© Islamic Online University Introduction to Qur’ānic Arabic – Level 1

Introduction to Qur’ānic Arabic- Level One

1. Goal of the Course:

The goal of the course is to guide the student who can read and write Arabic (i.e. those
students who have finished the ARB011 Course or are exempt from It.) to learn the Arabic of the
Qur’ān and its grammar. Comprehension of Qur’ānic Arabic is the ultimate goal.

2. Dilemma of Learning Arabic:

Learning Arabic can be challenging, especially to Muslims who do not have an Arabic background,
new Muslims, or those Muslims who are not living in an Arab speaking country. Generally, every
Muslim is required to obtain the ability to read/recite some of the Qur’ān to fulfill certain religious
obligations (e.g. Ṣalāh). Most courses on Introductory Arabic focus on teaching conversational Arabic
with little emphasis on the Qur’ān. Perhaps this is the case because the latter is often considered “too
advanced”.
3. Methodology of the Course:

This course focuses on teaching Essential Qur’ānic Arabic grammar alongside high-yield vocabulary
from the Qur’ān. There is little focus on conversational Arabic, which is left aside for now. Thus, this
course is different from most Arabic courses since it focuses primarily on Qur’ānic Arabic, and teaches
grammar through the Qur’ān. The goal of reading comprehension of the Qur’ān (and ultimately
listening) overshadows everything else relative to learning Arabic.
The course starts teaching from the basic Arabic word, then word constructions, and then finally
sentences. The second half of this course focuses on Verbs and Verbal Sentences. Altogether, there is a
step-wise progression in teaching the student the fundamental aspects of Qur’ānic Grammar alongside
Qur’ānic Vocabulary. Each lesson comes with several examples directly taken from the Qur’ān.
Furthermore, at the end of each chapter, there are questions testing the student’s mastery of the
material, most derived directly from the Qur’ān.
© Islamic Online University Introduction to Qur’ānic Arabic – Level 1

Altogether, the student who completes Introduction to Qur’ānic Arabic, Levels 1 and 2 successfully
should gain the ability of basic Qur’ānic reading comprehension (with the help of a Dictionary).
Furthermore, the student should also be able to translate Hadith and Classical Arabic literature at a
basic level. However, the student should continue to learn and develop their Arabic skills and take a
higher-level Intermediate Qur’ānic Arabic course.
4. Material and Support for the Course:

a. The Textbook for the Course is “Essentials of Qur’ānic Arabic-Volume 1”.

The Book has 13 lessons, which cover the essentials of Qur’ānic Arabic. This course is split into
several modules which explain and elaborate on material from this textbook. Each Module
incorporates reading material, Video lectures, and pertinent vocabulary. The book is available as a
free eBook and available online on this highlighted link: Essentials of Quranic Arabic - Volume 1.
A hard copy of the text may be purchased through this link: Essentials of Quranic Arabic – Textbook.

b. Video Lectures on each Lesson

c. Qur’ānic Vocabulary: The compilation called “80% of Qur’ānic Vocabulary” which is available from
free download from this highlighted link 80% of Quranic Vocabulary. Another related resource that
will help students learn Qur’ānic Vocabulary is this highlighted link http://www.80percentwords.com/
d. Arabic Dictionary: A pdf for the Hans Wehr Dictionary along with other useful dictionaries can be
accessed through this highlighted website http://ejtaal.net/m/aa/
e. Forums: The forums will be an important means to answer questions related to Qur’ānic Arabic. It
will also allow for positive student interaction and feedback.
f. Live Monthly Video Lectures: These lectures will address questions that students may have and
will serve as a useful review session. Additional topics relative to the course may also be elaborated
upon.
5. Quizzes and Exams: There will be quizzes associated with the individual modules based on the
Video lectures, reading material, and vocabulary.