Why did Qur'an reveal in Arabic language?

[Saeeda Shaikh]

God has chosen the Arabic language to convey his everlasting and global message. Because Arabic is the richest and comprehensive language and has special features and ability to convey the different meanings and concepts in short peotic form. The underlying principle for appointment of messaenger from God, the practice (i.e. Sunnah) of God was that He appointed Messengers based on the languages of the people of such communities.

In the Qur’an, it is said: "And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people to state clearly for them, and Allah sends astray [thereby] whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise". (Qur’an 14: 4)

According to the Qur’an, Prophet Muhammad pbuh who was the seal of all the Prophets and Messengers of God was sent to the whole Universe with Qur’an. That is to say, the message of Islam is a universal one and the Qur’an as well, is meant for all mankind (all race and colors), Nations and for all generations to come. And not withstanding, there is no doubt in the fact that the primary audiences of the Holy Prophet pbuh and the Qur’an were the Arabs. Thus, this necessitated that the Qur’an should be revealed in Arabic and not any other language, easy to perceive it.

Likewise, the fact the Qur’an is an everlasting miracle of the Holy Prophet pbuh and every miracle-based on Divine principle-relates with the time and prevailing circumstances of the society of each Prophet of God. For instance, during the time of the Holy Prophet pbuh, Arabian Peninsula was at the climax of appreciation of eloquence and poetry but the Qur’an came with a unique eloquence which is above the eloquence of the Arabs in poetry and literary excellence.

Thus, it was based on these facts that the Qur’an was revealed in a clear and classic Arabic language which is the most eloquent. However, today, Qur’an has been translated into the widely speaking languages and hundreds of other languages of the world. When Qur'an was revealed, that time Arabic was spoken language and people could understand its meaning and its interpretation. Arabic is a living lanaguage since thousands of years. The older a language is the richer is it’s scope of literature and thus more is the knowledge it has encompassed because of its prolonged usage and manifestations. Such languages can express peculiar perceptions and descriptions with specific vocabularies and could easoly interpret it. That's the reason Arabic language has distinctive attributes.

Presently,there are over 6000 lnguages spoken in the world today, but approximately 2500 languages are likely to become extinct due to less use of that language. It is estimated that if language decline continues as it has been, half of the world’s languages could be wiped off the map by the end of this century. Now come to Arabic language which is a living progressive language still after more than 1,400 years have passed. The Qur'an is the leading book in the World.

For God says in Quran:

"Surely We have revealed the Reminder and We will most surely be its guardian". (15:9 )

The same way Allah has sent revelations in many other languages

[emoji830]Qur'an - Arabic - the Prophet Muhammad pbuh

[emoji830]Injeel - Aramaic - the Messiah Jesus pbuh

[emoji830]Zabur (Psalms) - Hebrew - the prophet David pbuh

[emoji830]Taurat (Torah) - Hebrew - the prophet Moses pbuh

[emoji830]Scrolls of Abraham (Suhuf Ibrahim) - (not known the language )- the prophet Abraham pbuh

Quran originates from 7th Century when Arabic was the most prevailing language. Mandarin and hindi started appearing somewhere around 10th century. Urdu around 12th century. Spanish in 10–15th century, modern English appeared around 14th century, and modern Russian is even younger (starts at 18th century).

And God knows the best.

 

[Saira Khan]

JazakAllah !!!

 

[Abz2000]

God has chosen the Arabic language to convey his everlasting and global message. Because Arabic is the richest and comprehensive language and has special features and ability to convey the different meanings and concepts in short peotic form. The underlying principle for appointment of messaenger from God, the practice (i.e. Sunnah) of God was that He appointed Messengers based on the languages of the people of such communities.

In the Qur’an, it is said: "And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people to state clearly for them, and Allah sends astray [thereby] whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise". (Qur’an 14: 4) .......

:jz: for your participation and input,

i would like to add a few humble opinions in a constructive way if possible - i hope you will consider them as advice rather than belligerent undermining argument.

Firstly, Allah :swt: knows best exactly why Arabic was chosen. Although it is true that it is a very eloquent language containing material which facilitates jawame al kalim, there are multiple other factors which can possibly taken into account -including but not limited to: al qadr which caused arabic evolve into the eloquent language that it is - although the absences of the letters "p" and "t" can be used to argue that it was possibly more of a human endeavour over generations which God chose with much more taken into account in His unequalled Wisdom.

