Eng Foreword PDF
Eng Foreword PDF
Eng Foreword PDF
UNDERSTAND QUR’AN -
The Easy Way
(Level-I)
Compiled by
Dr. Abdulazeez Abdulraheem
Reviewed by
Dr. Syed Shah Taqiuddin Ahmad Al-Firdawsi An-Nadwi Al-Maneri
Head, Dept. of Arabic & Islamic Studies, IIS, Dammam, KSA
&
Dr. Abdul-Moiz
(Graduate, Jamia Nizamia, Ph.D. Osmania Univeristy, Hyderabad)
Lecturer, Department of Arabic, Delhi University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD (Translation)
by Dr. Syed Shah Taqiuddin Ahmad Al-Firdawsi An-Nadwi (Ph.D. Jamia Salfia, Banaras, India)
In the name of Allah, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and
Sustainer of the worlds. The (best) outcome is for the righteous. Peace and blessings be on His
Slave and Messenger, Muhammad, and on his family, followers and his companions.
The translation of the meanings of the Noble Qur’an into various languages started in the early
days of Islam. It is reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, pbuh)
sent Salman Al-Farsi (may Allah be pleased with him, Abpwh) to his tribe so that he may teach
Islam in Persian. He used to translate Surah Al-Fatihah into Persian.
The Aslaaf (pious predecessors) have permitted the translation of the meanings of the Noble Qur’an
in order to help in the understanding of the Qur’an for those who do not have command in Arabic.
They also clearly stated that one cannot rely on the translation alone to deduce Shariah
commandments. The translation, however accurate and faithful, can not transfer the spirit of the
text and the context.
The task of translation of a text to any other language involves numerous difficulties. The one who
translates from Arabic language, especially the Noble Qur’an, finds himself facing obstacles that
cannot be overcome without a thorough knowledge of Arabic as well as the language he is
translating into. Sometimes, a single word of the Noble Qur’an has numerous implications that
cannot be conveyed except through the context in which the word occurs. Further, the Noble
Qur’an contains words and terminologies that do not have equivalent in any other language. In
such a case the translator has to follow the commentator of the Noble Qur’an Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas
(Abpwh) who said, “If you find difficulty in understanding the text of the Qur’an, then refer to the
Arabic poetry (of the Prophet’s time).” Even the Arabic poetry may not of help in certain cases.
For example, certain words occurring in the Qur’an were not clear to the companions (Abpwt) even
though they lived in the golden era of the Arabic language. Umar (Abpwh) was once questioned
about the meaning of “Fakihatan wa abba.” He said, “I don’t know what abba is.”
Yet another aspect of the Arabic language is its beauty and sweetness. To translate this and other
similar aspects, a translator has to be an expert of different sciences of the Arabic language such
as its prose and poetry with respect to Balaghah and ’ijaz. He should have command on the Arabic
Grammar and be familiar with different schools of Nahw and Sarf (The schools of Koofa, Basra, and
Hijaz). He should also have expertise in the sciences of the Noble Qur’an, such as the knowledge
of Naasikh and Mansookh, and the structure and the arrangement of Qur’anic chapters and verses.
One can refer to AbdulQahir Al-Jurjani, the best of the scholars who understood the structure and
the arrangement of the Noble Qur’an. The translator should follow the pure Sunnah and should not
violate the limits set up by the commentators and specialists among our pious predecessors.
After fulfilling the above-mentioned conditions, a translator can undertake the task of explaining the
meanings of the Noble Qur’an and presenting it to the non-Arabic speakers.
After this introduction, I would like to present the efforts of Dr. Abdulazeez Abdulraheem who is
honored to develop an easy approach towards understanding the Book of Allah for the beginners.
He has employed modern language teaching methods as well as electronic media to spread the
message. I pray to Allah that the non-Arabic students benefit from this course. I also pray that He
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PREFACE
All praise be to Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of this universe, and may peace and blessings of
Allah be upon his Prophet, Muhammad.
Allah says very explicitly in His Book, "(This is) a Book (the Qur'an) which We have sent down to
you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its verses, and that men of understanding may
remember [38:29]." If we don't understand the Book, how can we ponder on its verses!
Ahadeeth also emphasize the learning of the Qur’an. The Prophet of Allah, Muhammad, pbuh, said,
"The best among you are those who have learnt the Qur'an and teach it (to others)" [Bukhari].
This course is prepared to provide some help in fulfilling the above-mentioned objectives.
