Importance of Arabic Language among Muslims Arabic language is an integral part of Islamic religion, in fact an inseparable part. It is the language of the Holy Qur’an, the mother tongue of the Noble Prophet [peace be upon him (pbuh)] and his immediate followers as well as the vehicle for transmitting Islamic sciences. Therefore, Muslims hold Arabic language in a very high esteem. Historically, it is considered as a Divine gift, first used by Prophet Adam (alayhe as-salam) on clay, but after the flood, came to be used by Isma’il. According to other traditions, Isma’il was the first person to use it. According to Al-Suyuti, Arabic is the mother of all tongues, first taught to Adam in Paradise, then when he disobeyed God, he was deprived of the honour and had to learn Syriac instead. The fact that Arabic is the language of the Holy Qur’an is repeatedly emphasised in the Holy Qur’an as in the following verses: “We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an in order that ye may learn wisdom.” (Qur’an 12: 2) “A Book whereof the verses are explained in detail, a Qur’an in Arabic for people who understand.” (Qur’an 41:3) It is also incumbent on Muslims to learn some Arabic, at least, that much that will enable him to undertake his religious obligations. For example, the five obligatory daily prayers are said in Arabic. There are many Islamic terminologies, of daily use, that are wholly Arabic. Purism of Speech The Noble Prophet (pbuh) possessed an impeccable speech and is regarded as the most eloquent speaker of Arabic, hence the expression “was-salatu was-salamu’ala afsahi natiqina bi-lu-ghati id-dhad” (may peace and benediction of Allah be upon the most eloquent speaker of the language of dhad, i.e., Arabic language). Ali ibn Abi Talib (d. 661 A.D.) the fourth orthodox caliph asked the Prophet (pbuh) “How did it happen that you are the most eloquent among us and yet you have never left us?” The Prophet (pbuh) replied: “The language (spoken) by Isma’il had disappeared, but the Angel Gabriel brought it back and taught it to me, and this is why.” The Prophet (pbuh) was followed in purism and eloquence by some companions and followers amongst whom were Khalil Ibn Ahmad (d. 786 A.D), the creative mind behind Arabic philological studies. Hassan al-Basri (d. 718 A.D) and al-Hajjaj (d. 714 A.D) the awe-inspiring Governor of Iraq. Among the interesting anecdotes concerning correct speech is the one related to al-Hajjaj and ibn Ya’mar. Al-Hajjaj once asked whether he had ever committed any grammatical mistake. Ibn Ya’mar noted that al-Hajjaj often misread a Qur’anic verse in such a way that the predicate, which should have been in the accusative (nasb) was read in the nominative (raf’wink. The Governor was annoyed, he said Ibn Ya’mar would never hear any mistake from him again and he exiled him to Khurasan. Motivation for the Study of Arabic Language The impulse behind the religious devotion for the study of Arabic can be said to be the hope inspring promise for reward for the recitation of the Holy Qur’an and the exhortation of Muslim leaders on the need for the acquisition of the knowledge of Arabic language. The Prophet (pbuh) said: “The best act of worship (that may be performed by any community) is the recitation of the Qur’an.” He also added that: “The best among you is he who learns and teaches the Qur’an” Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 855 A.D) said, “I saw the Almighty Allah in a dream and asked ‘O Lord, what is the best way to get close to you?’ He replied. ‘My word O Ahmad.’ I inquired ‘With understanding or without understanding?’ He said ‘With or without understanding.’ Caliph Umar (d. 634-44 A.D) is reported to have instructed his governors to spread the knowledge of Arabic because it rejuvenates the mind and increases virtue. Abu ‘Amr bin ‘Ala’ (d. 771A.D) regarded the knowledge of Arabic as religion itself. Al-Farra’ (d. 822) considered the knowledge of grammar more valuable than that of jurisprudence (fiqh). The writer of hadith who does not know grammar is compared to a donkey carrying a nose-bag without barley in it. Al-Shafi’i says that every Muslim must learn the Arabic language in order to recite the Holy Qur’an. He also added that “He who learns more of this language made by God, the language of the seal of the Prophets and the medium through which was revealed His last Book would gain an (added) advantage. Views of Modern Scholars Contemporary Muslim scholars, just like their predecessors emphasize the importance of Arabic language and the link between it and the religion of Islam. The Arabic words of the Islamic creed la Ilaha Illa Allah, Muhammad Rasul Allah are whispered in the ears of the new-born babe, these are among the first sentences the growing child is taught to utter, and these should be the last words on the lips of the dying. Elaborating on this proposition, Shaykh Adam Abdullahi al-Ilori argues that Islam realised the spiritual essence of Arabic right from its inception hence it made Arabic and insperable part of itself and had maintained this position under all circumstances. Impact of Arabic Language on Languages of Muslims The influence of Arabic on Muslims is well manifested in their languages and it left a tremendous influence on the languages and literatures of Muslim nations like Iran, Afghanistan, India etc. Persian is written in Arabic script, and more than 30 percent of vocabulary is of Arabic origin. Turkish before the reforms of the twenties was also written in Arabic. The Hausa language before the coming of the British colonialists was written in Arabic and the script is known as Ajami Script. The incidence of Arabic loan-words in Hausa language is very high. ‘Ali Abu Bakr observed that one-fifth of currently used words in Hausa and Fulani are of Arabic origin. Governor Salman and Armitage are of the opinion that if one is to venture into a Hausa-speaking community with an Arabic speaker using only Arabic, such a speaker has been found to establish a far degree of communication with the people. Thus Hausa words “al-makashi” (scissors) “bindiga” (gun) “bawal” (urine) “hakimi” (ruler) “alkalami"(pen) are of Arabic origin. The vocabulary of Yoruba, the language of the inhabitants of South Western Nigeria, is highly influenced by Arabic, the influence transcends religious usage, it includes every day and routine speech. Another feature of the significance of Arabic among Muslims is the establishment of Qur’anic Arabic Schools in every Muslim community to teach the Holy Qur’an, Arabic language and fundamentals of Islamic religion. The Ministry of Education of Northern Nigeria in 1958 puts the number of the Qur’anic Arabic Schools found in the area at the beginning of the 20th Century at 20,000 schools with approximately 250,000 students. The Muslims, motivated by religious zeal, have been in the forefront of Arabic language scholarship. A considerable number of works have been written on the language in Arabic and other languages spoken by Muslims. This enthusiasm is summed up in the observation of al-Tha’alibi (d. 1038 A.D). He says “when the Almighty ennobled and exalted the Arabic language, He elevated its rank and showed greater regard to it than any other language. He decreed for its fate guarding and treasuring a select people, the leaders of virtues and the luminaries of the earth who gave up lust and roamed the desert land in its service; who befriended the notebooks, the book case and inkstand for its acquisition, and who exerted themselves systemising its rules, and dedicated their life to immortalizing its books.” But the present generation of Muslims, with a few exceptions, seems to have been encapsulated by materialistic life and have abandoned the notebooks and inkstands for the cosiness of modern day luxury and hedonistic living. We need to make a recourse to our pristine values, we should be the transmitters of knowledge, particularly that of Arabic language and Islam, from our progenitors to our progenies. [Excerpted from: The Muslim World League Journal, Vol.23 Safar] islamicnetwork/index.php/weblog/comments/importance_of_arabic_language_among_muslims/
Posted on: Fri, 27 Sep 2013 08:10:32 +0000
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