 Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi guys, what is going on? I hope you guys are doing amazing and I hope that this Ramadan has been amazing as well We have an interview today how I learned Arabic Okay, with one of the students of Arabic like an Arab So if you would like to know how is it to study Arabic in the program that me and my team run On andresstudent.com Then sit down take your popcorns if you broke your fast already if not then Don't eat anything. Just watch the interview. So I just to give you guys a little bit of context Brother Hanan is a brother from New York He's 17 years old and during the program having already studied three books of Medina of the Medina books So I'll let you guys hear from him. How was that experience before during and after joining the program Arabic like an Arab? Let's proceed Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi, welcome back to another episode of how I learned Arabic. It's been a long time I'm not gonna lie you know Ramadan and Virus corona and all these stuff Marhamdulillah we back and Today I'm bringing you guys My beloved brother Hanan aslam student of Arabic like an Arab currently completing the last module of the program and Yeah, guys, we're gonna go, you know a little bit over. How was his experience before? During the program because he studied Arabic before during the program and how he was after joining the program And during joining the program, etc. So inshaAllah just give us a little bit of context Who are you? Are you from? And what is your background with the Arabic language? So my name is Hanan Islam. I'm from New York, Queens My background the Arabic language was pretty much zero before I started because I'm Pakistani originally So I had I didn't known it. So like about four years ago I Started wanting to like learn more about the Dean so I started picking up the letters my parents started teaching me I'm moving forward to learn to read some friends We started that and then I started I had this passion about like learning Arabic by like To learn Arabic actually to be keep real It wasn't a passion to begin with my dad had put me in a course for Arabic at a program And I was like I didn't want to do it originally But when I started going there like the love sort of ignited I remember my first day of the first class I had we're learning a Bismillah Rahman Rahim and then that be like the back means like with so I was just like walking home On the way home to the bus. I was just amazed back when you're saying Bismillah like before you do anything That's why you're saying it because you're saying with the name of Allah like you start this That just blew my mind. That's how like that's the level. I was at the time and then I got some advice from teachers So I started studying the Medina books online with this I think it was a Pakistani brother on YouTube So I went through all the books and I completed all of them When I finished the books, I had Virtually no no vocabulary. So I'm like all right now. I just need to pick up vocabulary So I started doing this thing called it's called memorizes a program where you can just Take Arabic flashcards and memorize vocabulary So I started to do that to try and get it and it was working and all honesty was working And then I came across Mulfi's interview with your program and Previously I had looked into it, but I was just looking into it more. I looked into the webinar. I'm like, you know, I Don't need a teacher because it was going like I was making progress But I knew that if I had a teacher if I had a set program if I had a Guide that I would achieve so much more and so much like and in such last time Right or so much faster. So I was like, you know what? This is something I got to do So walking into the program. I did three Moduna the Medina books on my hands With a vague understanding because I would say that was really weak in them since I started them myself and then some vocabulary from that and some understanding of how the city of works how like Fila, you know any Fila stuff like that and how the verbs are conjugated. So that that's what I was going in with the program Okay, Jamil. So So I was gonna ask you basically what was the, you know, the main thing that made you Want to start learning Arabic, but as you said, it was your parents. So what I wanted to ask you now is is your parents like like, you know practicing or like You know, like, you know, as we say that to level I I'm not gonna slander my parents on on video, but no, they're practicing with Hunter They're both my parents are practicing like they have that passion of of Dean and learning, etc Actually how originally is a my dad when he was younger. He had a lot more free time He would he wanted to learn Arabic himself so he's doing the same courses that he put me in and he had gone a bit progress and he's like, you know I'll put my son in that because like he saw that I took interest in learning Islam learning about the religion So he's like, you know, I'll put him in this program So he learns Arabic like he stressed the importance of learning Arabic to me Even though he didn't know himself because he understood how important it was to know what the Quran is saying to understand What you're memorizing to understand what you're citing So like if I stop talking about him like something happens to me catastrophically and I can no longer do Seeking knowledge at least how did this point I can say I've learned Arabic There's no like there will never be an appointment in my life when I'm reading the Quran and I don't understand anything about it Like I don't understand what it's saying No, thank God Okay, so you came across under the Institute through Through the interview with well actually you came across before the interview with Mufti, but then with the interview of