WHY IS QUR’AN ARABIC?
Why is the holy Quran Arabic?
Love Arabs for these three things:
1) I am an Arab,
2) Language of Qur’an is Arabic,
3) Language of people of Jannah is also Arabic. (Tabarani, Hakim, Bayhaki)
WHY IS QUR’AN ARABIC?
“Mighty and perfect versification of the Qur’an’sletters and words which the letters compose have impressed people since it was revealed. Each person who is not against Qur’an cannot help hearing the music belong to this language of its coherence, writing and the deep effect it does on the human soul.”
“Whenever a person recites one letter from the Book of Allah, one good deed is recorded for him. One good deed is equal to ten good deeds the like of it. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is a letter, but Alif is a letter Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter. (Tirmidhi)”
When looked at the history, every language developed after it is born and with the lapse of time it is transformed. And some of the languages has slide away by passage of time. That Arabic language doesn’t have an “evolution period” is what differs it from the other languages. Arabic is the only language in the world that doesn’t need an evolution with its stable and perfect rules. In this context, it is the only language worthy of being a means of the divine declaration.
The I’jaz (succinctness) of the Qur’an is it’s being impossible to be produced a similar of it. All the creatures are impotent of producing a similar of it. Balaghah (eloquence) is each letter or word of the Qur’an’s telling the complete and consistent truth to all walks of life and to all the times. Thus, Fully comprehending the I’jaz (succinctness) and the balaghah (eloquence) of the Qur’an is possible only with the integrity of meaning and utterance.
As to Qur’an recitation doesn’t bore the humankind; the nutriment of the mind is the meaning. But we have many more senses that thinking about the meaning tires and bores these senses. So, the nutriment of these senses called “lataif” is the divine and nabawi words. And it is again the miracle of the Qur’an that despite the mind doesn’t perceive the meaning these senses doesn’t get bored from reading and listening to the Qur’an.
The utterance and the letters of the Qur’an are the symbols and names of Islam. What preserves the true meanings of the ayahs is Its living utterance and letters. Thus, They are impossible to change. Besides, The words and the letters of the Qur’an are like living skin. If the letters and the words of the Qur’an are changed, it wouldn’t be Qur’an.
In Turkey, for over a century, the reason why Qur’an is in Arabic has been questioned and it has been argued that the worships are required to be performed in Turkish (which is the mother tongue of the Turkish people) by some individuals and some groups. But these individuals rising up this view are -interestingly- not the worshippers at all. They wish “the worships in Turkish language” not for themselves but for others. The majority of the Turkish people ignore this view, though. Bad intentioned-questions such as “Why do we read Qur’an in Arabic?” “Why do we perform salah in Arabic?” are –in the contrary to their aim- unable to dissuade Muslims from reading the Qur’an in Arabic.
If required to tackle the subject as two different views:
According to the first view; Qur’an must be read –as it is original form [in Arabic] as an ibadah (worship)- all the worships must be performed in its original Arabic form, an translation and an interpretation “along with its Arabic form” must be read in order to be informed of the meaning of the Qur’an.
According to the second one which is focused only on learning the meaning of the Qur’an; a translation must be read and the original Arabic form of it must be wholly left and all the worships must be performed by the Turkish translation of the Qur’an.
The first view –Ahl-i Sunnah view- is what it is supposed to be as a matter of fact. But the second view is considered to be quite the contrary of Qur’an and Sunnah measure. Because;
ALLAH WISHED QUR’AN BE ARABIC
Lo! We have appointed it a Lecture, in Arabic that haply ye may conceive (by understanding). (Surah Zukhruf, 3)
A Lecture in Arabic (we revealed), containing no crookedness, which haply they may ward off. (Surah Zumar, 28)
Allah created many languages for the mankind, but he determined Arabic language to address his servant among the languages. There is countless wisdom behind Allah’s revealing a universal book with an Arab Prophet to an Arab tribe.
