Balancing Arabization

[Tyrion]

Here's another article I've just read... I found myself agreeing with a lot of what was written, and I'd like to see what you guys think of the points raised. :

Balancing Arabization

 

[Al-Mufarridun]

this is the comment i posted;

Asalaamu Alaikum

I would echo what brother Abdurrahman Wood said. There is a fine line that needs to be balanced. While it is true as was mentioned, that Allah(swt) sends revelations in the mother-tongue of the Prophets/Messengers He sends, we have to keep in mind that there is a unique difference between all the previously revealed Books and Messengers and the Final Messenger and Book, i.e. Muhammad(pbuh) and the Qur'an.

While all the previous Prophets/Messengers were sent to specific nations, towns, people, mostly to their own native brethren with the exception of some special cases, Lud or Lot(as) for example, Muhammad(pbuh) was sent for All Peoples and Allah(swt) chose in His infinite wisdom to reveal His Final Revelation, in the mother tongue of Muhammad(pbuh) i.e. Arabic.

I completely agree with the points of the article with respect to the wisdom of Dawah and also for the accommodation of new reverts in their earlier stages. I'm sure there are plenty of ignorant or arrogant, Allah-forbid perhaps some who are both ignorant and arrogant, Arabic speaking Muslims who go to the extreme that was mentioned. I must also caution the other side of the extreme, which is to say that one can be an ideal Muslim or Muslimah, without needing/knowing/using a single Arabic word. Those of us whose mother tongue is not Arabic, should never allow those few ignorant or arrogant to push us to the other extreme and drive us away from striving to learn and use Arabic in our daily life, because as Muslims, Ibadah is our daily Life.

Naming children is one thing, Ibadah is another. If we desire for every single second of our life to be in servitude to Allah(swt)in the best of manners - it is of vital importance that we learn and follow the life and teachings of Muhammad(pbuh) and the life of Muhammad(pbuh) was the Qur'an, and the Qur'an is in Arabic.

Allah(swt) knows best.

 

[Tyrion]

^ I pretty much agree with everything you said. The issue is mainly when Arabic terms are thrown around in an English (or any non Arabic language) context... For example, the way some members on this board type their responses in what seems like 40% English and 60% badly transliterated Arabic is incredibly off putting to the many people who may not have heard those Arabic words all their lives. When speaking English with people who aren't at your level, it just seems unnecessary to use Arabic words when English words would suffice... Those who are doing the speaking don't really ever realize how alienating it can be, and I've definitely seen how it discourages both Muslims and Non Muslims from engaging with other more knowledgeable Muslims or Islamic Organizations.

 

[Alpha Dude]

I agree with Al-Mufarridun's post too.

For example, the way some members on this board type their responses in what seems like 40% English and 60% badly transliterated Arabic is incredibly off putting to the many people who may not have heard those Arabic words all their lives. When speaking English with people who aren't at your level, it just seems unnecessary to use Arabic words when English words would suffice... Those who are doing the speaking don't really ever realize how alienating it can be, and I've definitely seen how it discourages both Muslims and Non Muslims from engaging with other more knowledgeable Muslims or Islamic Organizations.

I used to feel somewhat alienated when I first came on this forum due to the above reason. However, the more I hung around, the more I learnt and eventually I've grown to use some of these words which I was first unfamiliar with myself.

At the end of the day though, it is an Islamic forum and therefore I don't feel it's unreasonable in the slightest that such jargon is used. If we go to any other niche forum (e.g. physics, gaming, motoring), we'll notice exactly the same behaviour - i.e. genre specific terminology will be used. There's nothing wrong with that and it's up to the individual to grow and come to terms with it, rather than have people who have used these words all there lives without a second thought having to double check every word they write.

Using Arabic/Islamic terms without explaining the meaning to non-muslims is obviously going to be impolite and unreasonable but I don't believe there is any reason to withold when talking to fellow Muslims (granted, we don't have control over who is reading our conversations). Of course, it would be a good idea to translate when we are unsure whether the person we are conversing with understands or not.

We can't expect to look after the tiniest needs of everyone who sulks and moans cos they don't understand something and in any case, with the wealth of the internet around, anything that is unfamiliar can be learn't in a matter of seconds. Newcomers might find it difficult initially but if they are sincere, inshaAllah they will stick around and, importantly, Allah will not allow their sincerity to go to waste.