Why Should We Learn Arabic?

Arabic
It is my great pleasure to introduce Arabic Language in our locality. This content may be long but I request you to read ead completely with patience in order to understand the significance of the subject. As you all are aware that the Arabic Language is popular throughout the Muslim uslim lands because of The Quraan and the Sunnah. This short treatise is all about why should we learn Arabic? UNDERSTANDING AND NOT PARRO PARROTING THE QURAAN: Muslims must seek to learn the meanings of the Qur'an in order to fully understand and appreciate the words they recite. Mere recitation is not the purpose; recitation as such is similar to the case of the People of the Book about whom Allah says:

And there are among them (Jews) unlettered people, who know not the Book, but they trust upon false desires and they but guess. (2:72)
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In the Tafseer of Ibn Abbas and qattadah (Radiallahu Anhuma), meaning for the word Amaani is mentioned that is

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Amaani i.e Recitation: Knowing it through memorization and reading without understanding and knowing not what is Inside in it. So please realize about What Allah said and what are we doing now? SAYINGS FROM THE WELL-KNOWN: 1. Imam Ash-Shafee s students were pretty much Arabs. So, when he was about to teach them Arabic, they said, "We don't want to learn arabic, we speak it already". He said " ...... The thing that scares me the most, is a student of knowledge, who refuses to learn grammar, that he,might make an Arabic grammar mistake in a hadeeth, and therefore they might end up saying something about the prophet (saw) which he didn't say and he might be among those whom Prophet told in the hadith of 'Whoever lies against me on purpose, has guaranteed himself a place in hellfire.' So, Imaam Shaafee (Rahimahullah) himself says it's mandatory on every Muslim (to learn and study Arabic). 2) Ubay ibn Kab adviced his arab companion to teach his children Arabic, like how he was teaching them memorization of the Quraan. An arab companion advicing an another arab companion to teach them Arabic as importance as
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he teaches them quraan memorization and this demonstrates the importance of Arabic language.

3. Umar radiallahu anhu said Learn Arabic for indeed it is part of your deen.- Iqtidaa al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem, 2/207 4. It is reported that Umar ibn Yazeed wrote to Abu Moosa al-Ashari (may Allaah be pleased with him) and said: Learn the Sunnah and learn Arabic; learn the Quraan in Arabic for it is Arabic. - Iqtidaa al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem, 2/207 5.

Indeed the Arabic language is from the Religion, knowing it is an obligatory obligation, understanding the Book and the Sunnah is obligatory, it is not understood except by way of the Arabic language, and an obligation is not complete except by it therefore making it obligatory (to learn) .- Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah)

PRESERVATION OF THE SALAAH: When the imam is reciting the word words of Allah (subhaanahu wa Taaala) we should be going through a spiritual experience b because the words of Allah 'azza wa jal is being recited. The miracle of Allah is being recited to you. And here we are standing and yawning, because we don't know what it says. That's a tragedy. By the way what is khushoo? Paying attention to the salaah, being humble in the salaah, silent in the salaah? Let us see ee what Allah has defined it in the Quraan.

Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism) to be affected by Allah's Reminder (this Quran), and that which has been revealed of the truth . - 57:16 So in this aayah what hat has been revealed? The Truth. What is the e Truth Allah is talking about? The Quraan. So from this aayah we have understood that khushoo khushoo means heart being overpowered by the words of Allah which was revealed (The Quraan) Qur and this comes only through understanding the language. When you dont understand what is going on in the salaah you can easily be disturbed even though you try hard to be attentive. So, understanding Quraan preserves your salaah salaah.
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PEOPLES MISCONCEPTION: Allah Himself commands us to contemplate and understand the Qur'an. So the people who say we we cannot understand Quran and it is for the ulamaa are the ones who are just lazy to put any effort to learn the language and understand it and they speak without knowing what Allah has said in His book and they start giving some lame excuses. Please read what Allah says in His book.

Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Quran in order that you may understand.12:2

(This is) a Book (the Quran) which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember.38:29 Allah (Glorified be He) says:

Do they not then think deeply in the Quran, or are their hearts locked up (from understanding it)? 47:24
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Have they not pondered over the Word (of Allah, i.e. what is sent down to the Prophet SAW), or has there come to them what had not come to their fathers of old?-23:68 old?

With clear signs and Books (We sent the Messengers). And We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad SAW) the reminder and the advice (the Quran), that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought.16:44 In all the above verses es Allah is talking about understanding the Quraan. aan. Did He say that one should not understand nd the Quraan? No, Not at all!

QURAAN MEANS ARABIC QURAAN. TRANSLATION IS NOT THE QURAAN: Allah says

In this aayah Allah says Arabic Quraan and what has He put next to this laallakum taqiloon- so that you may understand. Quraan is mentioned as Arabic Quraan 11 times in the Quran. What does it signify? Quraan means Arabic not translation.

