Learning Quranic Arabic typically takes around 6 months with dedicated study, allowing one to understand the general meanings of the Quranic verses. This involves learning new vocabulary and grammar rules, with consistent practice and revision. For those with busy schedules, the process may extend to a year.
Achieving fluency requires a practical, hands-on approach, minimizing distractions, and consistent practice. Despite challenges, such as Arabic’s complexity, learning Quranic Arabic enriches spiritual connections and understanding of the Quran, and success is attainable with persistence and structured learning.
Have you ever wondered what Quranic Arabic is and how long it takes to learn it? This will be discussed below in some detail, along with some other closely related issues, such as the benefits of learning Quranic Arabic, how to overcome top challenges when learning Quranic Arabic, and some success stories of non-Arabs who have managed to learn it.
Table of Contents
What Is Quranic Arabic?
Quranic Arabic is the language chosen by Allah to be the language of the Holy Quran. It represents the exact words of Allah. So comprehending it allows for a deeper appreciation of the Quran’s message and Allah’s teachings, and thus a closer connection to Allah. While most Arabic speakers are familiar with Quranic Arabic to some degree, learning it requires dedicated study, due to its religious significance.
Benefits Of Learning Quranic Arabic:
Quranic Arabic is a very important language to learn. Here are some reasons:
1. Understanding The Quran:
As a non-Arab Muslim, to understand the Quran, you need to read the translation, and to get the reward of reciting the Quran, you need to read it in Arabic, even though you do not understand it.
But what about understanding it and getting the reward of reading it all in one session? This cannot be accomplished unless you learn Quranic Arabic: speaking and reading.
In the Hadith:
“If anyone recites a letter of Allah’s Book he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a tenfold reward (Quran, 6:160). I do not say that A.L.M are one letter*, but alif is a letter, lām is a letter and mīm is a letter.”
“مَنْ قَرَأَ حَرْفًا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَلَهُ بِهِ حَسَنَةٌ وَالْحَسَنَةُ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا لَا أَقُولُ: آلم حَرْفٌ. أَلْفٌ حَرْفٌ وَلَامٌ حَرْفٌ وَمِيمٌ حَرْفٌ”. (Mishkat al-Masabih 2137)
In this Hadith, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) says that reciting a single letter of the Quran, gives the person one good deed and this deed can be multiplied for that person as much as Allah wishes.
Also, a non-Arab Muslim who learns Quranic Arabic will be able to perform his prayers and make supplications (Doaa – دعاء) and understand what they are saying while doing so.
2. Useful For Studying Islam:
Quranic Arabic is very useful for non-Muslims who are keen to study religion and decide the right path to follow.
Even if someone is still to be a Muslim, they need to learn basic Arabic to get to understand the Holy Quran to an acceptable level. This actually gives Quranic Arabic a global religious significance for both Muslims and those interested in Islam worldwide. It is a language needed to understand Islam and Quran adequately.
3. Learning Arabic Makes You Like An Arab
Although Islam embraces all ethnic groups, there is no racialism in Islam. If a non-Muslim decides to revert to Islam, he/she becomes 100% Muslim. In Islam, neither born Muslims are first-class Muslims, nor reverted Muslims are second-class Muslims.
The same applies to language. By definition, an Arab is somebody who speaks Arabic. So whoever speaks Arabic is an Arab, whether Arabic is their first or second language. In the sight of Islam, all people are equal, and what sets them apart is their choices in life and how close they choose to be to their Creator, Allah.
In the Hadith:
“There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab, or for a white person over a black person, except by piety”
“لا فضلَ لعربيٍّ على عجميٍّ، ولا لعجميٍّ على عربيٍّ، ولا لأبيضَ على أسودَ، ولا لأسودَ على أبيضَ إلَّا بالتَّقوَى” (Dorar, 361)
In this Hadith, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasizes the principle of equality among all Muslims, regardless of their ethnicity or language background. The true basis of merit in Islam is righteousness and devotion to Allah.
How Long Does It Take To Learn Quranic Arabic?
In most cases, it usually takes about 6 months to learn Quranic Arabic. To be able to understand the general meanings of the verses of the Quran, and refer to the translation/tafsir only for the words/phrases you cannot understand, this is something you can achieve quite quickly. But if you have a rather busy family and/or business life, this learning process may take up to one year.
How To Put A Schedule To Learn Quranic Arabic In 6 Months?
