Learning the Qur'an Online with a Teacher: What to Expect

For many families the nearest qualified Qur'an teacher is an hour's drive away, or on another continent. Online classes change that. A teacher who has studied the Qur'an with its rules can sit with you, one to one, at a time that fits around school and work, wherever you happen to live.

If you have never taken a lesson online, this is what to expect.

How a lesson works

Each class is live, in a virtual class room that opens from your course page at the booked time. Your teacher sees and hears you, and you see and hear your teacher. A lesson follows a steady rhythm:

1. You recite the portion you have practised since the last class.
2. Your teacher corrects your recitation, explains the rule behind each correction, and has you repeat it until it is right.
3. Together you look at the next portion, and your teacher sets what to practise before the next class.

Because the class is one to one, the whole lesson is about your recitation, at your pace.

Is it as good as learning in person?

For recitation, very little is lost. What a teacher needs most is to hear every letter you say, and a good headset carries that clearly. What online learning asks of you is the discipline you would otherwise get from travelling to a class: being ready at the time, with the page open and the portion practised. Students who treat the class as an appointment, rather than something to fit in when they can, tend to progress steadily.

What you need

• A laptop or tablet with a camera and a stable internet connection. A phone will work, but a larger screen makes it easier to follow the page.
• Headphones with a microphone, so your teacher hears every letter clearly.
• A quiet corner where you will not be interrupted for the length of the class.
• Your mushaf or primer open in front of you, and a notebook for corrections.

Between lessons

Most progress happens between classes, in the few minutes you practise each day. The Academy keeps what you need in one place:

• your course, with its lessons in order and their videos to go back over;
• class notes from your teacher after each class, so you know exactly what to practise;
• short quizzes to check what you have learned;
• a memorisation tracker, where your teacher records what you have memorised, with remarks on each passage.

For parents

Children do very well with online classes when the routine around them is steady. A few things help:

• Sit nearby for the first few lessons, until your child is at ease with the teacher and the screen.
• Keep the same days and times each week, so the class becomes part of the routine.
• Use the device for the lesson only: no other tabs, and no games waiting in the background.
• Ask the teacher regularly how your child is doing, and read the class notes together.

Getting started

The best place to begin is a conversation with a teacher. From the Academy page you can book a free trial class, or book an assessment to find the right level. Then enrol on the course that suits you, and your class room will appear on your course page.

New to tajweed? Our guide Tajweed for Beginners: Where to Start explains the first rules you will meet.

خَيْرُكُمْ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ وَعَلَّمَهُ

"The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it." (Sahih al-Bukhari 5027)