Islam and Arabic language

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In Islam, the Arabic language is the liturgical language and it is given more importance than any other language, because it is the language of Qur'an and Hadith, which is the main religious sources of Islam, which is called Quranic Arabic.

Classical Arabic, or Qur'anic Arabic, is the language of the Quran. Muslims believe the Qur'an as divine revelation—it is a sacred and eternal document, and as such it is believed to be the direct word of God. Thus Muslims hold that the Qur'an is only truly the Qur'an if it is precisely as it was revealed—i.e., in Classical Arabic. Translations of the Qur'an into other languages are therefore not treated as the Qur'an itself; rather, they are seen as interpretive texts, which attempt to communicate a translation of the Qur'an's message. Salah and other rituals are also conducted in Classical Arabic for this reason. Scholars of Islam must learn and interpret the Qur'an in classical Arabic. According to the four accepted Sunni schools of jurisprudence, it is a requirement for the khutbah to be delivered completely in classical Arabic.

In the Qur'an

It is said in the Qur'an, Allah says,

'I have sent down the Qur'an in clear Arabic.'

— Surah Shu'ara : 195

In the explanation of this verse, Allama Abul Hussain Ahmad bin Fares said,

'Allah has called the Qur'an a clear word. This means that other languages ​​do not have this feature and the Arabic language is superior to all other languages. As Sahabi fi Fiqhil Lugah: 4/1

In the hadith

Muhammad said,

مَنْ ‌قَرَأَ ‌حَرْفًا ‌مِنْ ‌كِتَابِ ‌اللَّهِ ‌فَلَهُ ‌بِهِ ‌حَسَنَةٌ، وَالحَسَنَةُ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا، لَا أَقُولُ الم حَرْفٌ، وَلَكِنْ أَلِفٌ حَرْفٌ وَلَامٌ حَرْفٌ وَمِيمٌ حَرْفٌ

‘Whoever recites a letter of the Book of Allah Ta'ala has its reward. And the reward is tenfold. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Meem is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Meem is a letter.' [Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 2910]

Most Muslim scholars agree that the hadith of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad says every letter of the Qur'an brings ten unit of piety (Sawab). For this reason, they emphasize pronouncing the original Islamic Arabic word "Allah" (ﷲ),,Nabi" (نبي), "Rasul" (رسول), "Malaika" (ملاءكة‎)"jannah" (جنّة‎), "jahannam " (جهنم‎) etc., as an argument they say, the word Allah is used in the Qur'an, so when saying the word, ten unit of sawab or neki will be obtained, which cannot be gotten by the pronunciation of Khuda, Creator, Ishwara, God, paygambar, Farishta, Behesht, Duzakh or other non-Quranic and non-Arabic synonyms.

Opinion of Salaf and Scholars

Umar bin Khattab said,

Learn Arabic language. That is part of your deen.

— (Masbuquz Zahab fi Fadlil Arab wa Sharful Ilmi ala Sharfin Nasbi:1/9)

Ibn Taymiyyah said,

Arabic language is the symbol of Islam and its people (Muslims).

— Last quote from Iqtida al-Sirat al-Mustakim, 1/519

He further said,

Allah revealed the Qur'an in Arabic andd instructed the beloved Prophet (PBUH) to preach the Qur'an-Sunnah in Arabic. The first followers of the religion were Arabic speaking. Therefore, there is no substitute for mastering this language for deep knowledge of religion. Practicing Arabic is part of religion and a symbol of respect for religion.

— ' Majmu'ul Fatwa: 8/343

According to Islamic scholars, "The reason for the importance of the Arabic language is that the Arabic language has many advantages and characteristics, but what has given it the greatest importance is its connection with the religion of Islam revealed in this language. The connection of the Arabic language with the revelation of the Qur'an, which came to all mankind. The rituals of Islam are performed only in the Arabic language. The Arabic language is characterized by sophistication of expression, eloquence in speech and abundance of artistic imagery. According to scholars, to preserve the Arabic language is to preserve the religion of Islam. A complete statement of a written text can only be made in Arabic, And so the Qur'an was not revealed without it. Constantly speaking Arabic has a positive effect on the mind, religion and morals. Ignorance of Arabic is one of the causes of deviation from the true religion. Arabic is an ancient, stable and historically well-established language."

