Question: aaaaa

aimforjannah

New Member
Assalaam alaykum everyone,

As the title suggests, is it a sin [for a new revert] to not learn Arabic, and just stick with translations? I'm just not interested in it, and don't have a talent for learning languages anyway (I'm saying this from experience).

Salaam.
Walaikum AsSalam, Arabic is the language of the Quran. I find it very beneficial to master it. If you go to Hajj you need or can benefit and can read signs for places, stores etc. Then most advise I can give is that you will truly learn the words of your LORD as revealed in the Quran. May Allah make it easy for you.
 

Hassan

Laa ilaha ilaa Allah
Staff member
wa alaikum asalaam brother

In short, no. It is not a sin. There are many rewards and benefits and many good reasons to learn arabic. Obviously, the five prayers must be performed in arabic, but your dua can be in any language. And you will inevitably learn a lot of arabic words. Most muslims at least learn to read Qur'an, I have slight dyslexia so even after almost 10 years I only just manage to do that. But learning another language is not for everyone, and it is not compulsory, so not to do so is not sinful.

I recommend having 2 or 3 different translations of the Qur'an on hand (quran.com), as the differences in translations often give indications of the subtleties of the original Arabic. Look into tafsirs and other commentaries where some of those subtleties should be discussed. Lastly, I recommend getting a transliteration of the Qur'an so when you listen to recitation, you can at least follow the words being said.

And of course, if you have questions about the Qur'an, you can ask at TurnToIslam :SMILY149:
 

TheAuthenticBase

Assalaamu 'alaykum!
according to ibn taymiyyah its fard upon every1 to learn arabic...

personally i have benefitted much from arabic, it makes learning the quran much much easier, and standing in salah is so much more beter (esp. in tarawee) as u know what the imam is saying rather than daydreaming about the hoor, lol...
 

Hassan

Laa ilaha ilaa Allah
Staff member
according to ibn taymiyyah its fard upon every1 to learn arabic..
Jazakallah khairan. I was not aware of that. With greatest respect for ibn Taymiyyah, do you have a reference so I may check out the context?

Br Lostandfound, in light of this, I will modify my reply. As a new revert (Congratulations, and welcome to TTI if I did not already say so) as a new revert, there are more important things to do just now. When the time comes, just because you struggled with another language doesn't necessarily mean you are bound to fail at Arabic. Two or three years from now, you can see things very differently. If you are still concerned about not learning Arabic being a sin, speak to an imam about it. Allah swt can make things easy for whom He chooses, He did not choose you for Islam to set you up to fail. I pray He makes learning easy for you.
 

sister herb

Official TTI Chef
To new muslim most important is to learn basics of islam. We also have to remember that many muslims (also born muslims) are totally uneducated, illiterate - also by they own language, they never studied in any school. Not they language, not arabic.

If they can´t pray by arabic, may Allah be mercy to them.
 

zaman-gm

Junior Member
Wa alikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
It will be sin if we can't reciter accurately as much as compulsory for our Ibadat to Allah SWT.
And it is almost impossible to do this other then Arabic.
 

muslimhanif

Junior Member
Praise be to Allāh, the Lord of the Worlds;

According to Ibn Taymiyyah, learning [and teaching] Arabic is a duty incumbent on the community (farḍ kifâyah) and not on each individual (farḍ ‘ayn) as someone has claimed. Ibn Taymiyyah said in "Mağmū‘ al-Fatāwā" (32/252), "It is well known that learning Arabic and teaching it is a collective obligation (i.e. if some people fulfil it the rest are relieved of the obligation)." This is a general rule. As for the specific rule, however, learn a part of the Arabic language is an obligation on each individual [which is able to fulfil it]. Ibn Taymiyyah said, "Then from it (i.e. from the Arabic), there are things which are mandatory on [all] individuals and others which are mandatory on the community." (Ibid. 1/469)

So to return to the question, "Is it a sin to not learn Arabic?" I say, this depends on the context. If there are some people who have fulfilled this general obligation then there is no sin in neglecting the general obligation, but if the common obligation is not fulfilled by anyone, then the sin falls on the [entire] community which has neglected this obligation. This is because basically it is sinful to leave a duty [intentionally], as it has been established unanimously by the scholars of Islamic hermeneutics (uṣūl al-fiqh). Finally, I recommend that you to learn firstly that part of Arabic which is essential to perform the prayers and the other obligatory rituals of worship. The rule says that all you need to satisfy what is obligatory is [in turn] obligatory.

