"Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an in order that you may understand" [Yusoof: 2]

Arabic is a technical language, in which the meaning of a word is based on its
roots, which usually consist of three letters. Variations in shades of meaning are
obtained, first by vowelling the simple root, and secondly by the addition of
prefixes, suffixes and in-fixes. Thus, for instance:

It is an unfortunate fact that only when one has a grasp of the structure of the
language, and when one knows the various derived forms of the verbs, both
strong and weak, is one able to use an Arabic dictionary with ease, as all Arabic
dictionaries enter words under their roots and only the roots are in alphabetical order.

Those who have some grounding in Arabic can easily find the meaning of an
Arabic word from its roots by consulting an Arabic-English dictionary or lexicon.
For those who are interested in a deeper understanding of the Qur'an, it would be
useful to have a concordance of the Qur'an, which lists all the verses in which a
particular word appears, together with its root.

There is no doubt that for a deeper understanding of the Qur'an a knowledge
of the Arabic language is absolutely essential. Such knowledge can be achieved
easily if the language is taught in the early stages of schooling, particularly in
countries in which the substantial majority is Muslim. As Europe has
demonstrated, children are able to learn three or four languages without difficulty.
There is no reason why this cannot be done in Muslim countries.

What Muslim countries often do is to teach Arabic the script so Muslims can
read the Qur'an parrot fashion - without understanding it. Muslim countries have
created generations of people who can read and recite the Qur'an in Arabic but who
are totally illiterate as far as the actual guidance given in the Qur'an is concerned.

Although Islam does not officially recognize priesthood, the result is the creation of a
priesthood indoctrinated in the Ahaadeeth carrying out rituals and associated ceremonial
functions. The Qur'an is only recited parrot fashion to invoke the blessings of Allah. Thus,
an essential revelation is now used mainly for routine rituals!

For people without any knowledge of Arabic it is vital to understand the
concepts behind important Arabic words which cannot be translated into a
single English word.

A very good example is the word 'deen' which is usually translated as 'religion'
or 'mazhab' - a concept which in no way conveys the significance of 'deen'. Often
Arabic words have many different meanings, and to get a sensible meaning, one
needs to look at the context in which the word appears in the verse. A list of useful
words to check would be as follows:

The list can be increased as one acquires confidence in their usege and
connotation.
Allah: This is the proper name of the Sustainer of the Universe. All other
names denote His various attributes.

We get a further idea of Allah from the root concepts. The root of the word
'Allah' is 'alif-lam-ha' which has the following meaning and qualities:

. One from Whom someone seeks refuge and protection in a state of
bewilderment.
. One from Whose grandeur one becomes dazed and perplexed.
. One Whose sovereignty must be accepted & to Whom subservience is due.
. One Who remains out of sight and One Who possesses exalted status.

Keeping in view the above meanings/attributes, the name Allah, as it appears
in the Qur'an, would mean a Being Who is supreme but remains hidden from
human eyes; before Whose dignity and grandeur human perceptions/wisdom
become dazed; Whose sovereignty extends over the entire universe; obedience
to Whom is obligatory. By accepting Him, one must accept His sovereignty and
obey His laws as given in the Qur'an.

All in all, a deep understanding of Arabic leads us to a deep understanding of
the Qur'an itself. Indeed, a better Muslim will be created when he is equipped
with in-depth knowledge of the Holy Qur'an.

Courtesy of: Maisara Ali