Why the Qur’an is in Arabic

Q: Why is the Qur’an in Arabic? How can the Qur’an have a universal nature if it was revealed in Arabic?

The guidance from God comes through the Prophets and the Messengers; they brought with them the Book from God in the language of their people. The fact that the Qur’an was revealed in Arabic is clearly referred to in the following verses:

Alif. Lam. Ra. These are the Revelations of the Book clear in itself and clearly showing the truth. We send it down as a qur’an (discourse) in Arabic so that you may reflect (on both its meaning and wording) and understand. (Yusuf 12:1-2) We have sent no Messenger save with the tongue of his people, that he might make (the Message) clear to them. Then God leads whomever He wills astray, and He guides whomever He wills. He is the All-Glorious with irresistible might, the All-Wise.

(Ibrahim 14:4)

This (Qur’an) is indeed the Book of the Lord of the worlds being sent down by Him (in parts). The Trustworthy Spirit brings it down on your heart, so that you may be one of the warners (entrusted with the Divine Revelation), in clear Arabic tongue.

(Shu’ara 26:192-195)

The divine reason why God sent Messengers from among human beings and why He revealed His Books to them was to guide His servants to the right path via the same Messengers and Books. God sent every Messenger to communicate in the language of his people. Prophet Moses and Prophet Jesus, peace be upon them, appeared among the Jews, the Books sent to them were revealed in Hebrew. In the same way God’s Messenger appeared among the Arabs as the last link of the chain of Prophets and was sent with God’s final Revelation to all humanity, which was in Arabic. The Divine reason why the Qur’an was revealed in Arabic is that the people, to whom the Qur’an was initially addressed, would better understand God’s commands and prohibitions. If the Prophet had been sent revelations in different languages then his people would have been confused and would not have understood anything; they would have demanded an explanation. Accordingly, one of the purposes of the Qur’an being revealed in Arabic is that the Arab community was expected to understand the perfection of the Qur’an which was clear evidence to its being a divine Revelation. It was revealed to the Prophet in his own language and therefore, they could not hide behind any excuses of not being able to understand the Book. The fact that the Glorious Qur’an is in Arabic does not mean that it was revealed only for the Arabs. In the following verse, God Almighty calls on people to reflect on the fact that He never sent any Messenger but in the language of that Messenger’s people so that the Message would be clear to them: “We have sent no Messenger save with the tongue of his people, that he might make (the Message) clear to them. ” (Ibrahim 14:4).

This verse is does not mean that the Message brought by Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is not binding for all to whom it is conveyed. God says in the Qur’an: “We have not sent you but to all humankind as a bearer of glad tidings (of prosperity for faith and righteousness) and a warner (against the consequences of misguidance). But most of humankind do not know (this, nor do they appreciate what a great blessing it is for them)”  (Seaba 34:28). God’s Messenger said, “Every prophet was sent to their people in their respective language. God Almighty has sent me to both the red-skinned and the dark-skinned from among His creatures.’’ In another tradition, he says: “I have been granted five things which were granted to no one before me: God made me victorious with awe (He caused awe among my enemies) for a distance of one month’s journey. The earth has been made for me (and for my followers) as a place for the offering of prayers and as a thing for purification (to perform tayammum); therefore anyone of my community can perform the prayers wherever they are at the time of a prayer. The gains of war have been made lawful to me yet it was not lawful to anyone else before me. I have been given the right of intercession (on the Day of Resurrection).

Every Prophet was sent to his nation alone, but I have been sent to all of humanity.’’ It is quite clear that even a Book with a universal nature must perforce use of the words of one of the many languages in the world so that people can understand teachings of the Book and convey its messages to other people, especially to those who are not conversant with the original language. This is the only way by which the Divine Message can become universally widespread. The verse, “We send it down as a qur’an (discourse) in Arabic so that you may reflect (on both its meaning and wording) and understand” (Yusuf 12:1) implies that the Revelation is sent in the language of the Arabs. The addressees of the Prophet at the time were unable to make any excuses or to say that they could not understand whether the message was true or not, as they did not understand the language. The words, subject, style and language of the Qur’an are all clear and it cannot be alleged that it was written by the Prophet himself or by any other Arabic speaking person. God did not send any Prophet to people with a message that was in a different language. He sent them all Revelations in the language of their communities. This is Sunnatullah, or practice of God. Indeed, the fact that God sent every Messenger with a Book to their respective communities in their own languages so that the Prophets could easily communicate the religion to these communities and so that these communities could understand God’s commands and transmit them to others is one of God’s blessings.

It is in this way that Almighty God made it easier for them to find and reach the truth. Thus, all Messengers were sent with a Book in the language of their people so that they would be able to explain the message for which they were responsible. They were also reminded that those who know something have a duty to inform others and those who are present must inform those who are absent. The mission of Prophets is to declare their Prophethood to their communities and to invite them to faith in God, whether they were sent to only a particular community or to other communities, or whether this is, as in the case of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, all of humanity and the jinn. Such a duty is best fulfilled in the language that the community most easily understands. As in the verse, “And (O Messenger) warn your nearest kinsfolk” (Shuara 26:214), God’s Messenger is ordered to warn first his kith and kin. Starting from his close relatives, the Prophet delivers the divine Message to all of his community and, during the course of such a delivery, those who know Arabic can render the Message into the languages of other communities and thus convey the Message to them. People with knowledge of more than one language thus have the honor of being messengers of the Messenger and heirs of the Prophet. In order to enjoy the same honor, other individuals also learn Arabic and the Message is conveyed widely from one language to another and from one community to another.

It should be noted that there must be other divine reasons for the revelation of the Qur’an in Arabic; some of these we can know, while others we cannot. One of these reasons may be that Arabic could be the most appropriate language in the human realm for Divine discourse. In the Qur’an, God Almighty described it as the “Arabic Qur’an,” thus making the Arabic language the vessel for His miraculous Book.

Akgul, Muhittin (2009). The Quran in 99 Questions (Abdullah Erdemli Trans.). New Jersey: Tughra Books. (Originally published in Turkish as Kur’an İklimine Seyahat)