Let us also consider that the Quran is aimed at the whole world despite the thousands of different mother tongues of various tribes and nations.
We do notice that it's means of speech include casual phrases that are directly translatable into other international languages eg. What's with you? Maa la kum? and this is useful during familiar communication and closes a psychological distance. The region itself is at the central crossroads of the globe - ensuring that it is always a reliable and familiar means of international communication which isn't scrubbed out very easily.

Secondly there is the poitical/social factor.
The barren arabian peninsula with sparse greenery and very sparsely dispersed and usually poor goat-herding tribes with no central governing system made it unprofitable and unenticing for heavyweight kings to invade and govern, or even pay heed to its political situation despite their military prowess, and we know that it is the corrupt class of " al mala- " who stand against the prophets and make work difficult for them due to the fact that corrupt al mala consider the lands in which they live as their own absolute dominion and themselves as the exclusive rulemakers and priests over the common masses whose rights become non-existent at a single conflict of interest., -this was an important factor in ensuring that events formed naturally and without the difficulty of dealing with inter-continental tyrants and their police and soldiery. This is also a reason why the prophet :saws: was able to establish a new government in al-Madinah without having to worry too much about the soldiers of ceasar or khosroe coming and demanding allegiance and submission to their respective dominions. Abu jahl was a micro-pharaoh and example in a bigger and much longer story, this is possibly a better comparison for the people of today living under a plethora of rulers in a global age.

Thirdly, the arab tribes were illiterate despite their land being at the centre of old civilizations which were way ahead in literacy and record keeping (the arabs would use poetry to convey, and their moneyed classes used poets to change public opinion, and the physical document which was Quran caused the false fables and flawed logic to disappear without much effort, this would have been a difficult task amidst people spouting dodgy rules from dodgy constitutions accepted by millions, whereas the bedouin arabs had very few commonly accepted rules, and had many tribal wars as a result, a bonus was that they had a natural inferiority complex resulting from their lack of civilization as can be seen from their respect for the people of the Book and their common justice process even if it went against the self (something unimaginable for a big-headed leader of a tribe of a few hundred people), and would therefore be more receptive to simple reason and exalted logic just as a newborn is accepting of milk.


Fourthly, Allah :swt: clearly indicates that the messenger was destined to be from the stock of Isma'eel :as: even if the Book was to be revealed in a different language - although the wisdom in choosing it is continually confirmed:


Allah SWT said:

مَّا يُقَالُ لَكَ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ قِيلَ لِلرُّسُلِ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو مَغْفِرَةٍ وَذُو عِقَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
"Nothing is said to you, [O Muhammad], except what was already said to the messengers before you. Indeed, your Lord is a possessor of forgiveness and a possessor of painful penalty."


Allah SWT said:

وَلَوْ جَعَلْنٰهُ قُرْءَانًا أَعْجَمِيًّا لَّقَالُوا لَوْلَا فُصِّلَتْ ءَايٰتُهُۥٓ ۖ ءَا۬عْجَمِىٌّ وَعَرَبِىٌّ ۗ قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَآءٌ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ فِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى ۚ أُولٰٓئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِنْ مَّكَانٍۢ بَعِيدٍ


"And if We had made it a non-Arabic Qur'an, they would have said, Why are its verses not explained in detail ?

Is it a foreign [recitation] and an Arab [messenger]?

Say, It is, for those who believe, a guidance and cure. And those who do not believe - in their ears is deafness, and it is upon them blindness.

Those are being called from a distant place."

(QS. Fussilat 41: Verse 44)

* Via Qur'an English http://quran-en.com



And Allah :swt: knows best, we can only attempt to understand His wisdom and some of the possible reasons that point to the wisdom behind the choice, but we cannot say for certain that Allah :swt: did such and such action due to such and such reason since no vision can comprehend/compasd Him whereas He comprehends and compasses all vision.

 

[Saeeda Shaikh]

God has chosen the Arabic language to convey his everlasting and global message. Because Arabic is the richest and comprehensive language and has special features and ability to convey the different meanings and concepts in short peotic form. The underlying principle for appointment of messaenger from God, the practice (i.e. Sunnah) of God was that He appointed Messengers based on the languages of the people of such communities.

In the Qur’an, it is said: "And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people to state clearly for them, and Allah sends astray [thereby] whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise". (Qur’an 14: 4)

:jz: for your participation and input,

i would like to add a few humble opinions in a constructive way if possible - i hope you will consider them as advice rather than belligerent undermining argument.

