According to research, there are about 6500 languages but none of these languages comes close to the Arabic language. As a Muslim, you have to prioritize learning, speaking, and understanding the Arabic language because it is the language of the Quran.
In Suratu Yusuf, Allah said, indeed, we have sent it down as an Arabic Quran so that you may understand.
Ala-Maududi in his explanation of this verse said, the Arabic word Quran ‘’to read’’ is originally the infinitive form of the verb qara. He said, that when the infinitive form of a verb in Arabic is used as a name, it implies that that thing or possession possesses the characteristics of their perfection. Furthermore, he said the book has been named Quran to indicate that it is meant to be read by all and sundry and it is to be read often and over and over again.
Five (5) Ways To Learn The Quran Arabic
Learn from a competent Quran Arabic teacher
If you want to learn Quranic Arabic the way it was revealed to Allah by his Messenger peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, One of the best ways to do that is to learn from a competent and qualified Quran Arabic teacher.
There is a way Arabic words are structured in the Quran that will make it impossible for anybody who is not competent to be able to explain it.
I discovered something about the Quran. Although it might not be 100% correct, it is correct to a very large extent. What I discovered is that a person will always recite the Quran the way he or she was taught. In most cases, it takes the grace of Allah for someone who has completed the Quran under a particular teacher to be able to change his or her recitation.
What I am driving at with this point I made is that, if you are taught the Quran wrongly under an incompetent teacher, it takes extra effort to change your recitation under a new teacher.
Common Quranic Words
According to research, the Quran consists of 77,340 words, 18,994 unique words, 12,183 stems, 3,382 lemmas, and 1,685 roots. Further research shows that 70 words alone make up 50% of the Quran. The next 25% is made up of 300 words while the last 25% is made up of 4785 words.
It means if you can master the 70 words that make up 50% of the Quran and practice it during your conversation with people; you already know up to 50% of the Quran.
Practicing the most common words also helps in building fluency in your recitation and also helps in memorization. When you come across the same words every time, it sticks to your brain and you are likely to remember them when you want to use them in conversation.
Practice how the Quranic words are used in different contexts
It is not every time the same words have the same meaning in the Quran. Sometimes, the same words might carry different meanings depending on the context in which they are used.
A good example is verse 5 of Suratul Qomar. Allah said’’ Hikmatun baligatun fama tugni nuzur’’ which means the Quran is profound in wisdom but warnings are of no benefit to them. The word ‘’Maa’’ generally means ‘’what’’ but in the context of this verse, it is used to negate an action.
There are many other examples of these scenarios in the Quran. This is one of the reasons why you have to study the context in which words are used in the Quran so that you won’t interpret the Quran wrongly and you won’t make mistakes in your conversation.
Read and listen to the books of Tafseer
Another efficient way to learn Quran Arabic is to read the books of Tafseer and listen to Tafseer lectures by reputable scholars. Another good way is to join Best Online Tafseer classes.
Have you ever wondered why the Quran loaded with so many messages, stories, and rulings has just 604 pages? The reason is not far-fetched. It is because Allah used short words that carry a lot of meanings.
This is why you need to read Tafseer books to get the full meaning of some words and verses. Even the Sahabas (companions of the Messenger of Allah) peace and blessings be upon them who are mostly native Arab speakers found some words and verses in the Quran quite ambiguous.
When a verse of the Quran is revealed to the Messenger of Allah peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, he will gather the Sahabas and teach them the verse. After teaching them, he will explain the meaning of the verse or verses to them. This is what led us to have the books of Tafseer.
Some of the Sahabas became very vast in the knowledge of the Quran which led the Messenger of Allah to say, take the Quran knowledge from four people. They are Andullah bin Mas’ud, Salim, Mu’adh, and Ubai bin Ka’b. So by this, you can learn Arabic to read Quran.
Create a Quran-Arabic environment
Islam is not a religion for the Arabs alone neither is the Quran the book for the Arabs alone. Even though some people tried to use Quran 12 verse 2 to make such a claim.
Scholars have rubbished that claim. Ala-Maududi said that such a claim is frivolous and raised by those who do not understand the real significance of the Quran.
People who are not living in Arab countries and want to learn Quran Arabic might face some challenges in practicing conversation with the most common Quran words because of the unavailability of many Arabic speakers. One of the best solutions is to join Arabic group classes to create Arabic environment.
One of the ways to solve this problem is to create a Quran Arabic environment with the few people that you can find. You can hold a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly gathering where conversations will be strictly in Arabic. Any other language should not be entertained.
This can go a long way in helping people learn Quran Arabic in such localities. It can also serve as an avenue to share and discuss knowledge.
Conclusion
Finally, these are the practical steps I believe can be efficient in learning Quran Arabic. Follow these tips and you will thank Allah later. May Allah make it easy for all Muslims who are aspiring to learn Quranic Arabic. Hidayah Network is the best platform to learn Quran Arabic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Suratul Fatiha is the first Sura, every Muslim should learn it first. We are to recite Suratul Fatiha every day during the obligatory and the Nawafil prayers.
Without evidence of doubt, the first Surah that was revealed is Suratul Alaq
The Quranic Arabic is known as the classic arabic. It is totally different from the standard Arabic language which is used in everyday communication. It Is the purest and specific form of Arabic because during the time of Prophet Muhammad SAW Quran was revealed in this preserved Arabic.
There are so many good Tafseer books. Some of the Tafseer books you can use to learn Quran Arabic are Tafseer Ibn Katheer, Tafseer Al-Qurtubi, Tafseer Al-Tabari, and Tafseer As-Sa’di.
There are 3 types of Arabic language. Quranic or classic, Modern or standard and colloquial or daily.