Congratulations on such an important decision! You are determined to learn Arabic, but how to choose a method? Which book should you choose to study and how can you start “speaking” as quickly as possible? We have prepared a guide for you on modern courses and methods of learning Arabic.

First, decide on the goal for which you need to learn Arabic. Do you want to study works on Sharia sciences without waiting for translation? Understand the Koran in the original? Or maybe you are planning to visit an Arabic-speaking country? Are you planning to attract new partners to your business?
It’s one thing if you need to learn a language for simple everyday situations in order to communicate at the airport, in a store or hotel, and another if you plan to read books by early scientists in the original.
Defining your end goal is a very important step in making your training as effective as possible. Learning a language is a long and challenging journey, and having a clear understanding of your motivations for learning a language will help you avoid giving up midway.

Arabic alphabet
Whatever goal you set for yourself, start by learning the alphabet. Many people try to skip this step, relying on the transliteration of Arabic words. But sooner or later you still have to return to this step, and you will also have to relearn the words that you have already memorized. It's better to start right away with the basics. At first, when learning the alphabet, difficulties may arise, but then you will see that it will not take much time. Also, do not forget about developing your writing skills, buy or print copybooks and try to study them regularly and write as many Arabic words as possible. It is reading syllables and writing that will help you learn letters in different positions. Of course, it will be bad at first, and it will take time for you to get used to the writing method, but with a little effort you will learn to write Arabic text.
Practice pronouncing letters more, even in a whisper. Our articulatory system needs to get used to new positions, and the more you repeat, the faster you will learn.

Choosing to Study Islamic Sciences
To prepare for understanding and reading Arabic-language literature, and Sharia books in particular, in addition to vocabulary, it is necessary to master the grammar of the language. A good choice would be Dr. AbdurRahim's Medina course. Despite the fact that there is little vocabulary, the course is very global and systematic in terms of grammar and provides gradual learning for the student. The main advantage of the Medina course is a clear system of presenting material without dry formal statements of rules. “Ajurrumia” is practically dissolved in it and, with stable training, by the end of the second volume you will have half of the basic grammar in your head.
But the Medina course requires additional effort to gain vocabulary. There are many additional materials for it - like taabir or qiraa (small reading aids), and any aids for strengthening vocabulary or listening skills. For the most effective learning, the Medina course should be taken comprehensively, or additionally take a course that is aimed at developing reading and speech, such as Al-Arabiya Bayna Yadeyk.

Choice for spoken language

To develop communication skills, a good choice would be the Al-Arabiya Bayna Yadeik or Ummul-Qura (al-Kitab ul-Asasiy) course. The study of Al-Arabiya Bayna Yadeyk is more widespread, the emphasis in the course is on conversational practice. The big advantage is that from the very first lessons you can learn the phrases necessary for simple communication and practice the pronunciation of letters. Particular attention is paid to listening. This course was written for foreigners who came to work in Saudi Arabia, and is designed in such a way that the student can “painlessly” gain vocabulary and speak Arabic. Having completed the first volume, you will be able to speak correctly on simple everyday topics, distinguish Arabic speech by ear, and write.
In the future, when studying these courses, you must additionally take grammar. For example, after finishing the second volume, you can additionally take the Ajurumia course.

How to replenish your vocabulary
One of the problems that students of any foreign language face is insufficient vocabulary. There are many ways to learn new words, and they are also effective for Arabic. Of course, the best way to learn words is to memorize them in context. Read more books in Arabic, and at the initial stage, short stories and dialogues, underlining and highlighting new words. They can be written out and posted around the house, they can be entered into special applications that allow you to learn words anywhere (such as Memrise), or simply written down in a dictionary. In any case, set aside at least 30 minutes to repeat the words.
When pronouncing a word, imagine it in the most colorful way, or use illustration cards - this way you will use several parts of the brain at once. Describe the word for yourself, draw parallels and create logical chains - the more connections your brain creates, the faster the word will be remembered.
Use the words you have learned in conversation. This is the most effective method, and the most natural. Make up sentences with new words, pronounce them as often as possible, and of course, don’t forget to repeat recently learned words.

