People have been learning to read the Quran since it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (saw) in Makka over fourteen hundred years ago. It was well known in Makka that the Prophet was not able to read and write, so people were amazed when he recited the Quran in poetry competitions and won first prize. The rhythm, style, deep meaning of the words without any grammatical mistakes seemed like a miracle to them. Where did he learn these words? They wondered. Who did he go to learn these beautiful poetic words which he calls ‘The Quran'?
At first, those who followed him learned the Quran from the Prophet directly by memorizing the words as he recited to them. Later on, when more literate people joined him, they would write down parts of the Quran on pieces of goat skin, bones, wood and paper. This allowed people who could not memorise to read and recite the Quran even when the Prophet was not with them. It also allowed them to take these writings to distant lands and allow people to learn the Quran in other cities like Medina, where the Prophet has not yet been.
In time, many of the companions of the Prophet had memorised the entire Quran, and the different pieces of writing were compiled to form the Quran as we know it today. These copies were spread far and wide until people could learn to read and recite the Quran in the local mosques, schools (madrasas) and libraries that were built by the Muslim rulers of the first three generations (known as the pious predecessors of the Muslim community today). Quran learning flourished across the world from China to Spain and even in southern Russia, the islands of the East Indies and, little acknowledged by western historians, even to the islands of the West Indies; when Christopher Columbus arrived in the Caribbean, he found that people living there learn Quran.
It is traditional to learn Quran from someone known as a Qari (reciter), who knows the rules of recitation (Tajweed) and is skilled in reciting following these rules. Some teachers are also Hafiz (memorised the Quran by heart). People who want to learn the meaning of the Quran need to study with a Mufassir (a commentator on the meaning of the Quran). In the East, these qualified Quran teachers are abundant and easily found in the many madrasas (Islamic schools), but people living in the west, often have to travel long distances to find a qualified teacher to learn Quran from.
In recent years a new trend of learning Quran online has grown with online Quran learning institutes like Eaalim and online Islamic universities like OIU headed by Dr. Bilal Philips. Other teachers offer sessions where you can learn Quran online by joining them in virtual chat rooms like Paltalk or using Virtual classrooms like WhizzIQ. These online services have made it much easier for people to learn Quran online, whether they are Muslim or not Muslim, whether they are learning it for religious observance or otherwise.
At first, those who followed him learned the Quran from the Prophet directly by memorizing the words as he recited to them. Later on, when more literate people joined him, they would write down parts of the Quran on pieces of goat skin, bones, wood and paper. This allowed people who could not memorise to read and recite the Quran even when the Prophet was not with them. It also allowed them to take these writings to distant lands and allow people to learn the Quran in other cities like Medina, where the Prophet has not yet been.
In time, many of the companions of the Prophet had memorised the entire Quran, and the different pieces of writing were compiled to form the Quran as we know it today. These copies were spread far and wide until people could learn to read and recite the Quran in the local mosques, schools (madrasas) and libraries that were built by the Muslim rulers of the first three generations (known as the pious predecessors of the Muslim community today). Quran learning flourished across the world from China to Spain and even in southern Russia, the islands of the East Indies and, little acknowledged by western historians, even to the islands of the West Indies; when Christopher Columbus arrived in the Caribbean, he found that people living there learn Quran.
It is traditional to learn Quran from someone known as a Qari (reciter), who knows the rules of recitation (Tajweed) and is skilled in reciting following these rules. Some teachers are also Hafiz (memorised the Quran by heart). People who want to learn the meaning of the Quran need to study with a Mufassir (a commentator on the meaning of the Quran). In the East, these qualified Quran teachers are abundant and easily found in the many madrasas (Islamic schools), but people living in the west, often have to travel long distances to find a qualified teacher to learn Quran from.
In recent years a new trend of learning Quran online has grown with online Quran learning institutes like Eaalim and online Islamic universities like OIU headed by Dr. Bilal Philips. Other teachers offer sessions where you can learn Quran online by joining them in virtual chat rooms like Paltalk or using Virtual classrooms like WhizzIQ. These online services have made it much easier for people to learn Quran online, whether they are Muslim or not Muslim, whether they are learning it for religious observance or otherwise.