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PRAYING IN THE VERNACULAR AND THE LAST WORDS We have tried to point out that in order to know what religion is, one has to revert to the essential source of it, viz. the Quran. It has been our objective to stress the fact that our attempt is not to reform in religion, but rather to sort out the additions made to it in the course of centuries and go back to the real source of Islam. We have established that many of the said additions were the consequence of hadiths taken literally, alleged sayings or acts contributed falsely to Muhammad. These hadiths, whose authenticity was doubtful, had been, in the hands of sectarian imams, instruments that served to alter even the prescriptions of the Quran disregarding their method of collection. We have proved that the so-called hadiths presented contradictions not only with the Quran Itself but also among themselves, and with reason reaching the conclusion that the only source of Islam was the Quran and could not be anything else. To consolidate our argument we have had recourse to evidence that demonstrated the way the hadiths had been concocted and fabricated. We have substantiated our thesis with certain facts, among others the fact that none of the Caliphs had decreed the copying of hadiths, pointing to the most renowned transmitters of hadiths. We have tried to clarify the background and the authors of the later speculations whose responsibility had been the Omayyads and the Abbasids in whose hands religion had undergone transformation, and show with profuse examples all the foreign elements interpolated into Islam. Last but least an important point of which we mentioned shortly before is now waiting to be settled before we end our discourse. Prayer in the vernacular will be our next and last contention. PRAYER IN THE VERNACULAR THE CREATOR OF ALL THE LANGUAGES OF ALL TRIBES CONCLUSION PRAYER IN THE VERNACULAR The Quran was revealed in the Arabic language. Yet, Arabic never had the privilege of being a holy language as such. The Quran explicitly states that throughout the ages prophets had been sent to enlighten mankind in their respective languages. The Torah was revealed in the language spoken by the tribe of Moses, and Jesus addressed his people in his own tongue. Lot’s exhortations and Noah’s sermons were delivered in their respective tongues. What is holy about them is the fact that all had their origin in God. The Arabic language can be used to convey any message, both pagan and religious. Arabic is not the special language of God, nor is it the language spoken in paradise; the Arabic characters are not special to God and are not the characters employed in paradise, yet Arabic racism and nationalism have tried to represent them so. The reason why the Quran is in Arabic is the fact that it was first addressed to the Arab people. The conveyance of the message to the Americans or Englishmen can be only in the English language. Therefore, it has to be translated. On the other hand, words and concepts mentioned in the Quran existed long before the revelation of the Quran. What was holy was not the words or the concepts the Quran contained but what God had made of them. A curious instance of the misunderstanding due to ignorance of a language is the following: “The Bedouin women with tambourine and cymbals in their hands kept chanting. The theme was the delicious taste of the camel meat and the various methods of cooking it. Eþref Sencer Kuþçubaþý, head of the Ottoman Military Organization who had organized the ceremony, noticed tears in the eyes of some of the soldiers. Eþref Bey, who had perfect knowledge of the Arabic language,e asked them the reason of their affliction: “My boy! What can be the reason of your sorrow?” The soldier replied: “The beautiful melody and intonation of the Quran that is being recited.” Eþref Bey touched by the candidness of the man told him: “My boy, what you are listening to is not the Quran but the qasida about the delicious taste of the camel flesh to be presently served to them. So, wipe off your tear.” (Cemal Kutay, Türkçe Ýbadet, p. 61). THE CREATOR OF ALL THE LANGUAGES OF ALL TRIBES 22 - And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colors. Verily in that are signs for those who know. 30 The Romans, 22 48 – Had God willed, He would have made you one congregation. But He wished to test you by that which He gave you. So try to excel in good deeds. To God you will all return, so He will inform you of that wherein you differed. 5 The Feast, 48 13 - O people! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may recognize one another. The best among you in the sight of God is the most righteous. 