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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| General question about prayer |
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| Dawn |
| 04/16/02 at 09:07:25 |
| I have a fairly general question about prayer in Islam, specifically the Salat prayers. It is my understanding that, in Islam, God does not need our prayers -- actually, praying is for our benefit only. (This would be a belief I share, also.) Given this, I can see why we might be instructed to pray regularly (say five times daily) as it serves to keep us constantly reminded of God. I can also see the benefit of prostration. It serves the same function as bowing one's head or kneeling, though perhaps more forcefully -- it reminds us of who God is and who we are in comparison. However, I am not sure why it benefits us to pray in a language which is not our mother tongue. The only thing I can think of here is that it is to remind us that we are at one with all other people who are praying the [i]exact[/i] same thing more or less at the same time (at least within each time zone) across the world. I.e., if the language wasn't the same worldwide, then the element of total unity would be lost. However, I see that this is a mediocre argument, as the timing itself would be a reminder of that unity. In addition, as we are rarely so fluent in another language as we are in our mother tongue, our prayers can have the most meaning for us, personally, when we use that language. So, this is the only reasoning I have been able to think of for this one. (Just goes to show my lack, I suppose. ::)) Hopefully you all can share your insights on this with me! Thanks in advance! Peace, Dawn |
| Re: General question about prayer |
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| nouha |
| 04/16/02 at 14:22:09 |
| [slm] dawn -- my mother tongue is arabic so i never really knew how hard it is to learn arabic for prayer, etc. it is ok that ur not an arab, because Allah (SWT) says in the Quran... "I have created you in tribes adn nations so that you may know one another" (i need to find out exaclty where in the quran this is) this ayah proves that not everyone is going to know arabic or be of arab blood. alhumdulilah, Allah(SWT) has made islam easy for non arabs muslims. when i read the quran in arabic, i get the reward for each letter. when a non arab reads the quran in arabic, becuase they must struggle since it is out of their mother tongue, they get more reward for each letter than i do, struggles come in many ways, and if it is for the sake of Allah(SWT) then you will be rewarded for it :-X . until then it is ok that u say your duas in english, but dont give up trying to learn them in arabic, wasalam nouha:) |
| Re: General question about prayer |
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| Marcie |
| 04/16/02 at 16:37:57 |
| [color=Teal] Hi Dawn, Being a nonArabic speaker I understand where you are coming from. What Nouha said is true: [quote]alhumdulilah, Allah(SubHana Wa Ta`ala) has made islam easy for non arabs muslims. when i read the quran in arabic, i get the reward for each letter. when a non arab reads the quran in arabic, becuase they must struggle since it is out of their mother tongue, they get more reward for each letter than i do, struggles come in many ways, and if it is for the sake of Allah(SubHana Wa Ta`ala) then you will be rewarded for it . [/quote] I try to remember this, although it can be tough at times. It actually is my responsibility to learn Arabic. Many times when I'm praying and my head is on the floor (sujud) I'll add my own supplications in English. At the end of the prayer I also make supplications in English. If you were to go to Mecca and see all of the people from around the world praying together you would understand the beauty and the reason why the prayers are in Arabic. Masha'Allah there is nothing to describe it. Even when the Imam recites a surah that you don't understand you can feel it. :) No matter where I go in the world I can pray together with my sisters. When I was young and my family went to France we had no clue what was being said during mass. On Fridays for Jummah most times a speech will be given in the language of the people. :-* Hopefully my answer gives you more insight. Marcie :-)[/color] |
| Re: General question about prayer |
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| Kathy |
| 04/16/02 at 21:04:17 |
