why is it that arabic is often mentioned in quran . does allah knows only one language ? or islam is for arabs only as in hindu for indians only .. I don't believe in religions but i belive in god and i don't do bad things. can you send me links about your religion just to understand your religion. Thanks

The first and perhaps the most obvious reason is already referred to in the Qur'an, namely that because the messenger who was to announce this message was an Arab, it is only natural that the message should be announced in his language:

'Had We sent this as a Qur'an (in a language) other than Arabic they

could have said: Why are not its verses explained in detail? What! (a

book) not in Arabic and (a messenger) an Arab? Say: It is a guide and

a healing to those who believe ...' (Al-Qur'an 41: 44).

“ Lo! We have revealed it, a Lecture in Arabic, that ye may

understand.” (Yusuf: 2)

Another important reason concerns the audience which was to receive

the message. The message had to be in a language understood by the

audience to whom it was first addressed, i.e. the inhabitants of

Makka and the surrounding areas:

'Thus We have sent by inspiration to thee an Arabic Qur'an: that thou mayest warn the mother of the cities and all around her- and warn (them) of the day of assembly of which there is no doubt (when) some will be in the garden and some in the blazing fire' (Al-Qur'an 42: 7).

The Glorious Qur’an was revealed in Arabic as Arabic was the tongue of the target people of Arabia. Revealing the Qur’an in Arabic was necessary for the Arabian people to fathom the message of the Qur’an and understand it easily.

The Qur'an contains revelation from Allah and the true nature of revelation is to guide mankind from darkness to light:

'A book which we have revealed unto thee in order that thou mightest lead mankind out of the depths of darkness into light- by the leave of thy Lord- to the way of (Him) the exalted in power, worthy of all praise'

(Al-Qur'an 14: 1).

The revelation came in the language of the messenger and his people in order that it might be understood:

'We have made it a Qur'an in Arabic that ye may be able to understand

(and learn wisdom)' (Al-Qur'an 43: 3).

Allah says, “ And We never sent a messenger

save with the language of his folk, that he might make (the message)

clear for them…” (Ibrahim: 4)

In the process of understanding a message two steps are essential:

1- To receive the message correctly and completely, in this case to receive its words correctly and completely.

2- To 'decode' it, to grasp the meanings of the message received. Only the combination of the two elements, i.e. reception and decoding, lead to proper understanding of the message.

It is not correct to assume that understanding the Qur'an in order to take guidance from it depends upon direct knowledge of the Arabic language, since there are numerous Arabic-speaking people who do not understand the message of the Qur'an! Rather the Qur'an tells us that right guidance comes only from Allah:

'This is the guidance of God: He giveth that guidance to whom He pleaseth of His worshippers ...' (Al-Qur'an 6: 88).

However, to understand the language of the Qur'an is a prerequisite to fully grasp its meanings. Hence many Muslims have learned this language. Others, who have not done so, make use of translations, which for them is an indirect means of knowing the language, as in the translations the meanings of the Qur'an have been rendered into their mother tongues so that they may familiarise themselves with the message from Allah.

This message can be understood by all human beings who are willing to listen, for the Qur'an is not difficult but easy:

'We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to remember: but is there any that remembers it?' (Al-Qur'an 54: 17).

The Quran was revealed in Arabic, but translation of its meaning are

available in English and other languages for non-Arabs.

Likewise Islam is not restricted to people of the east or Arabs, it

is a universal religion revealed for all of mankind.

It is mentioned in:

"Alif Lam Ra. A book which We have revealed unto thee, in order that thou mightest lead mankind out of the depths of darkness into light . . ."[Al-Qur’an 14:1]

A similar message is repeated in :

"Here is a Message for mankind:

let them take warning therefrom, and let them know that He is (no

other than) One God: let men of understanding take heed."

[Al-Qur’an 14:52]

Qur’an mentions in Surah Baqarah chapter 2 verse 185

"Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur’an, as a guide

to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgement (between

right and wrong)."

A similar message is repeated in Surah Zumur chapter 39 verse 41

"Verily We have revealed the Book to thee in Truth, for (instructing) mankind."

IN BRIEF

Allah is a universal God and is not restricted to the knowledge of one language. He knows all the languages that exist and that ever existed..and the fact that He revealed the Quran in the Arabic language does not change that fact. You may rightly ask why Allah revealed His final word in Arabic, and the answer would be that bearer of the last message to mankind Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings of Allah be upon him is from Arabia, and therefore it was natural that he will carry the message in the language that he speaks, so he can convey it to his people and through them to the rest of the world.

Exactly, like when Allah sent the previous prophets, he sent the message through his messengers in the language that they spoke. In that way the people to whom those prophets preached the message will understand the word of Allah and the law of Allah that he is revealing to them.

The Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings of Allah upon him have told us that, and Allah the Almighty also says that in the Quran:

Say (O Muhammad SAW): "O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allâh " (Quran "al Araf:158)

There is no superioriy for Arabs over non-Arabs in the Noble Quran, or for the Arabic language over other languages. Allah the Almighty says in the Quran:

Verily, the most honourable of you with Allâh is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. one of the Muttaqûn (pious - see V.2:2).

(Quran "al Hujuraat":13)

The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said in the Farewell pilgrimage:

"There is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab, nor of a non-Arab over an Arab.... except in whoever fears Allah the most."

Allah the Almighty have created all the nations and all people and he is the one who taught them there languages:

And we most clarify here that there is no relation between one being Muslim and between one knowing the Arabic language. Infact more than 80% of Muslims in the world today are non-Arabs and don’t speak the Arabic language.

Second, as for what is islam in brief:

1) To believe in God as the sole creator and Lord of this universe and to the whole of mankind equally…and that this Creator has no equal and nothing is similair to Him and we can know Him through His creations and through the signs we find in those creations that we see infront of us.

2) This Great God we call Him (Allah) the Most High, and He has chosen between mankind Prophets and Messengers across time, and has revealed to them His revelations via angels. And from these Messengers are the Prophet Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all.They all had a common message , and a unified belief, and the same doctrine…Each and every one of those prophets came to call his people to the worship of Allah as the One and Only God, and Only He is worthy of man's worship.

And its our duty as believers to believe in all of these prophets and to not differentiate between any one of them, and the last and seal of all the Prophets is Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

3) We also have to believe that Allah the Most High has revealed books to those prophets, like the Gospel to Isa (Jesus) peace be upon him and the Torah to Moses peace be upon him and the Zabur (Psalms) to David peace be upon him and the Quran to Muhammad peace be upon him.

We believe in all those books, but yet the only book that

remains uncorrupted at this time is the last book the Noble Quran, and therefore it is considered the criterion over previous ******ure and only from the Quran must a Muslim derive the law of the Almighty..

4) Islam calls to all that which is good, from deeds and character, and forbids all that is evil and that is bad.

I hope that you will continue your reading about Islam from its correct sources, and I am more than ready to help you with any queries that you may have.

The importance of the Arabic language

The following is an article written some years ago by a brother in the US. Language is a means of communicating thoughts, ideas, and concepts. Through this medium, ideas are conveyed from one person to another, from one place to another, and from the past to the present and recorded for the future. Whether written or spoken, it remains as a medium through which people express their thoughts, images, and emotions in a manner comprehensible to others. If we analyze language, and study the relationship between language and thought the issue becomes more complex. Does language play a role in the way we perceive, think, analyze, or judge, and if so to what extent and in what ways? Many different scientific theories and research have only contributed to confusion. Rather, we will discover through empirical evidence that language is not part of the thinking process but one of its byproduct. This is evident by people who speak different languages and share similar ideologies and views. It is common to see a Chinese, a Korean, a Cuban, or a German adopting Communism as an ideology and applying it without any interference from their respective languages. These languages do not modulate their viewpoint towards different issues. The same can be said of the Muslim and Capitalist with respect to the fact that dissimilar languages do not result in ideological differences. To claim the opposite does not only mean to cast a blind eye on hard empirical evidence but more significantly demonstrates a racial inclination that speakers of certain languages are more intelligent than speakers of other languages. It should be emphatically noted that language is independent from thought, and that thinking precedes language and thinking produces language and continues to expand the depth and breadth of language. Moreover, there is no language that is superior to another. A certain language is viable to the extent that it can encompass the various needs of the people who speak it. As such needs expand in scope or multiply in number, the medium will naturally expand and improve by borrowing existing terms and words from other languages or through the coinage of new terms and words. Arabic, like other languages is a medium of communication. It is not a sacred language as some believe. By origin it is believed to have come into existence around three thousand years ago, though its writing appeared much later. Some Muslims scholars used to believe that Arabic came from Allah (swt) and cite the verse, "...He Taught Adam all the names." The majority of scholars, however, believe that the verse refers to Allah (swt) instructing Adam what things are called and how he could use them. After all, we know that the Arabs are descendants of Isma'eel and Ibrahim who lived at a time when Arabic was not used. Arabic, however, is very unique. It is the language of the Qur'an and Sunnah. It is the medium through which the Islamic concepts and laws were conveyed to us. It is impossible to know what Allah (swt) wants us to do without knowing and understanding Arabic. Nobody can claim to know why Allah (swt) selected Arabic for His final revelation. Allah (swt) says: "Allah knows best where, or to whom, He should reveal His Message." [TMQ 6:124] The Arabic language has certain characteristics. One of them is that it is derivational, rendering it as a language where a Mujtahid can seek the Illah or reasons behind the law and thus extend the Illah to other situations to apply the law. Another fascinating quality of Arabic is in its richness in words which describe human actions and feelings while lacking names of objects. As a matter of fact, many Arabic words describing objects have their etymological roots in other tongues like Persian, Hindi, and Ethiopian. The Arab who lived in the desert with very few objects and many actions was compelled to deal with the harsh nature of the desert, managed to produce a language capable of describing human thought and actions in a clear manner. Life in the desert continued to be an inspiration for those who sought oratory skills and eloquence for many generations. When Prophet Mohammed (saaw) was born, his (saaw) mother sent him (saaw) to the desert to live amongst the nomads for some time. These qualities cannot classify the Arabic language as part of the Islamic thought. It is the legal aspect which classifies the Arabic language as such. The importance and relevance of the Arabic language to the Islamic ideology can be divided into three aspects:

Fundamental beliefs:

the Arabic language here is not relevant. One can become a Muslim and believe in Allah, His Angels, Messengers, Revelation, Day of Judgment, or Divine Destiny, simply by pondering about the creation of Allah and accepting what he or she is asked to believe in.

Practice:

To practice Islam, one needs to know a certain amount of Arabic, such as in performing the 'Ibadah (e.g., Salah or Hajj);

Islamic law:

Arabic is required for the study of Islamic law, 'Usul ul Fiqh and Hukm Shari' (the body of laws). Muslim scholars mastered Arabic, its syntax, semantics, vocabulary, grammar, various modes of usage, and rhetoric as a prerequisite for Ijtihad. Since Islamic law deals with all aspects of life; social and individual, economic and cultural, and since the Qur'an and Sunnah constitute the foundation of Islamic civilization, any serious study of Islam should include the study of Arabic. The Arabic which is meant here is the classical Arabic along with its structure. The study of colloquial Arabic of a certain dialect or vernacular is without value in this regard. Amongst the factors which contributed towards the decline was the neglect of Arabic language. The Arabic language is the medium by which revelation becomes accessible, thus applicable in life. The neglect of Arabic language led the Muslims to a situation in which they were not able to derive laws from the Qur'an and Sunnah and thus apply Islam. It eventually led to the closure of the doors of Ijtihad and the opening of the doors of Taqleed or imitation. At one point, Ijtihad became impossible and as a result, new issues and circumstances were either left out without knowing the Islamic views on them or were accepted as being Islamic only because there is no direct evidence in Islam against them. As a result, many Muslims began to believe that Islam is a thing of the past and looked for answers to new issues in the Kufr civilization. When the Kuffar finally abolished Islam as a way of life, only a few amongst the Muslims objected to it because it was widely accepted that Islam was an obstacle to modernization and progress. This is a view which is still rampant amongst some Muslims today who express it directly if they are secular or indirectly by finding middle grounds between Islam and the Western civilization if they are "moderates." Revival is not embodied in material or scientific advancement. Rather, the intellectual and ideological elevation is the basis for the correct revival, whereby material advancement is a byproduct . Thus, the revival for Muslims lies with resuming the Islamic way of life. The Arabic language is needed to deduce solutions from the Islamic perspective in leading an Islamic way of life. Deducing the solutions requires the comprehension of the Arabic language, since Ijtihad can be performed only in Arabic. Also, to produce original material requires from us to directly access the revelation, otherwise we will be restricted to thought based upon translations or secondary works. When the campaign against Islam reared its ugly head, the Europeans specifically targeted the Arabs and Turks. The Turks were targeted because the ruling belonged to them while the Arabs were targeted because the heart of Islam was nestled in the Arab world, due to the Arabic language. Missionary campaigns, ideological and cultural invasion, and secret associations were established specifically in those area to destroy the fabric of the Islamic State. Therefore, the work for revival mandates that it commence in a well defined area, a location where one would be able to establish a creative way of thinking which leads towards revival. Today, as Muslims reflect on their past and look to the future, it is required for them to make the study of the Arabic language an integral part of their study of Islam. We need Mujtahideen, legal experts of Shari'ah, Muslim thinkers, judges, and statesman, all of whom must have a good command of Arabic, the language of Qur'an. The Prophet (saaw) said: "I am the most eloquent Arab being one of Quraysh". Allah says, "We have revealed it as an Arabic Qur'an." [TMQ 12:2] Arabic is the official language of the Islamic State, as the Prophet (saaw) used it in government affairs and the Khulafah followed suit. The Muslims should not heed to the rumors from the West and their sympathizers amongst the Muslims who claim that calling for the study of Arabic and adopting it as the official language of the state means calling for Arab nationalism or an "Arab Islam". All Muslims, Arab and non Arab should leave aside national affiliations and patriotic affinity and identify themselves with Islam. Let us not forget that the West attacks the Arabic language and its study as a part of its campaign against Islam. That's why they do not direct their attacks against Turkish, Somali, Urdu, Bengali, Pushto, Malay, Chinese, or Farsi even though millions of Muslims speak those languages.

All Muslims are called upon to defend Arabic in the manner they defend Islam.