Mufti You decide to join so I remember I think we spoke on a phone on the phone I was asking you what do you study and whatnot. So then you join I actually I wish I could find like the Actual first week of a session so I can just pop it here but So you said you walked in and this Institute With three million books. So why do you think you didn't have enough vocabulary after finishing the three million books? Because you know a lot of people might think well, I'm studying the middle books right now What is the point of you know me finishing if I don't have enough vocabulary after I finish So what would you say was different when you studied? The Medina books and what we have done with the three books of a lot of everything in the program So I think it's different is a when you're studying the Medina books Those are grammar books by far those are meant to teach you about grammar But it's common sense that when you go into a language and you start from scratch start from nothing You don't go in just tackling grammar in a different language. So Like I was studying the Medina books and you're getting all this grammar But you're not getting any vocab. So everything seems vague to you So when you're learning about the concepts of Mupta the cover Nosp rough Jezim all these concepts are so vague to you and they're just they're just words like so for example Cataba he wrote you don't understand like the deeper meaning behind like cataba catib Maktub Maktaba all these times but times types of things Be from the also when you and that's what's different about it when I join this program because this program I'd be like an Arab it sets you down with all the vocab you need and it makes things so that when you're learning it It's more natural. It's more like at first. It's it's rough No doubt like when you're when you're starting off and you you're learning picking up the vocab. It gets annoying. It's tedious It's like oh So much work But as you practice it as you use it in the week the conversation sessions and as you you know Keep on going things become more natural. They become more easier to do No, it was actually interesting as well is that as you said I was actually talking with someone like two days ago or so how How like, you know grammar you can't really You can't really do anything with grammar if you don't Know the language first and actually it was a question as well on Instagram. Someone asked me and make sure please Hanan you in the middle of The frame if you can actually push the the phone a little bit farther for me. It would be it would be good as well Okay, that's fine. I got on like books. Okay, so so you see Someone asked me when should I Realize that okay, I should now just focus on On grammar or like star studying grammar like officially like okay I'm just start a little me and I went what not and the thing is that the You know, I just said whenever you are able to understand a whole class a whole lesson in Arabic only because you have enough Basic vocabulary to understand the concepts then that's what you should know You know, but the thing is that if you don't have no vocabulary to understand I don't see the benefit in in like I don't even see how I can explain you a rough or one last ball just in English to To make it relevant in your to make it like actually move feed as knowledge for you to use. Yeah, so um So, okay Now what do you have to say about the Because the way how I set up the program is You know, it is how we start the top as well used to teach me in in Egypt is We used to focus only in the vocab for a good amount of month However, the end of every lesson, he will give us like a just a little relevant lesson like for example, you know I'm a he jazzy or or Lacy how do you slayser or or some of the Nawa's a Lil Lil moeten a little problem. So what will you say that? Daddy, you know, how was that beneficial? Just the whole structure mainly on module number two since that that's the main module of the program So, looking back on it, I think the structure of the program, how it works was so wise. Even though from a personal experience, I'm saying, keep it in real, that when I went to the program and I looked at these bonus assessments, when you were putting out these grammar and stuff, I had already known a lot of it because of the Medina books, like I said. But looking back on it, it's such a smart structure, because as you're gaining vocabulary, you're being introduced to small, small concepts that you will later tackle in depth. So for example, you know that you learn Mufroil Mutlaq in like lesson 42 or something. You learn Mubtada Waqabur, you learn Jumlatud Ismiyya, stuff like that. Just you understand the basics of it, so that when you get to module three, when you get to Ajarmiyah, it's not like a foreign, or what is this, I've never seen this before, so new, you're taking too much in, it's like, you know what? I've seen that and now we're just building upon it and strengthening it and like properly laying it down. So that's what I've done. No, Alhamdulillah. That was the actual intent of it. So now let's talk about what, you know, people who are actually interested about learning the Arabic language through us perhaps, and what they really want to know is what wasn't you able to do before, and what are you able to do now? Oh, I had, I started the program in September, so I wasn't able to listen to scholars lectures and understand them, definitely not that, like at all. When it comes to Quran, I would understand little bits, snippets, but it's still like I'm transiting it in my head as I'm going, Waqala-al-Malaikatu, I'm saying in my head, and then Angel said, oh, like that, in English, I'm working it through. It's slow. And before the program, I was not able to speak at all. If you look, I'll send you the link to my first week of