Learning the Arabic Language for Culture – A complete guide

There was an unbridled desire of non-Arabic speaking Muslims to learn Arabic in order to get acquainted closely with the spirit and essence of the Quran because the translation did not help achieve their goals in understanding the noble Quran.

The orientalist Anna Marie Shamal says: “The translation of it [the Quran] can only be an implicit approximation that does not match the original, because no one, no matter how clever and efficient he is, is able to translate that divine miracle into another language.” And her evidence for that is “that the verbal rhythm, the internal music, the multiplicity of layers of accent, whispering and vocalizing, and other things that the Arabic language is full of, not to mention the language of the Quran and its miraculous system, all of this makes the transfer from Arabic to another difficult. Therefore, she concluded that “every translation of the Quran, no matter how advanced, is incapable of fulfilling the spirit and wording of the text.”

Introduction by Anna Marie Shamel to the book “Islam as an Alternative” by Murad Hoffman: 11. Published by the Kuwaiti Al-Noor Magazine and the Bavaria Foundation. I: 1. 1413 – 1993.

Indeed, the Arabic language had a great influence on culture in many countries of the world. Where many non-Arab Muslims merged with the Arabic language and were influenced by it, and this appeared a lot over the years. Let us address in the coming lines the extent of the influence of the Arabic language on culture and delve deeper into this issue.

Cultural Significance of the Arabic Language

A. Role of Arabic in Islamic Culture

The Arabic language is one of the most important components of Islamic culture, as the Arabic language has a pivotal centrality in Islamic culture. because of its close relationship and close connection with the Islamic religion, for several considerations, including that it is the language of the Holy Quran, and the language of the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, which presented through its buildings And its meanings the prophetic hadiths, which are – along with the Holy Quran – the two main sources of Islamic legislation. In addition, Arabic is the language of worship such as the five daily prayers, remembrances, and supplications in important acts of worship such as Hajj and Umrah.

Where non-Arab Muslims excelled in speaking in a clear Arabic tongue and were able to master its rules to the extent that they wrote books and references in the perfect Arabic language, even though it was not their mother tongue. There are many examples of these, such as Imam Bukhari Khorasani, the author of Sahih al-Bukhari, Al-Zamakhshari Al-Farsi, the author of Al-Kashshaf, Ibn Ajrum Al-Amazighi, the author of Al-Muqaddimah, Muhammad Iqbal of Pakistan, Abu Al-Hasan Al-Nadawi Al-Hindi and other contemporary Muslim scholars.

B. Arabic Language in Literature and Poetry

The Arabic language is a rich language and full of vocabulary that has been adapted in Arabic literature in all its various creative forms of poetry, story, novel, and criticism, which helped in the development and richness of the language as creativity is one of the important tributaries for its advancement.

Literature and poetry are the true mirror of the development of the language, and it is another life for it, and the permanent renewal of its patterns. This is not the result of the present moment only but extends throughout the history of Arabic literature from the pre-Islamic era until now. And the evidence of the multiplicity of its tributaries, the diversity of its sources, and the affirmation of its artistic aesthetics, and the Arabs in the past celebrated poetry not as the first Arab art. Rather, it is because he preserves the customs, traditions, and tribal customs that were prevalent at that time.

The tribe rejoiced if a poet was born and excelled in it, because he would be its defender and the one who explained its honors and points of distinction for it, and this is what we find in the “Seven Pendants” that were attached around the Kaaba. It is an important linguistic and historical document, confirming the depth of the sense of the value of literature and poetry in particular in that distant era, and the position of the poet as a guardian of the language and a renewal of its patterns.

Then the Noble Quran came after that to preserve and honor the Arabic language as well, because it was revealed in a “clear Arabic tongue.” Poetry and the art of rhetoric continued to have a distinguished position among the Arabs in the following ages, and scholars began to lay down linguistic and rhetorical rules that highlight the aesthetics of this mother tongue, so its tools developed, and its structure was renewed.

Literature certainly plays an important and major role in this framework for its advancement, by inoculating it with the vocabulary of daily life, and others, which is an enrichment to it and a real addition to it.

C. Arabic Calligraphy and Visual Arts

Arabic calligraphy letters have the ability to rise and descend, simplicity, and flexibility in changing their forms, so Arabic calligraphy is a plastic art in itself. These characteristics make it easy to express its movement and mass, producing a self-movement that makes the line light in mass and of an independent luster that makes it achieve a visual and psychological sense and a beautiful rhythm. Arabic calligraphy has special characteristics that distinguish it from others, the most important of which is the abstraction and independence of letters, and it is one of the most prominent plastic arts. The artist Picasso says: “The maximum point I wanted to reach in the art of painting, I found that Arabic calligraphy had preceded me for a long time.”