Developing auditory skills
Particular attention should be paid to developing the ability to understand Arabic speech by ear. Do not neglect listening, practice shows that many people can read and understand, but not everyone can understand what the interlocutor said. To do this, no matter how trivial it may sound, you need to listen to more audio materials. On the Internet you can find quite a few short stories, stories and dialogues in Arabic, many of them supported by text or subtitles. Many resources offer you a short test at the end to check how much you understand what you read.
Listen to it as many times as necessary, over and over again, and you will notice that you will understand more and more each time. Try to understand the meaning of unfamiliar words from the context, and then check the meaning of the words in a dictionary. Don’t forget to write down new words in order to learn them in the future. The more vocabulary you have, the easier it will be for you to understand speech.
What to do if almost nothing is clear? Perhaps you took too difficult material. Start with the simplest, no need to immediately take complex audios, which are intended more for those who are fluent in the language. Choose speakers who speak clearly and clearly, in simple literary language.
Consistency is important in developing listening skills. You need to study more and not despair, even if it seems that you understand almost nothing. With the addition of your vocabulary and constant practice, you will begin to distinguish words more and more, and then understand Arabic speech in the original.

Let's start talking
You need to start talking as early as possible. You shouldn’t wait until you have a fairly large vocabulary; you can start building the simplest dialogues after the first lessons. Let them be banal, but do not neglect the development of speaking skills and diction. Chat with your relatives and classmates on various topics. Didn't find your partner? You can talk to yourself in front of a mirror, the main thing is to introduce new learned words into your speech, transfer them from the “passive” vocabulary to the “active” one. Learn common expressions and try to use them as often as possible.
Additionally, take tongue twisters, pronouncing them is an excellent simple method of improving diction. What is this for? Our speech organs are accustomed to pronouncing native sounds, and the Arabic language has many specifics. Therefore, a good solution would be, along with measured reading and conversational practice, to practice pronouncing Arabic tongue twisters from time to time. As a nice bonus, this will help you get rid of your accent faster.

Letter
The further you go in learning Arabic, the more you will have to write. For example, already in the second volume of the Medina course, there are up to 20 assignments in a lesson, 10-15 pages long. By practicing in a timely manner, you will greatly facilitate your learning process in the future. Write down every day what you have learned, all new words and sentences. Prescribe even those exercises that are assigned for reading or oral performance. If your vocabulary and basic knowledge of grammar allow, describe what happened to you during the day, invent and write down new dialogues.

By developing these skills, you approach learning Arabic from all angles - and this is the most effective method. Don't forget about constant learning and diligence on your part. Even the most advanced methods do not work on their own. To learn a language you just need to study. Of course, there are more and less effective methods - for example, by learning a language with a native speaker, especially in an Arab country, you will begin to speak faster, because such classes take place with complete immersion in the language environment. But by studying at home, choosing the most effective methods that have been developed over the years, you can achieve good results.

