How to Learn Quranic Arabic? A 7-Step Guide

by ahmad | Apr 23, 2025 | Quran courses

In a nutshell: Learning Quranic Arabic starts with learning the script, Tajweed, and key vocabulary. Understanding basic grammar, sentence structures, and word roots unlocks deeper meanings. Consistent reading, listening, and guided practice help internalize the language, making Quranic comprehension easier over time.

Today, I will share with you very important structured steps on how you can learn Quranic Arabic effectively, Insha’Allah.

Translations are helpful, alhamdulillah, but they are like looking at a diamond through a cloth. Quranic Arabic lets you see the diamond in all its brilliance, its facets, its depth. You uncover layers of meaning that translations cannot capture. But how do we unlock this understanding? By learning Quranic Arabic.

So, let’s explore the best way to learn Quranic Arabic, Bismillah.

Before we start, let’s make sure we are on the same page. Quranic Arabic is the specific form of the Arabic language used in the Holy Quran.

Quranic Arabic is the highest form of Arabic.

Quranic Arabic is the purest, the most eloquent, the most grammatically precise.

So, when we talk about learning Quranic Arabic, we are talking about learning the specific language of the Quran itself. The original, unchanged language of Revelation. The language that allows you to connect directly with the words of Allah, without the filter of translation.

Table of Contents

Step 1: Start with the Quranic Arabic Letters and How to Say Them Properly

Arabic letters look different and sound different from English letters. Some sounds, you don’t even have in English.

For example, the letter “ح” (Haa’) – it’s a sound from your throat, not like the English ‘h’. Or the letter “ض” (Dhaad) – this one is very special for Arabic.

You need to learn each letter, how it looks by itself, and how it looks when it connects with other letters. (We explained each of the letters and their characteristics in detail in a separate article titled: Quranic Arabic Alphabet)

Then, you need to learn the vowels. In Arabic, you have short vowels (like in “بَ“, “بِ“, “بُ” – ba, bi, bu) and long vowels (like in “بَا“, “بِي“, “بُو” – baa, bee, boo). These vowels change the meaning of the word completely, so you must learn them well.

And then comes Tajweed rules. These rules teach you how to pronounce each letter in Quranic Arabic properly and read the Quran beautifully and correctly, like the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) read it.

Example from Quran:

Let’s take the first verse of Surah Al-Fatiha (1:1):

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

(Bismi Allāhi ar-Raḥmāni ar-Raḥīm)

“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”.

Here, you need to know how to pronounce each letter:

بِـ (Bi): The letter ب (baa) with a kasrah (i sound).
ٱسْمِ (Ismi): The letter أ (alif) which is silent here, followed by س (seen) with a sukun (no vowel), and then م (meem) with a kasrah (i sound).
ٱللَّهِ (Allah): The word for God. Notice the doubled ل (laam) with a shaddah (emphasis). The pronunciation of the first ل depends on the vowel before it.
ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ (Ar-Rahman): Begins with a silent ا (alif), followed by ل (laam) which is also silent after the preceding fatḥah. Then comes ر (raa) with a shaddah and a fatḥah (stressed “a” sound), followed by ح (ḥaa) with a sukun, م (meem) with a fatḥah, and finally ن (noon) with a kasrah.
ٱلرَّحِيمِ (Ar-Raheem): Similar to Ar-Rahman in the beginning, with ر (raa) having a shaddah and fatḥah, followed by ح (ḥaa) with a kasrah, ي (yaa) with a sukun (indicating a long “ee” sound), and م (meem) with a kasrah.

You see, each letter has its own way. If you don’t say it right, the meaning can change, or at least it won’t sound like Quran.

Quranica Center Tip: At Quranica Center, we have native teachers who are experts in Tajweed. They will guide you from the very first letter until you can recite like a professional, insha’Allah. We have special lessons in Tajweed just for this first step.

Step 2: Memorize the Most Frequent Words in Quranic Arabic

Learning grammar is important, but you also need to know the meaning of words. The Quran has its own special vocabulary. While some words are common in everyday Arabic, others might be used in a specific way in the Quran.

You should focus on learning:

1. Memorize Common Nouns in Quranic Arabic

Words like (أَرْضْ – Ardh) “earth”, (سَمَاءْ – Samaa’) “sky”, (نَاسْ – Naas) “people”, (يَوْمْ – Yawm) “day”, (لَيْلْ – Layl) “night”.

