Sahel EDU

The vocabulary of Islamic and Franco-Arabic education, with Arabic and French equivalents

Islamic, Franco-Arabic and Quranic schools use Arabic words that heads, parents and software do not always translate the same way: maahad, tahfiz, hizb, juz, Hijra, basmala. This glossary explains these terms in a few lines, sorted by theme, with their Arabic spelling and their English equivalent. The definitions describe common usage; each school sets out its own syllabus and practices.

Schools and institutions

Islamic education takes several forms, from the traditional Quranic school to the Franco-Arabic school that also follows the official syllabus. The names vary by country and region.

Maahad (Islamic institute; Arabic: معهد): an institute of Islamic and Arabic education, at secondary level. Arabic and the Islamic sciences may take up more than half of the time.
Madrasa (Arabic: مدرسة): a modern school of Islamic education, which teaches in Arabic and another language, alongside the official syllabus.
Franco-Arabic school (Arabic: المدرسة الفرنكو عربية): a school that combines the official syllabus in French with teaching of Arabic and the Islamic sciences, often the first in the morning and the second in the afternoon.
Quranic school (Arabic: المدرسة القرآنية أو الكتّاب): a traditional school where children learn to read and memorise the Quran with a teacher, called a malloum in Fulfulde.
Khalwa and mahadra (Arabic: الخلوة والمحظرة): names given, depending on the country, to traditional schools where the Quran is memorised and other Islamic sciences are studied with a teacher.
Tahfiz (Quran memorisation centre; Arabic: دار تحفيظ القرآن): a centre devoted to memorising the Quran.
Halaqa (study circle; Arabic: حلقة): a circle in which a teacher has students recite or teaches a group seated around him.

The Quran and its structure

The Quran is divided in several ways. These divisions are used to share out memorisation, recitation and the follow-up of students.

Quran (Arabic: القرآن): the holy book of Islam. It has 114 surahs and 30 juz.
Surah (Arabic: سورة): a chapter of the Quran. There are 114, of very unequal length.
Verse, or ayah (Arabic: آية): the basic unit of the text. Memorisation is often followed verse by verse.
Juz (one of thirty parts; Arabic: جزء): one of the thirty roughly equal parts of the Quran, which allow it to be read in a month.
Hizb (half a juz; Arabic: حزب): a division of the Quran into sixty parts; each juz holds two hizb.

Memorising and reciting

Memorising the Quran is a long path, made of new lessons and constant revision.

Hifz (memorisation; Arabic: حفظ): memorising the Quran, verse after verse.
Hafiz (Arabic: حافظ): a person who has memorised the whole Quran. In Fulfulde, the word is goni.
Muraja’a (revision; Arabic: مراجعة): regular revision of what is already memorised, essential so as not to forget it.
Tajweed (the rules of recitation; Arabic: تجويد): the rules that govern the correct pronunciation and recitation of the Quran.
Tilawa (recitation; Arabic: تلاوة): reciting the Quran aloud.
Khatm (completion of the Quran; Arabic: ختم): having read or memorised the Quran to the end, often marked by a ceremony.
Ijaza (licence to transmit; Arabic: إجازة): permission given by a teacher to a student to pass on in turn what they have learned, notably the recitation of the Quran.

Subjects in Islamic education

The Arabic names of subjects appear on the timetables and report cards of schools that teach in Arabic. Hours and coefficients are specific to each school.

Tawhid (creed, the oneness of God; Arabic: التوحيد): the study of the oneness of God, the foundation of belief.
Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence; Arabic: الفقه): the study of the practical rules of religion: prayer, fasting, transactions.
Hadith (Prophetic traditions; Arabic: الحديث): the study of the sayings and deeds reported of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Sira (biography of the Prophet; Arabic: السيرة النبوية): the study of the Prophet’s life.
Nahw (Arabic grammar, syntax; Arabic: النحو): the study of how sentences are built in Arabic.
Sarf (Arabic morphology; Arabic: الصرف): the study of how Arabic words are formed and conjugated.
Balagha (Arabic rhetoric; Arabic: البلاغة): the study of the art of speaking well and of eloquence.

Calendar and customs

The year of an Islamic school often follows two calendars: the civil year and the Hijri year. As the Hijri calendar is lunar, the dates of festivals change from one civil year to the next.

Hijra (Arabic: الهجرة): the Prophet’s migration from Mecca to Medina, in 622. It marks the beginning of the Muslim era.
Hijri calendar (Arabic: التقويم الهجري): a lunar calendar of twelve months, about ten days shorter than the civil year. Its year begins with the month of Muharram.
Basmala (Arabic: البسملة): the formula “In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”, placed at the head of many Islamic school documents. It is optional.
Ramadan (Arabic: رمضان): the ninth month of the Hijri calendar, the month of fasting. Some schools shorten their sessions during this month.
Eid al-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر): the festival that marks the end of the Ramadan fast, a public holiday in several countries including Cameroon.
Eid al-Adha, or Tabaski (Arabic: عيد الأضحى): the festival of sacrifice, celebrated on the tenth day of the month of Dhu al-Hijja.
Friday prayer (Arabic: صلاة الجمعة): the congregational prayer at midday on Friday. Many Islamic schools allow for it in their timetable, or make Friday their rest day.

Cycles, certificates and attestations

Arabic-language schools organise their studies in cycles with Arabic names and award certificates specific to their stream.

Ibtidâ’î, i’dâdî, thânawî (primary, middle and secondary cycles; Arabic: ابتدائي وإعدادي وثانوي): the three cycles of the Arabic stream, twelve levels in all, with a preparatory year.
Arabic end-of-cycle certificates (Arabic: الشهادة الابتدائية والإعدادية والثانوية): diplomas at the end of each cycle of the Arabic stream. The body that awards them varies; the school states it for each session.
Arabic grades (Arabic: التقديرات): ممتاز (excellent), جيد جدًا (very good), جيد (good), حسن (fairly good), مقبول (acceptable) and ضعيف (weak). The head chooses the scale.
Quran memorisation certificate (Arabic: شهادة حفظ القرآن): attests the memorisation of part or all of the Quran. It can be checked with a QR Code when the school’s authorisation has been verified.
Scholarship file (Arabic: ملف المنحة): the set of documents for a study grant application: transcript, certificates, a letter of recommendation. Grant conditions change every year and have to be checked.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a maahad and a Franco-Arabic school?

A maahad is an institute at secondary level where Arabic and the Islamic sciences take a large place. A Franco-Arabic school combines, from primary school on, the official syllabus in French with teaching of Arabic.

How many juz and hizb does the Quran have?

The Quran has thirty juz and sixty hizb: each juz holds two. It also has 114 surahs.

Should the basmala and the Hijri date be put on documents?

That is the school’s choice. In Sahel EDU, the basmala and the Hijri date are offered only to Islamic schools, and as an option.

How does Sahel EDU follow Quran memorisation?

It follows the 114 surahs and the 30 juz: memorisation and revision, verse by verse, with a remark. Progress is visible to the student and the family, and badges mark each juz.

Who awards the Arabic end-of-cycle certificates?

The body varies. Sahel EDU asks the school to state the certifying body for each session, rather than assuming it is national.

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