Answer
Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
A newly converted Muslim can read a translation or transliteration of the Quran till he/she learns how to recite it properly in Arabic. Allah Almighty rewards each person according to his or her best of intentions.
In his response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states,
He may read a translation or transliteration of the Quran until he is able to learn to recite it properly in Arabic. Allah Almighty rewards each person according to his or her best of intentions.
The proper method of learning the Quran is through a teacher. If one cannot find one at hand, there is no shortage of online courses. Here is one.
In the meantime, a convert may do well to listen and learn from the recorded recitations of the Quran. You can make use of the service provided on this site
Allah Almighty knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.