Alhamdulillah, there is a strong interest among non-Arab Muslims to understand the Qur’an. In the
past, “Qur’anic Arabic” classes used to go deep into Arabic Grammar, before even starting any
Surah of Qur’an. Consequently, the dropouts from such classes used to be huge. Recently, a new
trend of teaching the Qur’an from word-to-word translations of the Qur’an has emerged. This
approach has proved to be very easy as well as interesting, especially for those who had no
exposure to the Arabic language. The challenge is to merge important Grammar lessons with this
new approach. This course is an attempt to meet this challenge.
The most IMPORTANT and UNIQUE feature of this course is that a significant part of
Qur’anic vocabulary is taught using those parts which are recited everyday or frequently by a
Muslim. Sessions 1-29 of this course includes almost all Daily Recitations. Fortunately, a Muslim
spends almost AN HOUR (the cumulative time for the five daily prayers) EVERYDAY talking WITH
ALLAH, our Creator, in Arabic!!! Therefore, we strongly believe that teaching of the Arabic
language for a Muslim should start with these parts. There are numerous benefits of using this
approach:
(i) Practice is an extremely important factor in learning a new language. During the daily
prayers, we repeat about 150 to 200 Arabic words (almost 50 sentences). By
understanding these parts, we will familiarize ourselves with the structure and style of
Arabic language.
(ii) We will feel a difference in our attention and concentration while praying.
Consequently, there will be fewer disturbances and less whispering by Satan in these
prayers. As a result, our attachment with Allah will increase with time.
(iii) We will instantly feel the effect of this language learning in our day-to-day life. This
sense of achievement cannot be felt in any other Arabic learning course that is based
on any other material.
Sessions 30-43 are on Frequent Recitations. By this we mean those recitations which we use
from time to time. In fact, Ahadeeth strongly encourage us to recite some of these daily (Verses
from Surah Al-Baqarah 1-5, 255-257, 287-288 and Surah Al-Hashr 22-24).
Sessions 44-50 includes some extra verses (or a part of these verses) and two Ahadeeth, the
total length of which is just two pages of a normal Mushaf. They are chosen here because they
include those words that occur frequently in Al-Qur’an. It may be noted that the total length of
these extra verses are less than two pages of a Mushaf.
Each session consists of a sentence or two from Spoken Arabic. It is extremely important to
develop a positive attitude towards learning a new language with enthusiasm. These sentences will
The whole course revolves around these four chapters only. You will insha-Allah learn ALMOST
70% of Qur’anic vocabulary (including repetition) using the material covered in Part-I,
provided you learn the Grammar provided in Part VI and VII also. Actually, the total number of
words covered in this course is almost 75% of Qur’anic words. However, a conservative estimate
of the words with the meanings that are leant in this course is approximately 70%. Some of the
words may have other meanings too, but such words are not that many in number.
Another UNIQUE approach of this course is the way Arabic Grammar is taught. The objective
of this course is to help students understand the Qur’an through existing translations.
Consequently, the focus is on “Word Construction” ( )فand not on “Sentence Construction”
(). For teaching ف, an extremely simplified and practical approach using modern language
teaching methods, especially Total Physical Interaction (TPI) is adopted. Further details are
provided in the introduction to Part VII. Insha-Allah Level-II of this course will include additional
lessons on Sarf and Nahw.
This course can be implemented in any English medium school. It can be used at any level from
sixth grade onwards. A separate book which covers daily recitations along with basic grammar is
also prepared (along with transliteration for each word) for primary school students (3rd – 5th
grades).
The course can also be used by non-Muslims who want to learn Arabic. They will not only learn
Arabic but also get an exposure to what Muslims (a significant population of the world) believe and
practice.
Please note that the Qur’an can be understood with this approach in around 200 clock hours using
any word-for-word translation of the Qur’an. Level-II of this course will address some issues in that
direction sometime in future, inshaAllah.
Many people have contributed in the compilation and review of this course. May Allah reward them
all abundantly. May He also protect us from errors and forgive us if they have occurred in this
book. If you find any error, please notify us so that it can be rectified in future editions. We will
really appreciate and pray for you for your suggestions and comments.
Abdulazeez Abdulraheem
August 06, 2004.
Selected References:
1. Learn the Language of the Holy Qur’an. Abdullah Abbas Nadwi. Chicago: Iqra
International Educational Foundation, 1995.
2. Vocabulary of the Holy Qur’an. Dr. Abdullah Abbas Nadwi. Iqra International Educational
Foundation, Chicago. 1996.
3. Access to Qur’anic Arabic. AbdulWahid Hamid. Muslim Educational & Literary Services
(MELS), London, UK, 1998.