1. So, you have learned the alphabet and know how to write (albeit clumsily. I myself have terrible handwriting in Arabic, but this is not the main thing, you are not a secretary in an Arab company.) Now you start with this and only with this: First volume Medina course, videos by I. Sarbulatov:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3797F14762B55D79
2.Have you completed the first volume? Moved to the second:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8043CDAAAF80F433
● You need to start EXACTLY with these playlists and not take a step back. These 2 volumes with a clear and understandable explanation by I. Sarbulatov provide a serious starting base. You don’t even need a teacher, just sit down and turn on the video, listen carefully to what he says and write down.
3. With diligent training (3 videos a week, weekends - repeat), it should take you about 2-3 months, depending on your frequency. Don’t say now “ugh, that’s a long time”, this path is worth it and you will already be able to calmly make up children’s sentences like “who is this? This is a rooster.” (What did you want? This is a completely new, still unlearned language for us and we need to treat it normally. If you have seen “Arabic in 2 weeks” manuals in stores etc. and you think that Arabic can be mastered in so many days, then this is complete absurdity. Children begin to speak their native language only after 2-3 years. Don’t forget about it)
4. Repeat what you have learned, read more articles about motivation and don’t give up. We must try, try and try again, no matter what the circumstances. Many people start studying with some phrase books, learning some dialogues in Arabic, etc., thinking that they are thereby learning the language. This is the wrong approach. It’s just a waste of time, believe me. What I’m giving you now is I walked this path myself and Alhamdulillah I achieved more than those who are still learning Arabic proverbs, sayings and Baranov’s dictionary day and night in order. This will not work. We first need a basis, a base, a layout, a skeleton. I. Sarbulatov gives this in the best way on video. You don’t even need to hire any tutors.
● Print or buy Abu Adel's book for honey. course and go through/repeat it again. The effect will double, I assure you. I myself went through Abu Adel’s book 2 times.
5. Next comes Volume 3:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9067216426552628
Having reached this level, you will finally become familiar with the so-called “breeds”, and by this time you will understand how this or that word is constructed in Arabic. There is no need to separately learn the words “visitor, writer, player, written, visited, played, told”, etc. You will simply put one corresponding verb in the desired “frame” and get the desired word.
6.You are not required to sit down and sit for hours. Spectator attention - half an hour. During the day - half an hour, in the evening - a little more, and at night - run through the notebook with your eyes. Effect 100%
7.Motivation, strong support - on the website http://nuruliman.ru/ They write convincingly and the words are highly motivating.
8.Make dua. There is no other language that would be mastered as well and quickly as the Arabic language - if you put in niyat for the sake of Allah and with the goal of at least reading His Scripture well (placing correctly logical stresses in words and sentences) and even understanding some words, as well as hadiths . NOT EVERYTHING WILL COME TO US AT ONCE. Make more duas.
9.Motivate yourself as often as possible.
10.If the desire begins to disappear from time to time, see point 9.
11. In the first 3-4 months, do not try to construct serious sentences like “I looked back to see if she looked back, to see if she looked back,” or at least what you see in front of you, and if you fail to construct a sentence, get upset. Don’t even think about it, remember at how many months a child begins to construct sentences. We are absolutely the same children.
12. Ask Allah to make your matter easier for you and turn to experts in Arabic. At least on the Internet.
13. So, you have mastered the first 3 volumes of the medical course, enough time has passed, but you feel that you have really improved compared to what you knew 2-3 months ago. Imagine now WHAT you will know in another six months. Go towards the goal. Set small goals (learn 10 words, then 10 more words: kitaabun, daftarun, masjidun...). By the end of the 3rd volume, you will already have a stock of more than 500 high-frequency words approximately. Iron, iron, love, search, use, read, write, went out, came in, looked, cat, dog, grandmother, grandfather.
14. So. Now we have a small, but still sufficient base for today. How does a child begin to learn a language? That's right, he remembers the words. We will learn the words with you. Which ones? Let's take a dictionary and learn everything? Words that we can only encounter in 80-100 years? Or will we learn high-frequency words that cover 95% of word usage in everyday speech? (Less in written language.) What words will we learn? Nepotism, gestalt ,patrol? Or “student, teacher, wake up, read, laugh, talk,
understand, institute, sea, forest, face, hands”?...
15.I give you ONE OF THE BEST TEXTBOOKS IN THE ENTIRE POST-SOVIET SPACE. This is Bagautdin’s book “Arabic Language Textbook”. Words are given there, then there is a small text where these words are used. There are collected about 4000 words of the MOST USED. I still repeat these words, because in cartoons, in video lectures, these words are everywhere. There is a method of learning words that leads to excellent results. This method is “Words and text” gives amazing results. You first learn the words, and then when you read the text, you are glad that you understand the Arabic text, because you know all the words that are there. This book will take you about six months. This textbook is one of my favorites my textbooks. There is also an audio version on the Internet.
16. That's all for now. This article is for you for one year. Insha Allah, if we are healthy and alive, write to me in a year with the question “what’s next” and if by that time I am still learning Arabic, insha Allah, then I will tell you what to do. )
17. When you learn words, you don’t need to sit for an hour. 15 minutes is enough. We took a picture of the words on our phone, opened it at the university/institute, and repeated. Is it lunchtime at work? We ate, opened the phone, and repeated. The effect is stunning. The effect will be exactly 15 minutes every 4-6 hours.
18. Try. Try. Nobody promised you ease. Your actions = your result. A person who worked diligently according to the instructions written above, who taught, tried, repeated, cannot tell me after 4 months: “I remained the same as I was.” was there and achieved nothing.” No, you didn’t do anything simple at all. You only deceived yourself.
19. In the photo I wrote out a quote from I. Khaibullin’s book, if you want to improve the result of your study, just multiply some point by 2. “Which one is up to you to choose, depending on your abilities.”
20. I advise you to start a notebook where you will write verbs and their prepositions with which they are used. Just as in English prepositions can change the meaning of words (for example: look out=look out, look at), so in Arabic one or another preposition can change the meaning of the verb. Let’s say: نظر الى - to look (at something), and if instead of the preposition الى we say في, then the verb will be translated as “to think about something.” And there are many such examples. Write down at least 200-300 verbs and with what preposition they are used. The verb “zahaba” with the preposition “ilya”, “bahaSa” (search) with the preposition “gan”.