Here is a suggested weekly schedule to learn Quranic Arabic in 6 months.
| For 4 days a week | 5th day of the week | 6th day of the week | 7th day of the week | |
| For 4 hours, learn 10 new Arabic words (meaning/writing/usage) | For 2 hours, Learn 2 new Arabic grammar rule (usage/examples) | This day will be for revising the new words/grammar rules you learned in the previous 4 days. | For 2 hours, Learn 2 new Arabic grammar rules (usage/examples) | OFF for refreshments |
How To Put A Schedule To Learn Quranic Arabic In 1 Year?
| For 4 days a week | 5th day of the week | 6th day of the week | 7th day of the week | |
| For 2 hours, learn 5 new Arabic words (meaning/writing/usage) | For 1 hour, Learn 1 new Arabic grammar rule (usage/examples) | This day will be for revising the new words/grammar rules you learned in the previous 4 days. | This day will be the “Practice Day” – practice what you have learned: Speaking with other Arabic native persons listening to Arabic (Quran recitations for example)Writing the new words you have learned in Arabic text (books, articles, etc.) | OFF for refreshments |
Of course, you can always adapt your schedule according to your free time and the pace you wish to follow. You can also enroll in one of our affordable, quality Arabic classes at Riwaq Al Quran.
How To Learn Quranic Arabic Fast?
Although there is no shortcut to language fluency, here are some ways to help you learn Quranic Arabic fast:
1. Adapt A Practical, Hands-On Approach:
A rigid theoretical approach to learning a language is always a bad idea. Make the learning process as practical as possible. The best way to learn a new language is to have an experienced native tutor who can give you theoretical guidance and practical exercises to turn the learning process into a real-life experience. Let alone the feedback that you can always receive from your tutor on your progress, which can make your learning improve massively in no time.
Courses and apps from Riwaq Al Quran can help you a lot, where you can always find guidance, feedback, and assistance as much as needed. You can check the courses here.
2. Get Rid Of Distractions:
- Consider training off mobile notifications while studying
- Study in a quiet place
- Log out from your social media accounts when you are studying
- Dedicate a specific time for studying
3- Adopt The 25/5 Rule:
It means studying for 25 minutes without interruption and taking 5-minute breaks. You can repeat it 3-4 times a day.
For example, you can have a 25-minute session to learn only 5 new Arabic words that are used in the Quran along with their meanings and pronunciation. Then try to write them down multiple times until you memorize – even visually – how they look like. Then take a 5-minute break. Then start another 25-minute session to study another 5 new words. Then take a 5-minute break. After that, you can have a 25-minute session to revise the 10 words that you have learned. So in 90 minutes, you can learn 10 new Quranic words efficiently.
4- Listen To Arabic A Lot:
Humans listen first and then start to speak. That’s the case with toddlers. That’s also very true when it comes to learning a new language.
The best resource to utilize here is the Quran itself. Listen – a lot – to recitations of the holy Quran. This will make you familiar with the language even if you are still learning. Once you come to a word you have studied, you can easily relate to it.
5- Practice Arabic All The Time:
You need to practice what you learn with other people, preferably native Arabic speakers.
Practicing for 10-15 minutes a day makes a big difference.
Also, practice the language on your own. For example, if you learn the Arabic word “كأس” which is “a glass”, consider writing the word كأس on a piece of paper and attaching it to a glass in your kitchen. Whenever you see it, pronounce the word in Arabic. That will make it very easy for you to know the word by heart.
6- Read, Read, Read:
Read books and magazines in Arabic. You can start with children’s stories with basic words.
There are also many Arabic websites and blogs with rich and reliable Arabic texts that you can visit, such as إضاءات. To make the experience even more rewarding, type in their search box the Arabic words you have learned, and see how the word is used in context. This can take your learning experience to a much higher level.
Common Challenges Of Learning Arabic And How To Overcome Them
Learning a completely new language from scratch can be super hard, no doubt. This is especially true when the language does not share the roots and the system of writing as the learner’s mother tongue.
Here are some common challenges of learning Arabic and ways to overcome them.
1. Arabic Is A Remarkably Intricate Language:
A single word in Arabic has so many synonyms. For example, the word “أسد” (lion) has about 300 synonyms and the word “سيف” (sword) has nearly 40 synonyms. Each of these synonyms has a slight difference in meaning.
However, an Arabic learner does not need to know all of them. Even Arab natives do not.