2. Memorize Frequent Verbs in Quranic Arabic

Words like (قَالَ – Qaala) “he said”, (فَعَلَ – Fa’ala) “he did”, (جَعَلَ – Ja’ala) “he made”, (آمَنَ – Aamana) “he believed”, (كَفَرَ – Kafara) “he disbelieved”.

3. Memorize Important Particles in Quranic Arabic

Words like (فِي – Fee) “in”, (عَلَى – ‘Alaa) “on”, (إِلَى – Ilaa) “to”, (مِنْ – Min) “from”, (لَـ – La-) “for/indeed”.

Numerous resources, including lists and books are available. Here is a recommended free resource: 80% of Quranic Words book, compiled by Dr. Abdulazeez Abdulrahman.

Read more about: Quranic Tajweed Rules – Full Guide

How to Learn Quranic Arabic? A 7-Step Guide 1

Step 3: Understand Basic Grammar to Know How Quranic Words Form Sentences

Once you know the alphabet and how to pronounce the letters, the next step is to start understanding how these letters form words and how these words form sentences. This is where basic grammar comes in. Don’t be scared! Arabic grammar, at the beginning level for understanding the Quran, is not so complicated.

You need to learn about:

Nouns (اسم – Ism): These are names of people, places, things, ideas. For example, (كِتَابْ – Kitaab) means “book”.
Verbs (فعل – Fi’l): These are action words. For example, (قَالَ – Qaala) means “he said”.
Particles (حرف – Harf): These are words that don’t have a full meaning by themselves but connect other words. For example, (فِي – Fee) means “in”.

Then you need to understand about:

Gender (جنس – Jins): In Arabic, nouns can be masculine (مُذَكَّرْ – Muzakkar) or feminine (مُؤَنَّثْ – Mu’annath). Often, feminine nouns end with (ة – Taa’ Marbuta).
Number (عدد – ‘Adad): Nouns can be singular (مُفْرَدْ – Mufrad), dual (مُثَنَّى – Muthannaa – usually ends with انِ – aani or يْنِ – ayni), or plural (جَمْعْ – Jam’ – has different forms).

Quranic Example:

Let’s take the second verse of Surah Al-Fatiha (1:2):

“ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ”

(Alhamdu lillaahi rabbil ‘aalameen)

“All praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds”

Here you see:

(ٱلْحَمْدُ – Alhamdu): Noun, masculine, singular – “The praise”
(لِـ – Li): Particle – “to”
(ٱللَّـهِ – Allaahi): Noun, masculine, singular – “Allah”
(رَبِّ – Rabbi): Noun, masculine, singular – “Lord”
(ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ – Al-‘aalameen): Noun, masculine, plural – “the worlds”

Even in this short verse, you can see nouns, a particle, and attention to number (singular and plural).

Quranica’s grammar courses are designed to introduce grammar concepts gradually, using examples directly from the Quran. This makes it easier to understand and apply what you learn.

Read more about: Learn Quranic Arabic Grammar

Step 4: Understand Verb Forms and Tenses in the Quran

Understanding verb forms (أوزان الأفعال – Awzaan al-Af’aal) and tenses (أزمنة الأفعال – Azminat al-Af’aal) is crucial for understanding the actions described in the Quran.

In Arabic, verbs have a root of usually three letters. From this root, many different forms of the verb are created, each with a slightly different meaning.

For example, from the root (ع ل م – ‘-l-m) which means “to know”, you can have:

(عَلِمَ – ‘Alima): He knew (past tense)
(يَعْلَمُ – Ya’lamu): He knows (present/future tense)
(اِعْلَمْ – I’lam): Know! (imperative)
(عَالِمْ – ‘Aalim): Knower (active participle – like a noun)
(مَعْلُومْ – Ma’loom): Known (passive participle – like a noun)

You also need to learn about the different tenses:

Past Tense (الماضي – Al-Maadi): This tense usually indicates an action that has already happened.
Present/Future Tense (المضارع – Al-Mudhaari’): This tense can indicate an action that is happening now or will happen in the future, depending on the context and any added particles.
Imperative (الأمر – Al-Amr): This is the command form of the verb.

Look at this verse from Surah al-Ikhlas (112:1):

“قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّـهُ أَحَدٌ”

(Qul huwa Allaahu ahad)

“Say, “He is Allah, [who is] one.””