For now, this is the plan for you and me. I wrote it hastily, if I need anything I’ll add it, but I think I wrote the main and most important things. May Allah reward the one who reposts and shares with his friends. Maybe they also need these tips.
May Allah help us in all our good endeavors!
Amen.
والحمد لله رب العالمين وصلى الله وسلم على نبينا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين

News from Islamic countries

A person who knows a particular language understands when he is addressed, i.e. He knows how to listen, he speaks this language, he can read and write. These are the basic language skills that we acquire from childhood and which we constantly improve throughout our lives. First we hear what adults tell us, then we try to pronounce or repeat something, then we are taught to read, and the last and most difficult skill is the ability to write. Thus, we perceive information by ear or through books and reproduce it through conversation or writing, i.e. two passive skills (listening and reading) and two active ones (speaking and writing). Some linguists add another communication skill, which includes knowledge of society, comparisons, and culture. However, there are still four basic natural skills.

Basically, a person who begins to learn a foreign language prioritizes speaking. A student often worries if he is unable to practice the language he is learning. He gets worried when he can’t remember some words, sometimes he doesn’t listen to what is said to him, etc. A language learner focuses his attention on progress in dialogue, in spoken language. This is normal because the goal of most language learners is conversation or communication. A person begins to perceive information, begins to transmit it, he begins to communicate, and this is the main task. Through conversation, the student sees his progress and can evaluate himself. Therefore, it takes a lot to speak the language you are learning; you need constant practice. This is very important.

This article will talk about how to improve your speaking, how to speak correctly and beautifully, how to speak so that people want to listen to you, and not try to understand. There is a difference between a person who speaks clearly and is pleasant to listen to and between a person whose needs we understand through effort.

Here are some tips to help you improve your spoken Arabic:

1) Study of grammar and eloquence. The speech of a student who is well versed in Arabic grammar and eloquence will be much more beautiful than the speech of one who is not strong in these sciences, even if the former has a small vocabulary. He can construct sentences in different ways to enhance some meaning, his speech is clear and orderly, he can use different methods of expressing his feelings, he decorates his speech with philological tricks. This is a completely different level. Arabic scholars said: “Whoever studied grammar (al-naha) became like Ifrit.” Those. It is very difficult to drive him into a corner in a conversation or argument; he will always find a way out. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Truly, eloquence is a part of witchcraft” (al-Bukhari, 5434). Those. beautiful speech bewitches listeners. Therefore, you should use your speech and your language for good purposes, because... the tongue will be the cause of loss for many on the Day of Judgment.

2) Constant reading. In addition to the fact that reading broadens your horizons and increases your vocabulary, it also helps you practice the rules of Arabic grammar. It is necessary to read aloud, pronouncing all the endings. It is known that grammatical parsing can be different in the same sentence. You need to read loudly, slowly and carefully, taking these features into account.

