Europe Speaks Arabic

Europe Speaks Arabic

Reviewed by U MUHAMMAD IQBAL
Title of the book: Europe Speaks Arabic
Author’s name : Dr V Abdur Rahim
Publishers : Institute of the Language of the Quran Inc.
3077 Weston Road, Suite# 1912
Toronto ON Canada M9M 3A1
Price : Rs. 150

Reviewed by U MUHAMMAD IQBAL

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan once said that if Sir Isaac Newton had not discovered the theory of gravitation, somebody else would have discovered it sooner or later, and that if Columbus had not discovered America, the country was there to be reached one day or the other, but, if Shakespeare had not written Hamlet, nobody else could have produced the literary masterpiece and the world would have been all the poorer for it. In my humble opinion, the book under review Europe speaks Arabic is as much a creative work of the highest quality as any one can think of. If Dr. V. Abdur Rahim had not written it, nobody else would have had the credit for producing it.

The title of the book is startling and is meant to startle. The impact of Arabic on European languages had been so vast, so wide-ranging and so enduring and yet subjected to such indifference and had been taken for granted so frustratingly that it needed a scholar of titanic proportions like Dr. V. Abdur Rahim to make the present-day Europeans realize how much they should be indebted to Arabic. In a sentence like, “Check the sugar in your coffee, Admiral”, all the nouns and the verb have Arabic origin. Eric, a character in the book, acknowledges that “These words are so many and so important that one may almost say that we in Europe speak Arabic.”

The title of the book echoes Eric’s observation and at the same time reflects a marketing strategy. On reading the title it will be difficult for the reader to not satisfy his curiosity. He will go all out to find out how the thesis is fully worked out. The title reflects a very important fact that Arabic, nay any language for that matter, is primarily a spoken medium. The verb in the title draws our attention to it. The title cover of the book carries a photograph of a bridge in London, suggesting that Arabic is a bridge between East and West. It is a bridge between this world and the Hereafter too if the Arabic Qur’ān is adopted as a manual of guidance.

Arabic is spoken as the first language by both Arab Muslims and Arab Christians and so the book avoids the religious overtones, as though in response to an explicit instruction of Eric, who says, “I do not want you to mention words like fatwa, intifada, jihad, sunnah, shia, sharia, fedayeen, etc.” I am amazed at Eric’s knowledge of the vocabulary associated with Islam and the Muslims! Ahmed, the protagonist of the book, the alter ego of the author, follows the instruction scrupulously and religiously throughout the book!

This ensures the non-controversial nature of the book and attracts a wider readership. The author says, “Only words recognized by European linguists as borrowings from Arabic, and mentioned in reputed dictionaries, are included in this book.” This line of abundant caution makes the book authoritative and authentic. In India if someone says that a particular Tamil word has been borrowed from Sanskrit, the claim would be contested in a scholarly vein. Such a controversy is thoughtfully avoided by the author as he prefers to depend upon the verdict of the European linguists and the reputed dictionaries with regard to the Arabic origin of the words.

The words selected for this book pertain to Alchemy, Amenities, Amusement and Entertainment, Animal Kingdom, Astronomy, Clothing, Drinks, Fruit and Vegetables, History, Mathematics, Science, Seasonings, Sweets, Trade, Utensils, and Miscellaneous Items.

The genre of the book is history and etymology. The quality of the book can be summed up in two phrases taken from the book itself – concentrated erudition, (p.14) and excellent exposition (p.175). The standard of scholarship is such that the author finds fault with Oxford English Dictionary on pages 5, 14, 18, 43, 67, 108, 118, 129 and 161.

All European languages are mentioned but English, French, Spanish and Portuguese are given greater prominence in the book.

The strategy adopted to introduce Arabic words having a bearing upon the European life-style and habits is in the form of a dialogue. Plato’s Dialogues may have given the author the inspiration. Dr V. Abdur Rahim has made use of two characters. To champion the cause of Arabic, a character with an Arabic name is projected. Ahmed is suggestive because he praises Arabic. I don’t know why the name Eric has been selected. He is a Christian and is representatively European. The two characters are not wooden pieces. The author has lent them realism. They agree, and they disagree. One evinces interest, the other satisfies curiosity. One appreciates and encourages the other. Eric objects that Chaucer is being quoted often and complains. “You seem to assign all good things to Arabic.” (P. 78) This will be a typical reaction of a European reader whom Eric represents. Ahmed is surprised at Eric’s knowledge of ‘bastard’ and ‘saffron’ (p.88) Eric’s remark, ‘We might say ‘an apkin’ instead of ‘a napkin’, (P. 81) underpins his individuality. The following extracts make the characters vivid and real.