conversation after this, but if you look at it, I was like, and I messed up, like Umar, something like that, SubhanAllah. And he said, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That was funny. But after the program, I can say that I can fully listen to lectures of scholars. If it not be the first time, if I just repeat it a second time and understand 100% of what they're saying, if not 95%, if I have to look up a word or two or look it up, but I can understand the point of what they're saying, which is the most important thing when it comes to this learning a language, you understand the point of what people are saying, and you understand what they're trying to get across. That's the most important thing. As for reading the Quran, Alhamdulillah, it's like a whole different world. Like when I'm going back and I'm reviewing the Quran right now, I'm reviewing just the Baalbuk with the Surat An-Muqs, 29th Juz. And I'm looking at it, and I noticed the difference in my head. Because when I memorized it before, it was like, you know, you're just memorizing the rhythm, the tune, but it's God and stuff like that. But then when I'm looking at it now, I don't even, I rely on the tune at some degree because the 29th Juz has a lot of difficult vocabulary that you never see anywhere else. But no doubt, when you're talking about the story in Surat Al Qalam of the people of the garden, it's like, oh, you understand the order of the story, the order of the ayat and the way that Allah put them, and it just comes to you so much more naturally and so much like, it hits you so much more deeply in your heart. Like you really see like, what is Allah trying to say here? Like, it's just like after the whole story, it's like, it's found that it hits you deep. So that's listening to scholars' lectures reading the Quran and being able to seek by the Tufiq of Allah, I can confidently say that I'm fluent in speaking. I can speak to anyone on nearly any topic and maybe I will struggle, but I will definitely get it across if it's a difficult topic. But if you want to talk to me like, oh, how was your day been? I'll be able to speak to you firmly, easily. And once my mind gets into the Arabic mode, it's in there. It's like, it does not stop in it. Yeah, sometimes it takes a little bit of time to get into it, but once you So I was going to say as well, plus it helps to memorize and just remember and keep the memorization when you actually understand. As you said, like the whole, okay, I spoke now about, you know, Sahib al-Yamin and now about Sahib al-Shimal. And now I talk about, so yeah, definitely. Another thing as well that I was going to say is you see how you seen how you said, for example, you know, mainly when reading the Quran, like even me nowadays, there is like, and there's something I was thinking actually to just do it for once, just go over the whole Quran, just as we did on module number two. So I can just get all the kalimat. But there is always kalimat, even a hadith, et cetera, that you need to go to look into the dictionary. So the way how I structured the program is that every single module has an objective to it. So module number one, and plus if you tell me that you have achieved that, you know, those objectives, then that was my job, you know. So the introduction for me, it was to set the mindset of the student to let him know how to discipline himself and provide him the, you know, the resources. Now module number one is to the necessary knowledge, the necessary knowledge to rewrite that, where the student needs to be able by the end of the module to transcript whatever he hears in Arabic. Meaning, you know, if I say Mohammed the Habiba, he's able to listen and write it down. That's the second module number one. The module number two, the objectives of it is that if you're reading or hearing something or talking to someone, mainly reading and you get stuck on a word because you don't understand it, whether it comes in a form of Mali, whether it comes in a form of Muzareh, whether it comes in with Nun and Tauqid, Muttasala, whether it comes in any shape or form, you know how to figure, even if it comes in, is the Ismah, it comes in Muthanna, anything. You are able to go back to the dictionary and look it up, you know, and understand, okay, so this is this, and this is why it came as I was reading it. For example, as I asked you today, Lanya Tamannahu, where is he comes from Tamanna, so it's Mahdouh of Nun, so you get, you basically become an independent student. So then obviously module number three, you know, the objectives of it is to gain all the basic knowledge of grammar to the point where, you know, where you know more grammar than the average native Arab, to be honest, and you are able to do the Arab of different sentences and whatnot. So now let me ask you, did we achieve all of those objectives for every single module? I mean, for the first module, definitely, second module, definitely, third module, I can't say yet, like, we haven't finished all the books yet, we haven't finished studying everything with all the, instead of the love, so I'm, you know, I'm still prepared for it, but definitely, like, there's a noticeable difference, like I can see, like, okay, no, you don't say Yaktuba, you say Yaktubu, just like when I'm reading the Qur'an, it's not Ba'ud-ul-Hum, it's Ba'ud-ul-Hum because this and this. Yeah, Alhamdulillah. So, okay, Jamil, so now I was gonna ask you, you know, there's a lot of people who think, or have this main, this, and it happens to me as well, sometimes I just think that, for example, I can, even though I have everything that I need in my house, for some reason, my brain tells me I need to be in this other place to be able to do this type of thing, which I'm able, like, if I really talk to myself, or no, like, if I keep it a