About learning to read Arabic
Who it’s for — Complete beginners, reverts, and adults who were never taught to read Arabic or were taught once but want a fresh start. Children learning for the first time start here too.
No payment details, no obligation to continue.
“As a revert, I’m very happy with Inaabah Institute and the welcoming environment they provide. The teacher is incredibly uplifting and supportive despite me being a beginner.”
What this course covers
- The Arabic letters by reading and listening
- The short and long vowels, Sukoon & Shaddah
- How to read whole words, short āyāt and complex extracts from the Qur’an
- The confidence to open a muṣḥaf and know what you are looking at
One-to-one or groupOne-to-one is the usual start here — a beginner needs a teacher’s full attention on every letter. Group lessons are available for those who prefer a peer-learning setting once you’ve built a strong foundation in the basics of the alphabet. Compare the two side by side.
The syllabus
What you cover, module by module.
Module one
The alphabet
All twenty-nine letters, by shape, by sound, and by the dots that tell two identical shapes apart, including the letters that beginners often confuse.
Module two
The vowels
- Fathah, kasrah and dammah
- All three cases of tanween
- The long vowels
- A mini introduction to Tajweed (the rules of the Qur'an)
Module three
Reading from the muṣḥaf
Sukoon and shaddah, sun and moon letters, how to stop on words and a smooth introduction to reading the Qur'an.
This course spans over 10 weeks and 20 lessons, so you can learn to read the Qur'an in less than three months. You can have more lessons in a week if you feel you need a push, or slow down if you want some time to revise.
All modules include homework and additional resources so you have sufficient material to practice with between lessons. Lesson time is split between learning new content and finishes with exercise drills to implement the theory.
Before you start
Do I need to know any Arabic before I start?
No. This course starts at the letter itself. If you cannot read a single word yet, you are exactly who it is for.
How long before I can read from a muṣḥaf?
It follows how often you learn and how much you practise between lessons. Students who follow the Qaa’idah course learn to read the Qur’an in under 3 months.
I learned the Qaida as a child but have forgotten most of it. Is this course for me?
Yes. It’s suitable for adults who were taught once and want a fresh start. Your free trial lesson shows your teacher what you still remember, so your lessons start from where you really are.
How long is each lesson?
Lessons typically last between 30 minutes and an hour, depending on your schedule.
Is there homework?
Yes. Every module comes with homework and extra resources, so you have material to practise with between lessons. You hand it in through your student portal, and your teacher sends back corrections.
Can I learn the Qaida in a group?
Yes, once you’ve built a strong foundation in the alphabet. Beginners usually start one-to-one, because every letter needs a teacher’s full attention. Groups are kept to no more than five students.
What comes after the Qaa’idah course?
Once you can read, you can move on to Fluency to build your pace and learn Tajweed in order to perfect the rules of recitation.
Is there anything to read alongside the course at home?
Our children’s book explains what the surahs recited every day actually mean — Al-Fatiha, Al-Ikhlaas and six more — in the same approach we use with children in our classes. A whole surah is free to read.
Still have a question? Everything else people ask before booking.
Interested for a child? See how we work with children.
Start with a free trial lesson.
You will not be rushed. The first lesson starts wherever you actually are, even if that is the very first letter.
- Free
- No card required
- No commitment