Eric : Scarlet is a colour.
Ahmed: It was a fabric before it was a colour. (p. 64)
Eric: Are there any more fabrics of Arabic origin?
Ahmed: Let me think. .. Yes, there is ‘atlas’ (P. 69)

These exchanges are lively and show that Eric triggers the memory of Ahmed to recall more and more Arabic words. Eric asserts vigorously at one time that Ahmed is wrong (p. 47) but Ahmed with his superior scholarship makes Eric eat the humble pie. On p.52 Ahmed forgets about ‘tare’ and in this there is a touch of realism. The dialogue makes the transition from one topic to another smooth. Sometimes it is matter-of-fact like “What is your next word?” (p. 9) or ‘What next?’ (p. 10). Sometimes it is poetical. “We have been soaring high into the heavens for quite sometime. Shall we come down to earth now?” (p.16) “Shall we now move to another domain?” (p. 19) “Now let us get up from the quilted cushion and recline on a sofa.” (p. 22)

It is Eric who holds his head and suffers from headache (p.24). It is Eric who feels drowsy (p 101) and shows his love for Shakespeare by using his phrase ‘drowsy sleep’. The reader of the book will feel neither headache nor drowsiness because the book is so absorbing.

It is because Eric gets a cable and he has to leave, the book comes to a close.

The transition from chapter to chapter is well-managed through the device of the dialogue. Management of the dialogue, which lasts for two days, points to the potential of a playwright in the author. He presents a dictionary of a comparative vocabulary through the medium of a drama!

Some aspects of the book deserve special mention. The first aspect is that it is a highly informative book. Some pieces of information culled from the book are presented hereunder:

a) Europe adopted the Arabic system of enumeration in the 9th century.
b) Jiva (Sanskrit) refers to the chord of an arc.
c) Greek has no /sh/a voiceless palato – alveolar fricative
d) Musa is the botanical name of the banana.
e) A cat with a striped coat is called a tabby cat.
f) Qahwa meant loss of appetite.
g) Fulano, zutano mangano are Spanish substitutes for Tom, Dick and Harry
h) Scarlet was a fabric first and then it became a colour.
i) Alcohol meant a powder first and then it stood for a liquid.

The second aspect of the book is that it contains profoundly philosophical observations on language per se.

A few observations are given below:

a) Languages play with words and their meanings. And history is their playmate. (p. 25)
b) Language is a powerful instrument of change; it can make and mar words, elevate or debase their meanings, turn them beautiful or ugly. (p.52)
c) Language is a faithful record of human civilization. (p. 109)
d) Words are not born with their meanings inscribed on their foreheads. They are in constant change i.e. their forms, their sounds, their meanings. (p.115)

The third aspect of the book is the quotations which are found scattered throughout the book. The vast erudition of the author is reflected in them. Their appropriateness is a matter of marvel. The diversity of the branches of learning from which passages are taken out for illustration leaves the reader awe-struck. The learned doctor has drawn on the books he read as a student of the Intermediate class and of the BA (Hons.) Degree course. There are certain books quoted which are centuries old. The quotations are given in their original spelling without modernising them. A reflection on the scale of hard work put into the collection of the extracts and the number of years spent in the collection overwhelms a grateful reader and he is obliged to exclaim: Here is God’s plenty. Perhaps this is the fruit of knowledge blessed with a rich yield.

The fourth aspect is that information furnished in the book is spiced with pun, witticism, and a sense of humour. In Arabic ‘ban’ is the name of a tree; Eric wants to ban the ban. With regard to the relationship between ‘check’ and ‘chess’ the comment is ‘we may call them ‘Arabic twins’ in line with ‘Siamese twins’ (P. 30) The English looked at the bright side of ‘check’. The French on the other hard looked at the dark side of ‘check’ (p.31) The richness of English lies in its diversity.” (p. 137) One cannot help smiling to oneself while reading a sentence like, ‘I am going to San Khose in Khumino and coming back in Khulio’ which means , ‘I am going to San Jose in June and coming back in July.’ (p. 101) Eric says about ‘alfisfisah’, “It has shrunk considerably on arrival in Europe.” Ahmed agrees: May be due to the cold weather. (p 147)

The fifth aspect is that, even though the author hides himself behind the two characters – Ahmed and Eric – he has created, he unmasks himself here and there. “Fickleness, thy name is language.” (P. 52) “French is the great trimmer of words.” (p. 53, 92) While discussing the colours azure and crimson, the author waxes eloquent and grows lyrical.