hundred with myself, it's like, I can't do it in my house, come on, like, I'm just giving myself excuses, so a lot of people happens, this to them, where they say, oh, I need to, I would never learn Arabic, I need to travel to Saudi, I need to be in Egypt, whatever it might be. So, there was another student in the program as well, who was a mother number three, who was saying how before the program, she thought she would never, you know, she would never learn to the level she really wants to learn online. So now let me ask you, do you feel, you know, with the goals that you have, and, you know, being able and having the assistance of my own teacher, Sabdat Tawab, who taught me, you know, eight years ago, and still study with him, and, you know, looking at the fact that, you know, we did that Jermia right now, now we're going to do Al Mutamima, then we're going to do Qatr Nada, then we're going to do Walfi ebn Malik, then you can go in even to read big books like Al-Hewar or whatever you want from the scholars of the Arabic language. So do you see like the possibility of achieving your goals in learning the Arabic language to, I would say, to even a scholarly level online, you know what I mean? I would say yes, because when I look at it, it's like, I'm studying with a teacher, who's your teacher in Egypt. He's like a very well, like, he's very well exercised or whatever you would say, he's a professional in the field. So I'm getting this from the comfort of my own home in America. And I'm a firm believer of it's not about the move, it's about the movement. And like Mufti says, it doesn't matter where you are, but it matters what you're doing. If you're in America, if you're in Canada, if you're in the UK, and you're studying from home, and you get what you need, then you'll just be more prepared when you go overseas. Like, yeah, overseas is a great thing for a sooner knowledge. But ultimately, it's not the end goal, that oh, I get to Medina University, it's done. Now, Medina University is just a tool for you to get you to a higher level, to get you more access to people. So for this program, I would definitely say it has given me what I wanted, and given me like, one of my goals, which was to be it's it's open that key that you need. Because now, look, there's a lot of there's like lessons online, like you're a sort of fiqh, a jamiah, you know, you belong all this kind of stuff. There's a lot of those lessons from chefs online on YouTube. So now that you have this key, you can go study them if when you get to that level, even if you're in America, even if you're in America, like, you have that key, you have what you need. So I definitely said the program has given given me it and allowed me to achieve my goals in America. Another thing that I wanted to say as well is you see a lot of people and, and you know, I can testify to that since I was in Egypt. A lot of people think that going to Egypt is going to be easier because it's an Arab is an Arab country. But the thing is that you're not going to be practicing in the street. That's for sure. You're only going to be practicing in the actual markets during your your classes. So this is why, you know, I set up the the weekly conversation session and whatnot. And and how would you say that the other resources of the program, not, you know, because a lot of people sees, okay, he's just a program like, you know, he's just going to teach me Arabic, but I actually thought about like the other aspects of, you know, like building a community, the Facebook, we have the questions, the performance tracking calls, the weekly conversation sessions from. So from all of these resources, which ones do you think that made a difference that you didn't have before joining the program with the the teacher you was studying? And, and yeah, which ones you you like the most, basically? I think the three biggest things that influence me in my path of like, learning Arabic was one, the week one on one review sessions to the weekly conversation sessions and three, the Facebook group itself. So the one on one sessions were like, one of the biggest steps for me. Because like, when we started, I started doing review with you of the words, and you started telling me like, no, no, stop doing it English, start doing it in Arabic. And that was the big game changer for me. When I started talking to myself in Arabic, going through the words in Arabic, explaining the new words in Arabic, making sure that everything clicked in my head. I was able to do it. That allows you to use words you've already memorized and pick up new words at the same time. And it's just a mix of both worlds. So that was that I love the one one calls the one or one review. If it is like one of the best things of this program, in my opinion. Secondly, the weekly conversation sessions, it the they provide a platform for you to just practice, like, forget about being shy, forget about, you know, being afraid of talking or making mistakes, just go for it. Like it helps you so much. And because of the teachers that have been in the wake of conversation sessions, I believe that I've benefited so much from them and from what else they provide. Because another thing about the week conversations sessions is besides the fact that it's just, it's you're speaking Arabic, you're listening Arabic, you're getting used to it. It's also a connection to other students of knowledge. Like, for example, the two teachers we have in this program, we said Abdul Haq and Ibrahim, both of them have influenced me so much, as in they opened it, like my eyes, this new world of like, oh, this is how seeking knowledge really is. This is how, you know, thought about it is. And they give you those connections that, you know, you never had before. And that was one of another great, like massive benefit that