Supplications In Prayer In Non-Arabic
I am working on a book for new Muslims that covers theology, worship, and the healthy growth of the heart. The book follows a chronological structure, addressing issues that arise before embracing Islam, at the moment of shahada, learning the fundamentals, navigating different groups, marriage, relationships with parents and children, extended family dynamics, and topics like divorce, inheritance, and death. Essentially, it is a narrative of questions that follows the life journey of a new Muslim.
For example:
Question: Can I make dua (supplication) in my own language during prayer?
Answer: As Islam spread across diverse cultures and languages, the majority of Muslims quickly became non-Arabs. Thus, this question is far from new. Consider the Berbers—may Allah raise and bless them—who, despite being surrounded by Arabs, retained their own language and struggled to use Arabic, even in worship. In his book Jawab al-Mutaqaddimin (Answers by the Earliest Scholars), the famous Imam Ibn Abi Zayd recounts a report by Al-Zayyani regarding the longstanding unfamiliarity of the Berbers with Arabic. Despite having numerous mosques in their cities, Arabic was rare among them. Al-Zayyani, discussing Asfi, wrote: “It has twenty-five mosques and twenty-five schools, populated by Berber students from the Sanhaja tribe, among whom you would rarely find someone who speaks Arabic.”
When asked if a Berber man who does not know Arabic is allowed to supplicate in his prayer using his own language, Ibn Abi Zayd responded: “Yes, there is no harm in that, for Allah knows every language.” —Al-Fusul Ajwiba Fuqaha al-Qarawiyyin, p. 233.
So, don’t feel discouraged—there is ease and flexibility in this matter. A highly respected jurist, Imam al-Lakhami, emphasized that a non-Arabic speaker who supplicates in prayer using the equivalent of Allah’s names in his language may do so. He reasoned that Allah taught Adam all names and has named Himself in every language. Furthermore, Allah sent prophets to various communities, each speaking their own language. As the Quran states: “And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people.” [Ibrahim: 4] —Tabsira, Vol. 1, p. 255.