A surprising but pleasant element in the book is the discussion on the etymology of ‘assassinate’. The author convincingly questions the veracity of the widely held view that the verb is derived from ‘hashish’. (pp 178-180) I read somewhere that the verb is derived from asas (alif-seen-alif-seen) – going back to basics or fundamentals. A fundamentalist who has lost his sense of balance will resort to such a fatal violence.

According to the author, the word ‘hazard’ is from Arabic al-zahr meaning dice. It became ‘azar in Spanish where it means unfortunate card or throw at dice, unforeseen disaster, accident, disappointment. The following extract questions this etymology.

F. T. Wood says, “The verb to hazard takes us back to the beleaguering of the castle of Hasart in the late 13th century. To while away the time they spent waiting for the fortress to surrender, the besieging troops invented a new game of chance which they called after the place itself – hazard. By a natural and inevitable extension of meaning a hazard came to signify a risk, and later a verb was formed from the same root.” (An outline History of the English Language, 2nd edition, p. 87)

Correctness seems to be the ideal of the author. The book is free from errors by and large. However, a few inadvertent errors or omissions detected are given below:

a) ‘Beyond a shadow of a doubt’ p. 2. The second ‘a’ is unnecessary
b) Russian term for ‘checkmate’ is given (p. 32) but the Russian term for ‘chess’ is not given.(p. 29)
c) Reference to the use of abariq in the Qur’ān is given (p. 24) Reference to the use of qintar is not given.
d) A French sentence on p. 47 does not have English translation.
e) On p. 64 the use of the words ‘later’ and ‘and’ creates confusion. Burke (1729-1797) came before Keats (1795-1821) but Shakespeare (1564-1616) came before Burke. Shakespeare’s use of ‘scarlet’ seems to go against the contention of ‘Ahmed.’
f) On p. 158, Mecca is used with a small ‘m’. Should it not be a capital ‘M’?
This is just petty cavilling. The book is monumental. The possession of this book will speak volumes about the level of literacy and the quality of literary taste of any person or place. It is a book on the civilizing influence of Arabic which India and the world need to know.

Radiance Viewsweekly, Monday 6th Jul 2009

http://www.radianceweekly.com/163/3924/CIRCUMCISION-OR-ATTEMPT-TO-MURDER/2009-06-21/Book-Review/Story-Detail/Europe-Speaks-Arabic.html

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From: IFT CHENNAI
Date: Sat, Apr 18, 2009 at 10:52 AM
Subject: Arabic Language Course DVD
To: jalaludeen k



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Arabic Language

Arabic Language



"The Key to Understand - "Holy Qur’an"



We all feel touched when we open up a good translation of the meaning of the Qur’an and we ponder and wonder at the beauty of the words and the deep meanings within. But in reality we are just seeing a glimpse of the real treasure that the Qur’an is.

Imagine how you’d feel if you could understand the words of Allah in the form in which they were sent down and not just rely on a translation of the meaning in English. Imagine the power of the words and the directness of the message then! The potency would be awesome!

The Qur’an is the word of Allah; a direct message from Allah to us His creation and Allah chose the Arabic language as the language of this message. Indeed Allah tells us this in the Qur’an emphasising to us that to understand the message in its fuller form one must understand the language:

“Indeed we have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an, in order that you may understand” (Surah Yusuf, Aayah 2)

“And thus we have inspired to you an Arabic Qur’an so that you may warn the mother of towns and all around it” (Surah ash-Shura, 7)

Arabic and the message of the Qur’an cannot be separated and translators throughout the ages have tried to convey to the non-Arabic speaking people the beauty of the meaning of the Qur’an but have always called it ‘The translation of the meaning of the Qur’an’, emphasising the fact that the Qur’an’s direct translation is not possible, because so much of the potency and splendour of the words and their meanings which are inextricably linked to the Arabic language are lost in English or any other language. Indeed to even appreciate the poetic beauty of the Qur’an one needs to have an understanding of Arabic.

Remember that for the Arabs in the time of the Prophet (SAW) who were masters of eloquence and poetry, the words of the Qur’an itself were so unique compared to the poetry of the most eloquent of them that many came to Islam recognising that the Qur’an could not be the handiwork of even the best human poet, rather it could only come from Allah. The language itself was one of the miracles of the Qur’an. Allah challenges mankind:

“And if you are in doubt about what we have sent down to our servant, then produce a chapter like it and call your witnesses besides Allah if you are truthful. But if you do not do it, and you can never do it, then fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the disbelievers” (Surah Baqarah, aayaat 23-24)

The Preservation of the Arabic Language:

Languages usually evolve. Just look at the difference between Shakespearean English and modern day English. In many ways they seem like two totally different languages and a man from England in Shakespearean times and a man from modern day England would find it extremely difficult to communicate! But the Arabic language is not just ‘a language’. This is why the Sahabah and the early generations of Muslims strove to preserve the classical Arabic language. It was Ali (radi allaahu ‘anhu) who noticed on the tongues of some of the Arabs a slight change in dialect and ordered for the grammar rules of Arabic to be recorded in a universal form. He knew that the preservation of the Arabic language was part of the preservation of Islam itself.

Arabic unified the Muslim countries as it spread to every land that embraced Islam. This is why it is seen that those Muslim societies that are ignorant of Arabic are in general less knowledgeable about Islam. This ignorance has in turn made them more prone to stray from the straight path.

The enemies of Islam know this and have worked hard to tear the Muslims from the Arabic language and the Qur’an. During the French occupation of Algeria, the French government was advised, “We will never be able to overpower the Algerians as long as they read the Qur’an and speak Arabic. Therefore we must remove the Arabic Qur’an from their midst and abolish the Arabic language from their tongues.”

And unfortunately this is exactly what the secular leader of Turkey, Kamal Ataturk, who abolished the Islamic caliphate, did. He ordered that the Qur’an be recited in Turkish, even in prayers and changed the Turkish language which used to be written in Arabic into a Latin alphabet.

Today you will find that although Arabs throughout the world unfortunately have different colloquial dialects, they are still taught the Classical Arabic in their schools and Classical Arabic is the standard written Arabic in every Arabic newspaper and book. So it has been preserved by Allah as He(SWT) promised in the Qur’an:

“Indeed we have sent down the Reminder and surely we will preserve it.” (Surah Hijr, Aayah 9)

A Priority for all of us:

Scholars throughout the ages, from the Companions to the present day, encouraged the Ummah to learn the Arabic language.


Ubay ibn Ka’b (RA) said,
“Teach Arabic like you teach the memorisation of the Qur’an!”


Abu Bakr (RA) said,
“That I recite and forget (a portion of the Qur’an) is more beloved to me than to make a grammatical mistake!”


And ‘Umar (RA) once passed by a group of archers who missed their targets. He admonished them and they responded that they were only beginners, but in answering back they made a grammatical mistake in their wording. He told them, “Indeed, your mistakes in Arabic grammar are more difficult to bear than your mistakes in archery!”

Imam ash-Shaafi’ee said, "Therefore it is imperative that every Muslim should strive to learn Arabic as hard as he can, so that he can testify the shahada, and recite the Book of Allah and say the invocations that are mandatory upon him, such as the takbeer, tasbeeh, tashahud and other prayers. And the more he learns the language that Allah Himself chose to be the language of him who sealed the Prophets (SAW), and to be the language of His final revelation, the better it is for him!”

Imam ash-Shaafi’ee also said : "It is compulsory for every responsible Muslim to learn what they can of the Arabic language."

The great 8th century scholar Shaykul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (rh) even went so far as to say that, “The Arabic language is part of the Religion, and knowing it is an obligation.”

Unfortunately, we have become comfortable with simply relying on translations and spending all of our time and efforts in studying other things, (other languages even!) which may not even benefit us in the hereafter and have forgotten that the Qur’an is in a very approachable language and we all have the ability or rather the responsibility to study and understand it. If you knew that Allah (SWT) had a message for you, personally, then would you not want to understand it in its original form? Think about it…we have the last revelation to mankind, the only communication from our Lord and Master, which is preserved in its original form, and yet in a 70 odd year life we do not give it the attention, which it deserves. We should realise that Allah has honoured us with the Qur’an and chosen for us the noblest of languages. Attention to Arabic is attention to the Book of Allah so we should make learning it a priority.

I remember the feeling of tasting the sweetness of Allah’s words in my Salaah when I first embarked upon my Arabic studies. I just repeated the same aayah of the Qur’an again and again savouring the words and suddenly feeling a deep emotion that I’d never felt before though I had read the same aayah many times before studying Arabic, it was as though a light had been lit for me and I’d suddenly discovered a new part of a house that I’d been living in for years. One of the definite benefits of learning Arabic is that it aids Khushoo’ or consciousness in salaah and helps us to improve all of our worships. Taraweeh prayer in Ramadan becomes a new experience!

Practical steps towards learning Arabic:

Alhamdulillah with all the teaching aids and easy access to information that we have, learning Arabic does not necessarily mean travelling on arduous journeys to distant lands as it once used to. With discipline and commitment, the student can study much in his own time

Here are some tips to help you along they way:

Make Du’a: As with everything we work towards, we should ask Allah to help us and make learning easy for us. We should ask Allah to purify our intentions so that we truly learn Arabic for the better understanding of the Qur’an and deen.

Discipline yourself! Put a set amount of time aside every day or twice a week for your Arabic studies and stick to it. Remember a little study regularly is better than hours of study once a month.

Know your basics well: going step by step is the best way to master any language, concentrating on improving your basic reading and writing is the first step in learning Arabic, even if it is repetitive. Then you can build on that firm foundation.

Invest in a good dictionary and Arabic books: A good dictionary is the Hans Wehr or Al-Mawrid dictionary, available in most Muslim bookshops and on the Internet too! Arabic words are usually arranged under their three letter roots. Get used to looking up words often and compile your own personal vocabulary dictionary. Some good three-book sets you can start working through are the three Madinah university books or the Kitaab-ul Asaasi books.

Enrol into a summer course: There are a few around every summer and they are a great way to kick-start your learning. They can be quite intensive so remember to revise and keep up your study afterwards.

Study Arabic as part of your full-time degree: If you are going to study a degree, why not study a degree in Arabic or one with Arabic as part of it?

Study under an Arab friend or tutor: The importance of a good teacher cannot be stressed enough. Although there is a lot of self-study involved, a friend who knows Arabic or an Arab brother or sister who you could go to regularly for guidance would be very valuable. You could even start going through your Arabic books with them.

Organise a class locally: There must be like-minded Muslims in your area who would like to study Arabic too. Maybe you could get together and pay for a teacher to teach you Arabic together at the local Masjid or in one of your homes. Studying with friends is a good way to stay motivated.

Study abroad in an Arab country: there are various good courses running in countries such as Egypt which really speed up your learning and can provide you with a nice experience. People have found that a few months in an Arab country can be more beneficial than a year or more of studying at home. Make sure you keep up your studying when you get back though!

Expose yourself to as much Arabic as you can: You can listen to Arabic lecture tapes, visit Muslim countries, read some Arabic everyday, and maybe get an Arab newspaper when you become more proficient.

Speak Arabic whenever you can: One of the biggest obstacles to speaking Arabic is being shy about making mistakes in speech and so not speaking at all. You must overcome this shyness and use whatever you know whenever you can. This is how you will eventually improve insha Allah. Maybe you could meet some Arab brothers or sisters who only speak Arabic. This way you’ll be forced to speak what you know and they’ll be pleased that you’re making the effort.

Relate your knowledge back to the Qur’an and other worships: Don’t forget that your aim is to understand what you recite of the Qur’an especially in your salaah and other adhkaar. Try to recognise Arabic words as you come across them in the Qur’an and apply your knowledge in understanding the Qur’an. Ponder over and pay attention to the words in your salaah.

May Allah help us all to master the language of the Qur’an and to aid its spread throughout the Ummah.


Some useful websites for learning Arabic:


1.http://www.lqtoronto.com
2.http://abdurrahman.org


For more info mail me @ : victoryummer@gmail.com


Remember me in your Dua's-


-Ummer sheriff.R.C,
India.