How can the Qur’an be Arabic when it contains Persian terms?

How can the Qur’an be Arabic when it contains Persian terms?

How can the Qur’an be Arabic when it contains Persian terms? 550 365 The Office Of His Eminence Sheikh al-Habib

QUESTION:

Are all names mentioned in the Qur’an Arabic names, such as the names Zakariya, Talout and Jalout? And if these names aren’t Arabic, doesn’t this contradict the saying of Allah who said that the Qur’an is Arabic?:


ANSWER:

In the Name of Allah, the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful.
May Allah bless Muhammad and his Family and damn their enemies.

Yes, there are very few Persian phrases in the Qur’an. However, this does not contradict the fact that the Qur’an is Arabic. The fact that the Qur’an is Arabic means that it is harmonious to the terms and phrases used by Arabs in general, even though some of these words are of non-Arab origin. If people use certain words regularly, and these words circulate within their use of language on an every-day-basis, they become a part of their culture.

You will find words in all languages whose roots derive from other languages. Still, none says that these words are not a part of the given language. Moreover, when Arabs include a particular term or phrase and apply the standards and principles of their language to said term, they regard this word as an Arabic word. Sibawayh said:

Everything they wished to ‘Arabize’ (foreign terms that brought into the language), they made it in accordance to the structure of their speech similar to how they put letters along with Arabic letters

 Also, several ‘Arabized’ words have been used in Jahiliyah (pre-Islamic) times, and still, none criticised the eloquence of Arab poets due to their use of words such as “Sajanjal” or “Juman” or others. 

Regarding names, there is no disagreement on the fact that names are used interchangeably between languages without being changed. 

What is even more important is to keep in mind that words with Persian origins mentioned in the Qur’an do not amount to much when compared to the rest of the Arabic terms used in the Noble Qur’an. Therefore it is natural that this Qur’an is just how Allah described it; an Arabic Qur’an that explains things in the Arabic language.

The Office of Sheikh al-Habib

The Office Of His Eminence Sheikh al-Habib