The Arabic language is one of the oldest living languages on the face of the earth, researchers dispute the age of this language. The Arabic language used today can be dated back more than 1600 years. The Arabic language is the largest language of the Semitic group, it is also the fifth most widely spoken language in the world, as it is the mother tongue of more than 480 million people.
The Arabic language has been able to embrace and accommodate different contemporaneous civilisations; Arabic, Persian, Greek, and Indian. This fascinating mixture came up with a rich and unique civilisation.
Arabic is the language of the Holy Qur’an, the sacred holy book of Islam. Under the Holy Qur’an, the Arabic language became a global language and the mother tongue of 22 countries located in the Middle East, the mother tongue of more than 480 million people, and the second or third language of hundreds of millions of Muslims all over the globe. It is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations.
The importance of Arabic is also evident in that it is the key to the Islamic and Arab culture, as it allows its learner to see how civilised and intellectual a nation has been on the throne of the world for several centuries and left a huge civilisational legacy in various arts and sciences over a period of 400 years.
The Arabic language is used as an official language in more than 20 countries in the Middle East. Thus, it is considered a widely spread language. Many people all over the world are now striving to learn the Arabic language, not caring about the difficulty of learning it because they realise the importance of this language.
There are many compelling reasons to begin learning Arabic, spanning personal, professional, and cultural domains:
The Arabic language prevailed in the Arabian peninsula hundreds of years before Islam. The Arabic heritage before Islam was quite rich and full of vivid multiplicity. The Arabic language is indeed the heritage of Muslims, both, Arabs and non-Arabs, it is a language rich and sophisticated in its vocabulary, expressions, and implied connotations.
Arabic is the language of Islam and the language in which the Noble Qur’an was revealed. The inimitability of Arabic is that it could contain the elevated meaning and purposes of the Noble Qur’an, as it is one of the most vivid and flowery languages in the world, making it fixable and valid across times and civilisations.
Many people have become curious about understanding the Islamic religion. There is no better way to understand and assimilate it than by learning the Arabic language until they clearly understand its teachings and rules. Therefore, if someone wants to understand Islam and Muslims properly, he/she must learn the language of their Holy Book.
The Arabic and Islamic civilisation was at its peak during the Middle Ages or medieval period in the Western World. Arts, literature, and sciences were prosperous, and new inventions and great discoveries were very common. Various Muslim scholars have sought research and knowledge. Their research in the Arabic language has become a reference for all languages that are sought to be translated and copied.
During these ages, all Greek and Latin sciences were translated into Arabic, which became the official language of science after the decay of the Ancient Greek language. Later, all Arabic texts were translated into Western languages to transmit old sciences, inventions, and discoveries to the West.
Moreover, whoever desires to study and learn the culture of Muslims, he/she is in dire need of knowledge of the Arabic language, and he/she needs to delve into it until he/she reaches a level that allows them to absorb that vast and deep culture. Learning Arabic helps to understand the culture of the Arabs, their great literature, rich history, innovative sciences, vivid arts, and all other aspects of life.
The assimilation of the Arabic language into other languages and civilisations led to its fame. The Arabic language has reached a point where it has been approved to be one of the six official languages of the United Nations because of its cultural and intellectual balance.
Arabic is a very flexible and adaptable language. It could cope with the rapid changes in the modern world, with all the new concepts and high-tech expressions coming up to the front. The Arabic language is characterised by eloquence and rhetoric richness. It could provide amazing equivalents, due to its richness in utilisations and derivations.
The number of Arabic words is estimated at 12.3 million, compared to 600,000 words in the English language, about 135,000 in German, and fewer than 100,000 in French. The Arabic language contains 40 million original words without repetition and it has 28 letters, in addition to an unlimited number of derivations, inflections, feminine, dual, and scientific and technical vocabulary that would far outnumber the mentioned numbers.
Proficiency in the Arabic language is considered a necessary need for Arabs. When the Arabic language is mentioned, this does not mean dialects, but Standard Arabic, the primary language of the Arabs in general. It is preferable for a person to learn one or two foreign languages besides their own in order to enable them to communicate with the outside world and help them to understand other cultures and draw from them.
The Arabic language occupies great importance to Muslims. It is the language of the sources of Islamic legislation; the Qur’an and Prophet Mohammed’s Traditions. It is also worth mentioning that it is not permissible to pray in Islam without mastering it, as prayers are only executed in Arabic. Hence, in non-Arabic Islamic nations, such as Turkish, Persian, and Urdu, the Arabic language has gained importance.
The Arabic language is characterised by eloquence and rhetoric richness, which is the reason why the Holy Qur’an was revealed with it. For example, the word sword in the Persian language is limited to one meaning, while in the Arabic language, several meanings are indicated. The habit of speaking the Arabic language affects the mind, morals, and religion. The Arabic language is a source of pride for the nation, and it is a fundamental component of the Islamic nation.
The Arabic language occupies fourth place as the most widespread language in the world, as it is spoken by nearly 280 million people. Learning Arabic for non-native speakers will be a feature of distinction and intelligence, as there are few who master it in Western countries.
