Introduction to Qur'anic Script — Page 2
feature of the language in the first lesson. This lesson is short and simple, yet comprehensive. While it teaches the script, and establishes the relationship between a consonant and its vowel in contact, it also gives some idea of the phonology and morphology of the language in non-technical terms. The second lesson introduces four more letters and a second vowel, but the learner's vocabulary of Qur'anic words is extended from four to twenty-three. This repertory of Qur'anic words is built up gradually so that by the end of Lesson 17 when the learner has completed his study of the alphabet he has learnt more than 500 words in their Qur'anic context. Within the space of these seventeen lessons the student is fami liarized with the basic structure of the verb, the definite article, prepositions, particles, nominative and objective cases and some other simple but essential markers. Though the lessons in this book do not require any supplementary material, the learner is strongly advised to obtain a copy of the Qur'an at an early stage. Any Qur'an which has been printed or copied in a well-spaced Naskh style similar to the one used in this book will be a great help. This book is not a course in the art of writing Arabic. Firstly, ability to write Arabic is not essential for reading the Qur'an. Secondly, the Naskh style in which the Qur'an is reproduced is not the style for everyday writing. Throughout the Arab world the cursive Ruq'ah style is used for ordinary writing. But a few notes on the writing of Arabic have been given to assist the beginner in understanding and appreciating the character of the script. For some students these notes may be enough to produce an acceptable handwriting though for some they may not be adequate. Similarly, is not a book on Arabic pronun ciation, though every effort has been made to explain Arabic sounds, both in technical and non-technical language. This information should be sufficient for recognition of letters and silent reading of the Qur'an and other vocalized texts. Lesson 30 deals with the subject of correct Qur'anic pronunciation, but it is worth repeating that the learner should regularly listen to the Qur'an on tapes or records and try to get the help of a qari (a trained reciter of the Qur'an) to provide him with at least some initial training in Qur'anic pronunciation. NON-MUSLIM STUDENTS Most of the manuals teaching Arabic deal perfunctorily with the script, and the one or two books which are exclusively devoted to the script lay greater emphasis on the art of writing than on reading. Thus a non-Muslim student will 2