GRADED STEPS IN QUR'AN READING is based on the 'Uthmani script used in the Madinah Mushaf or copy of the Qur'an. This script and the way in which the vowels and other signs are written make the art and science of reading the Qur'an clear and precise. The 'Uthmani script is used in Arabic-speaking countries and it is the standard used by many throughout the world. Graded Steps in Qur'an Reading is intended to make this script more accessible and easy to use. It is patterned on the widely used MELS Easy Steps in Qur'an Reading with its carefully graded sequence of Units. These Units cover letter recognition and the vowels, signs and rules of reading the Arabic script. In this book, they also cover the rules of Qur'anic recitation or tajwid. The entire Arabic text of this Students' Edition is recorded on CDs and audio tapes. Each Unit and each line of text is numbered to make it easy to follow the text and the recording. The recording can also be used with the Teacher's/Self-Study Edition. It is recommended that this manual be used with the two workbooks, Easy Steps in Arabic Handwriting. These are part of the MELS Easy Steps in Arabic course, the main aim of which is to encourage the regular reading of the Qur'an from an early age and a love for and attachment to the Glorious Book. This is a concise, step-by-step manual for learning to read the Qur'anic script. It is intended for self-study and for use by teachers. The script used in this book is based on the Uthmani script and the way in which the vowels and other signs are written make the art and science of reading the Qur'an clear and precise. This book is recommended to be used with the two workbooks, Easy Steps in Arabic Handwriting. Complete set of Graded Steps in Qur'an Reading and Arabic Handwriting Course with books, workbooks, CDs and other audiovisual aids for teaching/learning the reading of the Arabic script, rules of Qur'anic recitation based on the 'UTHMANI SCRIPT', and Arabic handwriting. You need to be able to read and write the Arabic script as a base for learning Arabic as a language and for further study of the Qur’an. The Arabic script is phonetically precise and easy to learn and teach. MELS books, charts and audio materials make this process easy and enjoyable. Reading the Qur’an beautifully is both science and art. For the reading of the Arabic script, there is the MELS Starter Pack which includes an Alphabet Poster with an accompanying Alphabet Flashcards Pack. For reading the Qur’an, we recommend Graded Steps in Qur’an Reading which uses the ‘Uthmani script of the Madinah Mushaf, beautifully written by the Damascene calligrapher, Othman Taha. There is a Teacher’s/Self-Study Edition with full explanatory notes in English and a Students’ Edition. Each Unit and each line of text is numbered. This makes it easy to follow recording and text and is particularly helpful for both classroom teaching and individual use. The text is recorded onto CDs. Each Unit is a separate track on the CDs. You can thus go to a Unit and repeat it as often as necessary. The Arabic script is a quintessential part of Islamic art. Learn the basics of calligraphy using the MELS Easy Steps in Arabic Handwriting Workbooks. See how words are formed from individual letters, trace, copy, compose words and write from dictation. A Summary Chart shows the Arabic letters in all their forms, with Standard English equivalents and as they appear in words.

Salient Features of Grade 10

1. Allah’s Ultimate Power
2. Man’s Creation
3. Materialistic ideologies
4. Patience and Prayer
5. Marriage, Divorce, and its Laws
6. The Funeral Prayer
7. Night of Power
8. Stories of the Prophets: Aadam and Easaa
9. Life of the Prophet (PBUH) – 7 Parts
10. Stories of the Companions: Ali and Uthmaan
11. The Four Imaams
12. Islam and Science
13. Importance of Sunnah
14. Taraawih and I’tikaf

The present series covers all areas of Islamic studies: tafseer, hadith, tawheed, fiqh, seerah, and general etiquette relating to different areas and situations. Every effort has been made to ensure that the material presented in the series is authentic, and most of the terms are presented in their original Arabic script, along with the transliteration and the translation of their meanings. This also applies to supplications which have to be memorized in their Arabic version.
The aim here is to help the reader read the original text and understand its meaning. Each lesson is followed by exercises covering questions about the lesson.
One striking feature in the series is the colorful artwork used in it that certainly appeals to children. This is certainly bound to attract the young readers' attention, stimulate them, amuse them as well as educate them.
The series aims to acquaint the student with the teachings of Islam in every aspect: beliefs, practices and moral conduct. The series, with its unique features, certainly fills a gap in this area which has long been partially neglected.

Fiqh, or Islamic Jurisprudence, is one of the major and, perhaps, most weighty of Islamic sciences. Its principles are central to understanding Islamic primary sources and to deducing positive interpretations of the faith.

Our primary sources define these principles in different ways. Nonetheless, the most comprehensive and apt definition is as follows: “Principles of jurisprudence represent a collection of rules and discussions which help infer, with cogent arguments, practical commands of Shari’ah”.

We study fiqh in order to gain expertise in interpreting Shari’ah commands from primary sources. This helps in working out finer details of such commands.

It is important for students of Shari’ah to gain familiarity with these principles. Without possessing such knowledge they cannot become familiar with Shari’ah commands, nor can they infer any points in the face of new challenges that will surely come to face the modern community.

This textbook has been designed to introduce the major principles of Islamic jurisprudence. An attempt has been made to present complete picture of this area of study for high school-level students as well as general adult readers. It will help grasp how divine commands are interpreted and the ways and means employed for obtaining inferences. It is out hope that this in turn will contribute to a better understanding of Islam.