Here you see:

(قُلْ – Qul): Imperative verb from the root (ق و ل – q-w-l) meaning “to say”. So, (قُلْ) means “Say!”
(هُوَ – Huwa): Pronoun (which acts like a noun) – “He”
(ٱللَّـهُ – Allaahu): Noun – “Allah”
(أَحَدٌ – Ahad): Noun – “One”

Step 5: Understand Basic Sentence Structure in Quranic Arabic

Now you know the letters, some grammar, and some words. The next step is to understand how these are put together to form sentences in the Quran.

There are two main types of sentences in Arabic:

1. Nominal Sentences in Quranic Arabic:

These sentences start with a noun and usually consist of a subject (مبتدأ – Mubtada’) and a predicate (خبر – Khabar).

Quranic Example from Surat al-Noor (24:35):

“ٱللَّـهُ نُورُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ”

(Allaahu noorus samaawaati wal ardh)

“Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth”.

Here, (ٱللَّـهُ – Allaahu) is the subject (a noun), and (نُورُ – Noor) “light” is the predicate (another noun describing Allah).

2. Verbal Sentences in Quranic Arabic (الجملة الفعلية – Al-Jumlatul Fi’liyyah):

These sentences start with a verb and usually consist of a verb (فعل – Fi’l) and a subject (فاعل – Faa’il) (the person or thing doing the action).
Quranic Example from Surat al-’Alaq 96:2:

خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ

(Khalaqal insaana min ‘alaq)

“Created man from a clinging substance”.

Here, (خَلَقَ – Khalaqa) “created” is the verb, and (ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ – Al-Insaana) “man” is the subject (the one who was created). (مِنْ عَلَقٍ – Min ‘alaq) “from a clinging substance” is additional information.

Understanding this basic structure will help you start to break down Quranic verses and see the relationship between the words.

Read more about: Top 10 Quranic Arabic Books

Step 6: Understand More Advanced Quranic Grammar

As you progress, you will want to delve deeper into Arabic grammar (نحو – Nahw). This will give you a more precise understanding of the nuances of the Quranic language. Some important topics to learn include:

1. Case Endings in Quranic Arabic (الإعراب – Al-I’raab):

In Arabic, the ending vowel sound on a noun or the change in its form can indicate its grammatical function in the sentence (e.g., subject, object, etc.).

2. Verb Conjugations in Detail (تصريف الأفعال – Tasreef al-Af’aal)

You learned the basics earlier. Now you can learn more about the different forms of verbs (beyond Form I), which often carry extended or modified meanings.

For example, (أَنْزَلَ – Anzala) “He sent down” (Form IV) is different from (نَزَلَ – Nazala) “He descended” (Form I), both from the root (ن ز ل – n-z-l).

3. Different Types of Nouns, Verbs, and Particles

Learn about pronouns (Dhamaa’ir), adjectives (Sifaat), adverbs (Dhuroof), relative pronouns (Asmaa’ al-Mawsoolah), conjunctions (Huroof al-‘Atf), etc.

4. Sentence Analysis (تحليل الجملة – Tahleel al-Jumla)

Learn how to break down complex sentences into their different parts and understand the grammatical relationships between them.

Look at this verse from Surat al-Ra’ad (13:11):

“إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا۟ مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ”

(Inna Allaaha laa yughayyiru maa biqawmin hattaa yughayyiroo maa bi’anfusihim)

“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.”

Here, there are many grammatical concepts at play:

(إِنَّ – Inna): Particle (emphasis)
(ٱللَّـهَ – Allaaha): Noun (subject of Inna), note the case ending indicating its role.
(لَا – Laa): Particle (negation)
(يُغَيِّرُ – Yughayyiru): Verb (present tense, Form II)
(مَا – Maa): Relative pronoun – “what”
(بِقَوْمٍ – Biqawmin): (بِ – Bi) preposition “in” + (قَوْمٍ – Qawmin) noun “people”, note the case ending after the preposition.
(حَتَّىٰ – Hattaa): Particle (until)
(يُغَيِّرُوا۟ – Yughayyiroo): Verb (present tense, Form II, plural), note the suffix indicating the plural subject.
(مَا – Maa): Relative pronoun – “what”
(بِأَنفُسِهِمْ – Bi’anfusihim): (بِ – Bi) preposition “in” + (أَنفُسِ – Anfusi) noun “selves” + (هِمْ – Him) pronoun (attached, masculine plural) “their”.

Understanding these grammatical elements gives you a much deeper understanding of the verse.

