Why Was the Quran Revealed in Arabic?
“Had we revealed this to a non-Arab, and he read it to them in Arabic, they still would not have believed.”
We learn from that the sincere believers have access to the Quran, regardless of their mother tongue. The disbelievers, on the other hand, are not permitted access to the Quran, even if they are professors of the Arabic language (, , , ).
Arabic is the most efficient language in the world, especially when it comes to the precise statement of laws. Since the Quran is a Statute Book, it was crucial that such laws be clearly stated. God chose Arabic for His Final Testament because it is the most suitable language for that purpose.
The Efficiency of Arabic
Arabic is unique in its efficiency and precision. For example, the word “they” in English does not tell you if “they” are males or females. Arabic has four distinct forms:
Pronouns for “They” in Arabic
- HUM — they (males)
- HUNNA — they (females)
- HUMAA — they (two males)
- HAATAAN — they (two females)
This feature does not exist in any other language in the world.
This precision was extremely helpful in stating laws such as in , which enjoins the divorcee to give up her own wishes to divorce her husband if she discovers she is pregnant and the husband wishes to reconcile — the welfare of the child takes priority. The efficiency of the Arabic language made it possible to state this law clearly in very few words, specifying exactly whose wishes are to be superseded. Any other language would have made this almost impossible to convey with such brevity.
Another example is the word Qaalataa of , which translates into four English words: “the two women said.” Such is the efficiency of Arabic.
Gender and the Reference to God
Another reason for choosing Arabic is that “He” and “She” in Arabic do not necessarily imply natural gender. Thus, when God is referred to as “He,” this does not imply gender at all. God be glorified; He is neither male nor female. The usage of “He” to refer to God in English, for example, has contributed to a false image of God — compounded further by distorted expressions such as “Father” when referring to God. Such a reference to God is never found in the Quran.