| [quote author=Dawn link=board=lighthouse;num=1018962445;start=0#0 date=04/16/02 at 09:07:25] However, I am not sure why it benefits us to pray in a language which is not our mother tongue..... we are at one with all other people who are praying[/quote] Al ot of Catholics were saddened when the Mass which used to be in Latin was changed to the mother tongue of the land. Many said it wasn't the same anymore. You are right- prayer done in the same language does bring unity. I did not understand this at first until I moved away from home. No matter what ethnic type masjid I went to I could pray with the Muslims. Even if everyone was Pakistinian, Arabic, Afro American, or Bosnian/Yugoslavian I could pray right alongside of them. That was 15 years ago when at that time I was certainly one of the only White Americans in the masjid. [quote] In addition, as we are rarely so fluent in another language as we are in our mother tongue, our prayers can have the most meaning for us, personally, when we use that language. [/quote] I agree 100%. When I was first studying Islam- I learned my prayers in English first- so I knew what I was saying. Eventually- years down the road my Arabic got better so I now know what I am saying. |
| Re: General question about prayer |
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| momineqbal |
| 04/17/02 at 03:34:39 |
| [slm], Prescribed prayer that muslims perform, is not merely a "prayer" in the sense most people new to Islam might expect. It is a prescribed ritual which may include "Du'a" which could translate as what constitutes prayer for non-muslims. The prescribed Salat (more appropriate term, and there isn't a word in English for it as far as I know), also includes we uttering the Qur'an which is the word/speech of Allah (swt). Now you might have heard that the english translation of the meaning of Qur'an is not Qur'an! We are thus required to say the Qur'an as it is and not any other transformed version of it. Of course your Salat has much much more benefits for you if you actually understand what you are saying. This in my understanding is the basic reason. The wisdom behind it would be better explained by some more knowledgeable people or you could ask a scholar. Another thing a speaker recently told us that when Qur'an is written down in book form, it no longer is Qur'an. It is a mushaf. Qur'an literally means recitation and refers to speech of Allah and it is something that is not from creation. The mushaf is a creation though, but Qur'an is not. Maybe I am confusing people. May Allah make our understanding clear inshaAllah. Allah knows best. Eqbal |
| Re: General question about prayer |
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| sofia |
| 04/17/02 at 12:05:02 |
| As-salaamu 'alaikum wa rahmatullah, Peace - Good question, Dawn, seems almost everyone who comes into Islam or is thinking about it asks this question. Actually, if statistics prove correct, non-Arabs account for 75-85% of all Muslims world-wide, so you can be sure Muslims have asked the same question! Some good points already mentioned: - Allah (swt) says in the Qur’aan that He has chosen Arabic, and made it easy for us to recite and remember. We are not only encouraged to read/recite/memorize parts of the Qur’aan, but to try to understand the words in Arabic. - Since Islam is a world-wide religion, one could go anywhere and pray with the congregation in one universal language. Khutbahs (sermons) and du’aa (supplications), however, can be made in any language, as they may or may not be taken from the Qur’aan. - The translated Qur’aan (or even the written Qur’aan) is not really a “recitation” in the originally revealed Arabic, as one of the meanings of “Qur’aan” alludes to. Once it has been translated, it is considered a translation, and not the actual Qu’raan (and some say that once it has been written, it is a Mus-haf). Preservation of the original language of any divine teachings offers much more insight than translations (I’m sure we’ve all heard the phrase, “It loses something in the translation.”). - The Prophet (pbuh) said: "A person who recites the Quran and masters it by heart will be with the noble righteous scribes (in Heaven). And a person who exerts himself to learn the Quran by heart, and recites it with great difficulty, will have a double reward." (Bukhari) He also said (pbuh): “Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah, he will have a reward. And that reward will be multiplied by ten. I am not saying that “Alif, Laam, Meem” is a letter, rather I am saying that “Alif” is a letter, “laam” is a letter and “meem” is a letter.” (At-Tirmidhee) --------------------------------------------------------------- “Every language contains within it the roots of the worldview of the people that produced it - so by taking on the English language, one is taking on a western worldview, and you can’t avoid it. By abandoning the Arabic language what people are doing in fact is abandoning the worldview that the Qur’an provides. Also, the Muslims had a deep sense of the linguistic power and the actual underlying expression of reality embedded in the language. The language of the Qur’an is the language of truth, and therefore the one who learns it and is deeply into it will ultimately be confronted with reality through the expression of the Arabic language.” – Excerpt from Hamza Yusuf interview ---------------------------------------------------------- Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) Question: I have become Muslim, al-hamdu-Lillaah, but I do not know Arabic. What should I do with regard to the adhkaar (phrases praising Allaah) in the prayer and reading Qur’aan in Arabic? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. The majority of fuqaha’ say that if the non-Arab can speak Arabic, he should not recite Takbeer (saying “Allaahu akbar (Allaah is Most Great)”) in any other language. The evidence for this is that the texts instruct this particular wording, which is Arabic, and that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do it any other way. But if a non-Arab cannot speak Arabic and is unable to pronounce it, then according to the majority of fuqaha’ it is OK for him to say the Takbeer in his own language after it has been translated from Arabic, according to the statements of the Shaafa’is and Hanbalis, no matter what the language is. The Takbeer is remembrance or mentioning of Allaah, and Allaah can be remembered or mentioned in every language, so a language other than Arabic is an alternative, and the person has to learn how to say it in the other language. There is some controversy as to whether all of the adhkaar of the prayer, such as tashahhud, qunoot, du’aa’, and the tasbeehaat in rukoo’ and sujood may be said in languages other than Arabic. With regard to reading Qur’aan, the majority say that it is not permissible to read it in any language other than Arabic. The evidence for this is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’aan…” [Yoosuf 12:2] Moreover, the Qur’aan is a miracle in its wording and its meaning; if it is changed, this is no longer the case, and it is no longer Qur’aan but an interpretation (tafseer). (al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, part 5: A’jami). Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “Section: It is not right to read it in any language other than Arabic, or to substitute other words in Arabic, whether the person can read it well in Arabic or not, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “…an Arabic Qur’aan …’ [Yoosuf 12:2] and ‘In the plain Arabic language’ [al-Shu’ara’ 26:195]. The Qur’aan is a miracle in both its wording and its meaning, but if it is changed this is no longer the case, it is not Qur’aan or anything like it. It is only an interpretation (tafseer), and if the interpretation were like the Qur’aan itself, they would not be unable to meet the challenge of producing a soorah like it. If a person cannot read well in Arabic, he has to learn. If he does not learn when he is able to, his prayers are not valid. If he is not able, or he fears that he does not have time to learn before the time for the next prayer is over, and he knows one aayah of al-Faatihah, he should repeat it seven times… If he can recite more than that, he should repeat it as much as he needs to make his recitation equivalent to the length of Soorat al-Fatihah, or he could make it up by reciting other aayaat. If he knows some aayaat he does not have to repeat, he could recite another aayah instead, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded the one who could not recite Qur’aan well to say ‘Al-Hamdu Lillaah (Praise be to Allaah)’ and other phrases, which is part of an aayah, but he did not command him to repeat it. If he cannot do anything, but he knows some of the Qur’aan by heart, he should recite whatever he can, and nothing else will do, because of the report narrated by Abu Dawood from Rifaa’ah ibn Raafi’, who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When you get up to pray, if you know some Qur’aan, recite it, otherwise say al-hamdu Lillaah (praise be to Allaah), and La ilaaha ill-Allaah (there is no god but Allaah), and Allaahu akbar (Allaah is Most Great).” This is more like Qur’aan, and is more appropriate (than any other words). He should also recite as much as he needs to make it equivalent in length to Soorat al-Faatihah. If he cannot recite anything of the Qur’aan, and cannot learn before it is too late to pray the current prayer, he should say Subhaan Allaah wa’l-hamdu Lillaah wa Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa Allaahu akbar wa Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah (Glory be to Allaah; praise be to Allaah; there is no god but Allaah; Allaah is Most Great; and there is no strength and no power except with Allaah). Abu Dawood reported that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “I cannot learn anything of the Qur’aan. Teach me something that will suffice me.” He said, “Say Subhaan Allaah wa’l-hamdu Lillaah wa Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa Allaahu akbar wa Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah.” And Allaah knows best. |
