What is the ruling on supplication and reciting the Qur'an in a language other than Arabic?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question : What is the ruling on supplicating in a language other than Arabic during prayer, especially if it is a man who does not know Arabic well?
Answer : Supplicating in a language other than Arabic by a person who does not know Arabic is permissible, whether in prayer or outside of prayer, because if this man who does not know Arabic were required to supplicate in Arabic, it would be requiring what is beyond his capacity. And Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:286] So if someone says, "We will teach him," we say, and if you teach him the words and he does not know the meanings, what is the benefit? In any case, it is permissible for a person to supplicate to Allah the Exalted in his own language, meaning the language of the supplicant, whether Arabic or other than Arabic. As for the Qur'an, it is not permissible for anyone to recite it in any language other than Arabic under any circumstances.
As for the transmitted remembrances, if it is difficult to learn them in Arabic, there is no harm in remembering Allah in one's own language. But as you know, the Name of Allah, for example, cannot be translated into a language other than Arabic. And if it is not possible, he may supplicate in other than Arabic. So how many categories are there? Three. The first is what is not permissible except in Arabic, which is the Qur'an. The second is what is permissible in Arabic and other languages for one who does not know Arabic, which is supplicating to Allah with what is not transmitted. The third is supplicating with what is transmitted, such as the remembrances and the like. We say: if he is capable of Arabic, let it be in Arabic; and if he is unable, let it be in his language. May Allah reward you.
Answer : Supplicating in a language other than Arabic by a person who does not know Arabic is permissible, whether in prayer or outside of prayer, because if this man who does not know Arabic were required to supplicate in Arabic, it would be requiring what is beyond his capacity. And Allah the Exalted said:
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَاAs for the transmitted remembrances, if it is difficult to learn them in Arabic, there is no harm in remembering Allah in one's own language. But as you know, the Name of Allah, for example, cannot be translated into a language other than Arabic. And if it is not possible, he may supplicate in other than Arabic. So how many categories are there? Three. The first is what is not permissible except in Arabic, which is the Qur'an. The second is what is permissible in Arabic and other languages for one who does not know Arabic, which is supplicating to Allah with what is not transmitted. The third is supplicating with what is transmitted, such as the remembrances and the like. We say: if he is capable of Arabic, let it be in Arabic; and if he is unable, let it be in his language. May Allah reward you.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، لقاء[16 من 50] ما حكم الدعاء وقراءة القرآن بغير اللغة العربية؟!! الشيخ ابن عثيمين -مشروع كبارالعلماء — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.
