Classical Arabic is the liturgical language used by an estimated
1.8 billion Muslims. As the language of the Qur’an and Hadith,
Classical Arabic has served as the lingua franca of Islamic learning
throughout the centuries. It is through mastering this language that
one gains access to the primary Islamic texts and other treasures of
Islamic heritage and civilisation.
Arabic Morphology: An Introduction is a translation of Sarf-i
Muqaddamati, a Persian work that has been popular with both seminary
and university students for decades. The book is often studied as a
precursor to its unabridged version, Sarf-i Sadih, the translation of
which ICAS Press has published under the title Arabic Morphology Made
Simple. With its clear style, helpful exercises, and bilingual glossary of
technical terms, this textbook provides students with an excellent
start to their learning of Arabic.
Sayyid Muhammad Rida Tabataba’i (b. 1948) received his education
at the Muntaziriyyah (Haqqani) Islamic School in Qum. A prominent
student of Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Husayni Bihishti (d. 1981) and
Ayatollah ‘Ali Quddusi (d. 1981), he succeeded them as the principal
of Muntaziriyyah and later followed in their footsteps as the principal
of the Shahidayn Islamic School. He has also served as the principal of
Jami‘at al-Zahra’, an Islamic seminary and university for women in Qum.