Reasons for praying Salat in Arabic

Scholars claimed reasons for praying in Arabic including Ahmed Hussain Sharif in his book "Why Pray in Arabic" (Why is prayer offered in Arabic?) are:

1. Arabic is a deep and wide language
2. A common and universal language for prayer
3. Connecting the Islamic brotherhood (via Arabic)
4. Quran is the creation of Allah
5. It is impossible to translate the complete and complete Quran
6. Quran is the only (divinely) preserved revelation
7. Quran has its own rhythm
8. The difference between Dua and Namaz is: Dua is an invitation or supplication, which is optional, so it is relaxed and can be done in any language, and Salat is a prayer, which is obligatory and its principles are strict. Besides, there is an obligation to maintain the social relations of Muslims in the case of obligatory prayers in congregation, therefore, prayers must be read only in Arabic.
9. Learning to understand Arabic prayers is not difficult and it is easy.

Finally he says, "Thus we see that the sweetness, dignity, beauty and spirituality of the prayer depend on the prayer being recited in the original Arabic; and if the prayer is recited in translation, the literary and artistic value of the Qur'an is bound to be lost; and by the translated prayer is the first to suffer will be the Islamic brotherhood."

Opinions of non-Muslim scholars

Elwood Morris Wherry said that the reason of the revelation of Quran in Arabic is as same as the reason of the revelation of Tora in Hebrew. Reciting Quran in original Arabic in prayers is considered a divine command by Muslims. In a question answer about a maulavi who recites quran and other supplications in prayer in Hindustani language, a mufti of madras in 1880 answered: 'According to the Imáms Shafa'i, Málik and Hanbal, it is illegal to use a translation of the Qurán when saying the Namáz (prayers), whether the worshipper is ignorant of Arabic or not. Moreover, from the Quran itself the recital of it in Arabic is proved to be a Divine command (farz). The word Qurán means, too, an Arabic Qurán, for God speaks of it as a revelation in Arabic. The words, Recite so much of the Qurán as may be easy to you' (Súra lxiii. 20), prove the duty of reciting it; while the words, An Arabic Qurán, have we sent it down' (Súra xiii. 2), show that the Qurán to be used is an Arabic, not a Hindustani one. The person alluded to is an infidel, for he tries to make out that the Ulema of all preceding ages, who have instructed the people from the days of the Prophet till now to read Arabic in the Namáz, are sinners. The result of the use of translations as recommended by him, would be that a number of different translations of the Quran would get into circulation, and thus the text, like that of the Christian Scriptures, would become corrupt. Our decision is that the usual salutations should not be made to this person. If he dies he must not be buried in a Musalman cemetery. His marriages are void and his wives are at liberty. All who assist him are infidels. To send children to be taught by him, to purchase newspapers which advocate his views, and to read his translations, are unlawful acts." Almost all Muslims believe that the Arabic Quran that they carry today is an exact duplication of the heavenly transcript that Muhammad received by dictation from Allah by way of the angelic messenger Gabriel and found in Heaven at Miraj. For many centuries, Arabic served as the linguistic vehicle through which many of Islamic civilization's religious, cultural, and intellectual achievements were articulated and refined. To Muslims, reciting Quran in prayers other than Arabic such as Persian or any other language is strictly forbidden. Muslim tradition qualifies Quranic Arabic as the chastest language, that Muhammad spoke the most undefiled speech among all the Arabs and, consequently, that the language of his people, the Quraysh, was the purest Arabic. It was inevitable that, as a result of the reverence reserved to Qur'anic Arabic, Quranic usage became the linguistic standard and the criterion by which Muslim scholars regulated themselves.

See also

• Sacred language

External links

• Haq, Ijazul (18 December 2020). "Islam and the Arabic Language". Desh Rupantor. Archived from the original on 24 November 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
• Haq, Mahfuzul (26 June 2016). "Arabic Language An Integral Part Of Muslim Ethnicity". banglanews24.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 12 November 2022.

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