Exploring the Use of Arabic Grammar Books in *Nahwu* Learning for Developing Islamic Texts Reading Skills at MA Keagamaan Hamzanwadi II NW

Abstract

Research on Arabic grammar instruction has largely focused on teaching methods or relationships between grammatical mastery and reading achievement, while limited attention has been given to how grammar books are enacted in Nahwu classrooms to support the reading of Islamic texts. This study aims to explore how Arabic grammar books are used in Nahwu learning, examine teachers’ and students’ experiences, and identify challenges affecting their application to Islamic text reading. A qualitative case study was conducted with 27 purposively selected participants, comprising three Nahwu/Arabic teachers and 24 students from Grades X–XII at MA Keagamaan Hamzanwadi II NW. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and documentation and analyzed thematically through coding and theme development, with triangulation used to strengthen the analysis. The findings reveal that Arabic grammar books function as mediating pedagogical resources through a progressive sequence of rule explanation, illustrative examples, exercises, grammatical analysis, and Islamic text reading. Teachers adapted textbook content to students’ levels of readiness, while students particularly valued examples, practice activities, and guided grammatical analysis. However, difficulties remained in transferring grammatical knowledge to long and unvowelled texts because of limited vocabulary, complex linguistic structures, uneven prior knowledge, and instructional time constraints. The study concludes that the pedagogical value of Arabic grammar books depends not merely on their availability but on effective teacher mediation, active student engagement, and contextualized practice. Theoretically, the study reconceptualizes grammar books as pedagogical bridges between formal Nahwu knowledge and textual interpretation; practically, it highlights the value of contextualized, differentiated, and progressively guided grammar-to-reading instruction. Future research may extend these findings through multi-site, longitudinal, or mixed-method designs.