The "Islamic Studies" series of books by the prolific writer and scholar Dr. Bilal Philips are part of a meticulously written series intended to guide young Muslims in a manner that helps them acquire a thorough practical and spiritual foundation. This series have been generally acknowledged as an excellent introduction set to the principles of the Islamic faith, with core sciences discussed and explored, for both the new Muslim as well as the "old" Muslim wishing to brush up on the fundamentals. The series equip the young believer with reliable information, based purely on the Qur'an and Sunnah, about the tenets of Islam as well as introduce him to some of the fundamental fields of learning, like the sciences of 'Aqidah, haddith, Tafsir, and Fiqh. These volumes dedicated to the understanding of Tawhid, Tafsir, Haddith and Fiqh for older students where each volume consists of number of lessons and tests. Dr. Bilal draws the student's attention to the world around him and compares and contrasts the wisdom of Allah with what is currently enacted or believed in today's society. An excellent curriculum which speaks to youth in the language and concepts they understand. The Islamic Studies Book 4 is a part of 4 primarily books designed for high school (secondary) school students (ages 12-18) and to identify and build Islamic character. This meticulously written series intended to guide young Muslims in a manner that helps them acquire a thorough practical and spiritual foundation. The series equip the young believer with reliable information, based purely on the Qur'an and Sunnah, about the tenets of Islam as well as introduce him to some of the fundamental fields of learning, like the Sciences of 'Aqidah, Haddith, Tafsir, and Fiqh where these are presented in simple language. It is also suitable for new-Muslims and adults seeking an easy explanation of the basic areas of Islamic disciplines. All texts are supported by evidence from the Quran and authentic haddith.

Curriculum
The Weekend Learning Islamic Studies books are based on a comprehensive 12-year curriculum. The curriculum contains broad aspect of Islam based on the Qur'an and authentic hadeeth. The topics in the curriculum are laid out in a systematic manner to suit the teaching needs in a weekend Islamic school. Topics are selected based on age, grade and learning levels of each grade. Some topics are covered in multiple grades to add different perspective, details and additional emphasis. The teachers and director of the school will find continuity in the curriculum as it unfolds year to year. Teachers will know how much each student will learn year to year, and how much they will have learned at the end when they graduate out of the school.
 
Books
All Weekend Learning Islamic Studies books have age and grade appropriate lessons. The length and depth of each lesson and sentences in the lessons are age and grade appropriate. The lessons are tailored for 50-60 minute classes. Students in all grades will love the simple and child-friendly language and sentences in the books. The language of the lessons and the treatment of the subjects are made from children's perspective. Even the English spelling of Arabic words is age-appropriate. The books do not simply disseminate knowledge, but make it relevant to the students' life and their world. The lessons do not use a lecturing tone, but engage the students in a respectful discussion.

This textbook is part of our senior-level Qur'anic Studies program, a program that aims to present the message of the Qur'an in a methodical and systematic manner. In this book each ruku' (section) is treated as a separate lesson. The original Arabic text and two translations (Yusuf Ali and Pickthall - both revised and rendered into modern English) are utilized. The original commentary of the verses of the Qur'an by Yusuf Ali is also included with each lesson as well as a complete glossary of the Arabic text.
Juz' Two: Sa-Yaqul is a textbook in the IQRA' Program of Islamic Studies at the senior level and is also a Qur'anic reading book for the general public. IQRA has so far published eight textbooks in this series. The series aims at presenting the message of the Qur'an in a methodical and systematic way, producing one juz' every two months. Covers Surat Al-Baqarah verses 142 to 252.

The second edition of this widely used text covers the first year of instruction in Modern Standard Arabic. It will teach students to read, speak, and write Arabic, while presenting an engaging story that involves Adnan, a Syrian student studying in the United States, and Michael, an American student studying in Cairo. In diaries, letters, and postcards, the two students describe their thoughts and activities, revealing how a non-American views American culture and how the Arabic culture is experienced by an American student.

This new edition features:

• online video, filmed in Syria;
• expanded communicative activities;
• an updated audio program;
• material designed according to proficiency principles.

Components of the Second Edition include:

• A full-color Student Textbook with included online audio and video access
• Online, interactive exercises

As the interest in studying Arabic has increased exponentially over the past decade, the needs of our students have evolved. Rather than learning Arabic for the purpose of reading sources for dissertation writing, most students coming to Arabic today wish to use their Arabic skills in order to obtain positions in the business world, in NGOs, and in government-related employment. Especially at state universities, the population of Arabic students is composed of undergraduates who are interested in the Arabic of everyday life: every time that our Arabic program has polled students on their goals for learning the language, the primary one had been speaking. However, historically, AFL teaching materials have lagged behind those of other languages in terms of leading the learner of Arabic from the more basic to the more advanced conversation skills, functions, and topics. This book represents an attempt to build the Arabic learner's communicative skills sequentially, in terms of vocabulary, grammar, and functional skills. It introduces the student to basic topics that are easily accessible and frequently used in everyday conversation, providing in each lesson a dialogue; speaking, reading, and writing exercises; cultural information; and selections from Arabic magazines and websites. The book focuses on developing spoken MSA skills as a way to enable the beginning student to communicate with speakers across a variety of dialects. This textbook is for those students who have taken about 4 semesters of Arabic or who are at the Intermediate Mid level (ACTFL). Learning at this level remains communicative and rich in dialogues and exercises that are all related to the dialogue learned. Dialects are introduced again through songs from various parts of the Arab world. In addition, authentic stories from the Arab old tradition are introduced and learned. The textbook integrates all four language strands: speaking, listening, reading and writing. We believe that this book presents an exciting new direction in Arabic language pedagogy in the United States. Our hope is that after using the book, Arabic instructors and students will find this to be the case. Best wishes for a smooth and enjoyable journey with the Arabic language!
The MP3 files associated with this book are on a URL address printed inside the book.