Imam Zarkani emphasizes that the throne of Qur’an is Arabic by stating: “It is understood from ayahs that Qur’an’s being Arabic is the will of Allah (swt). Because; It is impossible for the Divine book to leave His Throne. His throne is Arabic. And it is Allah the most high who raised Qur’an to the throne. Allah made Qur’an the most beautiful of the words, he crowned “It” with the eloquence and he made Qur’an’s Arabic a mirror to this I’jaz (succinctness) and excellence.”
Each individual -if not opponent of the Qur’an- will easily conceive with the following explanations that It is inextricable that a book as Qur’an is not in Arabic.
QUALIFICATIONS MAKING ARABIC SUPERIOR TO THE OTHER LANGUAGES
When looked at the history, every language developed after it is born and with the lapse of time it is transformed. And some of the languages has slide away by passage of time. That Arabic language doesn’t have an “evolution period” is what differs it from the other languages. Arabic is the only language in the world that doesn’t need an evolution with its stable and perfect rules. In this context, it is the only language worthy of being a means of the divine declaration.
The feature of Arabic; “It is syntactical.” Meaning; Arabic cannot be compared to any other language in terms of grammatical rules.
The shortest wording without any lost in the meaning is only in Arabic language. It is also the most advanced language amongst world languages in terms of eloquence, literature and fluency. Thus no other language can express the meanings in the world.
The richest language in term of words is also Arabic. It has a different word for each action. You can derive many different words from one word root.
Also, there is concordance between the meanings and the phonetics of the words. For example: when you say “zalzala” (earthquake) the “quake” in the meaning feels in your tongue. For this reason, it is again Arabic language to make mind, soul, heart and all the senses of the mankind perceive the divine truths as it does the translatorship of the soul, heart and mind.
Allah, if he had wished, would assign this job to another language by giving the same qualifications to that language. But divine wisdom determined the Arabic language.
Arabic Language Prepared Arabic Society to Perceive Qur’an
In Arabic culture poets and orators were giving effective advises with fluent sermons and eloquent poems to the public. It is such an admonitory situation that Arabs with an unstilted Arabic of Jahiliyyah period went far beyond the fluency and eloquence. Though undeveloped, ignorant and bedouin they were, it is understood that Allah prepared them to perceive Qur’an and Qur’anic culture by directing them to fluency and eloquence.
QUR’ANIC ARABIC IS A MIRACLE
Arabic was not stilted before The Glorious Qur’an was revealed. Namely, Jahiliyyah arabs –most of whom are illiterates- were speaking Arabic in conformity with the grammatical rules but were not using the writing at all. Qur’an was the first Arabic book revealed in a period where eloquence and fluency were so popular and it was revealed in the highest rank of syntax of Arabic.
Arabic was stilted, rose again and gained a new meaning with the revelation of the Glorious Qur’an.
Arabic, by the revelation of the Qur’an, affected all the other languages on earth beginning with the language of the Muslim societies. Arab orators and poets were astonished upon hearing Qur’an recitation and the works of these orators and litterateurs fell in value. Imam Zarkani gives the following example:
“What is left behind of the power and excellence for the Sultan, if he leaves the throne? Behold, Allah made Qur’an the sultan of the words, crowned it with i’jaz (succinctness) and made the Arabic of it a mirror to this i’jaz and excellence.”
Yes, though the Arabic is the only language to express the meaning best, having no peers in eloquence, Qur’an polished it with the highest rank of fluency and clarity. Plainly, What is sacred and miracle is the Qur’anic Arabic.
THE LANGUAGE OF RESIDENTS OF HEAVEN IS ARABIC
Which the True Spirit hath brought down, Upon thy heart, that thou mayst be (one) of the warners, In plain Arabic speech. (Surah al Shuara; 193, 194, 195)
Imam al Qurtubi in his Tafsir states: “The word “Arabic” mentioned in the ayah means [We revealed the Qur’an in Arabic language.] Because the language of the residents of heaven is Arabic.”
Imam Suyuti says as the following in his “Al-Itqan fi Ulumi’l Qur’an” on the aforementioned ayah: “All the divine books have been revealed in Arabic. Every revelation has been sent down in Arabic and every prophet translated them into their own languages to inform their nation.”