And Allāh knows best.
 
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sister herb

Official TTI Chef
Actually it is quite utopian to say (as someones say) that all muslims in the whole world would have one common language together (Arabic). The truth is that many don´t speak or understand it at all. They might know how to read Quran or say prayers by Arabic but unfortunately they don´t understand what they read or what they say. They simple commit to memory some words, not learning their meaning.

Reason why they don´t know meaning is of course that they haven´t never study it as foreign language. And reasons why they haven´t are several different kinds. Many might never have had any change to study it or anything else as well.

Anyways, when we talk is it sin or not, or is it haram if someone hasn´t learn Arabic, we should ask this question from someone who has more knowledge like imam.
 

muslimhanif

Junior Member
Praise be to Allāh, the Lord of the Worlds;

No scholar has questioned the general obligation of learning Arabic language, and there is a unanimous consensus between them on the general obligation of learning and teaching Arabic. But the scholars have ruled that this obligation is a [general] duty incumbent on the community and not on each individual. As Ibn Taymiyyah said in "Mağmū‘ al-Fatāwā" (32/252), "It is well known that learning Arabic and teaching it is a collective obligation (i.e. if some people fulfil it the rest are relieved of the obligation)." And he said also, "Moreover, the Arabic language itself is part of Islām, and knowing Arabic is an obligatory duty. If it is a duty to understand the Qur‘ān and Sunnah, and they cannot be understood without knowing Arabic, then the means that is needed to fulfil the duty is also obligatory." However, "There are things which are obligatory on all individuals, and others which are obligatory on the community (i.e. if some people fulfill them the rest are relieved of the obligation)." (Ibid. 1/469) Indeed, as I said, whatever it takes to fulfill an obligation is also considered as an obligation based on the fundamentals of jurisprudence ruling, “Whatever is required to fulfill an obligation is itself an obligation” (mā lā yatimmu al-wāğibu illā bihi fa-huwa wājibun). [Cfr. "al-Baḥr al-muḥīṭ fī uṣūl al-fiqh" by Imām al- Zarkashī] This is a general rule, it applies to everything that is obligatory in religion. And as I mentioned, "Obligatory is what one is rewarded for doing and punished for omitting." (fa-l-wāğibu mā yuthābu ‘alá fi‘lihi wa yu‘āqabu ‘alá tarkihi) [Cfr. "al-Waraqāt fī uṣūl al-fiqh" by Imām al-Ḥaramayn al-Juwaynī] So it is an individual obligation incumbent upon every adult and sane man to learn that part of Arabic language which is absolutely indispensable to perform the [obligatory] prayers and the other [obligatory] rituals of worship, and whoever does not strive to fulfill this duty, even though he was able to fulfill it, then has committed a sin of negligence, except in the case in which he has recently entered Islām and did not know about a particular duty as the duty of the five daily prayers.

And Allāh knows best.
 
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um muhammad al-mahdi

لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله
Staff member
Assalamu Alaykum

Maybe you just need to find the right Arabic teacher. Allahu 'alam. Then it depends what your intention is. And may Allah make it easy for you!
 

Fatemeh_394

Junior Member
I think the necessary to learn are the words for prayer. And they are not a lot. There are many Arabs & Muslims who are willing to teach you.
 

Fatemeh_394

Junior Member
You can talk to God by any languages. Even in your thoughts while you don't say anything. Anything you wish to tell him he will understand. But by Prayer I mean salat, not dua. Salat that you perform 5 times a day(at dawn, noon, afternoon, evening and night) is very short. It has just some short sentences. You just have to say it in Arabic and it's better to understand it. We learn it in childhood while we don't know anything about Arabic. And I still don't know Arabic a lot.
 
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