Arabic calligraphy was used in the visual and plastic arts. It gives it an Arab and Islamic character, as it is based on intellectual and aesthetic principles closely related to Arab-Islamic thought.

D. Arabic Language in Music and Performing Arts

There is a close and existing link between the Arabic language and the musical rhythm, as the language is the vessel of art in its different colors and types.

Rhythm is closely related to meaning and pronunciation, as it is the foundation of poetry and the basis of systems. Singing did not find a place for it since the pre-Islamic era, except when poetry emerged. The art of singing prevailed over other arts of music in the Arab world. The songs were the first instrument of musical expression that added to the poetry of the composer more elements of attraction and pleasure.

The Arabic language also had a major role in the performing arts, as it used to form the dramatic work of the play, through which a person expresses his emotions and desires. This language undergoes many transformations until it reaches its final stage, where it is formed in the imagination of the author. who transforms it into a written element according to theatrical artistic controls, to finally turn into a spoken dialogue that comes alive on stage.

Historical Background of the Arabic Language

A. Origins and Evolution of Arabic

The Arabic language belongs to a large linguistic family known as the Semitic family, and it was named after Shem bin Noah peace be upon him. It is likely that this family spoke one language and lived in one place, in which there is a dispute between the scholars. So who sees that they used to live in the Arabian Peninsula? some of them said the Levant some of them said the country of Abyssinia, some of them specify it in North Africa, and some of them placed it in southern Iraq Then, as a result of the migrations that took place after the flood of our master Noah – peace be upon him – the Semites were divided into several branches, including the Assyrian and Babylonian that appeared in Iraq. The Hebrew, which appeared in Palestine, Syria, and some of the islands of the White Sea, and Aramaic and Syriac, a branch of it as well, appeared in Iraq, Syria, and Palestine.

Researchers are not certain about a specific date for the emergence of the Arabic language, but the oldest known thing about it dates back to the fifth century AD. The literary texts of that period represented the Arabic language in full force, and many researchers believe that the history of the Arabic language is divided into two parts: obsolete dialects, represented by the Thamudic, Safavid, and Lihaniyyah, and the other section is the remaining dialects, the most famous of which are Quraysh, Tai’, Hudhayl, and Thaqif. , and others, and the Quraish dialect is considered the most eloquent of all dialects.

B. Influence of Arabic on Other Languages

Non-Arab Muslims were not only open to the Arabic language, learning, and reading, but rather they used the Arabic alphabet to write their Persian, Urdu, or Turkish languages. The same thing happened in a large part of Africa, where the Hausa language, the Zarma language, the so-and-so language, the Swahili language, the Amazigh language, the Afrikaans language (the language of South Africa that was spoken by about one hundred thousand Africans), and other languages were written in Arabic letters.

C. Spread of Arabic Language and Its Global Impact

After the spread of Islam, the Arabic language spread widely and was embraced by Muslims in different countries, they worked to improve it by establishing schools to teach and develop it.

The Arabic language also assumed a decent position in sub-Saharan Africa, as it was the language of worship, culture, trade exchange, and correspondence in the Kingdom of Ghana, and this continued even in the colonial era. African.

Thus, the Arabic language continued to spread until it is now the most widespread language in the world, spoken by more than 300 million people! Its speakers are distributed in the region known as the Arab world, in addition to many other neighboring regions such as Iran, Turkey, Chad, Mali, and Senegal. Arabic is an official language in all countries of the Arab world. Arabic has been adopted as one of the six official languages of the United Nations.

Features of the Arabic Language

A. Alphabet and Writing System

Arabic contains 28 letters and is written from right to left – unlike many languages of the world – and from top to bottom of the page.

The arrangement of the letters of the alphabet in the Arabic language at the hands of the grammarian Nasr bin Asim Al-Laithi, and it was commissioned by Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf Al-Thaqafi, and it was called the alphabetical order.

أ – ب – ت – ث – ج – ح – خ – د – ذ – ر – ز – س – ش – ص – ض – ط – ظ – ع – غ – ف – ق – ك – ل – م – ن – ه – و – ي.

This arrangement depended on the shape of the letters when they were drawn or written, so similarities and isotopes were coupled together. This arrangement has been adopted in dictionaries, indexes, and linguistic research. To learn Arabic language basics you can enroll in the Noorani Qaida course and get a free trial today!

B. Pronunciation and Phonetics

Phonology in the Arabic language is the science that deals with the study of human sounds in their physical aspect; To describe, analyze, interpret, and write them, relying on the theories and knowledge derived from the three main branches of phonetics: physical phonetics, auditory phonetics, and acoustic or physiological phonetics.

