Learning Guides
Step-by-step guides to reading Arabic and understanding the Quran.
5 free articles
- The Arabic alphabetأ ب ت
The Arabic alphabet: a beginner’s guide
The Arabic alphabet has 28 letters. It can look complicated at first, but a few simple patterns make it much easier: many letters share the same basic shape, and the rules for joining them are consistent.
Read article - Rootجَذْر
The Arabic root system explained
Most Arabic words are built from a root of three consonants. The root carries a core meaning, and different patterns of vowels and extra letters turn it into related words. Once you understand this system, every new word you learn helps you guess the meaning of others.
Read article - Vowel marksحَرَكَات
Arabic vowel marks (harakat) explained
Arabic letters are consonants. The short vowels are shown by small marks called ḥarakāt (حَرَكَات), meaning “movements”, because they make a letter “move” with a sound. Once you know these marks, you can read any fully vowelled text, including the Quran.
Read article - The sun and the moonالشَّمْس وَالْقَمَر
Sun and moon letters in Arabic
In Arabic, “the” is written ال (al-). Sometimes you hear the l, and sometimes it disappears. Which one depends on the first letter of the word. These two groups are called the sun letters and the moon letters.
Read article - Reflectionتَدَبُّر
How to start understanding the Quran in Arabic
Many Muslims can read the Quran but do not yet understand the words. You do not need to become fluent in Arabic to start. A few focused steps can help you understand much of what you recite in your daily prayers.
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