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Arabic language of the Holy Quran
Arabic is the
language of the Noble Qur'an, and with it, the Qur'an was revealed upon the seal
of the Messengers (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam), so attention to the Arabic
language is to have attention to the Book of Allah the Most High and the
studying and the practising of it helps in the understanding of the Noble Book
of Allah and the narration of the master of the Prophets, Muhammad (sallallaahu
'alaihi wa sallam).
It is also the language of our esteemed Islamic law (Shari'ah), so when we
defend it we are not proceeding on a path of nationalism or racism or
culturalism, but in fact we are defending the language of our religion (way of
life) and it is the cloak of our Islamic Civilization.
As such, Sheikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: "The Arabic language is from the
Religion, and the knowledge of it is an obligation. For surely the understanding
of the Qur'an and the Sunnah is an obligation, and these two are not understood
except with the understanding of the Arabic language, and whatever obligation is
not fulfilled except by certain steps then those steps themselves become
obligatory (to fulfill the initial obligation)"
So then the knowledge of the Arabic language is essential for every Muslim so
that he can perform his religious acts of worship and he can be proficient in
the recitation of the Noble Qur'an. Allah says in His Book (which means):
"Verily we have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an in order
that you may understand" (Surah Yusuf: 2)
And likewise the Most-Glorious said (which means): "And thus
We have inspired unto you (O Muhammad) an Arabic Qur'an that you may warn the
mother of the towns (Makkah) and all around it." (Surah ash-Shura: 7)
And The Exalted said (which means): "And truly this (the
Qur'an) is a revelation from the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all
that exists), which the trustworthy Ruh (Jibreel) has brought down upon your
heart (O Muhammad) that you may be (one) of the warners, in the plain Arabic
language." (Surah ash-Shura: 192-195)
And He the Most High also said (which means): "A Book whereof
the verses are explained in detail, a Qur'an in Arabic for people who know"
(Surah Fussilat: 3)
So from these verses we see why the Arabic language has reached its station due
to the fact that Allah has guaranteed its protection when He undertook upon
Himself the preservation of this Noble Qur'an since it is the language of that
Book.
The Most Merciful said (which means): "Verily! It is We who
have sent down the Reminder (i.e. the Qur'an) and surely We will guard it (from
corruption)." (Surah Hijr: 9)
Despite this, many of the Muslims are content by spending their whole lives
reading a translation of the Qur'an and so depriving themselves of the miracle
of the Speech of Allah. Also a translation implies a human factor, which goes
against the very essence of the Book of Allah. Also, the person who does not
know Arabic, will have added difficulty in his concentration during his prayers
and also in his understanding of the Sunnah. This is because a language is just
not a collection of words which can readily be translated into another language
but is a whole way of thinking.
Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali (Translator of the Noble Qur'an) writes: 'It
is a pity that many nations are only satisfied in the translated meaning of the
Qur'an and Prophet's Sunnah instead of studying the (true) Arabic text of the
Qur'an and Prophet's Sunnah. For this reason they are into various sects (due to
the lack of knowledge about the religion of Islam) e.g. as regards to the ways
of religious education, etc., so they are plunged in differences, which was
prohibited by Allah.
"If the translation of the meaning of the Qur'an is meant for the above-said
purpose then it is a real mischief-doing, and an evil action and is against what
was brought by Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) and also against the
opinions of the early present day religious scholars. All the religious scholars
unanimously agree that the Qur'an and the Sunnah should be taught in the
language of the Qur'an (i.e. the Arabic language). So did the early religious
scholars of the Muslim nation when they conquered different countries.
"Translations are mainly meant for informing the people who have not yet
embraced Islam to make clear to them the principles of Islam and the teachings
of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and to know its exact facts. When they reach
this state and Allah has blessed them with Islam, they must take the Qur'anic
and the Messenger's Language (i.e. Arabic) as the only language to understand
Islam.
"May Allah's mercy be on Sheikh 'Umar Uzbak, a great Turkish man, who strove for
Islam in Uzbakistan under the Russian government, after his long fight against
the enemies of Islam with fire (iron) and tongue (speech), he took refuge in
Afghanistan at Kabul, where the government honoured him. I met him there in 1352
A.H. (approx. 1932 CE), and he had vowed to Allah that he will never speak to a
relative or anybody else except in the Qur'anic and Messenger's (Arabic)
language.
"His wife sent a man for me to intercede for her to him that he should speak
with her and her children in the Turkish language even for an hour everyday. So
when I spoke to him about it, he said: 'Russians had compelled us to learn
perfectly the Russian language (by force), so we learnt it. And unless they knew
that the learning of the Russian language will make the person who learns it,
follow their ways of thinking, characters, and their traditions, they would not
have forced anybody to learn it.'
"He further said to me, 'I have vowed to Allah long ago not to speak except in
the language of the Qur'an and Sunnah (i.e. Arabic) and I do that only for
Allah's sake. If my wife and children desire to enjoy speaking with me, they
should learn the language of the Qur'an and of the Prophet (Peace be upon him)
(i.e. Arabic) and I am ready to teach them the Qur'anic language whenever they
desire that"
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