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Offline Reader Questions

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Do I Have to Pray in Arabic?
« on: December 01, 2011, 10:50:54 AM »
Brother, salaam alaykum,

Can you please tell me how your pray? just for an example. i'm just curious since my prayer seems quite different from the "regular" ritualistic one.

What I do is I say my prayer in Arabic but I do select the verses according to their meanings 1st so i know what i'm saying. When I'm praying I don't remember the whole meaning but I do remember the gist of it.

Is that ok? or should I be saying everything in the language i understand?

Because i feel that Allah's Message, the Quran, was sent in Arabic and to remain true to the message & praises for Allah and my prayers/du'as i should say it in Arabic because after all we are human and prone to errors and also there are so many perceptions of the translations.

But at the end i do say the translations as per whatever i said in my du'as.

[A sister in faith]

Offline Joseph Islam

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Re: Do I Have to Pray in Arabic?
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2011, 10:56:05 AM »
Salamun Alaikum,

The Quran was sent in Arabic for its primary audience who were Arabs (41:44, 26:198-199) as this was their mother tongue. All messengers revealed God's messages in their own languages to make the message clear (14:4).

Prophet Jesus never prayed in Arabic, neither did Prophet Moses. They all prayed in their own vernacular. However, if you understand what you are saying then it is absolutely fine to pray in Arabic. But if you think it makes you feel closer to your Lord by speaking with Him in your own vernacular, then that is fine too. It is 'what' you say and 'what' you mean which is important and not the language it is delivered in. Your Lord understands all languages.

To remain 'true to the message' means to live by the Quran and to incorporate its wisdom. This does not mean repeating the language if it is not understood. The Quran in Arabic is merely text. Wisdom has no language. The guidance from the text has no language. Language is merely the vehicle that makes it possible to extract wisdom and guidance. It is its 'living' message that we must understand and apply it to our lives, God willing.

Some related articles that may help.

DO WE HAVE TO PRAY IN ARABIC?
http://quransmessage.com/articles/do%20we%20have%20to%20pray%20in%20arabic%20FM3.htm

WHY WAS THE QURAN REVEALED IN ARABIC?
http://quransmessage.com/articles/why%20in%20Arabic%20FM3.htm

I hope this helps, God willing.

Regards,
Joseph.
'During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act' 
George Orwell