Quranica Center offers advanced grammar courses: For those who want to go deeper, Quranica Center provides courses that cover more advanced topics in Arabic grammar, specifically tailored to understanding the Quran. Our experienced teachers can guide you through these complexities.

Read more about: Quranic Arabic Alphabet – Full Guide

Step 7: Learn The the Specific Style of Quranic Arabic

Quranic Arabic is the most eloquent form of the Arabic language. Quranic Arabic has its own unique style, rhetoric (بلاغة – Balaaghah), and ways of expressing meaning. While it is based on the same fundamental grammar and vocabulary as other forms of Arabic, there are some specific nuances you should be aware of. These include:

1. Figurative Language in Quranic Arabic (المجاز – Al-Majaaz):

The Quran uses metaphors, similes, and other figures of speech to convey deep meanings in a concise and beautiful way. Understanding these literary devices is crucial for proper interpretation.

For example, when the Quran talks about Allah’s “hand” (يَدُ ٱللَّـهِ – Yadu Allaahi), it is often understood as His power or favor, not a literal hand.

2. Conciseness in Quranic Arabic (الإيجاز – Al-Eejaaz)

The Quran often expresses profound meanings in a few words. Understanding the underlying context and what is implied is important.

3. Rhetorical Questions in Quranic Arabic (الاستفهام البلاغي – Al-Istifhaam al-Balaaghi)

The Quran sometimes uses questions not to seek information but to make a point, often to challenge or to affirm something.

4. Word Choice in Quranic Arabic (اختيار الألفاظ – Ikhtiyaar al-Alfaadh)

The specific words used in the Quran are chosen very carefully for their precise meaning and connotations.

Quranic Example:

Look at this verse from Surat al-Kahf (18:45) which uses a beautiful simile. The life of this world is compared to rain that brings forth vegetation, which then withers and is blown away by the wind:

“وَاضْرِبْ لَّهُم مَّثَلَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَاءٍ أَنزَلْنَاهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الْأَرْضِ فَأَصْبَحَ هَشِيمًا تَذْرُوهُ الرِّيَاحُ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّـهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُّقْتَدِرًا”

“And present to them the example of the life of this world, [it is] like rain which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth grows therewith. But then it becomes dry stalks, which the winds blow away. And Allah is ever, over all things, competent.”

Quranica Center: Your Partner in Learning Quranic Arabic

At Quranica, we are passionate about helping you connect with the Quran on a profound level.

Our experienced native Arab teachers, who are also Huffaz of the Quran, understand the unique challenges that non-Arabs face when learning Quranic Arabic.

We offer Quranic Arabic courses and resources designed to learners of all levels. Our approach is:

Structured and Sequential: Our courses follow a logical progression, building your knowledge step by step.
Practical and Focused: We focus on the most relevant aspects of Arabic for understanding the Quran, avoiding unnecessary complexities.
Native Arab Teachers: This is crucial. You need to learn from someone who speaks Arabic as their mother tongue, someone who understands the nuances of the language, someone who has lived and breathed the Quran.
Experienced Huffaz: Our teachers are not just… good at Arabic. They are Huffaz, people who have memorized the entire Quran. They can guide you on your memorization journey with expertise and wisdom.
Authentic and Reliable: We rely on established principles of Arabic grammar and Quranic studies.

Join Quranica’s Quranic Arabic Program Today!

Conclusion:

Learning Quranic Arabic is a journey that allows you to connect deeply with the words of Allah, beyond the limitations of translation. The process begins with learning the Arabic alphabet and proper pronunciation using Tajweed rules, ensuring accurate recitation.

Next, focus on memorizing frequently used Quranic words, including essential nouns, verbs, and particles, to build a strong vocabulary foundation. Understanding basic grammar—such as noun-verb structure, gender, and number—helps in forming meaningful connections between words. As you advance, studying verb conjugations and tenses will clarify how actions are described in the Quran.

To deepen comprehension, practice analyzing Quranic sentences, distinguishing between nominal and verbal sentences, and learning case endings that influence meaning. Exploring advanced grammar concepts like verb forms and syntactic structures further enhances understanding.

Immersion through listening, reading, and guided lessons with expert teachers can accelerate progress. By following a structured approach—starting from letters and pronunciation, moving through vocabulary and grammar, and finally mastering advanced linguistic features—you can effectively learn Quranic Arabic and grasp the Quran’s message in its original, divine language.