Welcome: which Arabic will we learn?

Welcome to this Arabic course for beginners.

Which Arabic? Arabic is spoken in many countries, and each region has its dialect. This course teaches literary Arabic (الْفُصْحَى, al-fuṣḥaa): the language of the Qur'an, of books, newspapers and speeches, understood across the whole Arab world. What you learn here will help you at the mosque, in prayer and in reading.

How the course is organised: • Unit 1: greeting, introducing yourself, saying where you are from. • Unit 2: the numbers from 1 to 10, the family, "my" and "your". • Unit 3: mosque vocabulary, simple sentences and questions.

How to read the course's words. Each word is given three times: in Arabic with its vowels, in Latin letters to help you, and translated. A few guides for the Latin letters: • aa, ii, uu: long vowel. • ' (apostrophe): the letter 'ayn (ع), a throat sound. • ḥ: the ḥa (ح), a breathy h; kh: the kha (خ). • gh: the ghayn (غ), like a French r. Latin letters do not replace listening: ask a teacher or an Arabic-speaking friend to say the words in front of you.

Masculine and feminine. In Arabic, you do not speak the same way to a man and to a woman. When that is the case, the course gives both forms: (m.) for a man, (f.) for a woman.

The flashcards. Look at the front (in Arabic), say the word aloud, then flip the card. Do the set again the next day: we remember better by reviewing a little every day.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation Why start with literary Arabic? Because it is the form shared by all Arabic speakers and the language of the Qur'an: "We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an so that you may understand" (meaning of verse 12:2). The dialects are real, living, respectable languages, but they vary from country to country; fuṣḥaa is understood everywhere and opens up the religious texts.

Arabic works with roots. Most words are built on three consonants that carry an idea: ع ل م (knowing) gives عِلْم (knowledge), عَالِم (a scholar), مُعَلِّم (a teacher). Learning one root often means understanding several words at once; you will notice it throughout the course.

The diversity of languages is itself a sign of Allah: "Among His signs are the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the diversity of your languages and colours" (meaning of verse 30:22). Learning Arabic does not mean giving up your own language: it means adding one.

Common mistakes: relying only on the Latin letters; wanting to learn everything at once; never speaking for fear of making mistakes; forgetting that the form changes depending on whether you speak to a man or a woman.

Lessons to draw • Review a little every day rather than a lot once a week. • Speak from the start, even with three words: a language is won by using it. • Link each new word to its root when you can. • Keep a noble intention, such as understanding your prayer and the Qur'an: the Prophet ﷺ said that whoever takes a path seeking knowledge, Allah makes easy for him a path to Paradise (Muslim 2699).

Key points • The course teaches literary Arabic (al-fuṣḥaa). • Each word is given in vowelled Arabic, in Latin letters and translated. • (m.) for a man, (f.) for a woman.

The main message Every Arabic word you learn is a small key to understanding the prayer, the Qur'an and the community better.