Question

Jazaakum Allahu for your site; alhamdulillah there is some beneficial and interesting information.  May it benefit many Muslims! Do you think that "Westerners" can really hope to attain the recitation of the Qur'an like the Arabs, in tone and especially in pronouncing the letters?

Assalaamu alaikum.

Answer

Wa iyyakum and all Muslims.  May Allah make our intentions solely for His pleasure and make this site beneficial as you said in your most gracious dua’.

In answer to your question, most definitely it is possible.  The first thing to remember is that Allah teaches us, so we should ask Him for His infinite bounty.  The second thing is that it takes hard work, but is very possible and has happened over the centuries that non-Arabs have become not only excellent at recitation of the Qur’an, but scholars.  Imam Ash-Shatabiyy, the famous scholar of the Qur’an and qira’aat was from Andalusia, Spain.  There are other scholars of the Qur’an from many other non-Arab countries.  Excellent recitation of the Qur'an by non-Arabs, and yes, Westerners, has been done in the recent past by more than a few.

The tone of the Arabs is not hard to attain if we listen to the Arab recitation and disassociate ourselves from imitating music.  Pronouncing the letters correctly also can be achieved with perfection by non-Arabs with Allah’s help first and foremost, lots of du’a, and a good deal of work.  If you put your goals high and ask Allah, the Provider, for the blessing of reciting the Qur’an as it was revealed to the Prophet, , and work toward that goal, insha’ Allah, you will be given this great blessing.  We ask that Allah, the Ever Merciful, grant all who sincerely desire to read the Qur’an with the tone and pronunciation of the Arabs their objective; for He is Able to do all things.  Ameen.