Dr. Pasha's Arabic Language and Cultural Immersion Sessions -- Lesson 40
Some More Assignments -- So Called
And This Time a Hadith Sharif!
Or Two!
- Let us revisit some of the basic ideas: Arabic is Allah's Language.
- You get Allah's Language when Allah chooses to grant it to you.
- This gift of Arabic Language from Allah may correlate with the State your Ruh -- "Soul"-- is in.
- Arabic Language, therefore, is not "learned," it is given -- from above.
- One strong indicator for the State of your Ruh -- Soul -- is your Niyyat: your Motivations and Intentions.
- At a broader level, you can perhaps also include in the list of indicators to gauge and measure your Niyyat -- Niyyah -- could be your Proclivities, Propensities, Inclinations, Likes, Dislikes, Leanings, Priorities.
- Niyyat in Urdu and Farsi. Also, in Turkish I guess. And Niyyah is Arabic.
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Here is the first Hadith Sharif, and it is on the subject of Human Intentions and Motivations that tend to power, propel, guide, direct and structure Human Actions.
Innamal A'maalu Binniyyaat.
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One Paraphrase for this Hadith Sharif could be -- for, according to Pasha's General Theory of Languages and Translations, all Translations from one language to another are nothing but Paraphrases:
"Actions depend on Intentions and Motivations."
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And this is but one way to paraphrase that Hadith Sharif.
And, perhaps, there is no limit to the kind of Paraphrases you can do for it.
- Paraphrases are basically Interpretations of a certain Text in a certain Language by those doing the Paraphrase.
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Some other suggested Paraphrases of this Hadith Sharif could include the following:
a) Intentions determine the real worth and value of Actions.
b) Intentions precede and drive Human Actions.
c) It is not just what people do, but also, and perhaps more so, why people do what they do.
d) Actions without Right Intentions are worthless.
- It may be useful for some people to look up Abraham Maslow, and others, on the Hierarchy of Human Needs and Motivations. It may give them some tools with which to better understand the complex world of Human Motivations -- and Actions.
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Another Hadith Sharif I am suggesting we study carefully is the one in which the following phrases occur:
Laa Aqoolu Alif Laam Meem Harfun,
Wa Laakin Alifun Harfun,
Wa Laamun Harfun,
Wa Meemun Harfun.I believe this is what I am able to recall with any measure of confidence at this time. Some other phrases that I believe are part of the same Hadith are:
Fa-Lafhu Bikulli Harfi Hasanatun.
Wal Hasanatu Bi-Ashri Amthalliha.
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A General Paraphrase of the Hadith, as I am able to recall it at the moment, will be something like this:
"Whoever reads the Qur'an, or whoever learns and teaches the Qur'an,
that person shall receive a reward (Hasanah) for every "Letter" he reads.And each Reward or Hasanah could be multiplied tenfold.
I am not saying Alif-Laam-Meem together make up a single 'Letter.'
On the contrary, Alif is one 'Letter,' 'Laam' is another Letter
and Meem is yet another 'Letter.'"
- Expression Harf in Arabic could mean a single letter or a phrase.
- Kindly get hold of that entire Hadith -- in some versions it is a fairly long one -- and study it as carefully and diligently as you can.
- That Hadith Sharif contains a detailed Description and Characterization of the Qur'an -- what the Qur'an really is -- by Sayyidina Muhammad, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, himself.
- And who else is more qualified to tell us what the Qur'an is all about? And where else can you find a better description of what the Qur'an really is?
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