Start with simple words only, especially root words which are the foundation for Arabic words. You do not really need to know the synonyms of words at this stage.
You can also make and use a “frequency list”:
Arrange the words of the Quran in a list according to how many each of them is mentioned in the Quran. For example, the Word “الله” (Allah) is the most frequent word in the Quran and should take number 1 on this list, and so on.
An interesting fact to know:
- 70 words only on this list make up about 50% of the words in the Quran.
- The next 300 words on this list make up another 25% of the words.
So learning 375 words only makes up 75% of the words in the Quran.
2. Believing That Arabic Is Too Hard To Learn
It is well known that the Arabic structure and writing system are different from Latin languages.
In the end, there are many approaches to learning Arabic. But the most efficient one is to have a tutor who can help you throughout the process.
Also, try to benefit from the services of well-known quality learning academies like Riwaq Al Quran. You can register for our online Quranic Arabic course. It provides you with a well-organized curriculum that includes grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
3- Grammatical Complexity
Arabic grammar is known for its complexity. Studying Arabic entails examining how words fit into sentences grammatically, including determining whether words are nouns, verbs, and their grammatical cases (nominative, accusative, genitive, etc).
You just need to start with learning basic grammar, such as sentence structure.
There is an affordable course you can join at Riwaq Al Quran. It is called the Online Arabic Grammar Course. It can help you so much with the Arabic grammar issue.
4- Fear Of Failure
Some people may refrain from learning a new language because they fear they may fail to learn it after spending so much time and effort.
This cannot be the case with learning the language of the Quran, because any level of learning and understanding of the language, no matter how tiny it is, adds to your understanding of the Quran. So no effort is lost. If it is a battle, it is worthy of fighting.
You can see success stories of non-Arabic speakers who managed to learn Quranic Arabic and they start even to give Dawah in Arabic
Success Stories Of Individuals Who Mastered The Arabic Language
Here are 2 examples of non-Arabs from diverse backgrounds who managed to master Arabic:
1. Sheikh Abdur Raheem McCarthy
He is a good modern example. He is a British revert who gives Dawah in both English and Arabic languages. Here you can see one of his bilingual Dawah videos.
2. William Marçais (1872–1956)
He was a French academic who devoted his career to the study of Arabic literature and language. He was a great Arabist and an authority on the history and culture of the Islamic world. His status as a well-known Western Arabic scholar was reinforced by his extensive grasp of the language.
Learn Quran And Arabic With Riwaq Al Quran:
If you are keen to learn Quranic Arabic from a trustworthy source, Riwaq Al Quran is the place for you. At Riwaq Al Quran, you can learn Quranic Arabic from professionally certified teachers who can make the whole learning process much easier for you. On the same platform, you can learn the Quran, Arabic, and Islamic studies. Please have a look at our courses. Through our comprehensive online courses, you can always learn from the comfort of your home. Get started now with a free trial and begin your spiritual journey to learn Quranic Arabic with Riwaq Al Quran.
We offer several courses such as:
- Online courses for kids.
- Online Quran classes for kids and adults.
- Online Arabic courses
- Online Ijazah courses
- Online Islamic Studies courses.
Here are a sample of our set of Quran Courses that will be helpful for you:
- Online Tafseer Course: Delve into Quranic meanings with our insightful online Tafseer course.
- Noorani Qaida Online: Learn Quranic basics efficiently through our Noorani Qaida online program.
- Online Quran Recitation Course: Enhance Quranic recitation skills through our expert-led online course.
- Online Tajweed Classes: Master Tajweed rules for beautiful Quranic recitation in online classes.
- Quran Memorization Online Course: Memorize the Quran effectively with our specialized online memorization course.
- Online Qirat Course: Explore diverse Qirat styles with our comprehensive online Qirat course.
- Online Quran Classes for Kids: Nurture a love for the Quran in kids through interactive online classes.
Conclusion
Quranic Arabic is the language of the Holy Quran, the last revelation from Allah Almighty to mankind, revealed to his Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him) to be the final book of guidance till the end of time. That’s why Quranic Arabic is extremely significant for both Muslims and those interested in Islam.
But, remember that consistency is always the key, and mastering Quranic Arabic is a lifelong spiritual journey. So make it a happy one. Just like any muscle in your body, the brain needs practicing and hard work to grasp a new language. The hardest phases are the earliest and nothing is truly too difficult if you put in enough effort and time. So give it enough time and effort, do your homework, and trust the process.
