There are things which are obligatory on all individuals (fard ’ayn), and others which are obligatory on the community or Ummah (fard kifaayah, i.e., if some people fulfill them the rest are relieved of the obligation). If it is a duty to understand the Qur‘aan and Sunnah, and they cannot be understood without knowing Arabic, then the means that is needed to fulfil the duty is also obligatory. Moreover, the Arabic language itself is part of Islaam, and knowing Arabic is an obligatory duty. Being like them improves one’s thinking, religious commitment and behaviour. It also has an effect on making one resemble the early generations of this Ummah, the Companions and the Taabi’een. Know that being used to using a language has a clear and strong effect on one’s thinking, behaviour and religious commitment. This will make it easier for the people of Islaam to understand the Qur‘aan and Sunnah, and the words of the Salaf, unlike a person who gets used to speaking one language, then wants to learn another, and finds it difficult. The best way is to become accustomed to speaking Arabic so that the young people will learn it in their homes and schools, so that the symbol of Islaam and its people will prevail. Such was also the case in Khurasaan in the past, then they became lax with regard to the language and got used to speaking Farsee until it became prevalent and Arabic was forgotten by most of them. Hence when the early Muslims went to live in Syria and Egypt, where the people spoke Byzantine Greek, and in ’Iraaq and Khurasaan, where the people spoke Persian, and North Africa (al-Maghrib) where the people spoke Berber, they taught the people of those countries to speak Arabic, so that Arabic became the prevalent language in those lands, and all the people, Muslim and kaafir alike, spoke Arabic.
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