How to Learn Quranic Arabic
Qur'anic Arabic is amongst the most poetic, and difficult, languages to learn. Though it shares many traits with Modern Standard Arabic, there are significant differences which are only taught in certain universities in the United States.
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Instructions
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Determine your intent. Arabic can be a difficult language to learn, and Qur'anic Arabic is even more difficult in some cases. If your intent is to become a scholar of the language in an academic sense (that is, you want to teach it or write about the Qur'an) then you should skip to Step 3 (below). If you are wanting to study the Holy Qur'an in its original Arabic, then there are several ways to achieve this, as outlined below. Either way, understand that this form of Arabic is highly poetic and relies on very complex sentences and nuances that are not easy for new students.
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Seek a mosque. Traditionally, the Qur'an is taught in special Mosque-sponsored schools called "madrasas." Though the news media often links the word "madrasa" automatically with the word "radical," the truth is that the vast, vast majority of madrasas focus solely on memorization of the Holy Qur'an and the traditions (or Hadith) of the Prophet (PBUH). Local mosques may or may not have an associated madrasa, but either way, the clergy of the Mosque will help you on your path to understanding the Holy Qur'an and its language.
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Researching a university. Islam and its holy book, the Qur'an, are objects of study in several academic fields, including history, religious studies, and cultural anthropology. Though many universities now offer Arabic (due to the expansion of "critical area" scholarships via the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) governmental grants), only a very select few offer Qur'anic Arabic. Universities with a strong reputation for Islamic studies or religious studies will generally offer at least introductory courses in Qur'anic Arabic. Universities such as Princeton, University of California at Berkeley, University of Chicago, and University of California at Santa Barbara are some examples of schools which do offer Qur'anic Arabic. If you are not sure whether a particular university offers Qur'anic Arabic, you should contact the department which handles teaching Arabic directly via email, telephone, or letter.
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Studying abroad. Many madrasas and universities abroad, particularly in the Middle East, offer courses in Qur'anic Arabic. Older Mosques such as al Azhar in Cairo (see resources, below) offer traditional Qur'anic studies as well as advanced studies in other subjects. One way to find out about overseas madrasas or universities which offer the type of learning you wish to pursue is to contact your local Mosque or university about study abroad programs. Often these institutions have a special relationship with a particular institution overseas and will be able to direct you better than researching on your own.
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Learning Modern Standard Arabic first may help in learning Qur'anic Arabic on your own. Though modern Arabic-to-English dictionaries, such as the Hans Wehr dictionary (see Resources, below) do offer some definitions that are appropriate for Qur'anic Arabic, the true meaning of the word may be listed very far down and be obscured by more logical-seeming definitions that miss the essence of the Qur'an's intention. A better resource is Lane's Lexicon, though it is very expensive to acquire. Still the Lexicon is a much better resource to use for Qur'anic Arabic since its author, an Englishman named Edward W. Lane, immersed himself in Egyptian Arabic culture for years attempting to divine the Qur'an's meanings and nuances (see Resources, below).
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Tips & Warnings
It is highly recommended that you should learn Modern Standard Arabic first, or at least enough to understand a little Arabic before studying Qur'anic Arabic. Some madrasas focus on rote memorization, while others focus on a more scientific approach. Private tutors can also help, but only if they are either well-versed in the Qur'an or are clerics in their own right.
Before embarking to study in a madrasa or university overseas, it would be wise to check with the United States Department of State and ask if they have any particular concern about the institution you wish to study at. They will have information on the security status of your host country, and answer any questions you have about studying there.
