Conference: The Arabic Language – the Honorable Language of the Quran

Organized by the Shoura – the Assembly of the Muslim Community of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg – at the Islamic Center Le Juste milieu (LJM) in Luxembourg City, a round table discussion titled “The Arabic Language – the Language of the Quran” took place between the Maghreb and Isha prayers. The speakers included the religious leader of the Muslims, hfz. Hilmija Redžić, the Arabic Language Professor at Sorbonne University, Dr. Ramzi Romdhani, the imam of the Islamic Center Afnane, hfz. Anass Doukkali, the imam of the Islamic Center Gazi Isa-beg, hfz. Zikret Mustafić, the imam of the Islamic Center CCIL, hfz. Sead Subašić, the imam of the Islamic Center AIL, hfz. Edis Gorčević, and the imam of the Islamic Center LJM, hfz. Abdul Hakeem al-Bedaoui.

The session began with the recitation of the Quran by qari Youssouf al-Migbari. Then, the vice president of the Shoura, Muhammed Ćeman, greeted the audience, emphasizing his love for the Arabic language as the language of the Quran and his motivation to learn Arabic through online courses and in the mosques of Luxembourg.
The religious leader emphasized that the Arabic language is the language of knowledge and wisdom, its value being directly linked to the Quran, which leaves a profound impact on those who read and listen to it. He reminded that the Quran encompasses the knowledge of the first and last, and anyone who wants to dedicate themselves to knowledge must start with the Quran.
Professor Romdhani highlighted that, in terms of usage, Arabic ranks between the third and fourth positions in the world. In addition to dominating with its precision and grammar, it also dominates in the number of words compared to other languages. He shared his experience after visiting seventy countries, emphasizing the predominance of the Arabic language in the world.
Imam Doukkali emphasized the importance of experts in all sciences and highlighted the obligation to teach the Arabic language based on the indirect directives of the Quran and the hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. He insisted on the need to learn the Arabic language to understand the Quran.
Imam Mustafić seized the opportunity to open a scientific debate on the theses advanced by Professor Romdhani, questioning the generally accepted idea that the letter “Dad” would be the distinctive feature of the Arabic language. The professor quoted verses from the poet Al-Mutanabbi but then explained that, regarding the science of recitation (Tajweed), everything the imams and great scholars transmitted is included in the letter “Dad.”
Imam Subašić emphasized that what elevates the reputation of the Arabic language the most is the Quran, and the Quranic context indicates that it will be the language of the inhabitants of Paradise, making the Arabic language the language of eternity.
Imam Gorčević highlighted that teaching the Arabic language was an imperative for the first generations, and they were very strict in their teaching, showing little tolerance for errors made by their children in terms of the Arabic language. He concluded by emphasizing that this language is an integral part of our faith.
Imam al-Bedaoui emphasized that we all need to draw attention to the negative phenomenon of printing the Quranic text in Latin transcription. None of the first generations implemented this idea, despite the necessity, due to the unanimous consensus of the scholars of the first generations that the Quran is only what Allah revealed in clear Arabic, and any other writing outside of that verified by Caliph Osman is a dangerous practice that tarnishes the perfection of the Quran.
After the Isha prayer, a dinner was organized for all participants and the audience.