Well, truth is you can. With a teacher it will be much easier. No doubt. There is a reason why teachers have such a high status. When you self-study long enough you come to realize how helpful teachers can be.
However, you need to change your mindset. If you keep telling yourself that you cannot, then you will not. When we tell ourselves something it becomes a part of our sub-conscious. Our actions are primarily governed by our sub-conscious.
The first step, hence, is to convince yourself you can, and keep telling yourself that when the going gets a bit tough because that will happen. Tell yourselves others have done it and I, too, by the Grace, Will, and Permission of Allaah will do it.
Will it be hard. Yes. And there is a good chance you will get rewarded more than the one who had a teacher to help him along the way as you struggled to learn and sweat for the sake of Allaah more than he did. And isn't that the real reason we do anything? We do not learn Arabic for the sake of Arabic. We learn it so we can study the Qur'aan and Sunnah and please Allaah. If there are more obstacles in the way, there is more reward. Hence, you do not miss out on anything but gain.
Go slow but be persistent. There is lots of material you can use. Make use of it.
Do not burn yourself out.
Keep it slow.
You will enjoy the experience and be rewarded. Best of all you will be implementing the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam)
Narrated `Aisha:
Allah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately and know that your deeds will not make you enter Paradise, and that the most beloved deed to Allah is the most regular and constant even if it were little."
[Sahiih al-Bukhaari Hadiith No. 6464]