49 The Rooms, 13 All languages are God’s creation. Men are not supposed to wipe out this fact. Every language has its beauty. No language has the privilege of being holy. When God addressed the angels and spoke about the superiority of Adam over them, He taught him the names of things. Describing things by reference to words and using words in thinking is what makes a man superior to other living beings. However, the essential thing in making use of words is man’s awareness of his speech, which, in turn, depends on rational thinking. God desires that man use his intelligence in religious issues, that he thinks carefully and inquires into the mystery of things and that His book be man’s guide. How can a man think about God’s statements unless he knows what it is all about? How can he ever put into practice His prescriptions unless he knows them? It is only too reasonable for a man to experience religion for what it is. The sectarian Islamists have seen no inconvenience in rendering in tongues other than Arabic what they gleaned from the religion and the books of Islamic catechism. Even they did not contend that learning the Arabic language was a binding duty. Those who judged that there was no inconvenience in writing and preaching in one’s own tongue were against the translation of the Quran in other tongues. The objective was the intercession of a class of religious people who had been brought up and trained according sectarian views. Had the Quran been translated into one’s own vernacular, the individual could be in a position to come in direct contact with God, and to reject sectarian mediators. The translations of the Quran began to appear after a millennium despite the opposition of the traditionalists who could not accept the fact that the Quran was not their exclusivity. The reason why the Islam as given in the Quran did not come to the fore under the Ottomans was not only the despotic regime but also the prohibition of the Quran’s translation. The printing of it was also banned since it was considered to be a sin. The calligraphers had assumed this task and only a limited number of houses that could afford to buy it acquired it, only to wrap it in special cases and place it in a lofty place or hang it on the wall. When they took it down to read it, the meaning was not sought; only the incantation of it pleased the reader and the listeners with tears in their eyes. The people were instructed by the sheikhulislam, sheikhs and imams. The instructors were Sunni subjects of the sultan, the caliph of Islam. In this way the Sunni view of life dominated. To announce that the Quran is untranslatable is utterly wrong. Newspapers, proponents of traditionalist Islam, strongly argue against the translation of the Quran and claim that one need not understand what the Quran says. In a newspaper there was the following recommendation: “We do not advise our public to read the translation of the Quran. Reading the translation of the Quran is detrimental to the individual, far from being beneficial to him. It is a perversity to advice people to understand the Quran. It is incumbent upon us to keep the Quran at home as an amulet to bring one’s household good luck. Those who claim that the Quran must be understood are but perverts.” This is the mentality that rules over the conviction according to which the Quran had to be translated and understood. To understand the Quran is God’s commandment. To compel people, whose vernacular is not Arabic, to pray in the Arabic language, to claim that God would like us to recite things whose meanings we have no inkling of is a consequence of the sanctification of the Arabic language and makes the religion a series of incongruous and absurd rationalities. There is no doubt that we can turn toward God, pronouncing words whose meaning we know. CONCLUSION We have tried to demonstrate so far the reasons why extra Quranic sources cannot be taken seriously. The method is obvious. The thing to do is to leave aside everything except the Quran. Religion is the Quran. Regardless of the authority of the person, no one is allowed to make any additions to it, nor can omit anything from it. Our objective is to convince people that the Quran’s authority must be restored once again to its original position. Daring to share God’s authority and exclusivity is unacceptable. God has no partner in the establishment of religion. Our main objective is to enable men to return to the religion they had forsaken for lack of understanding it and for having been mystified by the teachings of the traditional Islamists. To achieve this will also thwart the actions of bigots and the attempts of those who try to impose their own views as if they were the Lawgiver. One must beware of those who speak in the name of religion and try to check their words by reverting to the Quran. We can plainly see that we must beware of being deceived and whenever we suspect the truth of things we must consult the Quran. Given the fact that the Quran is a consistent Book that explains everything to the minutest detail; it is a mercy, good news, a light and a guide for mankind. And we will be questioned according to the Quran. 43 – So hold fast to that which had been revealed to you. Surely you are on the right path. 44 – And surely it is a reminder for you and your people. You will surely be questioned about it. 43 Vanity, 43-44