Do You Need To Learn Arabic To Understand The Quran?

Every Muslim is obligated to learn the Quran. To have a greater grasp of your religion and implement it in your everyday life, you must learn the original source of Islam.

Arabs study Arabic from childhood to learn and understand the Quran, whether in schools or Islamic institutions, but what about non-Arabs?

Do you need to learn Arabic to understand Quran? Will a translation be enough? You need to keep reading to find out.

Do You Need To Learn Arabic To Understand Quran?

Yes, you need to learn Arabic to understand Quran. Quran has hundreds of translations that may assist people who don’t speak Arabic to understand what’s written in it.

However, these translations are not enough to capture the beauty of the Quran and its accurate meanings.

Allah SWT said:

“We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an, in order that ye may learn wisdom.” 

(Surah Yusuf)

This means that Allah, The Almighty, deliberately created the Quran in Arabic and asked people to understand it. In addition, Quran is supposed to be recited how Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) recited it in his time.

Is Translation Enough to Read Quran?

No, translation is not enough to read Quran, at least not forever. Reading Quran with translation is okay for you to initially understand its message. But in order to capture its spiritual aspect as well as the intellectual level.

The intellectual side of the Quran implies that we must grasp all we read in order to apply it in our life and really comprehend Allah SWT’s message to us. That is why translation is essential in this matter.

Quran translation indeed enables you to comprehend the true message, evaluate the lessons, and learn everything there is to know about the Quranic stories.

Reading the Quran in a foreign language, on the other hand, deprives you of the spiritual aspect of it.

One can object that since it’s all Quran at the end, why does translation hinder the spiritual level? The answer is that translation is far less comparable to the Quran. The only Quran is the true Arabic Quran.

To get the spiritual aspect of the Quran, you must appreciate it and recite it as it was meant. Take translation to be a tool that assists you in understanding Quran until you are able to do it in its original language; the Quranic Arabic.

What is The Quranic Arabic?

The Quran is written in Quranic Arabic, which is a type of Arabic language. It is also known as “classical Arabic,” which is the standardized literary form of the Arabic language that was employed beginning in the seventh century and continuing through the Middle Ages.

When you learn Arabic, you get to study its alphabet (abjad) and be familiarized with letterforms and how to make sense of the language basics. You also get to learn Tashkeel in order to be able to read the Quranic text correctly.

The usage of vowel markers (Tashkeel) is one of Arabic’s distinguishing characteristics. It is used throughout the Quran to demonstrate how words are spoken. This is also taught in Tajweed.

Muslims study Tajweed in order to correctly pronounce words and get the proper rhythm for reciting the Quran.

Why Do I Have to Learn Quranic Arabic To Read Quran?

The Quran Is Originally Written In Arabic.

Books lose a lot of their beauty when they get translated from their original language. Despite the fact that Quran is beautiful and graceful in every language, nothing compares to the Arabic text. 

Reading and learning Quran in its original language really connects you with its core and gets you closer to Allah SWT by reading His literal words.

Arabic Vocabulary Is Extensive And Accurate

One of the Quran’s wonders is that it describes everything precisely without distortion. There are no filler words or misplaced words, and each phrase delivers the full accurate idea.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons Allah SWT revealed the Quran in Arabic. As it is the only language capable of such a rich and precise vocabulary.

When you read the Quran in Arabic, you will learn these meanings directly from Allah SWT.

With Each Letter, You Receive A Good Deed (Hasanah)

Let us agree that reading the Quran is rewarding, and Allah SWT gives double to anyone He pleases. Reading it in Arabic, on the other hand, must offer its own set of benefits. Abdullah ibn Masoud has reported, Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) once said:

“Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah, he will receive one good deed as ten good deeds like it. I do not say that Alif Lam Meem is one letter, but rather Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter, and Meem is a letter.”

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi)

When the Arabic characters Alif, Lam, and Meem are joined, they create the word Mutshabehaat. The essence of this Hadith is that each letter of the Arabic letter of those gains a good deed (hasanah).

How To Learn Quranic Arabic To Understand Quran?

These steps are a basic guide to help you understand where to begin and what areas of Quran study to focus on first. Check them out:

Start Learning the Common Verbs and Words

Quran has some common verbs that, when learned, can make your Arabic learning much easier. Verbs such as come, say, believe, disobey, know, make, think, work occurs frequently in the Quran and take about 16% of the whole Quranic text.

Then, you should concentrate on the words given in the Quran because you are studying Quranic Arabic to understand and recite the Quran not to learn other unrelated terminology. Avoid learning terms from other subjects not addressed in the Quran not to waste your time.

Learn Quranic grammar

When you initially concentrate on studying basic grammar, you will be able to gather together full sentences and begin getting their meaning faster than usual. Check out Quran Online comprehensive course on Quranic grammar to make this step much easier for you.

While studying and memorizing the whole grammar of Quranic Arabic may take years, you may get a good start in the first few hours of study.

This is determined by the quality of the materials you are using as well as the degree of expertise your Quran instructor has.

Listen To Accurate Quran Recitation

A great number of Shaykhs recite the Quran perfectly.

When you listen to these audio recordings, they will help you learn how Quranic Arabic is pronounced and how the rhythm in the Quran works and eventually imitate it yourself.

You can listen to the whole quan for free here.

Learn Quran Tajweed

In order to avoid mispronunciation of words and concepts in the Quran, readers of the Holy Quran must conform to specific recitation criteria known as tajweed.

These recitation instructions imitate how the prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) recited the Quran in his time.

Start learning tajweed as soon as possible so you can include it in your own recitations. This can also help you understand what the Shaykh is reciting, boosting your chances of success in learning the language.

Sign Up For An Quranic Arabic Online Course

Online Arabic lessons are the most simple and convenient way to study Quranic Arabic.

It is not enough to simply study vocabulary and verbs; you must also learn how to use them in proper contexts.

With Quran Online courses, you will learn grammatical principles that will help you understand what you read. The good news is that after you’ve mastered the principles of Arabic grammar, the process will be much simpler for you.

Remember that doing so will help you better grasp the Quran and any other classical work you read. Take this action very seriously right away.

You can even learn to become an arabic teacher for non-arabic speakers with sites like Studioarabiya.