Arabic in Islam

In Islam, the Arabic language is given more importance than any other language because the primary religious sources of Islam, the Quran and Hadith, are in Arabic,[1][2] which is referred to as Quranic Arabic.[3]

Arabic is considered the ideal theological language of Islam and holds a special role in education and worship. Many Muslims view the Quran as divine revelation — it is believed to be the direct word of Allah (God) as it was revealed to Muhammad in Arabic.[4] Almost all Muslims believe that the Quran in Arabic is an accurate copy of the original version received by Muhammad from Allah through the angelic messenger Gabriel during the ascension to heaven (Mi'raj).[5][6]

However, this belief is not universal among all Muslims and only emerged with the development of Islam over time.[7][8] Therefore, translations of the Quran into other languages are not considered the original Quran; rather, they are seen as interpretive texts that attempt to convey the message of the Quran.[9] Despite being invalid for religious practices, these translations are generally accepted by Islamic religious authorities as interpretive guides for non-Arabic speakers.[10][11]

  1. ^ "The Importance of the Arabic Language in Islam". 2021-11-07. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  2. ^ "Why the Arabic Language Is So Important in the Muslim World". The Superprof Blog - UK. 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  3. ^ Mohamed, Eman (2017-02-13). "Quranic Arabic Versus Modern Standard Arabic". Arab Academy. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  4. ^ "The Quran is the Speech of Allah". Islamweb. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  5. ^ "How Do We Know the Quran is Unchanged? - IslamiCity". www.islamicity.org. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  6. ^ "Jibreel (AS) and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ". Quran Academy. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  7. ^ Brown, Daniel W. (2009). A New Introduction to Islam. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 43–44. ISBN 9781405158077.
  8. ^ Rippin, Andrew (2005). Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. Routledge. pp. 89–91. ISBN 978-0415348881.
  9. ^ Rahman, Fazlur (2009). Major Themes of the Quran. University of Chicago Press. pp. 34–36. ISBN 9780226702865.
  10. ^ "Reciting the Qur'an in other languages during Prayer - Fiqh". IslamOnline. 2022-10-24. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  11. ^ "Translation of the Quran - 7 conditions for translation". quranteacheracademy.com. 2023-08-12. Retrieved 2024-09-11.