Arabic

Audio transcript:

>>STEVE ST. GEORGE: Hello. I'm Steve St. George. And this is your crash course in Islam. Today we examine the importance of the Arabic language in Islam. Muslims believe Arabic words have holy power and a special relationship with Allah. Because of this Muslims pray and read the Quran in Arabic no matter what their native language. Of course not all Muslims become fluent in Arabic. Many only know enough to understand the Quran and prayers to members of other faiths, this may seem odd. Christians have translated the Bible into hundreds of languages. Very few Christians feel the need to read it in its original languages. And although many Jews learn the Torah in Hebrew the language is not essential to Judaism. But in Islam, Arabic is considered a sacred language because Allah recited the Quran to Mohammed in Arabic. Arabic is the language of God. And it's untranslatable. Just speaking the words is a religious act. In some cultures even Arabic newspapers or fiction novels are considered sacred. For Crash Course in Islam, I'm Steve St. George.

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