Speech is the ability to communicate. We use language as a specific
means of this speech. Every language has its own vocabulary, sounds, symbols
and grammar. The ability to speak is enhanced by language of both the speaker
and listener. This requires that both share a language (be it reading, writing
or normal conversation) and that the correct elocution and pronunciation is
used. Grammar can sometimes be overlooked but incorrect words make
understanding almost impossible.
Muslims are required to have some appreciation of the Arabic
language since the two main sources of knowledge, i.e. Quran and hadith, were
transmitted in Arabic.
It is understandable that for non-Arabs there are many common
mistakes being made in pronunciation. In every day speech these may be
overlooked except, of course, if you are an Arab and cannot understand the word
that is being mispronounced. Then there are issues of tajweed. Tajweed, as it
relates to Quran is rather important in its recitation. Unfortunately, in trying to rectify our
pronunciation of everyday words and also names, these have now been
mispronounced by becoming extreme in the tajweed application.
The biggest mistakes,
relating to pronunciation, that are being made are fundamental to us as
Muslims.
The lesser mistakes are words like صف
sof - row/ line pronounced incorrectly
as "shaaf".
A similar one is مسافر - Musaafir (traveller)
pronounced incorrectly as "mushaafir".
Other words are;
بركه "barakah"
incorrected pronounced incorrectly as برقه "Baraqah.
and
مبارك "Mubarak"
incorrectly pronounced incorrectly
مبارق "Mubaraq"
Then just before we
get onto the main point of this note, the letter ض
"ḍād" has become such a tongue twister that some words have
ended up having another letter added, e.g
رمضان "Ramadan" has become incorrectly رملدان "Ramaldaan" (at
least in parts of Cape Town)
There are also many
names being mispronounced, but let's leave that for another post.
The main purposes of this post was to ensure we are aware of
certain mispronunciations and its impact on us and perhaps even our deen. At
the head of our confirmation, as Muslims, is that we declare the Shahadah (the
testimony). We say this in our prayers, during the call to prayers and many
other times. This needs to be said correctly because we stand to lose the
meaning of the shahadah. It cannot be enough that we say we are Muslim but,
after years of being Muslim and most actually being born Muslim, we cannot say
the shahadah correctly. Certainly, this is one aspect that we cannot neglect -
the actual words - pronounced correctly, and then knowing both the basic
translation and, further, a correct understanding of this testimony.
The first major
mispronunciation is related to our testimony of faith, our shahadah.
اشْهَدُ انْ
لّآ اِلهَ اِلَّا اللّهُ وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدً اعَبْدُه
وَرَسُولُه
Transliteration
Ašhadu an la ilaha illa-llah, wa ašhadu anna Muhammadun Aabduhu wa rasuluh.
Translation
I bear witness that there is no Allah but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is Allahs servant and His Messenger
People (Mu-athin مأّذّن ) giving the call
to prayer and many of us uttering the shahadah daily, in trying to apply
tajweed, become excessive and the following is being said:
اشْهَدُ الله
اِلهَ اِلَّا اللّهُ وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدً اعَبْدُه وَرَسُولُه
The "an-laa" انْ لّآ was replaced with "Allah" الله .This pronunciation has effectively replaced the words "that there is no" with the name of Allah and has rendered the sentence incorrect, thus making our shahadah incorrect.
There are mistakes being made in the call to prayer. There are also other mistakes being made in general recitation , athkaar, and general deeni-related vocabulary but we will leave that for another time. On a direct point of the "call to prayer, people who are qualified in pronunciation should be performing these duties.
Pronunciation must trump melody because the correct words are key to the correctness of the call to prayer. For non-Arabic speaking people, melody seems to be important and often people are complimented for the "beautiful way" they did the call to prayer. However, at times the melody is good but the call to prayer in itself was done an injustice.
We are non-Arabs and Arabic is not even a spoken language for the vast majority of us. The Quran is in Arabic, we say our Shahadah in Arabic, our Salah (prayer) is in Arabic and much more. The onus is therefore on us to learn to read Quran correctly, we need to learn the correct pronunciation of many of the words we use in our daily lives. Our gratitude to Allah Almighty for this religion, this deen of ours and for the Quran, is shown by at least reciting Quran correctly - the correct pronunciation of the letters.
And Allah knows best
We pray that Allah guides and protects us - We pray that Allah
grants us ease and increase us in our love for Him, His Prophet (Muhammad ﷺ), His deen and His Book (which is in Arabic).
