Arabic → English transcript

Doctor, you speak more than one language, perhaps this is...

Yes, indeed, and this is the other aspect I want to talk about.

Yes, I want to compare the experience of language and the experience

of other languages. Yes. First, I, I, Richard,

as a person,

I fully believe 00: 00: 23.000--> 00: 27,000 that the Arabic language

is better than any other language, 00: 00: 27.000--> 00: 31,000 and I do not accept

any debate on this matter. 00: 00: 31.000--> 00: 37,000( Applause) 00: 00:

37.000--> 00: 40,000 We are Muslims, 00: 00: 40.000--> 00: 44,000 Allah,

Glory be to Him, said in more than one noble verse: 00: 00: 44.000--> 00:

48,000" an Arabic Quran."

00: 00: 48.000--> 00: 53,000 Therefore, the connection

close, strong, and fundamental 00: 00: 53.000--> 00:

57,000 between the Quran as a message from the Lord of the Worlds 00:

00: 57.000--> 01: 00,000 and the language.

01: 00,000--> 01: 05,000 Then, over the years,

and I have thought about this a lot, 01: 05,000--> 01:

10,000 and I heard Many people say 01: 10,000--> 01: 14,000 that English

is clearer than Arabic, 01: 14,000--> 01: 19,000 And unfortunately,

some Arab professors, 01:

19,000--> 01: 23,000 say that the Arabic language is unable 01: 23,000--> 01: 27,000

to express my thoughts. 01: 27,000--> 01: 31,000 That's what I was told.

I said," What thoughts do you have?" 01: 31,000--> 01: 35,000 I mean, this language

is sufficient for 01:

35,000--> 01: 39,000 my Lord and yours, the Lord of the Worlds, 01: 39,000--> 01:

44,000 to express

His eternal message 01: 44,000--> 01: 48,000 for every time and place,

but it is not enough for you?

01: 48,000--> 01: 52,000 The problem is with you, not the language.

01: 52,000--> 01: 56,000 If... if Allah, Glory be to Him, 01:

56,000 --> 02:

00,000 with His eternal and everlasting knowledge 02: 00,000--> 02:

03,000 knows everything, that was 02: 03,000--> 02:

06,000 and everything that will be,

02: 06,000--> 02: 10,000 is He It is impossible that He 02: 10,000--> 02:

14,000 revealed His book to a man from London 02: 14,000--> 02: 17,000 named William

in English? 02: 17,000--> 02: 22,000 Because this didn't...

That didn't happen, 02: 22,000--> 02: 26,000 meaning that God

decreed that this Arabic language 02: 26,000--> 02:

30,000 is more capable of expression, 02:

30,000--> 02: 34,000 more capable of

delivering the message 02: 34,000--> 02: 39,000 which He, Glory be to Him,

wanted to deliver to people.

02: 39,000--> 02: 43,000 Therefore we say...

we do not say we translated the Quran, 02: 43,000--> 02:

47,000 we translate the meanings of the Quran. 02: 47,000--> 02: 53,000 The Quran,

and if you want the Arabic language, of course, 02: 53,000-->

02: 59,000 it reaches deep into your heart, 02: 59,000--> 03:

03,000 and you are convinced of what is in it, 03: 03,000--> 03:

07,000 you feel the beauty of this language, 03: 07,000--> 03:

11,000 maybe if you are not specialized in the language, you cannot explain, 03:

11,000--> 03: 15,000

But you feel that. 03: 15,000--> 03: 20,000 So... There is no...

03: 20,000--> 03: 24,000 there is no hope, I mean, I don't even like to 03:

24,000--> 03: 28,000 hear anyone say,' By God, it...

doesn't mean that, it's not necessary,

03: 28,000--> 03: 33,000 God indeed revealed the Quran in Arabic,

but it doesn't mean that Arabic is better than others.'

03: 33,000--> 03: 37,000 I don't accept this. 03: 37,000--> 03:

42,000 But Doctor,

Is the religious aspect linked to the revelation of the Quran in Arabic,

or to a rhetorical capability in the language? 03: 42,000--> 03: 49,000 No,

it is linked.' An Arabic Quran,' not a Quran translated into English.

