For those considering long-term work amongst Muslims or involved with Muslims here in the UK, a grasp of Arabic can be very useful. With it, one can study the Qur’an and talk with many Muslims in their own language. It makes a great subject for discussion: Muslims are often surprised to hear that a Westerner is bothering to learn the language of Islam, especially those Muslims that don’t speak it themselves!

For most of us, however, the strange sounds and squiggles make it seem like an impossibility. This was partly my view until recently when I took a one-week intensive course in Arabic. I still have a long way to go before being proficient. However, many of the mysteries have now been dispelled and the hieroglyphics are beginning to make sense. After all, millions can speak Arabic: it can’t be that incomprehensible.

There are many ways to get started. Local colleges run evening classes at several levels of proficiency. Mosques and Muslim associations often run courses, although this might not prove the easiest option for a Christian as the spiritual input may be very strong here. I did mine as part of the summer program of conferences at London Bible College. If all else fails, there are plenty of teach-yourself books and tapes, although if you take this option it is a very good idea to have regular access to a native speaker for pronunciation.

Useful language learning is quite a heavy commitment. Even so, it’s not as impossible as you may have thought. Why not pray about it, think about it and maybe do something about it?