Do you need Arabic to understand the Quran?

When embarking on the journey of studying the Quran, many Muslims (and non Muslims) encounter a common piece of advice: “You cannot study the Quran alone.” This is often rooted in a well-known hadith that states, “Anyone who studies the Quran by themselves, then the devil is their second partner.” This saying emphasizes the importance of seeking guidance and knowledge from learned scholars and the community to avoid misinterpretation and misunderstanding.

Furthermore, there’s a prevalent belief among many Arabic speakers that the Quran can only be truly understood with a near-perfect grasp of the Arabic language. This perspective sometimes comes across as arrogant, suggesting that non-Arabic speakers or those less fluent in the language are inherently incapable of comprehending the Quran’s true meanings. This view can be discouraging for many Muslims around the world who are eager to connect with their holy book but feel intimidated by the language barrier.

In this blog post, we will explore these perspectives and discuss whether it’s possible to study and understand the Quran without perfect Arabic proficiency or constant scholarly supervision. We’ll delve into the importance of context, community, and the evolving approaches to Quranic studies in the modern world.

The Quran was revealed in Arabic

In 7 verses of the Quran, the root arabiya and Quran appears. In each example bar one, God is exemplifying the reason is for clarity and comprehension.

12:2 We have revealed it an Arabic Quran, that you may understand.*
20:113 We thus revealed it, an Arabic Quran, and we cited in it all kinds of prophecies, that they may be saved, or it may cause them to take heed.
39:28 An Arabic Quran, without any ambiguity, that they may be righteous.
41:3 A scripture whose verses provide the complete details, in an Arabic Quran, for people who know.
41:44 If we made it a non-Arabic Quran they would have said, “Why did it come down in that language?” Whether it is Arabic or non-Arabic, say, “For those who believe, it is a guide and healing. As for those who disbelieve, they will be deaf and blind to it, as if they are being addressed from faraway.”
42:7 We thus reveal to you an Arabic Quran to warn the central community and all around it, and to warn about the Day of Summoning that is inevitable. Some will end up in Heaven, and some in Hell.
43:3 We have rendered it an Arabic Quran, that you may understand.*

What’s curious here is verse 41:44 which clarifies that the language would not have made a difference, for those who believe, it is a guide and a healing. For those who disbelieve, “they’ll be deaf and blind to it, as if they are being addressed from faraway”. If God willed, he could have revealed it in a completely different language. Naturally, this would have caused confusion, this message has persisted over 1400 years since its revelation to Muhammad. The only way we can access this information, is through critical analysis and various Tafsirs of the Quran. Even having a complete literal understanding of the words would not illuminate us of the allegorical references.

Arabic is a very precise language, its morphology, which is the multiple meanings that can be derived by a separation of a letter, is deep and interconnected. For example, the root k-t-b (kitab – ك ت ب) typically means book in english. Changes in the diacritics and additions of a letter changes the meaning completley, كَاتِب (katib) means writer, مَكْتُوب (maktub) means written and مَكْتَب (maktab) means office or desk. If the Quran is the literal word of God, then its precision and acuity would be unmatched. It would be literally infallible and without any contradiction. Anything less than this, is not the word of God.

Knowing this precision, does it mean that a surface layer understanding could not be achieved? For example, if I give a command to “Do not read the Quran in english”. The command is clear, but if you look deeper, then the layers unravel to a deeper complexion. “Do not” is an negative imperative, “read” is a verb imperative, “the Quran” is the object, “in English” is the preposition to a noun. We could complicate the language beyond reason and lose absolutely the purpose of the analysis. As more and more commands and accounts are provided, the deep analysis of each verse, grammar and tense often only dillute the simple message. And God makes it clear that this is what the believers seek to do:

3:7 He sent down to you this scripture, containing straightforward verses—which constitute the essence of the scripture—as well as multiple-meaning or allegorical verses. Those who harbor doubts in their hearts will pursue the multiple-meaning verses to create confusion, and to extricate a certain meaning. None knows the true meaning thereof except GOD and those well founded in knowledge. They say, “We believe in this—all of it comes from our Lord.” Only those who possess intelligence will take heed.

