Bismillāh.
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
We have made it an Arabic Qur’ān so that you may exercise your reason.
Sūrat al-Zukhruf, No. 43, Āyat 3
In many verses such as the above, Allah mentions the fact that the Qur’ān was revealed in the Arabic language. Such verses indicate an important belief that Muslims have: that the Noble Qur’ān is not the words of the Messenger of Allah salallāhu ‘alayhi wa ālih but rather every word of it was chosen by Allah Himself and revealed to the Prophet (s). Muslims do not consider the Qur’ān to simply be the religious experience of Prophet Muhammad (s) that he himself rendered into Arabic words. In fact, what differentiates it from a group of narrations known as hadīth al-qudsī is exactly this: the hadīth al-qudsī are not necessarily the exact words of Allah. As for the Qur’ān, they are indeed the exact words of God revealed to the Prophet (s) and carefully preserved by Muslims; they are today exactly as they were revealed by God over 1400 years ago.
The result of this divine choosing of the words that constitute the Qur’ān is that Allah has carefully and miraculously buried secrets of His message in precise Arabic grammatical points. For example, the exact position of a particle in a verse, the subtle combination of words that may seem at first to be an unnatural fit with each other, or the specific grammatical role of a word as indicated by its final diacritical mark, all of these are carefully analysed by exegetes to unearth deep and profound messages. It is for this reason that a Muslim who wants to deeply benefit from the Qur’ān must take the efforts to study the Arabic language. In one narration Imam al-Sādiq ‘alayhis salām has said: Learn Arabic for indeed it is the speech of Allah with which he spoke to His Creation.
The above verse from Sūrat al-Zukhruf is also making this same point: that by Muslims exercising their reason they can uncover such divine secrets held by the Arabic words of the Noble Qur’ān. It has been claimed for example by ‘Allāmah Tabātabā’ī in Tafsīr al-Mīzān, that no other language had the ability to hold such divine secrets and allow them to be passed on to the reader in such a perfect manner.
However, there are some questions that may arise as a result of this belief:
- Is the target audience of Islam’s message just the Arab community?
- How can it be expected that non-Arabs must learn a foreign tongue in order to directly benefit from God’s word?
In response to this we can say that from the time of the Messenger of Allah’s blessed life it was clear that the message of Islam was not limited to the Arab community. Consider for example how some of the Prophet’s closest companions were not Arabs, such as Bilal and Salmān. Or consider how the Prophet (s) invited the People of the Book living in Arabia to join Islam, or how he sent letters to the heads of Iran, Egypt and Rome, inviting them to Islam. Moreover, verses of the Qur’ān at times address all mankind, saying words such as “O people!”
Therefore it is clear that the message of Islam, although contained originally in Arabic, was intended for all mankind. It is a message of salvation and guidance that can be translated and preached to people in other languages; nonetheless, there is a specific benefit and encouragement for Muslims to learn Arabic. This is not an unreasonable expectation, and in fact the history of Islam is proof that non-Arabs can become extremely proficient in Arabic. Some of the most famous Muslim experts of Arabic were from non-Arab backgrounds such as Sibawayh from Iran or Zamakhsharī from Central Asia.
We pray to Allah the Almighty that we get the opportunity to learn Arabic in our short lives and benefit directly from the words of the Noble Qur’ān. More importantly, we pray that we can learn the beautiful message of Islam and live lives of servitude and purity.
Sources: ‘Allāmah Muhammad Husayn Tabātabā’ī, Tafsīr al-Mīzān.
Faced with this dire situation, Prophet ‘Īsā (a) made a plan to ensure his message will remain after he is gone. He called out as is quoted in the verse, seeking a group of faithful helpers who would constitute the core group to protect and propagate his faith. These individuals would shoulder the difficult burden ahead. Such a core nucleus is needed in social phenomena such as ideologies and religions. A strong base from which the message will be spread. During the life of the Noble Messenger sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa ālih, the city of Madinah served as this base for the nascent religion of Islam. In modern times for example, the Soviet Union was the base of the communist ideology.
An interesting point regarding the Arabic of the above verse that ‘Allāmah Tabātabā’ī mentions is with regards to the particle ilā, meaning towards. Normally the word helper or the verb ‘to help’ doesn’t come with the particle ilā, so why is it used here? ‘Allāmah explains that like other verses that talk about giving a loan to Allah, such language is a way of encouraging those that Prophet ‘Īsā (a) is questioning. He wants them to realize they are helping on the path towards Allah, essentially that they are helpers ‘of Allah’ as they also mention in their response. The overall question of ‘Īsā (a) is in reality an encouragement, enjoining the listeners to become these elite helpers of Allah. Using this language of helping ‘towards Allah’ further emphasizes this encouragement.
In any case, this verse also reminds us that one of the important responsibilities Muslims have when living amongst non-Muslims is that of propagating faith. The lives of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) indicate that they always struggled to spread the correct understanding of Islam. For example, prior to battles that the Prophet (s) and Imam ‘Alī (a) engaged in, companions were sent to admonish the enemy and invite them to join the side of truth. In the Battle of Nahrawān, Ibn ‘Abbās’ admonishing the Khawārij resulted in approximately four thousand individuals leaving the enemy camp!
This is also a responsibility Muslims have today. The lack of God in people’s lives is the cause of their suffering, both in this world and the hereafter. Consider for example how faith in God and the hereafter gives purpose and in fact a sense of sweetness to the difficulties in life. A believer welcomes difficulties that are part and parcel of this world, recognizing their reality as being a providential test intended to allow him to ascend in his spiritual level. If a husband and wife have such a divine outlook in their marriage, could their relationship easily be jeopardized? Would they abuse their spouse, even when they are being mistreated themselves?
This is but one clear example of how religion is the cause of a stable family life and therefore a degree of happiness in this world. If Muslims today can help and guide non-Muslims in the countries they live in, this would be something great in the eyes of Allah. In one narration the Messenger of Allah (s) says to Imam ‘Alī (a): If Allah guides even one person through you, it is better for you than everything over which the sun rises.
We pray that Allah gives us the tawfīq to first live lives of piety and submission to Him and then to also be able to introduce Islam to others.
Sources: ‘Allāmah Muhammad Husayn Tabātabā’ī, Tafsīr al-Mīzān; Rizwan Arastu, God’s Emissaries.