Huu Door
Arabic Basics
Arabic Basics
1. Using English Letters to Transliterate
As-salaam alaykum:
Check out these links.
Islamicart.com/main/calligraphy/catalog/alphabet.html
Omniglot.com/writing/arabic.htm
Transliteration.eki.ee/pdf/Arabic.pdf
Unless you have the Arabic editor that writes from right to left, you need to learn
transliteration. There are 2 schools of thought, one where you try to write to
imitate actual pronunciation, and another that attempts to mimic the grammar and
word structure. One is artistic and needs no training, the other is interlinear and
that is what I use because you get grammar and clear word capture.
OK, an easy one:
As-salaam ‘alaykum = literally, the submission (be) with you (plural)
Qur'an al-Kareem = a Recitation, the Benevolent
Al-hamdu li illaah = the praise (is) with Allaah
Allaahu Akbar = GOD He (hu) (is) Greatest
Using the other style, you get:
Qur'anal Kareem
As-salaam alaykum
Alhamdulillaah
Like that. One is easy to read, sort of, and the other is what a native speaker
perceives and processes so easily.
Tip:
In your dictionary, write in the front and back leaves the Arabic letters, and the
page where you can find where that letter starts. This will eliminate a big memory
chore at first, and you will, with use, learn the Arabic alphabet by heart, with less
fumbling page by page.
My Transliteration Scheme
In transliteration there are some letters that can't be shown with one English letter.
th, sh, gh or g, dh, ' for ain, zh, h, s, kh, t, and they will be marked with either
an underline or a dot under.
Examples:
To sum up, there is a s, and a s, a h and a h, a t and a t.
The different letters sound a lot alike, but for the dictionary, it would be at least
doubling your work if you don't know which one to look up. Often in
transliteration they look alike, but the Arabic meanings and letters are way
different. That is why you need to read Arabic, or next best is accurate
transliteration.
Dialectic Differences
There are 3 basic letters in Hebrew and Arabic and Aramaic, all Semitic forms
from Shem the son of Noah, first born priest, and the language of Canaan. It is
ancient, and the Aramaic is Hellenistic, and the Hebrew is Egyptian dialect. Hijaz
Arabic is considered the purest form and similar to the language of Angels,
particularly Jibra'el (as). This is the language of Jibra'el to Rasoolallaah (sal) and is
the preserved form and the classic standard with which to study 'ilm.
Our Shaykh said that Jibra'el received as light, and that took a shadow angelic
form, and then was recited to Muhammad as a wahi, or revelation apocalypse. It
was not memorized but an actual part of Rasoolallah in spirituality and body,
hardwired. Then as people tried to comprehend, they memorized it as a tutor, and
as that was taken away as hafith men died in battle, Uthman al 'Affan (rd) placed
it in written form. So in that way it came from Light, then degraded to a language,
and then a memory, an then a book. Now we can't even read the Arabic, so that’s
one more veil between us and the Recitation as it originally came as Light.
Next Top
As-salaam alaykum:
Check out these links.
Islamicart.com/main/calligraphy/catalog/alphabet.html
Omniglot.com/writing/arabic.htm
Transliteration.eki.ee/pdf/Arabic.pdf
Unless you have the Arabic editor that writes from right to left, you need to learn
transliteration. There are 2 schools of thought, one where you try to write to
imitate actual pronunciation, and another that attempts to mimic the grammar and
word structure. One is artistic and needs no training, the other is interlinear and
that is what I use because you get grammar and clear word capture.
OK, an easy one:
As-salaam ‘alaykum = literally, the submission (be) with you (plural)
Qur'an al-Kareem = a Recitation, the Benevolent
Al-hamdu li illaah = the praise (is) with Allaah
Allaahu Akbar = GOD He (hu) (is) Greatest
Using the other style, you get:
Qur'anal Kareem
As-salaam alaykum
Alhamdulillaah
Like that. One is easy to read, sort of, and the other is what a native speaker
perceives and processes so easily.
Tip:
In your dictionary, write in the front and back leaves the Arabic letters, and the
page where you can find where that letter starts. This will eliminate a big memory
chore at first, and you will, with use, learn the Arabic alphabet by heart, with less
fumbling page by page.
My Transliteration Scheme
In transliteration there are some letters that can't be shown with one English letter.
th, sh, gh or g, dh, ' for ain, zh, h, s, kh, t, and they will be marked with either
an underline or a dot under.
Examples:
- Thalath = 3
- Shay' = a thing
- ghafur = Forgive
- 'aliym = knowledge, knowing
- zohar = obvious, external
- dhikr = remember
- 'azheem = tremendous
- latif = kind, gentle
- Muhammad (sal) - you have heard of him probably.
- khayr = acceptable good
- salaat = pray, intercede
To sum up, there is a s, and a s, a h and a h, a t and a t.
The different letters sound a lot alike, but for the dictionary, it would be at least
doubling your work if you don't know which one to look up. Often in
transliteration they look alike, but the Arabic meanings and letters are way
different. That is why you need to read Arabic, or next best is accurate
transliteration.
Dialectic Differences
There are 3 basic letters in Hebrew and Arabic and Aramaic, all Semitic forms
from Shem the son of Noah, first born priest, and the language of Canaan. It is
ancient, and the Aramaic is Hellenistic, and the Hebrew is Egyptian dialect. Hijaz
Arabic is considered the purest form and similar to the language of Angels,
particularly Jibra'el (as). This is the language of Jibra'el to Rasoolallaah (sal) and is
the preserved form and the classic standard with which to study 'ilm.
Our Shaykh said that Jibra'el received as light, and that took a shadow angelic
form, and then was recited to Muhammad as a wahi, or revelation apocalypse. It
was not memorized but an actual part of Rasoolallah in spirituality and body,
hardwired. Then as people tried to comprehend, they memorized it as a tutor, and
as that was taken away as hafith men died in battle, Uthman al 'Affan (rd) placed
it in written form. So in that way it came from Light, then degraded to a language,
and then a memory, an then a book. Now we can't even read the Arabic, so that’s
one more veil between us and the Recitation as it originally came as Light.
Next Top
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Intro to Learning Arabic for Qur'an
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