mohamed@ecs.umass.edu (07/20/90)
ARABIC IN ISLAM --------------- I have a question on the emphasis of the language (Arabic) in Islam. First, I'd like to know if it is a requisite for every muslim to know Arabic (references, please, not opinions). I personally know a significant number of people who have little or no knowledge of the language, except how to read the script. In other words, many, including me, utter arabic words without knowing what we're saying. Somehow, it doesn't make complete sense to me. Whenever I have raised this argument, people have said that reading the same material in a different language would mean a loss of the finer nuances in the text. Surely, that did not convince me to be an excuse to go on uttering 'sounds' without knowing what they mean. Also, it is my opinion that in order to really get a flavor for each word, one needs to have a significant mastery of the language, either by usage or by study. I don't know how the message can be destroyed just by translation. If this is entirely true, then one could say that arabic is essential to understand the true message, hence be an 'aware' muslim. On the contrary, if the message can be relayed to different populations in their own languages, then why do we still have significant numbers of people using Arabic when they really don't know what they're saying ?? P.S Is it true that in some parts of Turkey, prayers are in Turkish and not in Arabic ??
dogdu@dbl1.CES.CWRU.Edu (Erdogan Dogdu) (07/24/90)
In article <14109@wpi.wpi.edu> mohamed@ecs.umass.edu writes: >P.S Is it true that in some parts of Turkey, prayers are in Turkish and not in >Arabic ?? Esselamun Aleikum, That is not true. Muslims in Turkey are almost entirely Sunni. And there is not such a thing, praying in Turkish, especially for "salat" (five times praying). But as it is like in other non-Arabic speaking Islamic countries, when making "dua" (wishes from Allah), the words are in Turkish for individuals, as well as for "imam"(person who heads the praying); and the "Jhuma Hutba" (Cuma, or Friday praying speech) is almost all in Turkish except the beginning and the end of the speech which are in Arabic, and some verses from Quran are read, and the topic of the speech is given as referenced to some "ayeth" (Quranic verses) or some "hadith" (sayings from Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)). What you heard migth be this : Back in the 40's or 50's, I do not know the exact dates, for some years, "adhan" (call for praying) was used to be in Turkish. It was a political attack, and a single party was ruling the country. After the end of that era, it was quickly abolished, and returned back to the original delivery of "adhan" in Arabic, as first delivered by Bilal-i Habesh. Regards .. Erdogan