The arabic here for straightforward is ‘Muhkamat’ with the roots being (h-k-m ح ك م), whilst the arabic for multiple meaning is “mustashabihat” (sh-ba-ha ش ب ه). This verse is the only instance that these two roots appear in the Quran. God clarifies that none knows the meaning thereof except God and those well founded in knowledge.

It’s important to note that the straightforward verses constitute the essence of the scripture. Why are we here (on earth)? What purpose is the as-salat (contact prayer)? Why is there so much chaos and sadness in the world? These are significant questions to life that one expects the scripture of God to illuminate.

Hadith on recitation?

Strangely, there are no references to the hadith (nor the Quran) that makes it a compulsion to learn Arabic as means to understand the Quran. The only references provided are the rewards one gets from reciting it.

Narrated Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): “The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘The one who recites the Quran and is proficient in it will be with the noble and righteous scribes, and the one who recites the Quran and struggles with it, finding it difficult, will have a double reward.’” **Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 65, Hadith 4937:**

This is repeated in Sahih Muslim, Book 6, Hadith 1862. It’s clear that many hadiths refer to one who recites the Quran and struggles, will have double the reward. This does not tie up with the conventional understanding. But what is more important, recitation of the Quran or its comprehension?

2:129 “Our Lord, and raise among them a messenger to recite to them Your revelations, teach them the scripture and wisdom, and purify them. You are the Almighty, Most Wise.”

2:151 (Blessings) such as the sending of a messenger from among you to recite our revelations to you, purify you, teach you the scripture and wisdom, and to teach you what you never knew.

In the Quran, God always pairs the recitation with its teacher. Reciting and parotting the Quran adds no value, understanding it does.

Comprehension over recitation

God commands us repeatedly in the Quran to study it carefully. The triliteral roots “they ponder” (د ب ر) and “the Quran” (ق ر ا) occur 3 times in the Quran. God is giving us a commandment to study the Quran carefully, again no barriers of language. One could speak chinese but if you dedicate your entire research to the Quran, your understanding could exceed that of a proficient Arabic speaker. This analogy applies on all fronts, to understand the subject, you must study it. A physicists would understand the laws of physics significantly better than a linguist. An arabic speaker may understand the syntax but fail to grasp the overall semantics.

4:82 Why do they not study the Quran carefully? If it were from other than GOD, they would have found in it numerous contradictions.*
أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ غَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيهِ ٱخْتِلَٰفًا كَثِيرًا

17:46 We place shields around their minds, to prevent them from understanding it, and deafness in their ears. And when you preach your Lord, using the Quran alone,* they run away in aversion.

وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا وَإِذَا ذَكَرْتَ رَبَّكَ فِى ٱلْقُرْءَانِ وَحْدَهُۥ وَلَّوْا عَلَىٰٓ أَدْبَٰرِهِمْ نُفُورًا

47:24 Why do they not study the Quran carefully? Do they have locks on their minds?

أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ أَمْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَآ

This verse challenges readers to critically evaluate and reflect upon the consistency and depth of the Quran’s message. Similarly, in Surah Al-Isra (17:46), it mentions that God places shields around the minds and deafness in the ears of disbelievers, preventing them from understanding the Quran when it is recited to them. This serves as a reminder that true comprehension requires sincere intent and openness to divine guidance. Furthermore, in Surah Muhammad (47:24), the Quran again questions why people do not study it carefully, suggesting that it is as if they have locks on their minds, preventing them from understanding. These verses collectively stress that the Quran demands more than superficial reading; it requires attentive study and reflection to truly grasp its divine wisdom and avoid misinterpretation.

Finally, the scholars. If you don’t speak Arabic, could you relegate your intelligence to the Scholars whom are fluent in Arabic? Their qualifications should astound you and prove to you that their word is the truth. Let’s look at what the hadith and more importantly the Quran says about this.

