Why Only Arabic?

[cenkiss]

Another question why does athan have to be read in only arabic?

[removeduser_487563287433]

Athan? I presume you mean the Quran. Just because that's the language that God supposedly passed down the Quran to Muhammed in. Totally retarded, of course, the idea that God speaks Arabic (and in some parts of the muslim world the understanding is God understands you better in Arabic). It's not terribly convenient if you're an Afghan who speaks Farsi or Pashtun and you have to commit classical Arabic prayers to memory.

A good parralel is the Bible only being permitted to be printed and read in Latin prior to the reformation. If anything that's even sillier since Jesus of course did not preach in Latin... nor was the Old or New Testament ever really first written in it.

[Serious Spamurai]

Because the Adhan is a poem and it was revealed in Arabic. It doesn't sound the same in another language. Although Atatürk replaced it with a Turkish one, it was reverted in 1950 back to Arabic.

[Poet]

Because the Adhan is a poem and it was revealed in Arabic. It doesn't sound the same in another language. Although Atatürk replaced it with a Turkish one, it was reverted in 1950 back to Arabic.

Very impressive, i felt peace and calmness, when I was listening this.And the answer that why Adhan should only be in Arabic is that unlike others main source and language of our religion is safe.Plus arabic is like national language of Ummah, when you go to hajj you strongly feel what Ummah is.One God,One Prophet (pbuh), one book, one direction for prayers and one way of adhan for one nation.Plus what is bad in this if we can hear the same adhan Prophet (pbuh) used to hear and say.

[cenkiss]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW7-Gs0dL0w

Turkish Ezan.

[Bovril]

My non-muslim view is that whilst the Adhan should be translated into other languages, when it is used a the call to prayer it should be in Arabic otherwise it looses both its universality and its poetry and rythm. When I was 5/6 I lived for a year in Dubai and was woken every morning by the Adhan. Every time I hear it in when I am a prodominantly Muslim country it feels like coming home.

[Fiyenyaa]

Because Islam is stuck where the Catholics used to be on this issue.
Allowing the Qu'ran to be translated can only lead to progress.

[Bovril]

Because Islam is stuck where the Catholics used to be on this issue.
Allowing the Qu'ran to be translated can only lead to progress.

The Qu'ran is translated all the time. Reciting the call to prayer in Arabic is no more problematic that using phrases like corpus christi or amenin Christian services.

[Dr. Croccer]

Because Islam is stuck where the Catholics used to be on this issue.
Allowing the Qu'ran to be translated can only lead to progress.

You do realize that we are talking about the adhan, the summoning of prayer, not the Quran, right? The Quran is translated all the time. Just look at bookstores on airports and you'll find multilingual versions of it.

It should stay in Arabic, really. It just wouldn't sound right in another language. That's like changing Catholic Marian music into different versions. Ave Maria wouldn't sound as good in Dutch or Russian.

[Fiyenyaa]

You do realize that we are talking about the adhan, the summoning of prayer, not the Quran, right? The Quran is translated all the time. Just look at bookstores on airports and you'll find multilingual versions of it.

It should stay in Arabic, really. It just wouldn't sound right in another language. That's like changing Catholic Marian music into different versions. Ave Maria wouldn't sound as good in Dutch or Russian.

Ah. It appears I have been served.

Defeated...

[motiv-8]

Ah. It appears I have been served.

Defeated...

Never feel when you have the opportunity to learn something new.

than in English wouldn't be really pleasing to my ears

Indeed, it would have absolutely none of the appeal, much like anything musical or lyrical translated from Arabic to English.

[Fiyenyaa]

Never feel when you have the opportunity to learn something new.

You know, I've always kind of liked the way Arabic sounds, especially when sang. The soundtrack to the film Indigines is particularly good, if you've seen it.

[ivan_the_terrible]

Ah. It appears I have been served.

Defeated...

At least you're man enough to admit when you're wrong. Many here wouldn't.

[Exarch]

exactly what am i missing if i were to read the koran in english?
besides nice sing songy vocals in me head?

[Heinz Guderian]

At least you're man enough to admit when you're wrong. Many here wouldn't.

seconded.

[administrator of yackady]

It is translated to other languages so some of the less really orthodox muslims
as far as they see it its better in Islam but if it converts people translating is fine
I guess a lot of words are lost in translation so it loses some impact?

[Exarch]

because religion and culture are concentric circles
so it makes sense that when one converts to islam, one is also 'arabizing' oneself

[ShADoW]

Athan in English wouldn't be really pleasing to my ears

[motiv-8]

The way root words function in Arabic makes itself especially well-suited for poetry and lyricism. Pretty handy for a people who spent hundreds upon hundreds of years transmitting knowledge through epic poems and lore.

[Fiyenyaa]

The way root words function in Arabic makes itself especially well-suited for poetry and lyricism. Pretty handy for a people who spent hundreds upon hundreds of years transmitting knowledge through epic poems and lore.

Don't get me wrong, you may see me rail against religion virtually all the time on these boards, but I do understand and appreciate the good that it has brought about either directly or indirectly. Just because a song is religious doesn't mean I won't listen to it (although I must confess that Christian Metal is pretty much unlistenable for me ). I get the great architecture, the art, the music, the prose and poetry, and I get that some were inspired to do these great works through religion. I actually have a great admiration for the civilisation of the Arabs during the Medieval period (especially in Al-Andalus), and have respect for their comparative tolerance of different peoples and religions. One of my favourite poets (speaking as one who doesn't 'get' poetry is Al-Ma'arri although predictably he is very down on religion.
I like different civilisations. I like multi-culturalism - I love the fact that the national dish of the UK is curry, I love the fact that you can't get British currys in India because they were invented here by Indian immigrants, I love the fact that I could go to a school with a 50% non-white attendance and for there to be no problems, I love the fact that my last girlfriend was Indian and no-one cared; deep down, I'm a soppy liberal.

My qualms with religion as a whole are pretty basic; firstly, how faith works and how people can take such extraordinary claims at face value - this is something I fundamentally don't understand. Secondly, the immorality promoted within many scriptures and teachings of many different creeds.
This doesn't mean I have a problem with the adherents themselves because when it comes to people, I'm generally an optimist. Virtually all the Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Pagans and others I have met have been great people who I'd get along with just fine. It's just that they seem to ignore the teachings of their religions when these teachings get in the way of being nice, and I can't understand why they bother keeping them.