How to Teach Yourself How to Read the Quran

The Quran is central to the lives of observant Muslims. It is the primary source of Islamic law, and is recited regularly during prayers and optional worship. Muslims read the Quran for comfort and guidance. Traditionally, Muslim families have children learn Quran by rote, but if you are a new Muslim or want to learn more of the Quran on your own, learning to read the Quran is considered a meritorious act. The classical Arabic of the Quran is considered unusual and beautiful, and being able to read the Quran for yourself will help you understand Islam.

Consult a guide to the Arabic alphabet, which you can find at the beginning of Arabic dictionaries and websites such as Omniglot. Familiarize yourself with the sounds and shapes of the letters; some letters change shape according to their position in the word.

Attempt to sound out the words in a section of the Quran. Look up the meaning of the word in your Arabic dictionary. Check the Arabic grammar guide to determine the function of the word in the sentence.

Check to make sure your sounding out of the words is accurate by listening to a recording of that section of the Quran. Check the accuracy of the terms in the dictionary and grammar guide against a professional translation. Your results should differ less as you become more experienced.