Firstly, Allah :swt: knows best exactly why Arabic was chosen. Although it is true that it is a very eloquent language containing material which facilitates jawame al kalim, there are multiple other factors which can possibly taken into account -including but not limited to: al qadr which caused arabic evolve into the eloquent language that it is - although the absences of the letters "p" and "t" can be used to argue that it was possibly more of a human endeavour over generations which God chose with much more taken into account in His unequalled Wisdom.

Let us also consider that the Quran is aimed at the whole world despite the thousands of different mother tongues of various tribes and nations.
We do notice that it's means of speech include casual phrases that are directly translatable into other international languages eg. What's with you? Maa la kum? and this is useful during familiar communication and closes a psychological distance. The region itself is at the central crossroads of the globe - ensuring that it is always a reliable and familiar means of international communication which isn't scrubbed out very easily.

Secondly there is the poitical/social factor.
The barren arabian peninsula with sparse greenery and very sparsely dispersed and usually poor goat-herding tribes with no central governing system made it unprofitable and unenticing for heavyweight kings to invade and govern, or even pay heed to its political situation despite their military prowess, and we know that it is the corrupt class of " al mala- " who stand against the prophets and make work difficult for them due to the fact that corrupt al mala consider their lands as their absolute dominion and themselves as the exclusive rulemakers and priests over the common masses whose rights become non-existent at a single conflict of interest., -this was an important factor in ensuring that events formed naturally and without the difficulty of dealing with inter-continental tyrants and their police and soldiery. This is also a reason why the prophet :saws: was able to establish a new government in al-Madinah without having to worry too much about the soldiers of ceasar or khosroe coming and demanding allegiance and submission to their respective dominions. Abu jahl was a micro-pharaoh and example in a bigger and much longer story, this is possibly a better comparison for the people of today living under a plethora of rulers in a global age.

Thirdly, the arab tribes were illiterate despite their land being at the centre of old civilizations which were way ahead in literacy and record keeping (the arabs would use poetry to convey, and their moneyed classes used poets to change public opinion, and the physical document which was Quran made the false fables and flawed logic to disappear without much effort, this would have been a difficult task amidst people spouting dodgy rules from dodgy constitutions accepted by millions, whereas the bedouin arabs had very few commonly accepted rules, and had many tribal wars as a result, a bonus was that they had a natural inferiority complex resulting from their lack of civilization as can be seen from their respect for the people of the Book and their common justice process even if it went against the self (something unimaginable for a big-headed leader of a tribe of a few hundred people), and would therefore be more receptive to simple reason and exalted logic just as a newborn is accepting of milk.


Fourthly, Allah :swt: clearly indicates that the messenger was destined to be from the stock of Isma'eel :as: even if the Book was to be revealed in a different language - although the wisdom in choosing it is continually confirmed:


Allah SWT said:

مَّا يُقَالُ لَكَ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ قِيلَ لِلرُّسُلِ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو مَغْفِرَةٍ وَذُو عِقَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
"Nothing is said to you, [O Muhammad], except what was already said to the messengers before you. Indeed, your Lord is a possessor of forgiveness and a possessor of painful penalty."


Allah SWT said:

وَلَوْ جَعَلْنٰهُ قُرْءَانًا أَعْجَمِيًّا لَّقَالُوا لَوْلَا فُصِّلَتْ ءَايٰتُهُۥٓ ۖ ءَا۬عْجَمِىٌّ وَعَرَبِىٌّ ۗ قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَآءٌ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ فِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى ۚ أُولٰٓئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِنْ مَّكَانٍۢ بَعِيدٍ


"And if We had made it a non-Arabic Qur'an, they would have said, Why are its verses not explained in detail ?

Is it a foreign [recitation] and an Arab [messenger]?

Say, It is, for those who believe, a guidance and cure. And those who do not believe - in their ears is deafness, and it is upon them blindness.

Those are being called from a distant place."

(QS. Fussilat 41: Verse 44)

* Via Qur'an English http://quran-en.com



And Allah :swt: knows best, we can only attempt to understand His wisdom and some of the possible reasons that point to the wisdom behind the choice, but we cannot say for certain that Allah :swt: did such and such action due to such and such reason since no vision can comprehend/compasd Him whereas He comprehends and compasses all vision.

Yes, True! Jazakaallah khair for your enlightenment. I really appreciate your explanation. I am true seeker of knowledge.