Arabic 101 · Children and adult beginners
From Qaida to Quran
من القاعدة إلى القرآنLearn to read Arabic from the very first letter, through the Qaida and on to reading the Quran.
Taught by Esatrained in Makkah
Reading the Quran begins with something small: one letter, its sound, and the little marks around it. Arabic 101 is where that begins, for children and for adults, with no Arabic needed.
Built on the Qaida
Lessons follow the Noorani Qaida, the beginner’s reading book used to teach the letters and sounds of the Quran. It moves in small, clear steps: the letters, then the vowel marks, then joining letters into words, then the extra marks that make reading correct.
Then into the Quran
Once the Qaida is done, the same skills carry straight into the Quran itself, starting with short surahs and moving on to reading from the Mushaf.
From Qaida to Quran
Watch one letter become the Quran
Every student walks the same path, one small step at a time. Tap any step to look closer.
Step 1
The letters
Every student starts here: the shape and the sound of each letter, one at a time, until all of them are familiar.
Step 2
Count the dots
ب, ت and ث share one shape. Only the dots tell them apart: one below, two above, three above. Esa numbers them on the page so they stick.
Step 3
Add the vowel marks
Small marks above and below give each letter its vowel. The same ب is read ba, bi or bu.
Step 4
Join them into words
Letters change shape as they hold hands. ك, ت and ب join into كَتَبَ, kataba, “he wrote”.
Step 5
Read the Quran
The same small skills, added up, carry a student from the Qaida to reading the Quran itself, carefully and correctly.
From letters to words
Read your first Arabic sentence
Tap the letters to hear them, then keep scrolling and watch them join into a real sentence. Nothing to sign up for, and nothing to get wrong.
Tap any letter to hear it.
- أَذْهَبُadh-habuI go
- إِلَىilato
- الْمَدْرَسَةِal-madrasatithe school
- كُلَّkullaevery
- يَوْمٍyawmday
adh-habu ila al-madrasati kulla yawmI go to school every day.
Tap each word
Now read it yourself
adh-habu ila al-madrasati kulla yawm: I go to school every day.
Most Arabic words grow from three root letters. Words from the same root share a meaning: د ر س (study) also gives دَرْس, a lesson.
One more thing · Listen
Hear it, find it
Five letters. Tap play, listen, then tap the letter you heard.
Listen
Tap the gold button to hear your first letter.
You’ve got a good ear.
You just picked out Arabic letters by sound alone.
Your ear is already tuning in. A free lesson with Esa picks up right here.
Book a free lessonFree lesson
Keep reading with Esa
That is how a first lesson with Esa feels. Your free lesson starts from exactly where you are now.
Inside a lesson
Esa's pen
Esa teaches on screen with a digital pen. As a student reads, he circles a letter to look at again, colours the words to practise, underlines the vowel marks and ticks each line once it is right.
Practiceتَمْرِين
- كَتَبَ
- جَلَسَ
- ذَهَبَ
- فَتَحَ
- عَلِمَ
- سَمِعَ
- شَرِبَ
- رَكِبَ
- خَرَجَ
- دَخَلَ
- نَصَرَ
- فَهِمَ
Inside a lesson
How a lesson flows
Read the page
Read the lesson from the Qaida together, one letter or word at a time.
Practise the tricky ones
Go back over the marked letters and words until they come easily.
A tick for every line
Each line read correctly gets its tick, and the next lesson builds on it.
Who it is for
Made for every learner
Children
Small, friendly steps and plenty of reading aloud, at a pace that suits their age.
Adult beginners
Never learned to read Arabic? Start from the first letter, without feeling rushed.
Returning readers
Learned as a child but feel rusty? Fill the gaps and read the Quran with confidence again.
The path
From the first letter to the Quran
Choose where you or your child are now. Your message asking Esa for a free lesson is written for you.
Your message to Esa
Assalamu alaykum Esa, I found your website and would like to book a free lesson in Arabic 101 (Qaida to Quran).
Questions
Good to know
Do I need to know any Arabic?
No. Arabic 101 starts from the very first letter.
Is it for children or adults?
Both. Every lesson is one-on-one, so the pace always fits the student.
Which book do you use?
The Noorani Qaida, the beginner's reading book, and then the Quran itself.
How long until my child can read the Quran?
It depends on the student and how often they have lessons. After the free lesson, Esa can tell you where your child is and what comes next.
How long is a lesson?
Lessons are booked in 30-minute slots. For a one-hour lesson, book two slots back to back.
What do we need?
A phone, tablet or computer that can join Google Meet. A bigger screen makes the page easier to read. You receive a Meet link with every booking.
Free practice