My Humble Advice Regarding Arabic and Prayer

[Joseph Islam]

Direct Facebook Link:

https://www.facebook.com/joseph.a.islam/posts/1418992868237836


MY HUMBLE ADVICE REGARDING ARABIC AND PRAYER

It is arguably an undeniable fact that Prophets Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus and all the messengers before Prophet Muhammad and after Prophet Abraham prayed in a language other than Arabic / in their own native tongues [1]. It is also an undeniable fact that a vast portion of the Quran is itself a translation (i.e. translation of speech from antiquity and other species / God's creations into Arabic so that the primary audience of the Quran could understand the message).

However, in no particular order, I would humbly share the following as summary points to the title of the post:

1. I would separate the concept of 'congregational' prayer [standard agreed form and utterance] with 'private' prayer [standard agreed form with standard and supererogatory utterances]. As you will note below, both can have a slightly nuanced approach.

2. I would strongly advise those brought up in 'Muslim' households (or where Islam is practiced from birth), to make it an absolute duty to teach Quranic Arabic along with its recitation. The misery and or impact of ‘blind rote learning’ can never be underestimated [2]. The goal should at least be to teach the meanings of the Quranic Arabic words to aid recital. The Quran often repeats a lot of words and it is surprising how few words have to be learnt to cover over 80% of the Quran. There is a plethora of material online and with technological advancements and ubiquity; the avenues to learning have become far easier to access than they were arguably a generation ago. Therefore, those parents with young children, the process should start immediately whilst their children's minds are extremely receptive to learning new languages and adept at absorbing new information.

3. In native English speaking countries, I would still advise the congregations to retain Arabic for congregational prayer as the lingua franca. This is because that despite any public sermon (Khutbah) being in English (advisable), the congregation prayer is quite likely to attract worshippers from diverse backgrounds. Therefore, a common 'religious' language should always preferably remain the standard for congregations. This takes care of the recital of passages in the original Quranic Arabic and retains the incentive / need for worshippers to learn the language and its meanings. This also applies to Arabic speaking nations as those who are from such nations know very well that spoken / regional / dialectical Arabic differs much between each other and Quranic Arabic. If the language is completely alien, then language aids should be encouraged / used to understand meaning.

4. Private prayers can be mixed and along with Quranic recitation, one should also be encouraged to beseech their Lord in a language that is native to them within the prayer routine. This maintains relevance and spiritual connection. There is no harm in my humble view for a prayer in such an instance to become multilingual.

5. Those that enter the folds of Islam and do not understand Arabic should not be unduly coerced to maintain their utterances in Arabic which given their age, might be difficult to grasp. The distinctions in point [1] above should be made clear and they should be encouraged to learn as many meanings of Quranic Arabic words as possible, whilst retaining the fluidity to be able to beseech their Lord in a language they are most comfortable in, particularly in private prayer.


REFERENCES:

[1] DO WE HAVE TO PRAY IN ARABIC?
http://quransmessage.com/…/do%20we%20have%20to%20pray%20in%…
[2] THE MISERY OF BLIND ROTE LEARNING[/color]
https://www.facebook.com/joseph.a.islam/posts/413530532117413

[Reader Questions]

Facebook Question Link:

https://www.facebook.com/joseph.a.islam/posts/1418992868237836?comment_id=1419027681567688&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D

You advocate congregation prayer strongly but in our mosques, they mix the name of Prophet with God and follow other hadith based readings. This seems improper way of praying. What to do under these occasions?

[Joseph Islam]

Dear [Name Removed]

As-salamu alaykum

When I attend the congregational prayer, I do not mind what sectarian mosque it is (Sunni or Shi’i). All places of worship belong to God (72:18). At the point of prayer, the focus is God and I find that the sectarian prayer in essence does not contravene the Quranic expectations of prescribed prayer. If it did, I would not join it.

The recitation that I hear is purely from the Quran and during any silent recitation, I do not recite anything which would jeopardise that focus and my invocations remain solely to the One God, Most High.

It is not my concern what others in the congregation recite during their prayer routines. That is a matter between them and their Lord. I concentrate on mine.

After the prayer is complete, I depart from the congregation.

I hope this helps, God willing.

Regards
Joseph