Ten reasons why Muslims should learn Arabic
(1)
Allah, the Almighty and Wise, chose and singled out Arabic from
amongst all the languages of the world - past, present and future - to
be the vehicle for His final Revelation to the whole of humanity. This
fact alone should constitute sufficient reason for Muslims to learn
Arabic. Certainly, if Allah so wished He could have revealed the Qur’an
not only in any language but in every language but as He Himself states
in the Holy Qur’an: “Verily, We sent It down as an Arabic Qur’an in
order that you may understand”. This verse implies that Arabic has
certain unique features which make it superior to all the languages of
the world and which enable it to convey the subtleties and mysteries of
Allah’s Speech in a manner that no other language can. Furthermore, it
is Allah who endowed Arabic with these features and made it superior to
all other languages.
(2) If Allah is who He is - the
Creator of the worlds - and His Messenger (Peace and Blessings be upon
him) is who he is – the Best of Allah’s creation - should not every
Muslim in this world attempt to learn Arabic to understand Allah’s
Words and those of His Messenger? The Qur’an - even though it is in
this world - is not from this world but rather from the Lord of the
worlds. Allah, Most High says: “ Verily It (i.e. the Qur’an) is a
Revelation from One, All Wise and All Knowing”. How can any Muslim live
in this world finding time to do so many things and yet not find time
to study the language of Allah’s Holy Book and the Sunnah of His Holy
Messenger (Peace and Blessings be upon him). How many of us spend so
much time, effort and money on learning the sciences of this world but
in comparison spend absolutely zero on learning the sciences of the
Next world. If we really know who Allah is and who His Messenger is we
would not hesitate one second to learn the language of Allah’s Book and
the Sunnah of His Messenger. The Qur’an and Sunnah contain so much
wealth – Real Wealth – but most of us prefer to remain poor and
deprived forever.
(3) A great number of scholars believe
the Qur’anic inimitability to reside (amongst other things) in its
language. The science of al-Balāghah (eloquence/stylistics) was
especially developed to deal with this particular dimension of the
Qur’an. This science demonstrates in no uncertain terms that the Qur’an
represents the Absolute Pinnacle of Eloquence and that it stands
unrivalled and unchallenged in its stylistic output. However, to
appreciate the stylistic aspects of the Qur’an presupposes having
learnt Arabic. Thus, those who are not schooled in Arabic will forever
be deprived of the Stylistic Beauty of the Qur’an and fail to see and
comprehend the subtle mysteries that are enclosed in the depths of is
language.
(4) Apart from the Qur’an and Sunnah that are in
Arabic there is also the vast and rich Islamic Legacy. This is the
legacy left behind by the world’s greatest minds. Without Arabic we
would deprive ourselves of the fruits of almost fourteen centuries of
Islamic scholarship. All of this scholarship was directed at serving
Islam and the Muslim Ummah. Numerous sciences sprung up after the
advent of Islam with the principal aim of preserving and explaining the
Primary Islamic Sources. These sciences are still being studied and
taught up to today in Islamic institutions and circles around the world
– the result is an ever-expanding heritage. Had it not been for the
past Muslim scholars then we would not have known Islam as we know it
to today. May Allah reward them abundantly for the great service they
have rendered to Islam and the Muslim Community.
(5) A
number of Islamic sciences derive explicitly from the Arabic linguistic
sciences in that a number of the issues discussed therein are
linguistic issues. To understand these issues requires a thorough
grounding in the Arabic linguistic sciences on which they are based.
These sciences include inter alia: al-Tafsīr (Qur’anic exegesis), ‘Ulūm
al-Qur’ān (Sciences of the Qur’an), ‘Ilm al-Hadīth (Science of Hadīth),
al-Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence), al-‘Aqīdah (Islamic Theology). The
reason for this being the case is the fact that the two primary sources
of Islam, viz. the Qur’an and Sunnah, are in Arabic and in order to
understand their message, unlock their hidden mysteries and treasures
and appreciate the linguistic subtleties with which especially the
Qur’an has been characterised one needs to be familiar with the Arabic
sciences that will make such a task possible. Thus, al-Tafsīr is no more
than an interpretation of the Qur’an, ‘Ilm al-Hadīth no more than an
interpretation of the Prophetic Traditions, al-Fiqh no more than an
extrapolation of legal rules from the Qur’an and the Sunnah, al-‘Aqīdah
no more than an extrapolation of a set of beliefs from the Qur’an and
authentic Sunnah, etc. It is clear from the aforementioned that each of
these Islamic sciences involves a detailed analysis and close
investigation of the Arabic in which the Qur’an and Sunnah are couched.
It is not uncommon to find that many a difference amongst scholars on a
particular Islamic matter has its source in the manner in which they
interpreted or read a particular Qur’anic verse or Prophetic tradition.