Ömer Nasuhi Bilmen says as the following on the aforementioned ayah: “Arabic is such a language that its meaning is clear and absolute. Likewise, Hud, Salih, Shuayb, Ismail (alaihimussalam) also invited their nations to the divine religion with this wide, lucid –which expresses meaning with the clearest and fluent wording- language and terrified their hostiles with this language.”
QUR’AN IS A MIRACLE WITH ITS MEANING AND WORDS
The miracles of the Qur’an such as I’jaz, eloquence and not being boring appears in its Arabic.
Hadrat Jabrail is said to narrate on the eloquence of the Qur’an as the following: “Each Qur’anic word written in Lawh-i Mahfuz equals to Cuff Mountain in terms of size. Each letter has various meanings. These are solely known by Allah.” (Itqan, pg:103)
The I’jaz (succinctness) of the Qur’an is it’s being impossible to be produced a similar of it. All the creatures are impotent of producing a similar of it. Balaghah (eloquence) is each letter or word of the Qur’an’s telling the complete and consistent truth to all walks of life and to all the times. Thus, Fully comprehending the I’jaz (succinctness) and the eloquence of the Qur’an is possible only with the integrity of meaning and utterance.
Master Bediuzzaman says: “An important aspect of the Succinctness (I’jaz) appears in the versification and the most important succinctness is the embroidery of the versification of the Qur’an.” What he means by versification is the sequence of the words, sentences and ayah. Likewise; Sinan the Architect took the random stones and used them in Selimiye Mosque and by bringing these random stones together he formed a wonder, Allah also first took the random words in sequence and formed a miraculous book.
Thus, Qur’an is a miracle with its meaning, wording and letters. Not only the whole Qur’an, but even one surah or an ayah or each word of it is also a miracle. Even a letter “nun” in “na’budu” is a birght key of the truths to be explained pages long. When Qur’an is translated the meaning and the wording of it is divided from each other. And once the meaning and wording are divided from each other succinctness (I’jaz) and eloquence get lost.
As to recitation of the Qur’an’s isn’t boring the humankind; the nutriment of the mind is the meaning. But we have many more senses that thinking about the meaning tires and bores these senses. So, the nutriment of these senses called “lataif” is the divine and nabawi words. And it is again the miracle of the Qur’an that despite the mind doesn’t perceive the meaning these senses doesn’t get bored from reading and listening to the Qur’an.
Though other languages apart from Arabic are assumed to convey the meanings in the Qur’an to the minds, they are still lack of satisfying the senses other than the mind since their wordings and letters are not spiritual like Qur’an’s.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO READ QURAN WITH TODAY’S LETTERS?
Arabic and the Arabic letters are attributed to Islam after Allah has chosen the Arabic as a skin for his words. On the other hand, the only reason of improvement of the Arabic language is Islam Religion instead of staying at the beginning levels. Under those circumstances it will be true to call the Arabic letters as “The Letters of Quran and The Letters of Islam”.
The Islamic letters are like the blessed skin preserving the divinity and freshness of the divine words.Imam Suyuti says, “If the verses of Quran written with a different alphabet other than the letter of revelation than It will lose its feature of being verse since the divine inspiration consists of wording and the meaning. And also Angel Gabriel brought and revealed the Quran to the Prophet (pbuh) in Arabic language. (Itqan, pg:103)
The Words And the Letters of the Qur’an is Like a Living Skin
The utterance and the letters of the Qur’an are the symbols and names of Islam. What preserves the true meanings of the ayahs is Its living utterance and letters. Thus, They are impossible to change. Besides, the words and the letters of the Qur’an are like living skins. If the letters and the words of the Qur’an are changed, it wouldn’t be Qur’an.
The meaning is the soul, divine wording and prophetic words are not dead clothes worn to the meaning but living skins. Clothes can change but if the skin is change, it does harm to do body. Even, holy wordings in salah and adhan have become titles of their meanings. Title and banner cannot be changed.
Even the most ignorant Muslim can learn the meaning of “Lailahaillah” which he recites every day, “Adhan” recited five times a day, “Alhamdulillah” said for conveying the thanks to Allah and “surah al-Fatiha” recited in the salahs.
