A noteworthy proposition

[syed1]

So, as many of you are aware in the western society and many other places around the world Many Muslims do not know arabic, more specifically, they cannot understand the quran when it is being recited..

This leads to 1 major problem: The prayers of those who cannot understand arabic tend to be less sincere (in my opinion)

The solution (and please let me know if it is feasabile) : Although may not work for individual prayer, but certainly for Congregational prayers such as at mosques for friday prayer and taraweeh etc. could it not be possible to put a big screen tv on a wall where the people following can look at and read the translation of the surah while the imam is reciting it?

I feel this would really help strengthen our prayers and make them more meaning full if we knew what was being said...

one obvious limitation of this could be that in order for the right surah to be displayed, one would have to know what surah the imam will read in each rakat prior to the start of the prayer....

a second option, one which I believe could make money as well ( hey, nothing wrong with making a buck right?) is creating some kind of software which translates arabic for you..

now when it comes to the quran, we do not want to make any mistakes in messing up the meaning so this software would have to work 100% but if it did work just imagine, you could have this running at a mosque and which ever surah the imam reads you get the translation right in front of you on your screen ! that would surely be a blessing!

Inshallah one of our great muslim engineers comes up with some sort of a solution (and if you do, I want in on the profits lol )

anyways, what do you guys think?

[Hamza Asadullah]

So, as many of you are aware in the western society and many other places around the world Many Muslims do not know arabic, more specifically, they cannot understand the quran when it is being recited..

This leads to 1 major problem: The prayers of those who cannot understand arabic tend to be less sincere (in my opinion)

The solution (and please let me know if it is feasabile) : Although may not work for individual prayer, but certainly for Congregational prayers such as at mosques for friday prayer and taraweeh etc. could it not be possible to put a big screen tv on a wall where the people following can look at and read the translation of the surah while the imam is reciting it?

I feel this would really help strengthen our prayers and make them more meaning full if we knew what was being said...

one obvious limitation of this could be that in order for the right surah to be displayed, one would have to know what surah the imam will read in each rakat prior to the start of the prayer....

a second option, one which I believe could make money as well ( hey, nothing wrong with making a buck right?) is creating some kind of software which translates arabic for you..

now when it comes to the quran, we do not want to make any mistakes in messing up the meaning so this software would have to work 100% but if it did work just imagine, you could have this running at a mosque and which ever surah the imam reads you get the translation right in front of you on your screen ! that would surely be a blessing!

Inshallah one of our great muslim engineers comes up with some sort of a solution (and if you do, I want in on the profits lol )

anyways, what do you guys think?

Asalaamu alaikum. That would not be possible because in prayer one has to look at the spot where one prostrates and not anywhere else. One cannot look around in prayer and certainly cannot look at a screen and read words off it. So it is out of the question.

There are only two real solutions for non Arab speakers:

1. Learn Quranic Arabic. All Muslims can and should learn. Theres no excuse not to as it all comes down to effort and determination. How much you really want to. I know busy proffessionals who take time out weekly to learn Arabic. Dome even take trips to Egypt and spend some time thete to learn it and come back speaking proper Arabic.


2. For Tarawee read the translation of the particular surahs which are going to be recited before or after the prayer. For normal prayers learn and memorize the meanings of everything recited in Salah.

And Allah knows best in all matters

[syed1]

hm, I see your point, that one must be looking at the place where he prostrates but, for example, in taraweeh I am sure you have noticed many people holding the quran in their hand and going a long with the imam...

so is that wrong to??

also, yes, we should be trying to learn the meaning but as a temporary alternative it could be helpful??? hmm

[Hamza Asadullah]

hm, I see your point, that one must be looking at the place where he prostrates but, for example, in taraweeh I am sure you have noticed many people holding the quran in their hand and going a long with the imam...

so is that wrong to??

also, yes, we should be trying to learn the meaning but as a temporary alternative it could be helpful??? hmm

Yes the majority opinion of the four madhabs is that it is not permissable to hold the Quran during Tarawee unless instructed to do so by the imaam in order to correct any mistakes. This is obviously because holding the Quran in prayer may disturbs ones concentration by not looking at the place of prostration and not holding ones hands wrists or arms whilst standing. So the only alternatives are the two I gave above.

And Allah knows best in all matters

[ardianto]

The solution (and please let me know if it is feasabile) : Although may not work for individual prayer, but certainly for Congregational prayers such as at mosques for friday prayer and taraweeh etc. could it not be possible to put a big screen tv on a wall where the people following can look at and read the translation of the surah while the imam is reciting it?

Ma'moom (follower) must follow what imam do, what imam recite. If the masjid put big screen TV with translation like this, it will makes imam recite surah in Arabic, and ma'moom recite in English. From what I know it will makes this salah not valid.

[syed1]

hmm oh. I c. well I was just trying to think of a solution to end the common problem that many muslims face which is not understanding what the imam is reciting...

any one else have any other solutions besides learning arabic?

[MartyrX]

I think learning Arabic would be best. I'm just now starting to learn, and it's kind of difficult, but I feel it needs to be done.

[Ramadhan]

hmm oh. I c. well I was just trying to think of a solution to end the common problem that many muslims face which is not understanding what the imam is reciting...

any one else have any other solutions besides learning arabic?

You can also memorise the qur'an along with the meanings.

[Ramadhan]

In big masjids in Indonesia, they also put up large projector screens, but they are not used to display qur'an verses during shalah.
They are used to display qur'an verses and the meanings during recitations ('tadarus"), or to display live feed of the khatib during khutbah, or imam during shalah, etc

[Hamza Asadullah]

I think learning Arabic would be best. I'm just now starting to learn, and it's kind of difficult, but I feel it needs to be done.

Thats exactly how I feel and the thing is that it can be done. I know many people who have done it, it all comes down to how much we really want to learn. If a person puts in the required effort and perseveres with it and asks Allah to help them then NOTHING can stop a person from doing whatever they want to do.

So if we make a firm intention in our hearts to learn the language of the Quran and keep striving then we will learn the language. That thing in our heads telling us its too hard and difficult is a LIAR! We can do ANYTHING we want as long as we really put our minds to it.

May Allah enable us to learn the language of the Quran so we can understand tge deeper meanings and beauty of the Quran. Ameen