At Al-Maqasid, our mission is to cultivate holistic learning environments rooted in knowledge, devotion, and service by providing full-time, part-time, online, and community programs. The full-time Seminary represents the heart of our work. Currently, our Seminary’s full-time program consists of two years of study.

  • Year 1 - Classical Arabic: This year of study focuses on achieving a level of fluency in the Arabic language such that a student is prepared to study traditional texts in Arabic

  • Year 2 - Foundational Islamic Sciences: In Year 2, students will continue their study of Arabic to attain greater fluency and also study the foundational Islamic sciences based on a curriculum taught at Dar al-Mustafa, the acclaimed school of Habib ‘Umar Bin Hafiz in Tarim.

Arabic Curriculum:

  • The ‘Imam Series’ is a four-level Arabic curriculum that has been meticulously designed for teaching non-native Arabic speakers. Each level consists of four main textbooks: Reading, Writing, Expression, and Quranic Tafsir. In Level 2, Hadith, Grammar, and Morphology are introduced, and in Levels 3 and 4 the students progress to studying Literature, History, and Rhetoric.

  • Students will begin their journey studying a curriculum that has been meticulously designed for teaching non-native Arabic speakers. In the first semester, students will study Arabic Reading, Writing, Expression & Speaking. In the 2nd semester, Grammar, Morphology, Quran & Hadith are introduced.  

  • By the end of Year 1, students will have completed Levels 1, 2, and roughly half of 3. They should possess a sizable vocabulary, read with intermediate level proficiency, and be able to express basic ideas and concepts in Arabic. The second half of Level 3 and Level 4 is completed in Year 2.

  • By the end of year one, they should possess a sizable vocabulary, read with intermediate level proficiency, and be able to express basic ideas and concepts in Arabic. In year 2, students will continue to study Advanced Arabic alongside Classical Texts in the various Islamic Sciences.

Firm Foundations Curriculum

  • Fiqh (Jurisprudence)

  • ‘Aqida (Creed)

  • Tasawwuf (Spirituality)

  • Sira (Prophetic Biography) 

  • Fiqh al-Da‘wa (Principles of Calling to Allah) 

Learning objectives

  • Attain the equivalent of the intermediate (mid/high) proficiency in understanding, reading, writing, and speaking the Arabic language according to the standards of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) such that a student is prepared to begin a study of sacred knowledge in Arabic.

  • Completed and studied foundational texts in the Islamic Sciences

  • Learn basic Islamic knowledge, including the Fard ‘Ayn (individual obligations)

  • Enrich one’s religious understanding and perspective.

  • Develop a good religious routine such as prayer in congregation and regular devotions.

  • Sample Daily Schedule

PreRequisites for Year 1:

  • Students must be able to read and write in Arabic at a basic level

  • 18 years of age or older. Finished High School or equivalent degree

  • Not currently working and will not be needing to work during the program

  • Those who have no prior knowledge of Arabic, they must enroll in our Introductory Arabic Reading & Writing Course, which will be offered online from July 1st, 2024 - August 17th, 2024. For More information on this course, please visit the Introductory Arabic Reading & Writing Course section.