古典阿拉伯语（العربية التراثية‎或العربية القرآنية‎），是指乌迈耶王朝到阿拔斯王朝（公元7至9世纪）的用于书面的阿拉伯语。现代标准阿拉伯语是其直系后代，在当今世界用于书面及正式讲话，比如经准备的演讲、广播、非娱乐内容。现代标准阿拉伯语的词汇和文体不同于古典阿拉伯语，然而词法和句法却基本没变（尽管现代标准阿拉伯语并未使用古典阿拉伯语的所有句法）。阿拉伯语的各种口语却变化巨大。在阿拉伯世界，人们通常不区分「古典阿拉伯语」和「现代标准阿拉伯语」，两者都叫الفصحى‎，意为「最清楚、流利的（阿拉伯语）」。

因为古兰经使用古典阿拉伯语书写的，所以很多穆斯林认为这种语言是神圣的。不管穆斯林们日常生活中使用什么语言，在做礼拜时通常会使用古典阿拉伯语(除了凯末尔时代强制使用土耳其语)。

Classical Arabic (CA), also known as Quranic Arabic or occasionally Mudari Arabic, is the form of the Arabic language used in literary texts from Umayyad and Abbasid times (7th to 9th centuries). It is based on the medieval dialects of Arab tribes. Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is the direct descendant used today throughout the Arab world in writing and in formal speaking, for example, prepared speeches, some radio broadcasts, and non-entertainment content. While the lexis and stylistics of Modern Standard Arabic are different from Classical Arabic, the morphology and syntax have remained basically unchanged (though MSA uses a subset of the syntactic structures available in CA). The vernacular dialects, however, have changed more dramatically. In the Arab world, little distinction is made between CA and MSA, and both are normally called al-fuṣḥá (الفصحى‎) in Arabic, meaning 'the most eloquent (Arabic language)'. Classical Arabic's only difference toward Modern Standard Arabic is grammar, but in vocabulary and spelling, there is no difference.