DEFECTS IN TRANSLATION: Allah says Nafs and Rooh in the Quraan but the translator uses only the word soul Allah used the word Fuaad and Qalb in the Quran but the translator uses only the word heart. Allah uses in the Quran for humanbeings as ins,insaan, anaasee,naas,basher,insiyyah for people. All these words are used for the humanbeings and when the translator translates them he uses only the word humanbeings. So, Allah used different words but the translator has no choice but to use only one word. When Allah chose to use different words does it mean different thing? If Allah meant the same thing he would have used the same thing. Arabic is rich in vocabulary there are many words for different kinds of anger, Patience. So if you think that by translation you have an accurate understanding then we are really missing many things and this is just a small piece. You have laa raiba which cannot be translated exactly and many more Alhamdulillah!
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Allah mentioned the above in the Quran in different places and the words are same but the structures of the sentences are different. Does Allah say the same thing? No. When Allah said differently it means there is something different. The translator has no choice to use the same thing in both the sentences that Allah is fully knowledgeable of what you do. In the Translation the translator captures the message and he cannot translate everything as mentioned before. In the translation beauty is lost. For example, if you translate an Urdu poem in to English you capture the message but what is lost? The beauty and the rhythm of the Urdu language are lost during translation. The Quran attracted many hearts including the kuffar of that time which made them to listen to it. This Quraan also attracted and changed the heart of Umar radiallahu anhu when he came angrily to kill his sister and he accepted Islam subhaanallahu!! Translation can never be a substitute!

MIRACLE OF THE QURAAN: All the Prophets were sent with Miracles and a message. For example Moosas (alaihis salam) miracle was different (parting the sea and throwing the stick turned in to snakes etc) and the message was different.

For eesa (alaihissalam) the miracle was different (giving life to death by Allahs permission, curing the leapers and the blind by Allahs permission ) and the message was different. So the message was separate and the Miracle was separate. For Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) the message was Quraan and the miracle also? Quraan. The Miracle of the Quraan is in literary aspect so if you wanted to understand the miracle of the Quraan we need to understand the Arabic language. The people who witnessed the miracle of the Prophets at that time and their eeman and the eeman of their descendants were not the same because the descendants of the one who witnessed the miracle didnt witness the miracle. They just heard and believed it. Whereas the living miracle is the Quraan which sahaabah and the entire arab nation witnessed and we are witnessing the same miracle which attracted the hearts of many Muslims. How do you understand this miracle? In translation? No! Taha Husayn, The influential Egyptian Litterateur born in 1889 and died in 1973, during the course of a public lecture summarised how the Quran achieves an unique form: But you know that the Quran is not prose and that it is not verse either. It is rather Quran, and it cannot be called by any other name but this. It is not verse, and that is clear; for it does not bind itself to the bonds of verse.And it is not prose, for it is bound by bonds peculiar to itself, not found elsewhere; some of the binds are related to the endings of its verses and some to that musical sound which is all its own. It is therefore neither verse nor prose, but it is a Book whose verses have been perfected the expounded, from One Who is Wise, All-Aware. We cannot therefore say its prose, and its text itself is not verse. It has been one of a kind, and nothing like it has ever preceded or followed it.

Allah says,

And if you (Arab pagans, Jews, and Christians) are in doubt c concerning oncerning that which We have sent down (i.e. the Quran) to Our slave (Muhammad Peace be upon him ), then produce a Surah (chapter) of the like thereof and call your witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides Allah, if you are truthful.2:23

Unsuccessful attempts to forge chapters have been made throughout the ages (by many Arab literary scholars). And, as was mentioned before, the incentive to imitate the Quran was more intense during the time of its revelation when literally skills were at their peak than an at any other time, yet there was no successful attempt. So all these proves the miracles of the Quraan are not found in English or urdu or other translations but in the Arabic language it was revealed. Then how do you know the miracles of the Quran which ich made many Arabic scholars to leave their poetry writing after listening to the Quraan? So one should begin his classical Arabic studies and let this be the first step Insha Allah!
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EASY: Dont think Arabic is hard because Allah says

And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember? Allah didnt say that we made it easy for arabs who come from Saudi and Egypt. This is a promise made for everyone who whose se niyyah is for remembrance. Remember who? Allah. Then he poses a question? Fa hal mim mudakkir. Is there anyone who makes conscious effort to remember Him? So are you ready to work hard and comeforward to remember? CONCLUSION: Arabic language preserves the deen and proper understanding of the deen. deen More important it preserves your salaah. Please remember if you are dedicated, serious and hardworking, you will achieve something most beautiful and rewarding in your life (i.e. the understanding of the Quran directly when you recite it or when the recitation is heard). The beauty, the Eloquence, the Miracle and the Divine Wisdom of the Quran will penetrate the innermost depth of your heart and you will experience the joy and
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happiness which cannot be expressed but can only be felt in the Believers Heart. So get ready to work hard to learn the Language of the Quran.

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