Stage I · Foundations

Everything before Saadia.

A short, ordered path from zero to reading. Learn the Hebrew letters as Arabic sounds, the conventions of a real manuscript page, the words and grammar you already half-know — and finish by decoding your first sentence of the Tafsir. No prior Arabic required.

  1. 01
    The Alphabet

    Read Hebrew letters as Arabic sounds.

  2. 02
    Ambiguities & Saadianic Conventions

    Dropped dots, rival spellings, Saadia's habits.

  3. 03
    First 50 Words

    The words you'll meet most in the Tafsir.

  4. 04
    You Already Know This

    Modern Hebrew you already speak is Arabic.

  5. 05
    If You Know Onkelos…

    Aramaic bridges straight into Arabic.

  6. 06
    The Definite Article

    אל = ال, and what happens to the sun-letters.

  7. 07
    Pronominal Suffixes

    Why a word you know hides behind an ending.

  8. 08
    The Verb Spine

    קאל, כאן, and the prefix conjugation.

  9. 09
    Read Your First Sentence

    Decode Saadia's Genesis 1:1, letter by letter.

  10. 10
    Read Your First Verses

    Scaffolded real clauses, into the Tafsir.

Done with the foundations?Open Saadia's Tafsir — Stage II →