic course at the European Institute of Human Sciences (EIHS) in Wales, and continued the same course at 'Tajdid 2002' the next year. I resolved at that point to take my Arabic studies further and committed myself to a four year long course at Cambridge. Teaching at the Ibn Jabal Institute offers me an exciting opportunity to impart to others the knowledge I have gained over the last few years.
Wassalam
Alia Azmi
alia@ibnjabal.com
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Assalamu Alaikum,
I always wanted to learn Arabic so I could explore the Arab world for myself, and enjoy hearing its stories from Arabs themselves. I was impressed and even envious (in a good way) of some of my friends who were speaking so fluently to so many interesting people that I had little access to. It was clear that they were really content with and enthusiastic about their newfound knowledge.
I found the opportunity to take a year out after my A-levels to learn the basics. I spent a year speaking Arabic as much as I could to teachers and students alike and studying its grammar. As I was in a Muslim institute, I also had classes in the recitation of the Quran. After a few months, I was shocked to suddenly understand (almost in the same way that I understand English), at least on the surface, what the Quran was saying. I didn’t realise it could be so accessible for a lay person like myself!
I had the privilege to sit briefly with some scholars and teachers of Arabic as well as various aspects of the Islamic tradition. My time with them made me realise there is more to the ‘religious life’ than just academia. I also learned a bit about how hard some of these people work, and wondered if I would ever have their strength.
After returning to the UK, I enrolled at university in physical sciences and taught several different Arabic courses during my studies. I enjoyed it very much. I have also been a singer-songwriter producing songs in several languages including Arabic.
I have always held Ibn Jabal Institute in high esteem because I know how enthusiastic and hard-working its people are. I’m honoured to be their colleague this year. God help us succeed.
Wassalam
Nazeel al-Azami
nazeel@ibnjabal.com
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Qari Imam Bokhari
Qari Imam Bokhari comes from an illustrious family of scholars and Qaris in Pakistan. He graduated from Jamia Ashrafia followed by the College of Shari'ah at the University of Madinah, and the College of Quran & Tajweed at Al-Azhar University in Cairo.
Whilst in Pakistan he received ijazah (certification) from Shaikh Syed Hassan al-Bukhari in Hifz (memorisation) of the Qur'an. He received his injaza in the Qiraa'aat Sab'ah wa 'asharah (seven and ten recital traditions) according to the method of al-Imam al-Shatibi and the riwayah Hafs in particular, from Imam 'Asim al-Kufi. At Al-Azhar, he received ijazah from Shaikh Mustafa Ismail, one of Egypt's greatest reciters in the 20th Century. He has also received ijazah from Shaykh Raghib Mustafa Ghawoosh in the Hafs and Warsh traditions.
Qari Imam Bokhari's love and knowledge of the Qur'an and its recitation has won him several prizes and achievements such as the World Qiraat (recitation) Competition which he won for seven successive years from 1981 to 1987. He has been made an honorary member of the Al-Azhar Selection Committee and judge for various Qiraat competitions across the world. He has taught Qiraa'aat and Tajweed at the Kuala Lumpur University. He has served as an Imam for a number of masjids in the UK. Currently he teaches Islamic Studies and Tajweed in London and trains upcoming Qaris and Imams in different parts of the UK. Recently, he was one of the Judges of the National Qiraa'at Competition on Islam Channel.
Qari Imam Bokhari is fluent in Arabic and will introduce teaching in Arabic medium during his Level 2 Tajweed classes, especially in the second half of the fifteen lesson course.
Go to Tajweed Course Details
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Assalamu Alaikum,
I am currently in my fourth year at Imperial College University studying Medicine.
Arabic and me go back a long time...at first an unfriendly challenge, later to become one of my greatest passions. My journey began in summer 2001 at the European Institute of Human Sciences (EIHS) Wales, where I was first introduced to the language. I was keen to learn more and before starting university I decided to take a gap year in 2003 to study Arabic at the EIHS in Chateau Chinon, France. With the support of my family, this has probably been the best decision I have made in my life (so far). In France I was able to study Arabic, Ahadeeth, Shariah and was honoured to study the Sciences of Tajweed under Shaykh Farid Ouyalize, student of Shaykh Abdullah ibn Ali Basfar. Last summer was my first taste of Ibn Jabal as I took the Level 3 summer course, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I prefer not to think of myself as a teacher, I feel that my knowledge is very little. However, my outlook on teaching is best reflected by the famous saying of Rabia-al Basri,
"You call yourself a teacher: Therefore learn."