The emergence of phonology in the Arabic language and its development The emergence of phonological science is linked in the beginning with the emergence of Arabic linguistic studies, which began with the revelation of the Holy Quran, writing it down, then reciting it, and teaching its reading. verbally, without writing it down.

C. Grammar and Sentence Structure

The mixing of Arabs and Muslims with non-Arab nations and peoples resulted in the spread of error on people’s tongues, and the matter was not limited to its spread in the language of communication, but it transcended it to the melody in reading the Noble Quran and the noble Prophet’s hadith. This prompted linguists who were jealous of their language to develop a science to control tongues, which was later called the science of grammar.

The organized linguistic effort began in writing with the four papers, which Ibn Nadim mentioned that he had seen in the handwriting: Yahya bin Yamar on the authority of Abu Al-Aswad Al-Du’ali, and it contained words about the subject and the object, then the research movement expanded and the language was collected until it ended with the emergence of comprehensive books, Which includes the words of the language, such as the book “The Lexicon of the Eye by Khalil Al-Farahidi”, “The Book of Sibawayh” and other grammarians

The components of the sentence are the noun, the verb, and the letter. The sentence in the Arabic language is divided into a nominal sentence and a verbal sentence.

D. Unique Characteristics and Complexities

The Arabic language is distinguished for its eloquence, and what is meant by eloquence linguistically is that something is free from defects. The Arabic language is also characterized by synonymy, which is the presence of many words that give one meaning, which makes the single term distinct in use from its group, which is reflected in the extent of the Arabic language’s eloquence. The Arabic language is also characterized by a wide amount of vocabulary, as there is no vocabulary as extensive as the Arabic dictionary, and all this is with the testimony of the Orientalists, so no one can give a numerical census of the vocabulary of the Arabic language.

Arabic Language Varieties and Dialects

A. Standard Arabic vs. Dialects

Standard or Classical Arabic language is defined as the language of writing that is used to transcribe official and political texts, books, magazines, newspapers, legislative, judiciary, and administration affairs, and compose poetry and artistic prose in it. It is also used in lectures, rhetoric, and teaching, and in topics related to arts and sciences.

Arabic dialects are the vernacular, which is used by the majority of people throughout the Arab countries. It is a linguistic phenomenon in all languages in the countries of the world, not only the Arabic language.

B. Regional Variations and Differences

The Arabic dialects differ according to geographical distribution. Each region has its own pronunciation and dialect. The Egyptian accent differs from the Saudi one, whose dialect intersects with the Emirati one, and differs from the Lebanese whose dialect intersects with the Syrian one, all of which differ completely from the Moroccan dialect.

The difference between Arabic dialects

Egypt

The Egyptian dialect has its own character, which makes it different in pronunciation and intonation from all other Arabic dialects. Nevertheless, it is easy for everyone to understand. There is a difference in dialects within Egypt itself between the interior and upper regions.

The Gulf region

similar dialects among the Gulf states, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, which are similar to the Yemeni dialect and the dialects of the Bedouin of Jordan.

Bilad al-Sham

The Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian dialects are similar and somewhat different in detail, but in general, they are close. This is in addition to the urban Jordanian dialect, especially the dialect used in the capital, Amman.

The Arab Maghreb

Perhaps it is the language that is very difficult for the rest of the Arab people to understand, and it extends from eastern Libya to the western coast of Mauritania.

Methods and Approaches to Learning Arabic

Grammatical rules Studying grammatical rules helps to learn and master the Arabic language in the long term, as it is possible through grammar to know the syntactic place of the word in the sentence, and the study of grammar has a major role in recognizing the correctness and error Arabic structures and matters related to the words of the Arabic language.

Arabic speaking practice

It is not enough to learn the Arabic language from books only and to know the grammar and spelling rules only. It is necessary to start employing what has been learned in the skill of conversation, as it is necessary to practice speaking the Arabic language daily and this helps to establish theoretical information and not to forget the sciences related to the Arabic language.

Reading and writing

The skill of reading is inseparable from the skill of writing, especially in learning the Arabic language, as reading helps in repeating the grammatical rules in the brain, in addition to repeating sentences and structures until the structure of sentences and the way they are formed are known. This contributes to raising the linguistic vocabulary in general.

B. Challenges and Tips for Arabic Language Learners

The most significant challenge when learning the Arabic language is not knowing enough vocabulary and terminology to express in the Arabic language. In addition to the challenge of pronouncing correctly, understanding the Arabic language when hearing it, and the ability to conduct a dialogue in Arabic. These points can help you improve your Arabic language.

Composing and practicing 

new Arabic language learners are advised to learn 5 new words per day and employ them in different sentences and structures in addition to using them in their practical lives. This means the speed of the brain in recruiting new language vocabulary.

