Make Learning Arabic Your Top Priority

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) says,

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ ﴿٥٦

And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me (Alone).[Quran, Adh-Dhariyat 51:56]

In this ayah, Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) has clearly defined the purpose of our creation – our purpose in this life, and outlined the means which shall assist us upon this path in the Quran and the authentic Sunnah – both of which originate in the Arabic language.

It is not possible to understand the Quran and the Sunnah except by means of the Arabic language.

Allah Most High says,

إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ قُرْءَ‌ٰنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٢

Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an that you might understand. [Quran, Yusuf 12:2]

إِنَّا جَعَلْنَـٰهُ قُرْءَ‌ٰنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٣

Indeed, We have made it an Arabic Qur'an that you might understand. [Quran, Al-Zukhruf 43:3]

And Allah repeatedly says in Surah Al-Qamar,

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ ﴿١٧

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ ﴿٢٢

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ ﴿٣٢

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ ﴿٤٠

And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember? [Quran, Al Qamar 54:17,22,32,40]

Considering this simple, yet essential fact, should provide us sufficient incentive to allocate time from our busy lives to learning Arabic, which will subsequently open the doors to acquiring greater knowledge of this blessed religion of ours.

And what greater means to seeking knowledge can there be than to humble ourselves and learn Arabic and do so in order to worship our Lord upon sound knowledge, as Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) says,

قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

Say, "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" [Quran, Az-Zumar 39:9]

Make learning Arabic a top priority. As we pursue this noble path, let us recall the words of the Messenger of Alaah (sal-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) who said in this regard:

"Whoever treads a path in seeking knowledge, Allah will make easy for him the path to Paradise." [Sahih Muslim]

…the ultimate reward!

Remember, the Quran is not an ordinary book, it is the pure word of Allah and it must be as unique, eloquent and different as it is. The poetic depth of Arabic offers to the words of Allah the eloquence which would not be possible in any other language.

Reading the Quran and reciting the Quran in Arabic are promised to be rewarded with countless blessings. But we should read it correctly. How could we guarantee that we are reading it correctly if we don't know Arabic and learn how to read it properly?

One of the common mistakes people (who don't know Arabic) make while reading the Quran is changing the signs of letters. This may mean changing the status of nouns, for example, from doer to done-to, which is a big mistake.

For example, in Surah Fatir, Allah says,

وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَٱلدَّوَآبِّ وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَ‌ٰنُهُۥ كَذَ‌ٰلِكَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ٱلْعُلَمَـٰٓؤُا۟ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ ﴿٢٨

And among people and moving creatures and grazing livestock are various colors similarly. Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Forgiving. [Quran, Fatir 35:28]

إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ٱلْعُلَمَـٰٓؤُا۟

The word Allah ٱللَّهَ has a sign 'fatha' on the last letter of the word, which indicates a "done-to" noun
The word al-ulama' (knowledgeable people or schiolars) has a sign 'dhamma' on the last letter of the word, which indicates a "doer" noun.

If you switch the signs here, you have changed the meaning.

So, don't delay learning Arabic. Don't take this task lightly. Make it your top priority.

May Allah make learning Arabic and Quran easy for us and grant us undertsanding of His Book. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

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