| NS |
| Re: General question about prayer |
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| Dawn |
| 04/20/02 at 16:30:52 |
| Thanks all for your responses. I have been thinking about them for a few days and modifying my understanding accordingly. It is certainly clear to me now why every Muslim needs to know the Salat prayers in Arabic -- Hajj! (Thanks Marcie for directing me down this thought line!) The Hajj being one of the 5 pillars, and Muslims coming from all corners of the earth with many native languages, it is clear the mayhem that could result if everyone simply used their own tongue. And what was mentioned about the multi-ethnic nature of most western muslim communities and about traveling also strengthen the argument. I also really appreciated the following quote. [quote] "Every language contains within it the roots of the worldview of the people that produced it - so by taking on the English language, one is taking on a western worldview, and you can't avoid it. By abandoning the Arabic language what people are doing in fact is abandoning the worldview that the Qur'an provides. ..." Excerpt from Hamza Yusuf interview [/quote] It seems to me that a mix of the two, something like what Marcie or Kathy described doing, would be most appropriate for a non-Arabic speaker. Peace, Dawn |
| Re: General question about prayer |
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| jannah |
| 04/25/02 at 03:03:53 |
| This is a really fascinating discussion about Arabic and prayer!! (Grabs a [] and pulls up a chair) I think Sophia and the others have given some great reasons why Arabic is such a beautiful, sophisticated, deep language, how it promotes unity, that we use Quran in the salah (ritual prayer) because it is the word of God, etc But coming to prayers you say on your own ie supplications sometimes I used to wonder why we were encouraged to memorize the duas(supplications or little prayers) in Arabic. Besides all the advantages of the arabic language etc..why couldn't we just make up our own duas...in whatever language.. or even in arabic..(which we can and are valid, but we were always encouraged to memorize the prophet's duas) Regardless over time I learn more and more that our own prayers in our own words is just not the same as the duas the prophet [saw] taught us. As momineqbal mentioned even saying these duas is a form of worship... as the hadith goes ad-dua huwal ibadah... now why would dua be a form of worship? think about that and read the following from Sh. Muhammad Al Ghazali's Remembrance & Prayer: The Way of Prophet Muhammad: [code] "Yet I lose myself completely when I imagine myself at the side of the Last Prophet, Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah, upon him be peace, as he addresses the Lord in constant supplication. For before him, I feel as if before a limitless genius in du'a, a genius unequaled in the du'as recorded from the Prophets that historically preceded him. I do not intend by this to put forward some sort of judgment on the relative merits of the Prophets. I am merely stating a fact. I might, for example, say that the tallest mountain in the world is Everest, and not intend by saying so to belittle any other mountain. I mean only to speak the truth."[/code] [code] "No one, past or present, knew their Lord the way that Muhammad knew Allah. Indeed his knowledge sprang from shuhud, or witnessing. The Muslim who is keen to emulate the example of the Prophet will be able to discern certain special characteristics of Muhammad's knowledge, ma'rifah, in the penetrating and emotionally charged words he used when speaking to, or about, Allah. .... But whoever reads or hears the words which Muhammad used when addressing his Lord will immediately sense a quickening of his pulse to the flow of those words, and a corresponding rise in the intensity of his emotions. Without a doubt, the first Muslim, and that is the station of Muhammad among the Porphets, saints, martyrs, and righteous -- was an expert in the art of dhikr and du'a, without equal in giving thanks or seeking forgiveness."[/code] So I think that when we repeat the words of Allah in salah or the words of the prophet [saw] in dua and dhikr we are reminding ourselves of certain things, we are remembering certain things that the closest to Allah did and it's really psychological so that we change how we think when we repeat these specific words or ask God with them. |
| 04/25/02 at 03:28:22 |
| jannah |
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