03: 49,000--> 03: 55,000 No,' an Arabic Quran' for now,

until there comes someone who knows English. 03: 55,000--> 04: 00,000 No, forever,

until God inherits the heavens and the earth. 04: 00,000--> 04:

05,000 And this is the sufficient and satisfying proof for me,

04: 05,000--> 04: 09,000 I am speaking for myself, about 04: 09,000--> 04: 14,000

The power and greatness of this language. 04: 14,000--> 04:

19,000 And these are aspects that I am still 04:

19,000--> 04: 24,000 discovering them Even now, after more than 50 years 04:

24,000--> 04: 29,000 with this language. 04: 29,000--> 04: 31,000 For example, 04:

31,000--> 04: 36,000 when

did I reach the stage where I believe I am capable 04: 36,000--> 04: 40,000

of speaking as I want, writing as I want, reading as I want?

04: 40,000--> 04: 43,000 I haven't reached it yet, 04: 43,000--> 04:

48,000 because the Arabic language is an ocean, 04: 48,000--> 04:

51,000 of treasures, 04: 51,000--> 04: 55,000 and depth

that I haven't found in any other language. The French 04:

55,000--> 04: 59,000 boast about their French language,

saying there is nothing like it, 04: 59,000--> 05: 05,000 I say that

is because you are ignorant of Arabic. 05: 05,000--> 05: 10,000 And this aspect is

related 05: 10,000--> 05: 15,000

intimately to the structure of the Arabic language, 05: 15,000--> 05:

18,000 the roots, 05: 18,000 --> 05: 24,000 How we search for a word,

and this is also something I wanted...

I wanted to talk about this aspect in the beginning, 05: 24,000--> 05:

29,000 But time is short and there is so much to say. 05: 29,000--> 05:

33,000 If we think about it, 05: 33,000--> 05:

38,000 I remember the first texts they brought

to us as students in America, 05: 38,000--> 05: 43,000 they were all vocalized:"

The man is tall," and we were happy with the diacritics. 05: 43,000--> 05:

48,000 The day they removed the diacritics, I said," No, no one can read this,

I challenge you." 05: 48,000--> 05: 55,000 But we do read it. 05: 55,000--> 06:

00,000 I remember asking a professor,"

The word' kitab'( book), why can't it be 06: 00,000--> 06: 04,000' kutab'?"

I don't know how to explain it to you," kuttab," but" kutab" 06: 04,000 --> 06:

08,000 doesn't work, and" katab" doesn't work. 06: 08,000--> 06:

13,000 After 50 years, but at that time

06: 13,000--> 06: 17,000 it was hard, because there are rules. 06: 17,000--> 06:

21,000 Even in Arabic Sometimes, a person comes up with a word 06:

21,000--> 06: 25,000 new,

that they have never read before, 06: 25,000--> 06: 30,000 especially

on the pattern of" yastaf'il, istif'al", 06: 30,000--> 06:

35,000 coming up with a new word, one says: " Honestly,

I have never heard this word, but 06: 35,000--> 06:

40,000 it is understandable and good." Okay, 06: 40,000--> 06: 43,000 so language

is renewed, but here is another problem. 06: 43,000--> 06: 49,000 There are some

people who say 06: 49,000--> 06: 55,000 the Arabic language

is living in a time of difficulties and crises, 06: 55,000--> 07: 02,000 which

is somewhat true, but

if we believe that this language 07: 02,000--> 07: 07,000 is a tool 07:

07,000--> 07: 12,000 for the message

that God wanted

to convey to people, 07:

12,000--> 07: 17,000 we would have cared for this language. So I, 07: 17,000--> 07:

21,000 also say, I, Richard, 07: 21,000--> 07:

24,000 when I walk and see signs 07:

24,000--> 07: 29,000 with writing on them Colloquial words, or words 07:

29,000--> 07: 34,000 that are not Arabic

In Arabic letters, 07: 34,000--> 07: 39,000 I say:" Alas for the servants!"

07: 39,000--> 07: 45,000 Why? We have a treasure, but we couldn't see it.