I can't read Arabic yet — can I still pray?

Yes, absolutely — you can and should start praying right away using a transliteration (the Arabic words written out in your own alphabet with pronunciation guides) while you work on learning to read Arabic script alongside it. Plenty of lifelong Muslims around the world pray fluently in Arabic without being able to read a novel in the language; the prayer requires a specific, short set of memorized phrases, not general literacy. Apps and beginner booklets that pair transliteration with audio recitation are excellent starting tools, and repeating along with a recording a few times a day will get the wording into your memory faster than you'd expect. Allah asks believers to be mindful of Him to the best of their ability, not beyond it, so don't let imperfect pronunciation hold you back from praying today. Learning proper Arabic script and correct pronunciation (tajweed) can absolutely come later as an ongoing goal — many converts spend their first year praying from transliteration while gradually building their Arabic reading in parallel. Start where you are; refine as you go.

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