Re: Arabic and Islam
Icono! Beauty, granted. Meaning? I dont think so. Any meaning available to an arabic speaker is available to an english speaker.
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Is it really an elitist thing?
U r making an issue out of no-issue.
About a billion non-arabic Muslims learn to pray Salat in Arabic and 'know' the meaning of the prayer.
How many of your children are being taught 'french' in schools for no apparent reason?
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It is an issue. I dont know the meaning of many lines in my namaz, and have only now taken the time to find out. Most people, I assure you, will have memorized the quranic surahs without knowing the meaning.
Reading the translation isnt half as encouraged in our society as reading the arabic text. I finished the arabic when I was 8 I still havent finished the translation. How can I know the meaning of my namaz when in congregation the imam reads a surah that is not the one I know the meaning of?
That is not the only ritual performed exclusively in arabic that people may perform incorrectly because they dont know the language. Its Allah who decided that innamal aamalu binniyat and therefore if they say something incorrectly their meaning should be preferred inshallah, then why not just say what they mean in the language they think in?
I dont know what you mean by the french thing?