How to Learn the Arabic Language to Understand the Quran

The Quran is one of the most influential religious texts of all time. This Islamic holy book is the source of knowledge and faith for all Muslims. It features subjects like wisdom, worship, doctrine, and much more. It also provides detailed guidelines to create a just society and economic system.

Why Learn Quranic Arabic?

So, why would you want to learn Quranic Arabic? If you’re truly dedicated to fully understanding all of the teachings within the Quran, then you’ll absolutely need to learn Quran with translation to do so.

While this religious text has been translated into other languages—including English—you lose out on some of the intricacies of the meanings if you don’t read it in the source language. This is one of the most important reasons to learn the Arabic language to understand the Quran.

Learning Tips for Quran Arabic

So, what exactly is the best way to learn this special form of Arabic? You may be a little overwhelmed at the prospect of learning an entirely new language just to read the Quran, but it’s easier than you think. Follow these tips to improve your overall learning experience and success:

• Learn the Tajweed– In order to prevent mispronunciation of words and terminology in the Quran, readers of the book must follow certain recitation rules called tajweed. These recitation rules were created to replicate the way the prophet Mohammed recited the Quran.

Start learning the tajweed early on so you can apply them to your own recitations. This can also help you understand recitations from other people to better improve your chances of success in learning the language.

• Study Basic Grammar– As you start learning Quranic Arabic, the most important thing to study first is basic grammar. While it’s true that it might take years for you to learn and memorize the entirety of Quranic Arabic’s grammar, you can get a good initial grasp within the first few hours of study.

When you focus on learning basic grammar first, you can piece together full sentences and start understanding their meaning earlier.

• Study Arabic to English (or your native language)– Since you are learning Quranic Arabic to read the Quran, it’s most important that you focus your energy on learning how to translate Arabic to English, or your native language, and not the other way around. Since you’re not trying to learn conversational Arabic, you don’t need to spend any time or effort trying to learn how to ask for directions or order food, saving yourself more time in the long run.

As such, only focus on learning the principles behind translating Arabic to your native language.

• Study Quran-specific Terminology – As with most religions, the holy Quran contains many religion-specific terminology and vocabulary that you don’t experience much in day-to-day life. As such, it’s important that you spend your time and effort learning Quran-specific terminology.

It’s also true that much of the vocabulary in the holy Quran is repeated often throughout the text. In fact, did you know that only 300 words make up over 70% of the entire book? If you learn those 300 words early, you’ll be able to read the Quran quite simply.

If you want to learn Arabic, sign up with Knowledge Quran Center, and you’ll be reading the Quran in no time!