In a new publication that is considered one of the most prominent additions to the field of teaching the Arabic language to non-native speakers, Dr. Khaled Shehu and Professor Nasser Islim present a textbook entitled “The Arabic of the Qur’an – Al-Ghaws in the Language of the Qur’an,” an academic work published in two volumes, the first dedicated to the primary and intermediate levels, and the second to the intermediate and advanced levels, and aims to redefine the way in which the student learns the Arabic language through the Holy Qur’an, not just as a text. Religious, but rather as a rich linguistic structure that can open the doors of understanding, expression, and cultural contemplation to the learner.

The authors start from a deep conviction that whoever wants to truly master Arabic cannot bypass the Holy Qur’an as the supreme source of its eloquence and richness. Language, in this context, is not only a subject of education, but rather a means of acquiring a deep-rooted linguistic ability that enables the learner to have an integrated linguistic experience that links all language skills, including reading, listening, writing, and speaking, and interaction with the culture and spirit of the Qur’anic text.

The educational vision of the book is not limited to presenting the language as a grammatical or dictionary system, but rather presents each study unit as a key to an interactive journey with the meanings, structures, and rhetorical images of the Qur’an.

This book is distinguished by the fact that it goes beyond the traditional methods that have dominated curricula for teaching the “Arabic of the Qur’an,” which range between three main models: the first is the mechanical approach that empties the text of its living meanings and confines it to stereotypical exercises that do not allow the student to link the language to its realistic context, and the second is the interpretive approach that makes the learner deal with the meanings of the Qur’an through an intermediary language, which deprives him of direct interaction with the original Arabic. The third is the exaggerated approach that presents the Qur’anic text from the beginning as complex and difficult, which leads to confusion and discouragement of the learner. By going beyond these approaches, “Arabic of the Qur’an” offers a different path that makes the Qur’anic language an open path for understanding and application, where the text is integrated into the student’s life and his own experiences.

On the methodology side, the book presents a comprehensive approach that seeks to develop basic linguistic skills through applied exercises in which rhetoric and grammar intersect, and reading with expression, in a path that simulates language as it manifests itself in integrated living contexts.

The book is not limited to religious texts only, but rather brings in texts from the Noble Hadith, classical Arabic poetry, wisdom and proverbs, and activates them through exercises that move the learner from passive reception to action and participation. It also encourages the learner to reflect on linguistic aesthetics, extract meanings from context, and gain sufficient confidence to deal with new Qur’anic texts to which he has not been previously exposed.

One of the striking features of this book is its smart investment in modern technological media, as its pages are equipped with QR codes that allow learners to access accompanying audio-visual materials, including audio models for reciting verses, explaining the rules of intonation, and providing interactive activities that rely on careful listening and pronunciation repetition. This feature is an important support for preparing the learner’s linguistic ear and accustoming him to the internal rhythm of the Qur’anic text, with its linguistic music and unique rhythmic structures. This makes the learning experience more lively and comprehensive, as the student is not limited to silent reading or visual comprehension only, but rather becomes part of a multi-sensory linguistic experience.

It is more than just a textbook, as “The Arabic of the Qur’an” presents a methodological project that repositions the learner as an independent explorer of the text. He teaches him how to read the Qur’an, not by memorization or imitation, but by contemplation, analysis, and searching for the internal structure of meaning. The goal here is not only to master a set of verses, but rather to acquire tools for interacting with new texts, and dealing with the Arabic language as a tool for cultural and spiritual understanding. Hence, the book goes beyond being a traditional educational tool to become a key to understanding the Qur’anic text with new linguistic eyes.

The book is directed to a variety of categories, including high school and university students, those interested in learning Arabic for religious and cultural purposes, and Arabic teachers who seek to renew their methods and provide attractive content based on modern educational standards such as those adopted by the ACTFL Foundation. It also addresses those searching for a modern linguistic approach that deals with the Holy Qur’an as an educational and cultural text at the same time, not as a closed, transcendent or complex text.

While much of the language teaching effort is directed towards digitalization and the functional deconstruction of texts, the book reconsiders the “full text” as an entry point for teaching Arabic, and reconnects language as a system, culture as life, and the Qur’an as the deepest source of contemporary Arabic. Hence, “The Arabic of the Qur’an” does not only provide an educational material, but also an educational and intellectual invitation to re-explore Arabic through its most sacred texts, and its richest linguistically and expressively.

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