3) Listening to audio material. Learning to perceive Arabic by ear is very important. You need to get used to the intonation and emotional nature of the playback. Watching and listening to cartoons, news and other video and audio materials will help with this.

4)Round. The student clocks three minutes and talks to himself on any topic. Speech must be meaningful. Long pauses should be avoided. The purpose of this exercise is not only to improve your speaking, but also to learn how to find topics for conversation and try to ensure that a certain topic has a beginning and an end. The exercise should be performed several times a week until you feel that you can easily speak on any topic.

4) Presentation. You need to write the names of several conversation topics on cards. For example: politics, history, religion, sports, etc. The student mixes the cards and draws one of the topics, 15 minutes are given for preparation, after which he stands up and speaks on this topic for 20-30 minutes. If you can find listeners, great. If this is not possible, we represent our audience ourselves. The exercise will help improve your speaking and sharpen your public speaking and public speaking skills.

5) Constant practice. Find like-minded people. Speak Arabic all the time, to everyone who understands it, whether they like it or not. It is in the pursuit of knowledge that one must show stubbornness and selfishness. After all, selfishness is not always a condemnable quality, but that’s another story...

I hope these tips will help improve your spoken Arabic. Below, in the comments, you can add your tips and methods.

Interested in Arabic?

For the first time in all the time I have been blogging, I will allow myself to greet you the way it is done throughout the Muslim world - Assalamu Aleikum! Today there will be an article with a very unusual format about how I learned to read the Koran at the age of 9, but then successfully forgot everything. A few years later he made another attempt to learn to read the Holy Scriptures, and later he taught people himself.

For those who have long wanted to learn to read Arabic, I have prepared a nice gift at the end of the article. In addition, only for readers of my blog - a special and very profitable offer! But, see all this below, and now, with your consent, I will begin my story...

Not to say that I had a dream since childhood - read quran. It all started very funny, back in 1994, my grandmother sent me, a seven-year-old boy, to buy bread from a nearby stall. According to the law of meanness, the bread had just sold out, and I had to head to the market. At the entrance, I noticed an old aksakal, who had laid out some books on the table and was twirling them in his hands.

The old man turned out to be a humorist and decided to make fun of the little boy (that is, me), called him over and asked: “Baby, I don’t know what you’re looking for, but it’s not that important. Better buy the Koran from me - it will feed you all your life.” I confess that before this I knew exactly as much about the Holy Book of Muslims as the leader of the Ubra-Kuku tribe from Rwanda knows about you and me.

Despite his venerable age, this old man could give a head start to many modern marketers. Imagine, from a huge crowd, accurately identify someone who might be interested in the Koran, call him over and correctly click on the “sick” button, so that the desire to buy here and now will prevail over all objections. However, he could not sell me anything, since I only had enough money in my pocket for bread. But he aroused in me a persistent desire to convince my grandmother of the need for this much-needed purchase.

It didn’t take me long to persuade my grandmother to buy the Holy Scriptures. It turned out that she herself had been thinking for a long time about how to hand me over to the mullah “on bail.” So, with the light hand of that elder, on one of the most beautiful days I walked with a confident gait to an old woman who was teaching children to read the Koran. At first everything went smoothly and orderly, I was reputed to be a successful student, but then it turned out that either I was not quite smart, or the woman had a methodologically illiterate approach to teaching children. In a word, I soon lost interest in learning.

As they say, I called myself a milk mushroom - get into the basket, I had to grit my teeth and study. By the way, there is such a tradition: after a person finishes studying the Koran, they conduct “guran-chykhan”. Like a graduation party in a modern way, relatives bring all sorts of “goodies”, gifts and money, but the mullah gets it all. I didn’t quite like this arrangement, I strained and studied (no matter how) - but the mullah was in chocolate.

It’s embarrassing to admit, but one thing made me happy – now everything was behind me. Everyone was a winner - the mullah received gifts and money, my grandmother fulfilled her dream, and I thought I could read quran. Although, I really could read, only my mother’s laziness took over over time. The fact is that you had to constantly read so as not to forget the language. But make the little tomboy sit and read for two hours every day while your friends are playing football outside the window. But, as it turned out later, it was not about me, but about teaching. The teaching methodology was built fundamentally incorrectly. But the understanding of this came later. After two or three years, I “safely” forgot everything.

