بســـم اللــه الرحــمــن الـرحـــيــم
354◾️Supplication in a language other than Arabic◾️
Answered by Fadeelatushaykh Abu Hatim Yusuf Al-'Inaabi Al-Jazaa'iree - may Allah preserve him -
📥Question:
"Is it permissible that a person reads Supplication in his Sujūd in a langauge other than Arabic, even if he knows Arabic?".
📤Answer:
"Supplication; if it is in a non-Arabic language, for the one who isn't proficient in Arabic, then it is permissible, due to the statement of Allāh -عز وجل-:
{فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللهَ مَا ٱسْتَطَعْتُمْ}
{So keep your duty to Allāh and fear Him as much as you can;}
[Al-Taghābun: 16]
And due to His -سبحانه- statement:
{لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ}
{Allāh burdens not a person beyond his scope.}
[Al-Baqarah: 286]
Therefore, the ultimate aim is to turn towards Allāh -عز وجل- by supplicating to him, supplicating to him humbly, and that this non-Arabic speech encompasses a correct connotation, and that its meaning is known. With this, the People of knowledge, put a condition on the masʾalah; that this non-Arabic speech's meaning is known, and it doesn't comprise of a legislative prohibition.
So if he supplicates in his prostration, or in other than the Ṣalāh, with him not being able to supplicate using the supplications that are narrated in Arabic, then it is permissible for him. As for there being ability to speak Arabic and supplicate in Arabic, then there is no differing that this is better, and this is what's needed, because the Arabic langauge, as Allāh -تعالى- said:
{بِلِسَانٍ عَرَبِىٍّۢ مُّبِينٍۢ}
{In the plain Arabic language.}
[Al-Shuʿarāʾ:195]
The Arabic language is the only language in which a person can express the meanings they want to convey in a way that matches what is in their heart. 100%, as it's said. And there's no language except the Arabic Langauge, which has in it the complete clarification. For this reason, Allāh completed His Books, and the Message of His Messengers, with this Book, the Qurʾān, through which Allāh established the Evidence upon all of creation.
{وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ إِلَّا كَآفَّةًۭ لِّلنَّاسِ بَشِيرًۭا وَنَذِيرًۭا}
{And We have not sent you (O Muḥammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind,) except comprehensively}
[Sabaʾ: 28]
Therefore, the main point from this is that with him not having the ability (to supplicate in Arabic) then it's permissible, and with ability, then that which is needed is making effort in supplicating in the Arabic language, due to it indicating towards the intended which was intended by the supplicator from these supplications.
However, if he memorised from the Arabic Supplications, whatever he memorised, and then he wants to increase, then al-Nabī ﷺ said, as in the Ḥadīth:
"ثم فليتخير من الدعاء ما شاء"
"Then, let him select from the supplications, whatsoever he wills."
From the people of knowledge are those who said "Then, let him select from the supplications, whatsoever he wills," meaning, the "ا" and "ل" here is for the maʿhūd supplication, meaning, the Prophetic Supplications.
And from the people of knowledge- like in this scenario, what the question is about- (are those) who took the generic wording, saying, then, let him select from the supplications, whatsoever he wills, regardless of in Arabic or other than Arabic. And this is what's correct, eventhough the first meaning is correct (as well), for the one who is able to (supplicate in) Arabic, that he selects from the narrated Supplications, whatsoever he wills.
However, for the one who doesn't speak the Arabic langauge, then,
{لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ}
{Allāh burdens not a person beyond his scope.}
He supplicates from the narrated supplications what he is able to. When we say "Maʾthūrah" (narrated), it means: with the Prophetic wording.
As for after that, then it is permissible for him to supplicate with whatsoever he wills, from his langauge.
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