The moon over the rest of the celestial bodies

Hadith 2682: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Whoever takes a path upon which he seeks knowledge, then Allah makes a path to Paradise easy for him. And indeed the angels lower their wings in approval to the one seeking knowledge. Indeed forgiveness is sought for the knowledgeable one by whomever is in the heavens and whomever is in the earth, even the fish in the waters. And superiority of the scholar over the worshiper is like the superiority of the moon over the rest of the celestial bodies. Indeed the scholars are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets do not leave behind Dinar or Dirham. The only legacy of the scholars is knowledge, so whoever takes from it, then he has indeed taken the most able share.”Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2682

The hadith in Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2682 compares the superiority of scholars over worshippers to the superiority of the moon over other celestial bodies. While this analogy aims to highlight the significant status of scholars in Islam, it might seem curious considering the actual physical characteristics of celestial bodies. The moon, being smaller and less significant in astronomical terms compared to the sun, stars, and planets, making this comparison less impactful. This highlights the inaccuracy and ineptitude of people of the time to make significant analogies. Compare this to the word of God in the Quran.

7:54 Your Lord is the one GOD; who created the heavens and the earth in six days,* then assumed all authority. The night overtakes the day, as it pursues it persistently, and the sun, the moon, and the stars are committed to serve by His command. Absolutely, He controls all creation and all commands. Most Exalted is GOD, Lord of the universe.

The word days here is yaum which can be used as period. And the night overtaking the day persistently implies cyclical nature of the orbits of the sun and the earth. Persistently throughout the Quran, you find that God speaks of day/night and pairs it with sun/moon, “each swimming in its own orbit”. The night chases the day and vice versa, implying spherical nature of the earth. God’s metaphor far outweighs the hadiths, many times over.

We see in 16:43 & 21:7 that God commands us to ask men who know the scripture if you do not know. This is repeated word for word in 21:7. What’s curious here is that God clarifies that the only people the Almighty has sent us are people that He has inspired (we revealed / inspired و ح ي). This highlights the important of messengers of God. The people who know the scripture did not receive divine inspiration. These verses do not directly limit those who know the scripture to those whom speak Arabic.

16:43 We did not send before you except men whom we inspired. Ask those who know the scripture, if you do not know.

وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًا نُّوحِىٓ إِلَيْهِمْ فَسْـَٔلُوا أَهْلَ ٱلذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

Again, we’re at an impasse. Where has there been an explicit statement that the people that know the scripture are those whom are well founded in the arabic language? The Quran is a powerful scripture, a code of laws, a living miracle amongst many other inexplicable qualities. Arabic alone is a limiting tool, one must be a scientist, a mathematician, a logician, a chemist and all schools of thoughts are needed to extricate it’s meaning and poetry. “God does not play with dice” and therefore each composition must be precise and without error, on all accounts that manifest and ties itself to reality.

What do you know?

You may have noticed the blog started with “Anyone who studies the Quran by themselves, then the devil is their second partner.” This is a complete fabrication, there isn’t a hadith nor a verse in the Quran that states this. It was lie propagated to us, the readers, and it’s presented as a “hadith” when someone questions the authenticity of it.

Most of the the practices in your religion was handed to you, not by hadith, nor even the Quran. You absorbed it as a child expecting all information that streams into your existence is well intended and pure of truth. This is not the case, on all accounts. Every version of understanding you have, were filtered through the minds and limitations of the people of your upbringing.

With or without an understanding of Arabic, you need to break free from your chains and think critically of who taught you what, and most importantly, why? Who benefits from you not learning the Quran, either in a group or as a lonesome. The devil and all of his affiliates. God’s word was designed to be understood and preached.

Even if you know one verse, you should preach this, as another hadith quotes. We must critically think of the source of our knowledge, question it and analyse it with intense ferocity. Our salvation depends on it. On the day of judgement, there will be no excuses.

5:109 The day will come when GOD will summon the messengers and ask them, “How was the response to you?” They will say, “We have no knowledge. You are the Knower of all secrets.”

77:35 That is the day they do not speak

77:36 Nor are they given permission to apologize.

9:31 They have set up their religious leaders and scholars as lords,* instead of GOD. Others deified the Messiah, son of Mary. They were all commanded to worship only one god. There is no god except He. Be He glorified, high above having any partners.