By teaching, I am learning. I look forward to working with you all, to help you start this journey of climbing up the Jabal of Arabic. The more you climb, the higher the peak gets. A friend of mine once told me: "Never measure the height of a mountain until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was."
InshaAllah, Ibn Jabal will help you to reach heights that you yourself never imagined possible...
Wasalaam Nadia
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Assalamu Alaikum,
I completed my BSc in Physics & Theoretical Physics at Imperial College and my MSc in Astrophysics at Queen Mary University, London. I then returned to Imperial College for a research degree, completing my MPhil in Astrophysics in 2005. Despite all these years of Physics, my main interest has been in languages and linguistics - my second language is French, my third English, and I very much enjoyed learning German whilst at university. My mother tongue is Arabic, which I studied in my native Tunisia. I have always greatly enjoyed learning Arabic grammar (and explaining it to others) because, to me, it is logical and systematic, just like Mathematics (and funnily enough, languages and Mathematics were my favourite subjects at school!).
I have lived in the UK since the age of 14, and have continued to read widely in Arabic, both classical and modern. In particular, my interest in Shariah and Islamic thought have directed my readings, and my command of Arabic has both helped and motivated me to develop my interest in Islamic sciences. Alhamdulillah after years of non-academic personal interest, I am about to start a postgraduate research degree in Islamic Sciences.
In addition to reading in Arabic, my language skills have been developed through extensive voluntary and freelance experience, giving me the ability to translate and interpret both modern and classical Arabic texts into English, including articles, papers and books for publication.
I first heard of Ibn Jabal 5 years ago, through a friend of mine who had joined one of their early courses and was finding it quite demanding though very enjoyable. This year another friend of mine joined the Ibn Jabal group of teachers, and it was through her that I got this opportunity to teach Arabic. Teaching here has revived in my memory those old beloved grammatical terms of my childhood, which, once explained and understood properly and practiced countless times, become engraved in one's mind - and that is what I hope to inspire in my students.
Wassalam,
Yusra Khreegi.
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Assalaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuh,
I read Economics at University College London (2003-2006).
My Arabic journey officially began in the summer of 2004 when I enrolled at the
Ibn Jabal Institute. I studied the 3-week intensive Level 1 course then followed
it immediately with the Level 2 course at the same institute.
This allowed me to consolidate a lot of the Level 1 material and begin applying the Language.
Upon graduation from University, I travelled to Cairo by the grace of Allah for the
duration of a year. I enrolled on to the Arabic course at the Dar Al Andalus Centre
for Arabic, studying at the same centre for the entire year. I read various texts including Al-Kitab Al-Asaasee and Al-Aajroomiya.
Since returning, I have found progressing in my Arabic a challenge. Thus I feel honoured and grateful to the Ibn Jabal Institute
for the opportunity to teach the renowned course, consolidating and supplementing my private study.
Wassalam
Kamil Sheikh
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Assalaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuh,
In 2000 I commenced my degree in History at the University of Leeds.
Within a few months Arabic was added to my degree and in September 2001
I travelled to Morocco to study at the Arabic Language Institute in Fes.
Whilst there, in addition to studying twenty hours a week at the institute,
I privately studied al-Adwat ar-Rabt, At-Tuhfatu As-Saniyyah bi Sharh Muqaddimat il-Ajrumiyyah
and al-Wadi fi l-Qawaid wal-'Irab.
In the final year of my degree I became the official translator for Leeds Grand Mosque,
during which time I translated the weekly sermon and also did simultaneous interpreting of classes.
After graduating in 2004 I moved to Nottingham to teach Arabic, Humanities and Islamic Studies at
Nottingham Islamia School. In 2006 I became the first Arabic lecturer at Nottingham Trent University
and in 2007 I obtained a Diploma in Translation (Arabic into English) from the
Chartered Institute of Linguists in London.
In the summer of 2007 I began teaching with the Ibn Jabal Institute, teaching Level 1 courses in
both Nottingham and Bradford.
Wassalam
Nicholas Madhi Lock
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