Prayer & supplication: Must it be in Arabic?

Prayer & supplication: Must it be in Arabic? 

Many of us speak little Arabic. Is it permissible to use one's mother tongue in saying our supplication during various stages of prayer? If the worshipper can say du’aa’ well in Arabic, it is not permissible for him to make du’aa’ in any other language.

But if the worshipper is unable to make du’aa’ in Arabic, there is no reason why he should not make du’aa’ in his own language, so long as he starts learning Arabic in the meantime. With regard to making du’aa’ in languages other than Arabic outside of prayer, there is nothing wrong with that, especially if that will make the worshipper more focused in his du’aa’.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:

It is permissible to make du’aa’ in Arabic and in languages other than Arabic. Allaah knows the intention of the supplicant and what he wants, no matter what language he speaks, because He The Almighty hears all the voices in all different languages, asking for all kinds of needs.

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 22/488-489.

Making du’aa’ in English or in any other language is permissible outside of salaah (prayer). But it is not permissible to say any part of the salaah in any language other than Arabic, according to the majority of scholars.

But if the Muslim can stick to Arabic in all cases, especially in acts of worship – and du’aa’ is an act of worship – that is preferable and is better.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr

 

All scholars agree that anyone who offers prayers must read the Al-Fatihah and the Qur'an in Arabic. It is not possible to use translation.

If a person does not know the Fatihah, but knows another passage of the Qur'an, he is required to say in each rak'ah a passage of similar length to the Fatihah. If he does not know any part of the Qur'an in Arabic, he must learn.

If he fears that he would miss his prayers before he could learn, he should glorify Allah, using the well known formula: Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illa Allah, Allahu Akbar, la hawla wala qowwata illa billah.

The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) used Arabic in prayer because he had to read the Qur'an in prayer and the Qur'an, Allah's words, is in Arabic. Any translation of it is not the Qur'an, but an explanation of its meaning. That translator may have to change the order of the original text in order to fit his text with the grammar into which he is translating. No one can change the order of the Qur'anic words.

Had Allah wanted the Prophet to offer his prayers in any other language, He would have told him so and would have made it easy for him to learn that language. But Allah wants us to use His Book in our prayer. As it is well known to everyone, His Book has been revealed in Arabic.

The majority of fuqaha’ say that if the non-Arab can speak Arabic, he should not recite Takbeer (saying “Allaahu akbar (Allaah is Most Great)”) in any other language. The evidence for this is that the texts instruct this particular wording, which is Arabic, and that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do it any other way.

But if a non-Arab cannot speak Arabic and is unable to pronounce it, then according to the majority of fuqaha’ it is OK for him to say the Takbeer in his own language after it has been translated from Arabic, according to the statements of the Shaafa’is and Hanbalis, no matter what the language is. The Takbeer is remembrance or mentioning of Allaah, and Allaah can be remembered or mentioned in every language, so a language other than Arabic is an alternative, and the person has to learn how to say it in the other language. Abu Dawood reported that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “I cannot learn anything of the Qur’aan. Teach me something that will suffice me.” He said, “Say Subhaan Allaah wa’l-hamdu Lillaah wa Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa Allaahu akbar wa Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah.”

And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid