Foreword
Five years have passed since the publication of Quranic Arabic, an Arabic learning method based on the Quran. In the meantime, volumes 2 and 3 were published. Experience and high standards led me to completely redesign volume 1, which can be considered a new work in its own right.
I greatly expanded the content, particularly in the final dialogues, which address the central themes of the Quran — what are known as the ghāyāt or maqāṣid, the fundamental objectives of the Quranic message. This textbook should not be limited to the linguistic dimension alone; it should also give learners keys to reading and understanding the sacred Text.
The Method’s Purpose
Designed for teachers and self-learners alike, this book guides students step by step through Arabic learning, with the primary objective of understanding the Quranic text. It combines detailed study of Quranic grammar with oral and written practice based on Quranic words and roots.
From the very first pages, learning is illustrated with verses or excerpts from verses. The method never asks students to memorize texts without understanding them.
Although initially designed for adults and teenagers, much of the pedagogical material can also be used for teaching children.
Structure
The book comprises 10 + 2 units (revision units) and three exams. Each unit contains 5 lessons — 60 lessons in total, covering the equivalent of two years of study at 1.5–2 hours per week.
Unit 1 is designed for students who already know the alphabet. A version for complete beginners is available free on the website.
Pedagogy
Each unit develops the four skills: listening comprehension, reading comprehension, speaking, and writing. “Pedagogical thread” notes guide teachers through the activities.
Resources
Audio recordings, interactive PowerPoint files (“Safar”) and downloadable memo sheets summarising grammar and key phrases are available on the website.
Quranic Grounding
Learners will read their first Quranic words from the earliest lessons. Each unit opens with a proverbial Quranic passage. The final dialogues address the maqāṣid — the fundamental objectives of the Quranic message — so that this manual opens not only onto the language but also onto the meaning of the sacred Text.
See also:
→ Quranic Arabic — method based on the Quran
→ In Quest of the Arabic Language — Modern Arabic A1