If you have just become Muslim, welcome. You may feel happy and a little lost at the same time. Here is how to start learning Quran as a new Muslim without it feeling like too much. The good news is that you do not have to learn it all at once. This guide gives you a calm order for your first 90 days. First come the short surahs (chapters) you need for prayer. Then come the Arabic letters. Then comes reading.
This guide gives no rulings. It only shows a simple path you can follow at your own pace. If you want a teacher to walk it with you, see our Quran classes for reverts and new Muslims.
The first word of the Quran sent to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was 'Read' (Quran 96:1). Later, Allah says He has made the Quran easy to remember and learn from. Then He asks who will take the lesson (Quran 54:17). Both verses tell a beginner the same thing. Start, and keep going.
How to Start Learning Quran as a New Muslim: Start Small
In your first weeks, aim for connection before perfection. You do not need to read Arabic to feel close to the Quran. You do not need to finish a book in a month. Five to ten minutes a day is a strong start. A small habit you keep is worth more than a big plan you drop.
Many reverts (people who have accepted Islam) live far from Muslim family. Some have no masjid (mosque) nearby. That can feel lonely. But you can still learn step by step, from home, with good help. Be gentle with yourself. The reciters you admire today were all beginners once.
Here are a few small habits that help:
- Pick one fixed time each day, such as after the dawn prayer or before bed
- Keep your Quran or Quran app in the same place, so it is easy to reach
- Write down one verse that touched you each week
- Ask questions. No question is too basic
- If there is a masjid near you, ask about its classes or support group for new Muslims
Read a Translation in Your Own Language First
The Quran came down in Arabic. A translation is not the Quran itself. It is a person's best effort to give its meaning in another language. Still, it is the best place to start if you want to know what Allah is saying to you.
Choose a modern translation in plain language. Free sites such as Quran.com let you read several English translations side by side. Read a few verses a day, not long pages. If a verse confuses you, note it down. Then ask a teacher or a trusted imam (prayer leader) about it. Be careful with heated debates online. They often confuse new learners more than they help.
It also helps to know how the Quran is laid out. It has 114 surahs. It is also split into 30 parts of about the same length, and each part is called a juz. The surahs near the end are short. That makes them a good first stop for a new reader.
The Short Surahs to Learn First (and Why)
Some surahs come first for a simple reason: you need them in salah (the daily prayer). Al-Fatihah, the first surah, is recited in every unit (rak'ah) of the prayer. In the first two units of most prayers, a short surah or a few verses follow it. So these are words you will use five times a day.
Learn them in this order. Learn the meaning in your own language along with the Arabic sounds. When you know what you are saying, the words stay with you.
- Al-Fatihah (Surah 1, 7 verses): the opening of the Quran and a core part of every prayer
- Al-Ikhlas (Surah 112, 4 verses): a short surah about the oneness of Allah
- Al-Kawthar (Surah 108, 3 verses): the shortest surah in the Quran
- Al-Asr (Surah 103, 3 verses): about time, faith, good deeds and patience
- Al-Falaq and An-Nas (Surahs 113 and 114): two short surahs that ask Allah for protection
How to Memorize Your First Surahs
Learn one verse at a time. Listen to a slow reciter, say the verse aloud, then say it again the next morning. Join each new verse to the ones before it. Then use the surah in your prayer as soon as you know it.
Have a teacher check your sounds early. A wrong sound is easy to learn and hard to fix later. You can start before you read Arabic. A teacher can write each verse in English letters with its meaning, and then listen to you say it.
Learning the Arabic Letters Step by Step
Once you can say Al-Fatihah, turn to the Arabic letters. Arabic has 28 letters and is written from right to left. Most letters change shape a little when they join other letters. This sounds hard, but you learn it one small step at a time.
Most teachers use Noorani Qaida (a first book for reading Arabic). It moves in a clear order. You also learn the first rules of Tajweed (the rules for reading the Quran correctly). In our Noorani Qaida course, adults often finish in about 3 months at 3 classes a week. Here is the usual order:
- Single letters and their sounds
- Letter shapes at the start, middle and end of a word
- Short vowel marks (fatha, kasra and damma), the small signs above or below letters
- Joining letters into words, then words into short lines
- Longer sounds and the first simple Tajweed rules
Learning Salah Alongside the Quran
For a new Muslim, salah and the Quran grow together. Each surah you learn becomes part of your prayer. Each prayer gives you a daily reason to practise. So learn them side by side, not one after the other.
Start with wudu (washing before prayer). Then learn the 2-unit Fajr (dawn) prayer, because the other prayers repeat its steps. After that, add the 3-unit Maghrib (sunset) prayer and the 4-unit prayers. In our salah lessons, a teacher watches you pray live and fixes each step. If you can say Al-Fatihah by the end of week 2, you are on track.
Along the way, learn a few short duas (personal prayers) for daily life. Good first ones are the duas for eating, sleeping and leaving home. Our daily duas course teaches each one with its meaning.
Would you like a teacher to guide you from day one? You can book a free 30-minute trial class. No card is needed, and you do not have to sign up after it.
A Simple Weekly Plan for Your First 3 Months
Here is a calm 12-week plan. It assumes 3 short classes a week with a teacher, plus about 10 minutes of practice on most days. Go slower if life is busy. The order matters more than the speed.
- Weeks 1 and 2: Learn Al-Fatihah with its meaning. Learn wudu. Read 3 to 5 verses of a translation each day.
- Weeks 3 and 4: Learn the full 2-unit Fajr prayer, word by word and move by move. Add Al-Ikhlas.
- Weeks 5 and 6: Learn the 3-unit and 4-unit prayers. Add Al-Kawthar and Al-Asr. Start your first Arabic letters.
- Weeks 7 and 8: Learn all 28 letters and their sounds. Add Al-Falaq and An-Nas.
- Weeks 9 and 10: Learn the letter shapes and the short vowel marks. Add 3 daily duas.
- Weeks 11 and 12: Join letters into short words. Use every surah you know in your prayers. Read the meaning of one short surah you love.
Where You Will Be After 90 Days
By day 90, you may not read the Quran smoothly yet, and that is fine. You will pray with words you understand. You will know your letters and their sounds. That is a strong base. From there, most adults need a few more months of classes to read simple verses on their own.
Some weeks will be slower than others. Work, family and health all get in the way at times. When that happens, do not start again from zero. Just pick up where you stopped.
Finding a Patient Teacher Who Understands Reverts
A good teacher for a new Muslim does more than fix letters. They explain from the very start. They never make you feel behind. They welcome every question, even the ones you feel shy to ask. Look for these things:
- One-on-one classes, so nobody else hears your mistakes
- Clear English, and a teacher who is used to explaining Islam from the start
- A choice of a male or a female teacher
- A teacher who sticks to the basics and does not rush you into hard topics
- Class times that fit your work and your time zone
- A trial class first, so you can judge the fit before you pay
How Salam Campus Helps New Muslims
Our revert track mixes Arabic letters and Quran reading with the daily basics: wudu, salah and short duas. Everything is taught in English. Classes are live, one-on-one and 30 minutes long, on Zoom or Google Meet. You can study early in the morning, in the evening or at weekends, in the USA, UK, Canada or Australia.
Sisters can ask for a female teacher, and they can keep the camera off. If the first teacher does not feel right, we change the teacher for free. Plans start from USD 40 a month for 2 classes a week. You can pause with 1 week's notice.
Taking the first step is often the hardest part. When you feel ready, book a free trial class and tell us where you are starting from. We will go at your pace.