A Common Language for the Islamic Prayer All Muslims perform...
A Common Language for the Islamic Prayer All Muslims perform their religious rites and worship of God, including the daily five-time prayers, in Arabic. In the course of these prayers, some verses of the Qur’an and other sentences, are uttered so as to express the Greatness and Glory of Allah, the Creator, and the humbleness and insignificance of the human beings, the creatures.
This is done in the same wordings by all Muslims, Arabs and non-Arabs alike, even by those who do not understand Arabic. This system of prayers in one common language was in practice during the lifetime of the Prophet of Islam and has continued after him for more than 1400 years. In every country, Muslims have been praying in the Arabic language. Cementing the Islamic Brotherhood Prayer in Arabic cements the Islamic brotherhood and emphasizes the universal character of Islam.
Islam has come for the entire Human race. It is a fact that the Muslim Communities of the world, like all other communities, speak numerous languages and dialects. At the same time, it should be appreciated that our life today is rapidly assuming international character. Distance between any two points of the world has shrunk fantastically. In every place, you will find Muslims speaking different languages. Imagine a Muslim who is an Englishman going to China and passing through a street.
Suddenly he hears the voice of, say ‘ching-chang-chung’ which, let us suppose means ‘Allahu Akbar’ – God is Great. No doubt the stranger would not understand that it is a call for Muslim prayer and would miss the opportunity of praying in congregation with the people of that locality. Incidentally, the mosques in China do not resemble in appearance to those in Europe or other Eastern countries and are without minarets.
Conversely, if a Chinese travels abroad where people pray in their local language, he would not be able to understand and participate in it. Sayyid Sa’eed Akhtar Rizvi, Chief Missionary of Bilal Muslim Mision, writes: “Prayers in Arabic are an important factor cementing the solidity and unity of Muslims all over the world. Nowadays if a Muslim from Czechoslovakia enters a mosque in the interior of Congo, he finds himself at home and participates in the prayer without any hint of bewilderness.