Arabic is of paramount importance due to the strategic importance of the Arab region, which opens the person’s prospects for work and obtaining a job. Reading the original texts of Arabic literature as a book of tales of a thousand nights and days. Visiting Middle Eastern countries will be easier when one learns Arabic. Learning the Arabic language makes it easier to learn other languages such as Persian and Turkish which share their linguistic roots with Arabic.
The Arabic language is an immortal language, and it will never go extinct with the passage of time, according to a study by the University of Birmingham conducted to research the survival of languages or not in the future. These characteristics are as follows:
Eloquence: it is that speech is free from dissonance in words, weakness of composition, and verbal complexity.
Synonymy: it is the number of words indicating the same intended meaning.
Sounds and their significance for meanings: which means that the meaning of the word is understood in general or precisely through the sound only, and this is one of the most important features of the Arabic language that distinguishes it from all other languages.
Vocabulary abundance: the Arabic language abounds with a very large number of vocabulary, and no other language contains a number more or equal to the number contained in Arabic.
The science of arithmetic: it is the science that organises the rhythms of poetry and its poetic meters and sets the main rules for writing poetry, which made Arabic poetry the most eloquent rhetorical as a result of following specific rhythms and main rules.
Free stability: one of the biggest challenges faced by Arabic is its stability and victory over time and evolution, while other languages such as English have evolved and differed greatly over time.
Attenuation: It is that most of the vocabulary in the Arabic language has a triple origin, then comes the quaternary origin, then the pentagram, respectively, due to its large spread in the origins of Arabic vocabulary.
The Arabic language is characterised by its ability to adapt and its creativity in various sciences, such as engineering, algebra, medicine, arts, and scientific experiments, in addition to the creativity it has reached in the fields of literature and authorship, where various scholars were able to write several books in different arts.
The Arabic language is the language of a great culture, science, and an essential means of communication in the modern era. There are Syrian universities that adopt the Arabic language in all their faculties, including the Faculties of Medicine.
Arabic literature is one of the branches of the Arabic language, and it is noted that the study of Arabic literature is the study of language, grammar, morphology, rhetoric, and discourse. The science that organises the rhythms of poetry and its poetic meters and sets the main rules for writing poetry, which made Arabic poetry the most eloquent and rhetorical as a result of following specific rhythms and main rules. In addition to its rich heritage in prose and ancient storytelling.
The importance of the Arabic language is that it is the oldest language that is still characterised by the characteristics of its structures, morphology, grammar, literature, and imagination. In addition to the ability of the Arabic language to express the various aspects of science, it is the mother of the group of Arabic languages that originated in the Arabian Peninsula, such as Himyarite, Babylonian, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Abyssinian. It is one of the Semitic languages, which go back to the sons of Noah.
The Arabic language is one of the most important components of Arab identity, as it has worked for a long time to transmit the history and culture of Arab civilisations through time. It is considered one of the most important factors that preserved the unification of the Arab nation from the ocean to the Gulf.
It also contributed in preserving the history of the Arabs since the pre-Islamic era, including their complete history, heroism, and poetry, in addition to the final miracle of the revelation of the Noble Qur’an, which gave it sanctity and divine providence. It has transformed from a language specific to the tribes of the desert to the language of an Islamic nation that led civilisation for successive centuries.
The Arabic language contains a huge set of syntax, synonyms, and antonyms. It is one of the richest languages in the world, but this does not make it difficult or impossible to learn, but to fully master it, those who want to learn it must make more effort and time to train and master it.
Learning it will not happen in a month or a year, it will take you a much longer time and it would be great if the learner visited an Arab country, befriended people who spoke the Arabic language, and practised speaking it most of the time. This is one of the best ways to learn the Arabic language.
embarking on the journey of learning Arabic is an investment that yields multifaceted returns. It’s not merely about acquiring a new set of vocabulary and grammatical rules; it’s about unlocking a gateway to a world of profound cultural richness, bridging communication gaps, and expanding professional horizons. The Arabic language, with its ancient roots and modern relevance, serves as a vital key to understanding the diverse tapestry of the Arab world, a region of immense historical significance and contemporary dynamism.
Furthermore, the cognitive benefits derived from mastering Arabic extend beyond linguistic proficiency. The intricate structure of the language, the elegant calligraphy, and the nuances of its literary tradition stimulate intellectual growth and enhance critical thinking skills. In an increasingly interconnected world, where cross-cultural understanding is paramount, Arabic proficiency fosters empathy and breaks down cultural barriers, promoting meaningful dialogue and collaboration.
Beyond the practical applications, learning Arabic is a deeply personal and enriching experience. It opens a window into the hearts and minds of millions of people, allowing for genuine connections and a deeper appreciation for the beauty and complexity of human expression. Whether motivated by a desire to explore ancient texts, navigate the complexities of international relations, or simply connect with a vibrant community, the pursuit of Arabic language skills is a journey of discovery that transcends linguistic boundaries, enriching both the individual and the world at large. In essence, learning Arabic is an act of building bridges, fostering understanding, and embracing the vast, interconnected world we inhabit.
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