Listening to the Arabic 

language The listening skill is one of the most important things that a learner of the Arabic language should do, as listening will lead to the development of the listener’s exits and sounds, in addition to employing new words in different sentences. Listening to the Holy Quran is one of the best ways to improve speaking and listening skills in the Arabic language, as the Holy Quran is the finest Arabic text ever. Many electronic programs and applications help to listen to the Arabic language, and beginners are advised to listen to the Arabic language daily. You can also watch programs and movies in classical Arabic, which helps you increase your vocabulary and improve your pronunciation.

Talking with native speakers

Speaking with native speakers is a great way to learn Arabic as you can hear the correct pronunciation and use of suitable Arabic vocabulary in practice. It also motivates you to respond to them, which makes you think and express what is inside you faster, increases your ability to speak Arabic automatically, and gains you more self-confidence.

C. Role of Education Institutions and Programs

With the increase in the demand for learning the Arabic language, a special science for teaching the Arabic language to non-native speakers arose. Fortunately, technological development has made wonderful developments in teaching the Arabic language. Where many institutes and academies specialized in teaching the Arabic language online have arisen. which has facilitated the learning of the Arabic language for many around the world. The Hamil Al Quran Academy allows teaching the Arabic language online to non-native speakers anywhere around the world by the best expert teachers.

All teachers speak Arabic as their mother tongue and have studied Arabic in the largest Arab universities such as Al-Azhar University in Cairo and the Islamic University in Medina. Whatever your level, you will find the right course for you with Hamil Al Quran Academy, as it offers the best Arabic courses for all levels, from beginners and children to the elderly and advanced levels.

All classes are live and have a high degree of interaction between students and teachers. The teacher allows the students to ask questions and inquiries regarding what they are dealing with during the session. It is also possible to ask teachers for advice at any time about anything that you do not understand.

You can now verify this by yourself practically through the free trial offered to you by Hamil Al Quran Academy, as it allows you to attend a practical session with one of its teachers for free.

Arabic Language and Business

A. Importance of Arabic in Global Business

The Arabic language has been a commercial language since ancient times, as it was used by the Arabs in markets, and other aspects of commercial and economic activity that Arab life witnessed in various parts of the world. Throughout the ages, the Arabic language has been used as the main means of promoting and selling goods and commodities, that is, through buying and selling operations, the importance of language in general. It has increased in modern economic activity, due to the multiplicity of forms and fields of use according to the multiplicity of tools of commercial communication between individuals and peoples, until it is also seen as a commodity of exchange value whose sales are increasing in light of the growing demand for it. but it has an advantage that differs from other commodities, It is that its stock never runs out.

In 2011, Bloomberg Businessweek ranked Arabic as the fourth most useful language for business in the world.

B. Opportunities and Benefits of Arabic Language Proficiency

The Arabic language comes in fourth place after English, Chinese, and Spanish. Where the demand for learning has increased due to the many benefits of learning it. The most important and first of which is the ability to understand the Holy Quran and Islamic sciences. Many jobs require Arabic speakers, as Arabic investments have now increased dramatically, due to the expansion of the Arabic language market in the Arab region, and the increasing demand for language processing programs. As the Arabic language has become a valuable commodity in itself, many people want to learn it to get the benefits that come from it.

C. Arabic for International Communication and Diplomacy

The Arabic language has a great role in the field of communication and Diplomacy.

The Arabic language is used in the issuance of various pamphlets and publications that present a positive image of the countries historically, culturally, touristically, industrially, and humanly. It is also used to hold seminars, conferences, and lectures on various political, intellectual, artistic, cultural, historical, and literary topics that serve the goals of the state in the media and propaganda.

It is used to display documentaries and narrative films that reflect the positive image of countries through their achievements, progress, civilization, and everything that is unique to them or is distinguished by them on the world stage. Organizing programs for the exchange of visits between delegations representing political, artistic, cultural, intellectual, and media organizations and famous personalities in these fields.

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed the importance of the Arabic language and its impact on Arab culture. It has become clear to us that the influence of the Arabic language on Muslims is great. Muslims had an important and unforgettable role in the history of the development of the Arabic language by establishing multiple linguistic sciences, which helped to revive the language, preserve it, and spread it around the world until it became one of the six countries accredited to the United Nations. Learning the Arabic language, as we mentioned, has many benefits, whether on the religious side

Enables the Muslims to properly understand, memorize the Quran, and learn Islamic sciences. Also, on the worldly level, the Arabic language is required in many important fields and functions. Fortunately, learning the Arabic language has become much easier, as you can get a teacher, regardless of where you live anywhere in the world. Where you can learn Arabic comfortably from your home online.