Time for another update on Arabic. I’ve (finally) completed the first section in my Sarf/Nahw book, which was on verbs, and we’ve now started on nouns — which is a really, really long section. My lessons come primarily from a text published by the divinity school of a Turkish university, “Sarf-Nahiv Edatlar.” I honestly feel that the book was written more as a reference for people who have already studied Arabic. It has very detailed descriptions of grammar points and all that, but not many examples and no exercises to do, no vocabulary lists; not really designed for teaching and certainly couldn’t be used as a self-teaching text. But alhamdulillah I have a great teacher 
, and so it works out just fine.
In addition to my lessons drawn mainly from that book, we’re also going through “Al Arabiyyah Baina Yadayk” for about 45 minutes a week, which I think is published by one of the unis in Saudi. We’re about halfway through the first of three volumes of that book.
It’s cool that there are so many books to help students of Arabic available in this country. While I’m lucky to be able to utilize the Turkish-language students’ resources, I really wish that it was easier to find books on Arabic that are written in English, especially for the finer grammar stuff. That goes for general books on Islam as well; it’s really hard to find stuff here on topics other than Sufism printed in English. I got a coupla books last winter from Darussalam when I visited Egypt, and insha’Allah if I get the chance to go again I want to get a lot more. And insha’Allah by then my Arabic will be so fabulous that I can get some Arabic books too, *smile*.
I’ve also covered tajweed rules, although I still need work, time and practice to have it all settle. Insha’Allah this week, in addition to Arabic, I’m starting on hifdh, going at a very moderate pace to start, esp. since I have other studies at the same time (not to mention the great dampener on it all — work). The plan is to pick up the pace as the summer approaches. Please keep me in your du`a’.
