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Muslims who do not speak Arabic.

Printed From: IslamiCity.org
Category: Religion - Islam
Forum Name: Islam for non-Muslims
Forum Description: Non-Muslims can ask questions about Islam, discussion for the purpose of learning.
URL: https://www.islamicity.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11557
Printed Date: 28 March 2024 at 1:51pm
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Topic: Muslims who do not speak Arabic.
Posted By: Anatolian
Subject: Muslims who do not speak Arabic.
Date Posted: 07 January 2008 at 2:38am
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.



Replies:
Posted By: Angel
Date Posted: 07 January 2008 at 3:32am
I'm sure the people will answer soon, but I now for me that if I was going to pray in another language, I would sure find out what the translations first before praying. Don't want to be praying for something bad/negative/evil now 

If you know what the pray means then it should mean some thing.

This goes for english to, know what the prayer means instead of just saying the words, Prayer needs intention and attention.


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~ Our feet are earthbound, but our hearts and our minds have wings ~


Posted By: martha
Date Posted: 07 January 2008 at 4:08am

Anatolian,

In answer to your question. I know what I am saying in Arabic regarding the prayer, as I learnt it in English first. There was no way I could be happy about praying if I didnt understand it in my own language first.

When I read the Quran I use an English translation.

Of course I cant answer for born muslims whose natural tongue is not Arabic.

Previously, as a Christian, all prayers came from the heart, and were not written down.  As Angela said :- know what the prayer means instead of just saying the words, Prayer needs intention and attention.

The same applies again for dua's, an individual muslims prayer



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some of us are a lot like cement:- all mixed up and permanently set


Posted By: Angel
Date Posted: 07 January 2008 at 4:18am
martha.......its Angel 

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~ Our feet are earthbound, but our hearts and our minds have wings ~


Posted By: layalee
Date Posted: 07 January 2008 at 8:03am

I do not know Arabic. I will learn it though, Insha'Allah!

I know what I am saying when I perform my Salat in Arabic. When I was in the learning phrase of memorizing Salat, I would write down one sentence In arabic. Then next to it I would write it in English. I think it is very important that we know what the meanings are, before we utter anything in Arabic, or any language for that matter. How could it be from the heart if we do not know what it mean?!

When I first started performing salat. I would first say it arabic then I would perforn the prayer over again in English. I continued to do that until I knew all the meanings of rakats I was performing.



Posted By: Hayfa
Date Posted: 07 January 2008 at 9:16am
I learned in English and then in Arabic.. and I keep repeating in Eglish too, or my mind can wander too easily.

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When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy. Rumi


Posted By: minuteman
Date Posted: 11 January 2008 at 10:28am

 

 The prayer special parts are compulsory to be recited in Arabic. But in Sajadah or otherwise, at any time, the prayer can be in own language (after the fixed Arabic words), like beseeching Allah for something. It can be done in own language, Urdu, English, Hindi etc.

 During Sajadah (prostration) or Rukuh Quranic verses should not be recited.

 Whether any one understands the Arabic words or not, there is no danger because the words are remembered by heart and they do not contain anything bad. The same words are used all over the world for centuries. The meaning can be understood slowly.

 



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If any one is bad some one must suffer


Posted By: masalama
Date Posted: 12 January 2008 at 10:18am

Asalamu Aleikum .

i,m a sister from Denmark, been a convert for many years, and do not speak or read arabic, i do know what i,m saying in my prayers in arabic, else my intentions in my eyes would be fake or a show of, it is hard to learn, can be done easly though, when i think of the sister who taught us to pray and the words and the meaning, i know what the prayers are in english and danish. masalama



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masalama


Posted By: seekshidayath
Date Posted: 12 January 2008 at 6:13pm

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.



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Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: �All the descendants of Adam are sinners, and the best of sinners are those who repent."


Posted By: Salams_wife
Date Posted: 12 January 2008 at 9:33pm

I had been studying arabic for a couple years before I converted to Islam.  I still was not fluent (not perfect now either), but  I at least had a strong foundation.  It was a matter of learning a few extra words that I didn't get in my studies.  So I started my prayers from the beginning entirely in arabic, except when I do dua because it would take too much time and concentration to try to get my point accross in arabic.  As a habit and to help my mind not stray during my prayers, I do concentrate on the meaning while I say them, so in a way I translate to english as I speak each word.

Catholics prayed and held their sermons in latin for centuries.  Many people had no idea what the priests were even saying and were unable to read the bible because it wasn't translated from latin until more recently.  It is not a new concept for a religion to use a universal language.  At least Arabic was the original language of the Quran.  There is also a wide variety of material out there that contains all the translation a non arabic speaking muslim might need.



Posted By: seekshidayath
Date Posted: 14 January 2008 at 12:15am

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.



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Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: �All the descendants of Adam are sinners, and the best of sinners are those who repent."


Posted By: Aminah07
Date Posted: 16 January 2008 at 5:37pm

ASA,

I learned like many of the other sisters what the meaning was when I first converted. I got a book from the masjid that had the transliteration in English as well as the meaning...LOL...the book was titled something like "First book of Salat for Young Boys" well I took no offenseand it helped.

A year later when I married my husband he is from Egypt he continued to answer all of my bazillion and one questions we didn't have internet back than in 88' or at least we didn't.

I heard a speaker at an ISNA(Islamic Society of Northern America) convention say one time in a lecture that even if you don't understand Arabic when you listen to the Quran' being recited your heart knows every word. His name is Ahmed Sakr and in the muslim community in America is fairly well known he also for a time was the Imam at my original masjid in S.Calif....Now when I listen to Quran' I can understand about 85% of it I like to think my heart translates the rest.

A good place to look for newbies is at http://islam.com - http://islam.com  I haven't used it for a while but they used to have a video of how to perform Salat step by step with English transliteration in the video you can download it and view it as often as needed to learn Salat. 



Posted By: honeto
Date Posted: 27 March 2008 at 9:23am

Originally posted by Anatolian 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

 

 



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The friends of God will certainly have nothing to fear, nor will they be grieved. Al Quran 10:62



Posted By: minuteman
Date Posted: 27 March 2008 at 2:43pm

 

 It is necessary to perform the salaat in Arabic language. And it is necessary to learn the meanings of the Arabic words. But during the Salaat, it is permissible to pray (Dua'a) to Allah in one's own language as well as in Arabic whenever necessary.

 It is not proper to recite the verses of the Quran during prosteration or during bowing posture. But supplication (Dua'a) can be made in ones own language after saying the actual required words of Rukuh and sujood.



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If any one is bad some one must suffer



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