(6)
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Learn the Sunnah and
learn Arabic; learn the Qur’an in Arabic for it is in Arabic”.
He
also said: “Learn Arabic for it is part of your Religion and learn how
the estate of the deceased should be divided (al-Farā’id) for these are
part of your Religion”.
Imam al-Shafi‘iyy is reported to have
said that he studied Arabic for twenty years (from its pure sources) in
order to understand the Qur’an
Some scholars also maintain that
learning Arabic is compulsory on every Muslim. The reason for this
ruling is that learning the Qur’an and Sunnah is compulsory on every
Muslim and since the Qur’an and Sunnah cannot be learnt without Arabic
it follows that Arabic is also compulsory.
Al-Asmu‘iyy is
reported to have said: ‘What I fear most for a student of knowledge –
if he does not know Nahw – that he may fall in the category of those
mentioned in the hadīth: “Whosoever intentionally contrives a lie in my
name, then let him prepare or reserve for himself a seat in the Fire”,
because the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings be upon him) never
made grammatical errors in his speech. So anything that you report and
narrate from him and you make grammatically errors therein then you
would have contrived a lie in his name’.
(7) Knowledge of
Arabic makes one’s devotion and worship much more meaningful. This is
especially the case when performing Salāh, recitation of, and listening
to the Qur’an, listening to khutbahs, making du‘ās, etc. In short,
knowing Arabic obviates the need for a mediator or interpreter between
Allah and us. In other words, Arabic enables us to listen to the Qur’an
and Prophetic statements first hand.
Moreover, what constitutes
the Qur’an is not its mere meaning but rather its meaning together with
the specific wording in which it is couched. This means that no matter
how close a particular translation is to the actual meaning of the
Qur’an it still does not constitute the Qur’an which is the Divine and
Uncreated Speech of Allah. At best, a translation is no more than a
human approximation of what the Qur’an means and as such is finite and
can never replace the infinite Speech of Allah. Consider the following
Qur’anic verses: “Say (O Muhammad): If the sea were ink for (writing)
the Words of my Lord, surely the sea would be exhausted before the
Words of my Lord would be finished, even if We brought another (sea)
like it as backup” and “And if all the trees on the earth were pens and
the sea (were ink wherewith to write), with seven seas behind it to
add to its (supply), yet the Words of Allah would not be exhausted.
Verily, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise”. In addition, reliance on a
translation (which in itself is deficient because it is only a human
approximation of Allah’s Divine Speech) means one will always be
deprived of the effect of the actual wording which adds to the richness
and inimitable eloquence of the Qur’an. It is not the mere translation
that brings tears to the eyes of men but rather the Qur’an in the full
splendour of its moving words and heartrending meanings.
(8) The problematic nature of translations is another reason why
Muslims should learn Arabic. Much of our Islamic heritage is still
inaccessible to the non-Arabic speaking Muslim population and so it
will continue to be for a very long time. Translations also have their
own deficiencies and shortcomings. These range from gross
misinterpretation to poor quality and sub-standard translation.
(9)
Language being a conduit of culture has an indelible influence on its
speakers. Arabic being the conduit of Islamic culture likewise has a
positive Islamic influence on its speakers. No doubt, the Qur’an and
Prophetic Sunnah have left a permanent mark on the Arabic language and
are – to a large extent – also responsible for Arabic remaining
fundamentally unchanged over the past fourteen centuries.
(10)
If the enemies of Islam - spurned on by their hatred for Islam and the
Muslims - study Arabic for the purpose of trying to refute Islam and
gaining control over the Muslims then why should Muslims – spurned on
by their īmān and love for Islam and the Muslim Ummah – not study Arabic
for the purpose of defending Islam against anti-Islamic forces and
Islamophobia.
In addition to the abovementioned reasons,
we find many Muslims spending years at Universities and other learning
institutions learning the highly technical languages of particular
sciences, while when it comes to learning Arabic, the thought of
learning Arabic might not even cross their minds, and if it did they
would find a million excuses not to learn it. If the Qur’an, the Speech
of Allah, and the Words of the Prophet were really that important in
our lives, and really meant that much to us, we put everything else
down, or at least take some time out to learn the language in which
Allah’s Words and those of His Prophet have come down to us. Why settle
for an interpreter or mediator when you can have it first hand. The
fact that there are some Muslims – and I applaud them and their efforts
in this regard – who have done exactly just that – taken out some time
to learn Arabic and have even excelled in it – shows that it can be
done and that there is absolutely no excuse for not doing so. It is
about time that our concern for Islam and the Muslim Ummah be
translated into tangible initiatives for improving the plight f
Muslims, one of these initiatives being to promote Arabic through first
learning it and then teaching it to others or at least be involved
with it in one way or the other.
Written by Sheikh Amr Chairman of Lisan Al-arab forum
Source: Lisan Al-arab forum
See his blog
http://lisanularab.blogspot.co.uk/