4. Qawa’ed-e-Zaban-e-Qur’an (Urdu). Khaleelur-Rahman Chishti. Al-Fawz Academy.
Islamabad, Pakistan, 1999.
5. ظ ا
ن ا
ودرتDr. Muhammad Hussain Abulfatooh. Arabic
Language Institute of King Saud University. Maktaba Lebanon, Lebanon (1990).
1. A course of approximately 25 hours – to help you learn almost 70% of the vocabulary of the Qur’an
(55000 words of the total 78000, approximately).
2. Spare just 25 minutes everyday, and inshaAllah you are on your way to realizing the dream.
3. Start the understanding of Qur’an using what you recite everyday!!! No need to look for any other
text.
4. Immediately start realizing the benefits in your prayers and supplications, and thereby improve the
relationship with Allah. Practice what you learnt right form day one. Start practicing what you learn
by talking to Allah in Arabic with understanding!
5. Each session has 3 different activities, which keeps the participants alive throughout the session.
6. Learn at least one spoken Arabic sentence in each session.
7. More than that, each session is interactive, if conducted in a group!!! Every participant has full and
continous chance to be involved in all the activities (Spoken Arabic, Grammar, and Word-for-word
translation) throughout the session.
8. Learn basic Arabic Grammar as well as almost all important verb patterns by devoting just 8 to 10
minutes in each session.
9. Learning Arabic Grammar perhaps has never been so easy and simple. A new approach to the
practice of grammar, i.e., TPI, Total Physical Interaction. Think it, see it, say it, and show it. One of
the most effective and easiest techniques to overcome the most difficult part of learning the ‘fa’ala’
table (conjugation of a verb). This is the lesson where generally people give up learning Arabic. With
TPI, it becomes just the opposite, i.e., most exciting and interesting part.
10. Every time you practice a grammar session (5 to 7 minutes), you are shown as to how closer you are
to the understanding of Qur’an. Therefore, it becomes a session of love and excitement rather than
that of boring drills.
11. Learn interesting examples/false links to remember some of the ‘odd’ rules of grammar.
12. Revise the whole learning in SPECIAL 10 sessions (at the end) where all frequently occurring words in
the Qur’an are listed separately.
13. To remember important words, each word/verb that you have learnt is listed with an example for you
to practice, remember, and retain. Every time you forget an important new word, you are given a
context for it to recall.
14. Learn all important verb patterns thoroughly along with examples from the material covered in the
first 50 sessions.
15. 16 quizes and 2 exams to help you evaluate your progress and encourage you to revise and continue.
16. With the CD (produced by the Academy), participate along with the audience throughout these
sessions. You don’t have to wait for another sitting for practice. Practice right there!
17. Actually this is a basic training course for every Muslim. It contains those parts which are practiced
everyday by a Muslim. Therefore this course is will have direct impact on his life. It will make his
regular worship more efficient and effective. Simultaneouly he will get the ocnfidence that he can
learn the Qur’an very easily.
It is strongly recommended that you form a team of your friends or family members and start this
course in a group. Studying in a group will help you maintain consistency and regularity in addition
to making the learning process easy and enjoyable. This course can be covered in 60 sessions of
22 minutes each. IT IS STRONGLY HOPED THAT A MUSLIM CAN SPARE AT LEAST 22
MINUTES EVERYDAY TO STUDY THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK OF HIS LIFE. The following
items can be covered in each session:
Hadith: 2 minute
Spoken Arabic: 2 minutes
Grammar: 7 minutes
Revision of the last session: 4 minutes
New lesson: 7 minutes
Please note that Hadith can be read from any authentic collection of Ahadeeth. We try to follow
Riyadhus-Saliheen, the famous collection for the past several hundred years, compiled by Imam
Nuwawi.
HOMEWORK: There are SEVEN simple homeworks for this course. But don’t be afriad!!! All of
them are extremely easy and practicial homeworks. Almost no one can say that he can not do it!
These homeworks are designed to develop an attitude of learning which is the most important
factor in any learning process. The students should always have the feeling that they are learning
Qur'an. It is like those cricket fans who continue their work at office during the day but after every
one or two hours ask their friends as to what the score is!!! So, in the back of their minds they are
following the match. We want our students to develop the attitude that they should always be
aware and feel blessed by Allah that they are learning His Book. This attitude should help them to
do these homeworks whenever they have some spare time.
