Is learning Arabic for the purpose of understanding the Qur’ān a must for us. If we read the Qur’ān in Arabic without understanding it, will we be rewarded?
The Qur’ān is the ultimate guidance for human intellect in affairs it is likely to falter. It has been sent down by the Creator of heavens and the earth to inform man of the path that leads to salvation. As such, there is no question about the fact that it should be read with an effort to understand what it says to us. Learning Qur’ānic Arabic should be every Muslim’s desire, and if taken up seriously takes hardly a year of concerted effort. However, people who for some genuine reason are not able to learn Qur’ānic Arabic or are in the course of doing so should try to keep a translation of the Holy Book with them in whatever language they can understand better and read it with the Arabic text. Reading the Qur’ān without understanding seems a meaningless exercise since the book is addressing and guiding you.
It is difficult to say whether one will be rewarded while reading the book without understanding it or not. However, to me, it seems quite unlikely except of course when translation is beyond a person.