Importance of Learning Arabic in Islam: What the Salaf Said

The importance of learning Arabic in Islam comes from one fact: Allah revealed the Qur'an in Arabic and the Prophet ﷺ taught in Arabic, so understanding the religion runs through the language. The salaf said so directly: 'Umar ibn al-Khattab told Muslims to learn Arabic "for it is part of your religion", and Ibn Taymiyyah called knowing it an obligation.

This article gathers what the salaf and the scholars who followed them actually said, with the source for each statement: the Qur'an's own words about its Arabic, the instructions of 'Umar, the way the Prophet ﷺ taught the exact words of worship, Imam al-Shafi'i in ar-Risalah and Ibn Taymiyyah in Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim. It ends with how much Arabic each Muslim needs and a plan to begin. For the wider case, see our guide on why to learn Arabic, the language of the Qur'an.

Why is Arabic so important in Islam?

Arabic is important in Islam because Allah chose it as the language of His final revelation and tied that choice to understanding. He says:

Ibn Kathir, explaining the same words in Surah Yusuf (12:2), wrote that Arabic is the most eloquent, plain, deep and expressive of languages, and so the most honourable Book was revealed in the most honourable language to the most honourable Messenger (Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 12:2). Allah also tells us why every messenger spoke the language of his people:

The Prophet ﷺ received the revelation in Arabic and explained it in Arabic, so the Qur'an and the Sunnah both reached us in that language. A translation tries to carry the meanings across, and it helps, but only the Arabic is the Qur'an itself. That is why the salaf treated the language as a means to the religion, not a hobby beside it.

What can the Arabic show that a translation may miss?

Arabic can carry emphasis that a translation has to work hard to keep, and al-Fatihah gives a short example that every Muslim recites in every rak'ah of every prayer:

In the usual Arabic word order the verb would come first, with the object attached to it: na'buduka, "we worship You". Here the object, iyyaka ("You"), is brought forward and repeated. Ibn Kathir explains that putting the object first and repeating it gives emphasis and restriction: we worship none but You and rely on none but You (Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 1:5). The translation captures this with "It is You we worship", but the reason for that phrasing sits in the Arabic. A learner who knows a little grammar hears tawhid in the word order itself.

What did 'Umar ibn al-Khattab say about learning Arabic?

'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) told Muslims to study Arabic deliberately, even though he and the Companion he wrote to were native speakers. In a letter to Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him), reported by Ibn Abi Shaybah and quoted by Ibn Taymiyyah in Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim, he wrote:

In a second report quoted in the same passage, 'Umar put it even more briefly:

How did the Prophet ﷺ teach the exact Arabic words?

The Prophet ﷺ taught the words of worship word for word, and corrected even a single changed word. Al-Bara' ibn 'Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) was taught a du'a to say before sleeping, and when he repeated it back:

Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) described learning the tashahhud the same way: the Prophet ﷺ taught it to him "as he taught me a Sura from the Qur'an", with his hand between the Prophet's hands (Sahih al-Bukhari 6265). The Companions received the Qur'an and the words of prayer as exact Arabic wording, to be kept as it was taught. Knowing the language lets you understand the words you are guarding, instead of only repeating their sounds.

What did Imam al-Shafi'i say about learning Arabic?

Imam al-Shafi'i set out the minimum in his ar-Risalah: "Every Muslim must learn as much of the language of the Arabs as he is able to", so that he can testify in Arabic that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, recite the Book of Allah, and say the words of dhikr he is enjoined to say, such as the takbir, tasbih and tashahhud (IslamQA 325773, quoting ar-Risalah).

He then added: "The more knowledge he can learn in the language which Allah made the language of the last of His Prophets and in which He revealed the last of His Books, the better it will be for him." In other words, the words of your daily prayer already need a little Arabic, and every step beyond that is gain. Al-Shafi'i gave a floor, not a ceiling.

Why did Ibn Taymiyyah call Arabic part of the religion?

Ibn Taymiyyah called Arabic part of the religion because the Qur'an and the Sunnah cannot be understood without it, and understanding them is obligatory. In Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim he wrote that "the Arabic language itself is part of Islam, and knowing Arabic is an obligatory duty", grounding it in a principle of the scholars: when a duty cannot be fulfilled without a means, the means becomes obligatory too (IslamQA 4839).

He also called Arabic "the symbol of Islam and its people" (IslamQA 161844) and said that everyone who is able to learn it should, because it is the foremost language a Muslim should strive to learn (IslamQA 325773). His most striking point was about habit:

He explained that the habit of Arabic also makes a person resemble the first generations of this Ummah, the Companions and the Tabi'in, and that resembling them improves a person's thinking, religious commitment and behaviour. He noted too that the early Muslims who settled in other lands taught the people there to speak Arabic, until it became the prevalent language in those lands. For Ibn Taymiyyah, Arabic was not only a tool for reading texts; it shaped the person reading them.

Is learning Arabic obligatory for every Muslim?

Learning Arabic is obligatory for every Muslim up to a limited point; beyond that it is a communal duty and a virtue. Ibn Taymiyyah distinguished what binds each individual (fard 'ayn) from what binds the community as a whole (fard kifayah), where "if some people fulfil them the rest are relieved of the obligation". The table sets out the three levels as the scholars quoted here describe them:

This is an education site, not a fatwa service. For a question about your own prayer or circumstances, IslamQA's answer on how much Arabic non-Arabs need is a good start, and a local person of knowledge can advise you directly. What is not in doubt is the direction: every scholar quoted here points towards more Arabic, not less.

Can a non-Arab adult still learn Arabic well?

A non-Arab adult can learn Arabic well, and the history of the language shows it. The early Muslims taught Arabic to the peoples of the lands they settled, and some of the greatest scholars of the language came from those peoples: Sibawayh, whose book became the foundation of Arabic grammar, was of Persian origin. You do not need to become a grammarian. You need to start, and to keep going a little every week.

How should you start learning Arabic as a beginner?

Start learning Arabic with the words you already say every day, then widen out to the vocabulary and grammar of the Qur'an. A sensible order for a beginner looks like this:

The salaf did not treat Arabic as an extra for specialists; they treated it as the way into the Qur'an and the Sunnah. When you are ready for your first lessons, you can find an Arabic teacher of your choice and begin with the words of your own prayer.