2 13 VT-1a
he opened 29
36
3 14 VT-1a
he made 346
39
4 15 VT-1b
he helped 92 42
5 16 VT-1b
he remembered 163 45
6 16 VT-1b
he worshipped 143 46
7 17 VT-1b
he disbelieved / was
ungrateful
461 51
8 18 VT-1c
he hit / gave 58 54
9 18 VT-1c ! "
he wronged 266 $
# 55
13 20 VT-1g
63
30 29 DF-2
*L&KMG he glorified; he
praised
48 ) 104
31 30 DF-2
PO *L&KMG he accused (him or it)
of falsehood
198 111
32 30 DF-2
Q/ *L&KMG he sent down 79
9 112
37 -- DF-4 * K M6
KMR - -
123
38 - DF-4 3N! K M6
KMR - -
124
39 33 DF-4
KMR he brought out / took
out
108 C 125
40 34 DF-4 ! 3(6
KMR he submitted 72 $
) 130
41 34 DF-4 3J6
KMR he associated
partners with
120 D 131
42 35 DF-4
Q 36
KMR he sent down 190
9 134
43 35 DF-4 *O
6
KMR he sent (someone) 68
135
44 36 DF-4 86
KMR he wanted 139 2 138
45 36 DF-4 =6
KMR he showed 44 =6 139
46 37 DF-4 0 . S
KMR he believed 782 $8 142
47 37 DF-4 FGS
KMR he gave 274 =
6 143
48 38 DF-5 * K/ G *TK G - -
150
49 - DF-5 3N! K/ G *TK G - -
151
54 40 DF-6 %$ &#
VIWG - 9
6) 160
57 41 DF-7 '
( ) * XY& 38& - 20
167
58 42 DF-8 * K M&8
K&M&8 - -
170
59 - DF-8 3N! K M8&
K&M8& - -
171
60 42 DF-8 #*
K&M8& he followed 140
172
61 43 DF-8 =3>8&
K&M8& he found the path 61 =? 175
- DF-9 *O K M&8
X&KM&8 (NO EXAMPLE AT THIS LEVEL)
-
62 44 DF-10 * K M3(&8
KM&3(&8 - -
182
63 - DF-10 3N! K M3(8&
KM&3(8& - -
183
64 44 DF-10 + , *
KM&3(8& he asked for
forgiveness
42 Z 184
• No. of words and their meanings: The number given in brackets on the top right
side of every page shows the number of times this verb has come in the Qur’an in its
various forms.
• Only common meanings: In this booklet, only the common meanings of the verbs
are given. Depending upon the context, the meanings of the same verb may change.
• Root letters and Verbal noun: Top middle of every page shows the root letters of
the verb. On the top left side, the verbal noun of the corresponding verb along with
its translation is provided.
• Pronouns: On the right side of the column for Past Tense, relevant Detached
Pronouns (
) are given. The corresponding Attached Pronouns (
) are
provided on the left side of the column for Present Tense. Please note that the
Attached Pronouns can come with any verb, noun, or preposition. To emphasize this
point, a box with these forms ( ) is provided just below the column of Attached
Pronoun.
• Past Tense verbs in italics: The verbal forms for past tense are given in italics.
The verb in past tense corresponds to an action which is already completed.
Consequently the letters have been bent (italicized). This is done just to help the
students distinguish it from present tense verbal forms which are kept in normal
upright font.
• Dual forms: The dual forms are sparingly used in the Qur’an. Consequently, to save
space and to give it lesser emphasis, the fontsize for these forms is kept small.
• Conjugations of Past tense verbs ( ! ): Depending upon the person (3rd, 2nd,
or 1st), gender (masculine or feminine), and number (singular or plural), ending words
of the corresponding forms of the past tense change. By this change we know
whether this verb (past tense) is singular or plural, 3rd, 2nd or 1st person, and feminine
or masculine. To remember this feature, here is an example. If you are standing on a
road, you can see the backside of a departed car, truck or jeep. A look at the backside
is enough for you to tell which type of car has gone. Similarly, if you are standing on a
runway, you can see only the backside (tail section) of an aeroplane that has just
taken off. Consequently, at the bottom of the column for past tense forms in the
chart, a balloon of letters ( ( &
' &
$%" "
# ) is attached to an aeroplane that has just
taken off.
In general, it is observed that teaching the “Conjugations of ” is the most difficult lesson of
an Arabic class. Students start dropping the course from this moment onwards. Along with
Abbreviations:
mg masc. gender fg fem. gender br.pl broken plural
sg singular dl dual pl plural
sb somebody st something ss somebody or something