Where to start? (short answer: Madinah Book 1 & Fundamentals of Classical Arabic volume 1)

One of the most frequently encountered questions when it comes to learning Arabic without a formal, designated teacher is "Where should I start?"

I've grappled with this question on multiple occasions.  I first did so when I embarked on my own studies of the language.  Since then, I have often asked this question whenever I have either tried to give advice to someone else who, like myself, couldn't study formally with a teacher or whenever I've sat back and tried to figure out how I should have done things to save myself a lot of wasted time, effort, and frustration.

In the end, after looking back over my own studies, consulting with others, and reading countless posts on various forums on the web about this very subject, I've come to the conclusion that the best place to start is with volume 1 (one) of the "Madinah" books (http://www.lqtoronto.com/madinaarabic.html  or  http://www.islamicbookstore.com/b5324.html ) and Fundamentals of Classical Arabic Volume 1 (http://www.sacredlearning.org/fundamentals-of-classical-arabic  or  http://www.islamicbookstore.com/b7062.html).

 The first volume of the Madinah series does an excellent job of introducing you to the fundamental structures of the Arabic language that you will be using, studying, and hearing reference to again and again.  By this I mean structures such as the "Mudaaf-Mudaaf Ilaih", "Man'oot-Na'at", etc. (if none of the preceding makes sense, don't worry, just go through volume 1 of the Madinah series and they will insha'allah).  These structures are presented in an easy to digest way that does not overwhelm most students.  Additionally, you can go through the first volume by following the video lessons here: http://www.lqtoronto.com/videos.html (may Allah reward the brothers and sisters who run that website and institute for not erecting barriers to the study of Arabic by those of meager economic means).

Regarding Fundamentals of Classical Arabic, it provides you a foundation in the art of "Sarf.".  "Sarf" is often translated as "Morphology" (don't worry if you don't understand what is meant by this term right now....insha'allah I will deal with it in a later post).  You will be exposed to fundamental verb and derived nouns tables that you ought to memorize (yes, memorize in the exact sequence that you see them in the book) so that you'll have a reference point for the rest of your Arabic studying life when studying verbs and derived nouns.


Irrespective of what path you later take in your Arabic studies, begin with these two works (which can be used simultaneously as they cover different topics) and you won't go wrong (insha'allah).