How to learn to read the Qur'an correctly?

At about 14 years old, the muse visited me again, and I wanted to master the language of my forefathers. Oh yes, let me clarify – I am Persian by origin and my ancestors spoke Farsi. Probably, it was genetics that contributed to my good endeavors. So I ended up with a very respected teacher who taught reading the Koran - Hajj Vagif. I just recently found out that he passed away...

A few words about my teacher - I have met few such sympathetic and kind people in my life. It felt like he put his whole self into our teaching. A man of respectable age went to the mountains every day, worked in the garden for 10-12 hours, and came home in the evening and began studying. He was a most worthy man!

I still remember the words of my mentor, which he said on the first day of my training: “I will teach you to read the Koran so that you will never forget the rules of reading. Even if 20 years pass and during that time you never look at Arabic writing, you will still be able to read the Holy Scriptures freely.” Considering my sad experience, his words were perceived with irony. Subsequently it turned out that he was right!

So, learning to read the Koran consists of four main components:

• Learning the alphabet (in Arabic the alphabet is called “Alif wa ba”);
• Learning to write (unlike the Russian language, everything is much more complicated here);
• Grammar (Tajweed);
• Direct reading.

At first glance, everything may seem simple, like one-two-three. In fact, each of these stages is divided into several sub-stages. The main point here is that you definitely need to learn to write CORRECTLY in Arabic. Note, not correctly, but correctly. Until you learn to write, you cannot move on to grammar and reading. It was this aspect that was missed in the methodology of my first mentor. You already know what this omission led to.

Two more important points: first, using this method you will only learn to write and read in Arabic, but not to translate. For in-depth education, people travel to Arab countries, where they spend 5 years chewing on the granite of science. Second, immediately decide which Quran you will use to study. Yes, yes, there is a difference in this too. Many old teachers teach in the Qur'an, which is popularly called "Ghazan".

I don’t recommend doing this, because then it will be difficult to “switch” to the modern Koran. The meaning of the text is the same everywhere, only the font is very different. Of course, “Gazan” is simpler, but it is better to immediately start learning with a new font. I know that now many people do not quite understand the difference. To make it clearer, the font in the Quran should be as shown in the picture below:

Advantageous offer!!!

By the way, you can also choose your favorite case and stand there. Yes, the number of Korans is limited, since they are simply not allowed to be carried across the border anymore.

Let's assume that you have the Koran (or you), it's time to move on to the alphabet. Here I recommend starting a notebook right away and remembering your 1st grade. Each letter will need to be written out in a notebook 100 times. The Arabic alphabet is not as complex as the Russian alphabet. Firstly, there are only 28 letters in it, and secondly, there are only two vowels: “alif” and “ey”.

On the other hand, it can complicate the understanding of the language. After all, in addition to letters, there are also sounds: “a”, “i”, “u”, “un”. Moreover, almost all letters (except for “alif”, “dal”, “zal”, “ray”, “zey”, “uau”) are written differently at the beginning of the word, in the middle and at the end. Many people find it very difficult to read from right to left. Everyone is used to reading “normally” - from left to right. But here it’s the other way around.

Personally, this made me uncomfortable when learning to write. It is important here that the bias in handwriting is from right to left, and not vice versa. It took me a long time to get used to this, but in the end I brought everything to automaticity. Although, sometimes it also happens that I forget about the slope. By the way, here is the Arabic alphabet (yellow frames highlight letter writing options depending on their location in the word):

At first, it is very important that you write as much as possible. You need to get better at this, since during this period the foundation of your training is built. In 30 days, it is quite possible to memorize the alphabet, know the variants of writing letters and learn to write. For example, your humble servant did it in 18 days. Although, then the mentor noted that this was a record! I found all this very interesting, and learning was easy.

