Arabic

About the Department

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India has been one of the significant centers for the study of Arabic Language and literature since the early medieval period. And it has its wonderful impact on various Indian languages and literatures. After the independence, the new socio-political changes and the strategic significance of the Middle East and Gulf Countries enhanced the interest and scope for the study of Arabic language and literature. Moreover, as an old, rich and internationally acknowledged language it is contributing significantly in the discipline of â??Comparative Literatureâ?? also.

It is on account of all this that, besides Ù?دارس â?? the traditional centers of Islamic learning , government of India has always remained keen to the development of Arabic language and literature, with special reference to Indo Arab Literature , keeping in view the norms of higher studies and research, since the very independence of the country. As a result, besides the teaching of Arabic language and literature, a good number of the Indian universities and research institutes are providing research facilities in the Arabic language and literature, the Arab Sciences and Culture as well as Indo Arab literature. It must be emphasized here that besides job- oriented language study, the importance of preservation and conservation of old cultural legacy can not be undermined , as it is no less important than the study of any branch of modern Arabic literature.

In the realm of Higher Studies and Research, steps were taken to enhance its potential. The department successfully managed to give coverage to all the literary periods, areas, fields, genres and issues as well as literary endeavors of orientalists and critical edition of old Arabic manuscripts. And attention has been paid to all the important disciplines of the Literature.

The efficiency and merit of our research work attracted several foreign students from Iraq, Iran, Palestine, Yemen, Libya, and Bangladesh who successfully completed their Ph.D. works here. A number of such works got published from reputed institutions.

The U.G.C. identified it for its SAP program in 1989, and thus, it had the specialty of being the only Arabic department in the country to be chosen by the U.G.C. We are completing the third phase of D.S.A. scheme on 31st March, 2008. In recognition of our remarkable performance in SAP, our department was also inducted for ASIHSS program with effect from 1.4.2005.

During the three phases of DSA, the department has been actively engaged in innovative teaching and advance research. The curricula during this period have been taken up for time to time revision, renovation and updating.

Most of our students were placed in different academic and non-academic institutions of repute in the country and abroad, like University and school teaching, translation bureaus, foreign embassies and other excellent jobs especially in the Middle East.

The Computerized Audio Video Language Lab., which was established in the second phase with 06 booths only, was further expanded and renovated in the third phase, and at present it is 21 boothâ??s lab.

The department during this period has been very actively and diligently taking up higher research endeavors of quality. In all, more than 150 Indian and Foreign scholars completed their Ph.D. & M.Phil works under the able guidance of the teachers of this department. This large number of research works covered topics from all the three thrust areas, identified by U.G.C.

After the inception of DSA, we have organized 09 national and international Seminars covering different aspects of the thrust area issues in which an average of 35-40 scholars each participated from all corners of the country. Six collections consisting of Seminar research papers have already been published.

Apart from Ph.D. & M.Phil Works, 09 literary research projects were undertaken and executed by R.Aâ??s under DSA while 2 are going on.

All of our teaching staff during this period, played active role in promoting the Arabic language and literature by participating in more than 08 international and 15 national seminars held in different parts of the country and abroad; and by producing and publishing more than 04 books and 20 research papers and articles related to Arabic language and literature.

The department in collaboration with Academic Staff College has till date arranged 07 All India Refresher Courses on different literary themes for college/university teachers.

The Arabic Society established by Maulana Shibli under the name of â??Ù?جÙ?Ø© اÙ?أدب " in 1893, and revived by Prof. Horowitz in 1908( M. A. O. College Calendar- 1911-1912, Allahabad 1911,pp85-86) is still alive and active . The students organize and actively participate through this Society in different extracurricular activities.

The department is regularly publishing its Arabic Journal namely" Ù?جÙ?Ù?Ø© اÙ?Ù?جÙ?ع اÙ?عÙ?Ù?Ù? اÙ?Ù?Ù?دÙ? " having international circulation since 1976. The 30th vol. of this journal has been brought out recently.

The performance of the department may also be judged by the fact that till now more than seven of its teaching members have been awarded the prestigious President Award (Certificate of Honour). Apart from that, a great number of awardees as well as senior scholars and teachers of Arabic in different national Universities, in a way or other, have been educated at this department.

The mission of the Department of Arabic, A.M.U., thus, may be summarized as:

- To maintain and develop the means to preserve the classic oriental values of Arabic literature.

- To impart deep knowledge of Arabic language , literature and culture of different parts of the Arab World in order to strengthen the history old Indo-Arab relations; and protection and promotion of the nationâ??s interests in the region of West Asia.

- To uplift the Muslims of India through higher education, guiding them in the right direction and enabling them to get job opportunities.

- To promote world - class specialized research in different spheres of Arabic language and literature.

- To equip our professionals, aspirant of jobs in the Middle East with functional knowledge of Arabic.

It is a matter of great satisfaction and joy that, thanks to almighty Allah, this department has been granted the status of CAS-I (Arabic) which has been approved by U.G.C. in 2008. With this the department has become the second department in the Aligarh Muslim University, and the first among the Arabic departments of the whole country to get the prestigious status of CAS.

But, with regard to our liabilities being associated with this language, I conclude with the message that â??whatever we have achieved so far is not our ultimate goal and we should not stop at any point rather should always keep on advancing and leave no stone unturned in the field of maintaining the glory of our institution and achieving more and more heightsâ??.

We strongly hope that, Ø¥Ù? شاء اÙ?Ù?Ù? , the Department of Arabic will flourish more and more.