Advanced Arabic reading

The Wise Mother in Arabic

الْأُمُّ الْحَكِيمَةُ

The Wise Mother is a Advanced-level Arabic reading text about Hassan choosing honest study after asking for help to cheat. Its fully vocalized Arabic helps learners read each word accurately, while the sentence-by-sentence English translation supports understanding. The story also includes optional Arabic audio, useful vocabulary, comprehension practice and a focused language point. It works well for independent reading, a short classroom lesson or shared practice with a parent.

Read the Arabic story with English translation

Read each Arabic sentence from right to left. Use the speaker button to hear the sentence, then check its English meaning underneath.

كَانَ حَسَنٌ يَسْتَعِدُّ لِامْتِحَانٍ مُهِمٍّ، وَلَكِنَّهُ أَجَّلَ الدِّرَاسَةَ أَيَّامًا عِدَّةً.

Hassan was preparing for an important exam, but he put off studying for several days.

عِنْدَمَا ضَاقَ الْوَقْتُ، شَعَرَ بِالْقَلَقِ وَطَلَبَ مِنْ أُمِّهِ أَنْ تُسَاعِدَهُ فِي الْغِشِّ.

When time grew short, he became anxious and asked his mother to help him cheat.

نَظَرَتْ إِلَيْهِ بِحُزْنٍ وَقَالَتْ: «لَنْ أُعْطِيَكَ إِجَابَاتٍ لَيْسَتْ مِنْ جُهْدِكَ.»

She looked at him sadly and said, “I will not give you answers that are not the result of your own effort.”

ثُمَّ أَخَذَتْهُ إِلَى حَدِيقَةِ الْبَيْتِ وَأَرَتْهُ بَذْرَةً كَانَ قَدْ زَرَعَهَا.

Then she took him to the garden and showed him a seed he had planted.

قَالَتْ: «لَوْ سَحَبْنَا النَّبْتَةَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ لِتَكْبُرَ أَسْرَعَ، لَاقْتَلَعْنَا جُذُورَهَا.»

She said, “If we pulled the plant every day to make it grow faster, we would tear out its roots.”

فَهِمَ حَسَنٌ أَنَّ النَّجَاحَ الْحَقِيقِيَّ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى وَقْتٍ وَعَمَلٍ مُنَظَّمٍ.

Hassan understood that real success requires time and organised work.

جَلَسَ مَعَ أُمِّهِ وَقَسَّمَا الدُّرُوسَ إِلَى أَجْزَاءٍ صَغِيرَةٍ.

He sat with his mother, and together they divided the lessons into small parts.

كَانَ يَقْرَأُ جُزْءًا، ثُمَّ يُغْلِقُ الْكِتَابَ وَيَشْرَحُهُ بِكَلِمَاتِهِ.

He read one part, then closed the book and explained it in his own words.

فِي يَوْمِ الْامْتِحَانِ، لَمْ يَعْرِفْ إِجَابَةَ كُلِّ سُؤَالٍ، لَكِنَّهُ كَتَبَ مَا تَعَلَّمَهُ بِأَمَانَةٍ.

On the day of the exam, he did not know the answer to every question, but he honestly wrote what he had learned.

حَصَلَ عَلَى نَتِيجَةٍ جَيِّدَةٍ، وَعَرَفَ أَنَّهَا تُمَثِّلُ جُهْدَهُ الْحَقِيقِيَّ.

He earned a good result and knew that it represented his real effort.

قَالَ لِأُمِّهِ: «لَوْ غَشَشْتُ، لَفَقَدْتُ فُرْصَةَ مَعْرِفَةِ نِقَاطِ ضَعْفِي.»

He told his mother, “If I had cheated, I would have lost the chance to discover my weak points.”

اِبْتَسَمَتِ الْأُمُّ، وَوَضَعَ حَسَنٌ خُطَّةً لِيَبْدَأَ مُرَاجَعَتَهُ مُبَكِّرًا فِي الْمَرَّةِ الْقَادِمَةِ.

His mother smiled, and Hassan made a plan to begin revising earlier next time.

New Arabic words from the story

These words all appear in the story. Listen, repeat and find each one in the text above.

أَجَّلَ Postponed
الْغِشُّ Cheating
اِقْتَلَعَ Uprooted
مُنَظَّمٌ Organised
بِأَمَانَةٍ Honestly
نَتِيجَةٌ Result
نِقَاطُ الضَّعْفِ Weak points
مُرَاجَعَةٌ Revision

Reading comprehension questions

Choose one answer for each question. Your score updates after every first attempt.

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1. لِمَاذَا شَعَرَ حَسَنٌ بِالْقَلَقِ؟

2. مَاذَا أَرَادَتِ الْأُمُّ أَنْ تُعَلِّمَهُ بِمِثَالِ النَّبْتَةِ؟

3. كَيْفَ رَاجَعَ حَسَنٌ دُرُوسَهُ؟

4. لِمَاذَا كَانَ حَسَنٌ رَاضِيًا عَنْ نَتِيجَتِهِ؟

5. مَاذَا يَدُلُّ قَرَارُهُ بِالْمُرَاجَعَةِ الْمُبَكِّرَةِ؟

Learn Arabic from this story

لَوْ can introduce an unreal past condition

قَالَ لِأُمِّهِ: «لَوْ غَشَشْتُ، لَفَقَدْتُ فُرْصَةَ مَعْرِفَةِ نِقَاطِ ضَعْفِي.»

He told his mother, “If I had cheated, I would have lost the chance to discover my weak points.”

لَوْ presents a condition that did not happen. The result clause begins with لَـ in لَفَقَدْتُ.

Another example: لَوْ أَجَّلْتُ الْعَمَلَ، لَنَدِمْتُ. — If I had delayed the work, I would have regretted it.

For parents and teachers

Read the story in sections and discuss the ideas connected with honesty, study habits and learning from mistakes. Ask the learner to summarize each section, explain character motives or causes, support inferences with evidence from the Arabic, answer the comprehension questions, and finish with a short written or creative response.

Questions about The Wise Mother

What level is The Wise Mother?

The Wise Mother is marked Advanced. The full tashkīl, English translation and sentence audio provide extra support for developing readers.

What can learners practise in The Wise Mother?

Learners practise connected reading, listening, comprehension and vocabulary related to honesty, study habits and learning from mistakes.

How should this Arabic story be used?

Read one sentence at a time, listen to the audio, repeat the Arabic aloud, check the English only when needed, and then answer the questions from memory.

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