At a glance
- Era
- The Prophetic Era
- Region
- Global / Diaspora
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Development of law, theology and institutions
Summary
In the lexicon, Arabic (arabiyya) is eloquence and purity of speech; the Arabic language is what the Arabs spoke, and the Qur'an came down in it. The jurists' usage stays within this meaning 1.
Related terms
'Ajamiyya is the opposite of Arabic; lugha is wider, covering any speech by which a people express their aims 1.
Merit of Arabic
Arabic has merit as the tongue of the people of paradise, and a person is rewarded for learning and teaching it 2.
General ruling and what must be known
Al-Shafi'i holds that knowing the Arabic language is obligatory on every responsible Muslim as far as his effort allows, and more so for the mujtahid, who must understand its words and meanings 2. The jurists require Arabic for the recitation of the Qur'an, the dhikr in prayer, the takbir, the call to prayer and the Friday sermon 3.
Where it is discussed
Questions of translation are treated under their own entry 3.
People and things also explored
Biting and the liability for injury it causes (add)· Justice and uprightness (adl)· Contagion (adwa)· Pardon (afw) in purity, worship, contracts and penalties· Covenant (ahd) and the duty to keep it; oath by the covenant of God· Term, deadline (ajal)· Hired worker (ajir)· Stranger, outsider (ajnabi)
Sources
- al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.11542
- al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.11543
- al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.11544
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The Arabic language in jurisprudence (arabiyya)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/arabiyya/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-23.