Once you have learned the alphabet and you can write, you can move on to grammar. In Arabic it is called “tajwid” - the rules of reading. Grammar can be learned directly while reading. There is only one nuance - in the Koran the beginning is not where we are used to. The first mentor began training “from the end” of the Quran (in ordinary books this is the beginning), and the second did the right thing - the training began with surah 1 of the Quran “Al-Fatiha”.

Then you will need to read 1-2 pages every day, 10 times each. This takes about an hour or two at first. Then the number of pages can be increased. The maximum I read was 15 pages. We came to class, read a passage from the Koran - homework, received feedback from the mentor, he pointed out mistakes and gave a new assignment. And so for almost 3 months! After you are already perfect read quran, you can try to learn “avaz” - reading by singing. I didn’t succeed completely, but still...

Friends, of course, it is impossible to convey everything that can be told through an article. Therefore, if you have a desire to learn to read Arabic, look for madrassas or tutors in your city. Today this is no longer a problem. I am sure that live training will be 100 times more effective. If you do not have such an opportunity, then here is the promised present at the beginning of the article - download and install the Zekr program on your computer. It will help you learn to read and listen to the Scriptures. The program is absolutely free. Wikipedia article about the program, there is also a download link.

Let me finish my thoughts here. I really hope that the article was useful to you. I will be glad to read your thoughts in the comments, write whatever you think (within reasonable limits), I am ready to discuss everyone’s opinion. In conclusion, I want to show you a very interesting documentary film “The Koran” from National Geographic:

P.S. I remind you once again about the 15% discount in our online store.

After finishing 10th grade, I went to Dagestan for the summer holidays. Usually you are constantly surrounded by relatives there. But one day I was left in Makhachkala, left to my own devices. And he went for a walk around the city. This was probably my first independent walk through a foreign city. I walked along Gamidov Avenue towards the mountains. And, suddenly, I saw a sign “Islamic shop”. No matter how strange it may seem, my first acquisition in Dagestan was an Arabic script.

Arriving at my uncle's house, I opened it. There were all types of writing letters and their pronunciation was explained in relation to the Dagestan alphabet “The letter ع approximately corresponds to the Arabic gI”, “The letter ح is similar to the Avar xI”. Together with ظ, these were the most difficult letters for me, because... it was hard to imagine how to pronounce them, and the others were mostly in my language. So I began to learn to read Arabic on my own. An ordinary Russian teenager, far from religion. Then I went to my grandfather’s mountain village. It was a time filled with the events of adolescence, when you try a lot for the first time. Along with all this, I tried to learn Arabic. What moved me when I bought this recipe is still mystical for me.

I recently found my first attempts to write in Arabic, which I began just that summer in the village with my grandfather.
Over the summer I learned to read. But then I abandoned this business for many years and remained stuck on this knowledge. The Arabic language seemed something unusually distant and incomprehensible. And my lifestyle was far from learning this language.

Then, already in my 4th year at university, I started doing namaz, started going to the mosque, and met Muslims. One Friday in the mosque I said hello to one of my friends:

- Assalamu alaikum! How are you? What are you doing?
- Wa alaikumu piss! Alhamdulillah. Here, I’m studying Arabic.
- How do you study? Are there any courses?
— No, on your own, using the textbook “Learn to read the Koran in Arabic.”

Then this brother went to Kazan to study and there he got new textbooks, and he sold Lebedev’s books “Learn to Read the Koran in Arabic” to me for 500 rubles when he returned from Kazan on his first vacation.

I worked as a night security guard in a store and took this book with me on duty. I started reading it in my free moments between the fights of the local drunks and until I fell asleep. As soon as I started reading the book, I thought, “Subhanallah, this Arabic language is so easy to learn.”

For so many years I was stupidly able to read and had difficulty memorizing the verses of the Koran - and now I began to understand the logic of the entire language!

My delight knew no bounds. I finished the first book in a month. I didn’t even memorize the words there - I just carefully studied the new rules and read the exercises for them.

Then I got my hands on a textbook" First Arabic lessons ". I began to simply learn a lesson a day (they are very small there). I simply learned new words in the morning - and then repeated them all day (on the bus, while walking, etc.). After a couple of months I already knew almost 60 lessons by heart - all the words and figures of speech that were found in them.

