This paper brings the work of critical literacy theorists to bear on the traditional practice of Qur’anic Arabic literacy, defined as the reading and writing practices surrounding the Qur’an. I argue that Qur’anic Arabic literacy, in its pedagogy, is a form of praxis, wherein active use of the language is prioritized and critical thinking is embedded in a matrix of embodied behaviors, attitudes and beliefs. Drawing upon ethnographic work in Qur’an schools, I illustrate the primary emphasis on practicing literacy and the secondary activity surrounding this practice intended to support the literacy event. In its focus on memorization, Qur’anic Arabic literacy is not inherently contradictory to critical literacy, especially when coupled with the social learning that surrounds Qur’anic literacy events. Literacy in Arabic is often intimately tied to Qur’anic literacy where the practice of reading the Qur’an is the first exposure children have to the Arabic language. While Qur’anic Arabic literacy has often been devalued by orientalists as a practice of “rote memorization” and not “critical thinking,” my research illustrates that Qur’anic literacy can lend itself to forms of critical thinking that are in line with contemporary research on best practices in literacy. This research may open the barrier between secular and religious forms of literacy and allow for an open dialogue about the use of critical pedagogy in the context of Qur’anic literacy. It also contributes to questions about the future of Arabic literacy instruction in schools throughout the region, where there is a need to support Standard Arabic literacy through creative and critical pedagogy.