The person who say “SubhanAllah” understands –fromwhichever nationality he/she is- he/she is glorifying Allah the Most High.And this is enough. Words which are keys for the eternal life –these holy words- cannot be changed for the sake of those memorizing a hundred words every day for worldly purposes.
Wordings and the Letters of the Quran are the teachers of Muslims
As well-known we call it "connotation" if something reminds you another one.
The blessed words like, "Adhan, Alhamdulillah, Subhanallah, and Lailaheillallah, even the Islamic letters on the gravestones are like the teachers of the people of faith reminding them lots of spiritual meanings with their tongues of dispositions.
QURAN AND ISLAM BELONGS TO ALL NATIONS
It is inherent that an individual from one nationality loves his culture and his own nationality. But the collocutors of Quran is the whole humanity. No matter which nation they belong to, their true nationality is the nationality of Islam. No nation can appropriate Quran for their own. cannot turkicized or arabize it… Nevertheless, fatwas to strip the Quran off its original language doesn’t seem that innocent.
The people who reject reading Qur’an in Arabic language are not from the mosques but the ones outside. Although it is very interesting the attempt of the outsiders interfere in the inner rulings of the mosque, these kinds of thoughts also imply an attempt to distort the Quran. Preserved in Arabic for centuries Quran was able to protect itself from distortion. Thus, this shows people having that kind of views carry the intention to distort the Quran.
Moreover those humane and extrinsic views coming out because of weakness of faith carry the meaning of an opposition to Muslim world’s worshipping together as a nation with one language; hence, it is to hinder the unity and solidarity of the Muslims.
QUR’AN EFFECTS HEART BY ITS WORDS AND MEANINGS
While showing the biggest truths that amazes the human mind, The Glorious Qur’an also gives great pleasure to the soul and nafs. When it is read by paying enough attention to the wording, the effect in the hearts is brilliant.
It was because of that anxiety that unbelievers say: Heed not this Qur'an, and drown the hearing of it; haply ye may conquer. (Surah Fussilat, 26)
The Arabs in Jahiliyyah period who are good at rhetoric were closing their ears to the effective and literal wordings of Quran in fear of being attracted and effected by it.
Jubayr Ibn Mut'im -when he was not a believer- that when he heard Prophet (pbuh) reciting surah Tur he said: "When I heard the Quran, my heart was going to fall into pieces."(Ahmad b.Hanbal Musnad)
Quran opens a window to each sphere of forty spheres and shows its succinctness. The common people, who listen to the Quran without understanding the meaning, listen it with great pleasure. Even for the touchy patients (who get easily broken), sound of Quran comes as sweet as the water ZamZam.
The miraculous arrangement of the letters in sentences according to sound music of them generates the tunes which can attract the heart and the soul. That the letters are miraculously arranged within the sentences according to their musical sounds comprises tunes which affect the heart and the soul. None of the works of any Arab litterateur trying to cope with the Quran were not good enough to compete with the musical mystery and secret of the Quran. (This is not even discussed in other languages.)
Even by reading a letter in a wrong way or changing, it is possible to detect the distortion in the miraculous tune addressing to the spirit.
All the feelings taking their pleasure without limiting the meanings inspiration to the mind… This qualification doesn’t exist in any book other then Qur’an.
“Mighty and perfect versification of the Qur’anic letters and words has impressed people since it was revealed. Each individual –if not opponent of the Qur’an- cannot help hearing the music belong to this language of its coherence, writing and the deep effect it does on the human soul.”Even non-believers had to confess the deep undeniable effects of the Qur’an on human soul and mind.
QURAN ADDRESSEES TO ALL ERAS AND ALL SOCIETIES
The addressees of the Quran are the humans and Jinns. The addressing of Quran is in a way that it satisfies all walks of life and level of understanding.
For example; if you wish to deliver a speech in front of mixed society consisting of different kinds of people –different age, job etc…- you would face a very hard situation. It is almost impossible for all the people to understand you from children to the elderly, from academicians to illiterates.
