Things worth noting before starting to learn Arabic
Assalam alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
All praise be to Allah!
It is no wonder that Arabic, the language of the Holy Qur'an, the source language of Islamic jurisprudence and religious literature, and one of the 5 most widely spoken languages in the world, with approximately 290 million native speakers would have captured the attention of many Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
Arabic(or al 'arabiyyah in Arabic) is the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century and its modern descendants. The language is spoken in a wide arc stretching across the Middle East, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa.
The literary language, called Modern Standard Arabic or Literary Arabic, is the only official form of Arabic. It is used in most written documents as well as in formal spoken occasions, such as lectures and news broadcasts. Apart from the Modern Standard Arabic, which is based on the Classical Arabic (اللغة العربية التراثية al-lughah al-ʻArabīyah al-turāthīyah) of the Holy Quran and early Islamic (7th to 9th centuries) literature, several other dialects of the Arabic language do exist.
The existence of Modern Standard Arabic and different regional dialects/ varieties has served in part to put most people who are aspiring to learn, and someday, In Sha Allah, attain proficiency in the Arabic language in a dilemma as to which they should learn.
But which one of the two should you really go for?
If one is to ask an American as to what Spanish dialect s/he would like to learn, then the answer will most definitely be Latin American Spanish. Pose the very same question to a European polyglot and you won't be surprised to find out that s/he would go for Castilian Spanish....it always goes back to what one's objectives are.
Let's first take a look at the prime 'differences' between Modern Standard Arabic and the dialects.
MSA’s use is for reading, for understanding RELIGIOUS matters, and for following very formal procedures or watching the news(although some radio news are broadcasted in dialects). It is the language you'll find being used during Arab league summits, in broadcasts all over the Arab world and in publications(both religious and non religious). It is also the lingua franca of the Arabs(literate Arabs, so they say), which is to say, if a Tunisian statesman is to meet his Libyan counterpart, then they will definitely use MSA just like how you would expect a Chinese and an Indian businessman to use English when they meet.
The dialects, on the other hand refer to the many regional varieties derived from Arabic spoken daily across the region and learned as a first language. They are not typically written, although a certain amount of literature (particularly plays and poetry) exists in many of them. There are many varieties of the Arabic language in existence within the five regional forms(i.e Maghrebi, Egyptian, Sudanese, Arabian peninsula and Levantine Arabic). Some of the spoken varieties are mutually unintelligible, both written and orally. Of these dialects, the Egyptian dialect is the most famous of all as a reason of the influence of Egyptian plays.
Now, lets get back to the question of which one of the two you should go for, shall we?
The choice of which one of the two one should go for will rely entirely on one's objectives. If you want to learn Arabic for religious reasons(as in maybe getting a better understanding the Holy Qur'an and/or traditions of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w)), then Modern Standard Arabic will definitely suit you. On the other hand, if you are interested in learning Arabic because you plan on visiting a certain Arab state and want to make your visit/stay there easy and enhance your interaction with the locals, then learning the local dialect used there is probably the best idea.
It is also worth noting that it's been shown that learning MSA before a dialect has always made learning that dialect swift.
Wabillahi Tawfiq!
All praise be to Allah!
It is no wonder that Arabic, the language of the Holy Qur'an, the source language of Islamic jurisprudence and religious literature, and one of the 5 most widely spoken languages in the world, with approximately 290 million native speakers would have captured the attention of many Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
Arabic(or al 'arabiyyah in Arabic) is the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century and its modern descendants. The language is spoken in a wide arc stretching across the Middle East, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa.
The literary language, called Modern Standard Arabic or Literary Arabic, is the only official form of Arabic. It is used in most written documents as well as in formal spoken occasions, such as lectures and news broadcasts. Apart from the Modern Standard Arabic, which is based on the Classical Arabic (اللغة العربية التراثية al-lughah al-ʻArabīyah al-turāthīyah) of the Holy Quran and early Islamic (7th to 9th centuries) literature, several other dialects of the Arabic language do exist.
The existence of Modern Standard Arabic and different regional dialects/ varieties has served in part to put most people who are aspiring to learn, and someday, In Sha Allah, attain proficiency in the Arabic language in a dilemma as to which they should learn.
But which one of the two should you really go for?
If one is to ask an American as to what Spanish dialect s/he would like to learn, then the answer will most definitely be Latin American Spanish. Pose the very same question to a European polyglot and you won't be surprised to find out that s/he would go for Castilian Spanish....it always goes back to what one's objectives are.
Let's first take a look at the prime 'differences' between Modern Standard Arabic and the dialects.
MSA’s use is for reading, for understanding RELIGIOUS matters, and for following very formal procedures or watching the news(although some radio news are broadcasted in dialects). It is the language you'll find being used during Arab league summits, in broadcasts all over the Arab world and in publications(both religious and non religious). It is also the lingua franca of the Arabs(literate Arabs, so they say), which is to say, if a Tunisian statesman is to meet his Libyan counterpart, then they will definitely use MSA just like how you would expect a Chinese and an Indian businessman to use English when they meet.
The dialects, on the other hand refer to the many regional varieties derived from Arabic spoken daily across the region and learned as a first language. They are not typically written, although a certain amount of literature (particularly plays and poetry) exists in many of them. There are many varieties of the Arabic language in existence within the five regional forms(i.e Maghrebi, Egyptian, Sudanese, Arabian peninsula and Levantine Arabic). Some of the spoken varieties are mutually unintelligible, both written and orally. Of these dialects, the Egyptian dialect is the most famous of all as a reason of the influence of Egyptian plays.
Now, lets get back to the question of which one of the two you should go for, shall we?
The choice of which one of the two one should go for will rely entirely on one's objectives. If you want to learn Arabic for religious reasons(as in maybe getting a better understanding the Holy Qur'an and/or traditions of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w)), then Modern Standard Arabic will definitely suit you. On the other hand, if you are interested in learning Arabic because you plan on visiting a certain Arab state and want to make your visit/stay there easy and enhance your interaction with the locals, then learning the local dialect used there is probably the best idea.
It is also worth noting that it's been shown that learning MSA before a dialect has always made learning that dialect swift.
Wabillahi Tawfiq!
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