If you have ever stayed quiet when others recited, or held a mushaf you could not read, you are far from alone. Countless adults, mothers and fathers, professionals and grandparents, are in exactly the same position. And many of them are now reading the Qur'an for themselves, because they decided to start.
Is it too late to learn as an adult?
The Prophet ﷺ said: "The one who is skilled in the Qur'an will be with the noble and righteous scribes, and the one who recites the Qur'an and stumbles over it, finding it difficult, will have two rewards" (reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim).
Read that again. The person who struggles is promised a double reward: one for the recitation and one for the effort. The difficulty you are worried about is not a reason to wait; it is part of what Allah rewards.
Adults also have real advantages over children. You can concentrate for longer, understand a rule when it is explained, and choose to practise every day. Many adults move through the early stages faster than children do.
Where are you now?
Be honest with yourself about your starting point. There is no shame in any of them, and each has a clear first step.
- I don't recognise the Arabic letters. Start at the very beginning of the Noorani Qaida, with the letters and their sounds.
- I know the letters but can't read words. Start with the vowel signs and joined letters, the middle of the Qaida.
- I can read slowly but stumble a lot. Read from the mushaf daily with a teacher correcting you, and begin learning the basic rules.
- I read fluently but I'm unsure of the rules. You are ready for Tajweed. Our guide to Tajweed rules for beginners is a good place to look first.
What is the path, step by step?
- The letters and their sounds. All 28 letters, with attention to the ones that have no equivalent in English, Urdu or Hindi.
- The vowel signs. Short vowels first, then tanween, sukun, shaddah and the long vowels.
- Joining letters. How letters change shape within a word, and reading whole words.
- Reading from the mushaf. Start with short surahs you may already know by heart; recognising them on the page is a great encouragement.
- Fluency, then Tajweed. Once you read steadily, learning the rules of Tajweed makes your recitation correct and beautiful.
Learn on the print you will use
Printed copies of the Qur'an come in different styles, and the shapes of some marks differ between them. If you will mainly read from an Indian-style copy at home, it makes sense to learn on that style.
How long does it take?
It depends on where you start and how regularly you practise. With fifteen to twenty minutes a day and a teacher correcting you, most adults who start from the letters are reading short passages within a few months, and reading the mushaf steadily within a year. Some move faster, some slower, and both are fine.
The single biggest factor is consistency. Ten minutes every day beats two hours once a week.
How do you get past the hesitation?
For many adults the hardest part is not the reading, it is the embarrassment of starting. A few things help:
- Learn one-to-one. With only you and your teacher in the class, there is no one else to hear your mistakes.
- Choose a patient teacher. A good teacher has taught many adults before you and expects every mistake you will make.
- Keep your goal personal. You are not competing with anyone. You are learning to read the words of your Lord.
- Mark small wins. The first word you read, the first line, the first page. Each one is worth noticing.
How can you learn with us?
For sisters, we offer a learn-to-read course taught one-to-one by a female tutor, at times that fit around your day. It is for anyone starting from the basics, and for those who can already read a little and want to finish reading the Qur'an properly. You can read more on our page for online Qur'an classes for ladies.
Sources
- Sahih al-Bukhari 4937; Sahih Muslim 798: the double reward for the one who recites with difficulty.