I took from the week conversations. And finally, the Facebook group, it gives you a platform to not only connect with other people, have a safe space to, like, you know, make mistakes, but also, like, put out stuff. Like, when we were back in the day, a couple months back when the Facebook group was more active, we used to put out, like, videos of us just speaking. Like, every student would do that. And it said, Muhammad would correct us. And, you know, I would be like, I want to do it every day. Like, you know, you're afraid of it at first, but hearing you being corrected and then picking those stuff up and then, you know, keep on, keep on doing it, it helps. Without a doubt. And then the students there as well, the students in this program are absolutely amazing. Like, it's my firm belief that I have a firm, like a firm friendship with them now because of that bond we've made over learning the Arabic language. So, Alhamdulillah, that was another great benefit from the program. Naam, alhamdulillah. So, just to conclude, insha'Allah, what would be, what would be, I mean, you've been seeing different students in the program with you, as you said, what do you think that made the, because I can say that definitely the level that you have reached in your seriousness is way different than other students as well. So, what would you say that was the difference in between you or you think that you did well, that you might have seen other students doing wrong? So, I'm not going to throw my brothers and their butts. I believe in my firm, it's my firm belief that every person has the unique way of learning the Arabic language. But amongst the principles that people need to follow is sticking with one book at a time and sticking with one program at a time. Yes, there are some people who, if they learn grammar first, they might benefit more. And if they learn vocab afterwards, they might benefit more. There are some people who do that. But if they keep on doing multiple books at a time, so I'm doing Medina books, I'm doing Arabian, I'm doing this, I'm doing that all the same time, you're not going to have enough time to focus in one program, focus on one book and thoroughly understand it. So, that's the biggest thing that I've taken from my experience as like from previously doing the program to do one book at a time, to study one book at a time, to study one program at a time. And that's, and I think one of the biggest things that has allowed me to progress as much as I have is the fact that have a lot more free time than a lot of other brothers in the program. And because at the end of the day, it comes to how much time you're able and you're willing to put into the work, like to working. So if you're putting in six hours a day, if you're putting five hours a day, it might take you longer than the next person who had more time than you, but you'll get there eventually. So to summarize it all, stick with one program. If you're going to do this program, if you're going to do that program, stick with it, keep on doing it and focus on the books that they teach, focus on one thing at a time and build yourself a castle. Don't try to build yourself three separate apartment buildings. Build yourself one castle and allow it to shine amongst everything. Plus, I think as well, that's a that's a good message to to brothers or sisters that don't have responsibilities yet that might be under their 20s or they're still under the, you know, the gory guardianship of their their parents. I think they should, you know, just use it. You know, this is a clear message. As you said, you know, once there's many students, most of the students I would say in the program are either married, you know, sisters who have already kids that need to be taken care of. So so yeah, that's definitely a good point. So I will ask you right now, last thing, you know, what will be the the thing that you will tell the person that is willing to learn Arabic? And he sees the importance and knows the importance, however, he didn't start learning the Arabic language yet. Just do it. Just start. No, don't hold yourself back. Just start going and know that no matter where you stop in your path, you'll still be better than where you started. Because if you learn the Arabic language and that's all you do, as that'll be enough for you because then the rest of your life, you will be able to read the Quran and understand it. I can't like fathom dying and not having understood a word of the Quran like without having to look at a translation just naturally. I can't fathom that concept. That's what I stress, even to my friends in New York, like the importance of learning the Arabic language, you can't be like refuting no people talking about all this stuff. And you don't even know Arabic, like you're talking about a solid fifth these principles, this sheikh, this sheikh, you don't even know Arabic, man, like learn Arabic start and know that that Arabic in the Quran are literally the fundamentals. Like without Arabic in the Quran, you're building upon like nothing. No, yeah. And this is the Arabic program which is very useful to the Arabs and I would like you to take it and take the benefit before dying. Yes, Insha'Allah. That's the word. So, Insha'Allah, thanks for tuning in, man again. Let us know if you watched all the way here in this interview for any viewers, let me know in the comment section, say in the comment section, just write down Andalusian situation. So I know that you have watched all the way until here. So I know who's the realist of the how I learned Arabic interviews. And yeah, what a great for your time, man. Have you got your fast yet? No, we still got an hour. So even even more shukr on your for your time. And yeah, man. We keep in touch, anyways, as every day, literally. Yes, Insha'Allah. Yeah, because