On the other hand, There is no such hardship for the words of Allah. In Quran, Allah is addressing to all times and places. Addressees are not 40 or 50 people, it is the past and the future times and generations. It is not hard to understand the differentiating of the addressees. As the time passes and places changes. They all change gradually.
With no hardship, Quran is able to call upon all its messages to all walks of life, all times and all nations and all of them were able to conceive the message.
It is marvelous that Quran is still alive and it gets the favorable receptions of the people, it makes people read it and be occupied with it. Quran’s being in Arabic language plays a big share in this marvelous event.
Qur’an cannot be compared with other euphemisms. There is no other book that addresses to all walks of life.
EACH NATIONALITY CAN EASILY READ AND MEMORIZE QUR’AN
Even though the Qur’an is in Arabic, Non-arab believers don’t have hardship in pronouncing the Qur’an.
Qadi Iyaz states as the following: “Allah (swt) states as the following in the Qur’an on the easiness and convenience of memorisation of the Qur’an: ”And in truth We have made the Qur'an easy to remember. And in truth We have made the Qur'an easy to remember. And in truth We have made the Qur'an easy to remember. And in truth We have made the Qur'an easy to remember.” (Surah Qamar, 17, 22, 32, 40)
It is a miracle of the Qur’an that it is easily memorized even by the children though it conserves so many resembling ayahs causing people to confuse the ayahs along with their length.
WORSHIP LANGUAGE OF ISLAM IS ARABIC
Whenever a person recites one letter from the Book of Allah, one good deed is recorded for him. One good deed is equal to ten good deeds the like of it. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is a letter, but Alif is a letter Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter. (Tirmidhi)
Even in salah or in any another worship, (regardless Arabic is known or not), it is not permissible to read Quran in any other language except for the language revealed.
Our Prophet (pbuh) says; “Quran only brings deeds of worship on the condition that it is read from the Arabic letters directly.”
Quran; is the only Holy book whose recitation of the letters and wordings are regarded as worship. But other divine books are only read to learn the divine laws. Qur’an brings thousands of deeds with each of its letters.
Bediuzzaman expressed that Qur’an is Qur’an only with its letters and and wordings by saying: “It is of the divine acceptance that Qur’an gives divine fruits from ten deeds for each letter to thousands of deeds for each on condition that the letters and words are of the Qur’an. Even if it is read unwarily.”
Moreover, there is one more important issue I want to mention; Islam being a unity and solidarity religion requires Arabic as the language of worship in order to provide unity and solidarity. The very most obvious example of this is seen in sacred mosque (Masjid-i Haram).
Though there are many Muslims from each nationality speaking different languages without even understanding each other, they come together with one call in a language Allah has determined and pray their salah in harmony. One of the most important thing uniting Muslims is their worshipping in same language.
Therewithal; understanding the meaning of The Quran precisely crucial for Muslims. The fundamental of the supplication is, though, not only understanding the meanings of the words of Quran mechanically, but to fathom the purpose of the Quran and go towards to his Creator with this consciousness.
REFERENCES:
Al-Itqan fi Ulumi’l Qur’an
Hak Dili Kur’an Dili (A Turkish Interpretation)
Isharatu’l I’jaz (from the Risale-i Nur Collection)
Maktubat – Letters (from the Risale-i Nur Collection)
Az-Zarkani- Manahilu`l-Irfan fi Ulumi`l-Kur’an
Al-Jamiu li-ahkami’l- Kur’an
Faruki, Islam Cultural Atlas
Qisas-i Anbiya
Prof. Dr. Muhammed Hamidullah, Kur’ân-ı Kerim Tarihi, İslam Peygamberi (History of Qur’an, Prophet of Islam)
How to convince a non muslim that Quran is a divine book and a word of Allah?
Dear Ammarah,
You can find plenty of prooves to convince a non-muslim that Quran is a divine book and the holy word of Allah(swt) in our answer http://askaquestionto.us/question-answer/revealedbook/couldnt-quran-possibly-be-written-by-muhammad-pbuh.
But if you have any further question about this issue or any other, please feel free to ask.
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