After 2 months of classes, I was visiting an Arab and was surprised to discover that I could communicate in Arabic without speaking a word in Russian!!! It started out as a joke. I said hello in Arabic and my friend answered. Then I asked something else and he answered in Arabic again. And when the dialogue began, it was as if there was no turning back. It was as if we didn’t know Russian. My knees were shaking with happiness.

Previously, I needed to learn the Koran “photographically” - stupidly remember the order of all the letters in words. For example, it took me several days to memorize Surah An-Nas. And after I have learned the basics of grammar, I can read Krachkovsky’s translation and the Arabic text of the verse once (matching the translation to each Arabic word), repeat it a couple of times - and the verse is remembered. If you go through a small surah like this (like An-Naba “The Message”). After half an hour of studying, I can look at Krachkovsky’s translation and read the sura in Arabic (essentially from memory). The most difficult thing is usually to remember the order of the verses.

My tragedy is that having learned to read (it took about two months on my own and haphazardly), I simply could not imagine that it was possible to spend the same amount of time learning the basics of grammar and, if you make an effort and develop an active vocabulary, you can speak Arabic very soon.

The biggest problem for many people is that they think of language as an impregnable fortress that will take many years to storm and siege. And only after that you will master it. In fact, learning a language is better thought of as a small cottage that you build piece by piece. Having studied basic grammar (changing verbs by persons and tenses, changing cases, etc. - this is a brochure of 40 pages in volume) - consider that you have laid the foundation. Next, an opportunity arose - we built a room where we could live and moved there. Then - the kitchen. Then they built a living room, a children's room, and all the other rooms. I saw how houses were built in this way in Dagestan. Instead of renting an apartment, they buy an inexpensive plot of land, pour the foundation and build at least one room where they move. And then, as far as possible, they continue to build the house on the already poured foundation.

If suddenly someone wants to follow my path, which I consider optimal for those who do it mainly on their own, for example, in their free time from their main studies or work, I have prepared a selection of materials (now they have become more accessible and better).

1. Learn to read and write

→ Talking textbook (a self-instruction manual on reading and writing with voiceover of each word and many tips)

2. Basics of grammar.To study grammar, it is better to arm yourself with many books and choose the one that suits you best. The same rule can be given in different words in different books - so that incomprehensible moments can be considered from different angles. Start with one book and download others as needed.

→ Lebedev. Learn to read the Quran in Arabic — an unobtrusive explanation of the basics of grammar using the example of verses from the Koran (I personally went through the first volume. I hated studying foreign languages ​​all my life, but I read this book as fiction, and I realized that Arabic is my language).

→ Yashukov. Arabic grammar tutorial - a compressed volume of 40 pages gives all the basics (a brief summary of any textbook).

→ Khaibullin. Arabic grammar . A new thorough textbook, containing the basics of grammar with numerous examples, as well as the basics of morphology. Very accessible language and sparing volume.

→ Rules of the Arabic language in a simplified and simplified form . (I haven’t tried it myself, but I’ve heard reviews from friends).

→ Kovalev, Sharbatov. Arabic textbook . (A classic of the genre. It is usually used as a reference book where you can find any grammar question).

I think these books should be enough to spare. If you are not satisfied, google Kuzmina, Ibragimov, Frolova and others.

3. Develop an active vocabulary

→ First Arabic lessons . - read the preface to this book carefully and you will understand everything. I actually lived with this book for several months until I learned 100 lessons. If you repeat “my feat,” you will feel close to the Arab world—jokes aside.

4. Language practice

→ Get to know the Arabs, try to communicate with them. For example, you can look for students in the mosque who have just arrived in Russia and speak Russian poorly. If you are hospitable and not intrusive, you can develop very warm and friendly relations. You can learn the language directly from a native speaker. ). This way you can Google materials that interest you, your favorite nasheeds on YouTube, etc. You will be able to plunge into the Arabic Internet, participate in their forums, discussions, make friends on FaceBook, etc.