Muslims who do not speak Arabic.

As'Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,

Welcome to our boards of discussions sister.

We are rewarded even when we utter prayers in Arabic, without knowing its meaning. At the same time, we shud try to learn and understand what we utter. Its tough, but insha-Allah, when we try to learn it, we experience Allah's help. Try it slowly sister. We are to learn and understand atleast to the extent of those chapters, which we recite in salah. As u said, we get a feeling of show-off, thats true, so we need to hasten to learn them and understand.

I would like to share a part of a speech, wherein the speaker was letting us about importance of learning arabic. He said that, once an Arab visited a non-Arab country. He joined a congregation offering salah. When the prayers were over, Arabs smile caught attention. The imam of the mosque, looked at him  bewildered. He cud not resist and asked arab, as why he was smiling that much. Arab answered, "You did throw Yusuf AS, in the well but did not take him out"

Perhaps Imam sahab recited only till those verses  wherein Yusuf AS was thrown in hell. This was an example wherein we utter what we know not. But it does n't mean we stop reciting in Arabic, We are to hasten knowing the meaning of what we utter, as salah is a communication between a believer and Allah swt.

As'Salamu ALaikum,

JazakiAllahu Khair, sister for sharing your views over this subject.I actually wanted you to thank you for your post that u posted at an other thread regarding Arabic.I got a rough idea of this subject, which made me enthusiastic to learn and understand this language. I cud not comment it there, as it would become an off-topic. May Allah swt reward sis Aminah too. Very soon am to join these classes - Insha-Allah.

Anatolian wrote: A question to you who have converted to Islam or were born of it yet don't speak Arabic. Does it mean anything to you when you pray in Arabic yet don't know what you are saying? I've always been curious about this.

Hi, a very good question. I would also use this question to bring out another point that will help Chrisitians in particular to understand that there is a differance between prayer and Salath in Islam . Prayer, can be offered any time and I guess any where in your own language and in your own words, in your heart or aloud. While Salath is the prescribed and structured form of worship that does include prayers. It is a ritual that has fixed timing and fixed steps to be followed, in the same manner as the the Prophet has taught us, and is not altered or modified by an individual. It has pre-requisits, clean cloths, abulution, clear mind and surrounding without distractions etc. Salath include recitations in Arabic from the Quran, thus Muslims memorize them in Arabic. For people like myself, who are not Arabs it is a bit challange to read and memorize chapters/suras of the Quran in Arabic and to know their meanings. But I guess that means more reward from God.

Hasan