Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

asalam aleykum!

I recently converted to Islam. And im just learning how to pray. I have written all the steps down and all the Surahs I need to pray...

And when I pray, I read the Surahs and the other lines off the paper I have In ENGLISH.

My question is, should i have it memorized before i do the actions of praying? or is reading it and doing the actions alright until i memorize them? Because even though I read them off the paper, I am still concentrating and I am in a deep prayer mode.

My other Question is, Is receiting the Surahs in english and everything else in english acceptable? Is Allah still listening to me? Or do I have to say it in Arabic?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Revert prayers in english

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verses 125-126:

So (the fact is that) whomever Allah wills to guide aright, He makes his breast wide open to Islam. And whomever He wills to let go astray, He makes his breast narrow and squeezes it so tight that (at the very idea of Islam) he begins to feel as if his soul were climbing up towards the sky. Thus Allah puts the Wrath over those who do not believe, whereas this Way (Al-Islam) is the Straight Way of your Lord, and We have made its Signs quite clear for those who are open to advice.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 42 Surah Shura verse 13:

13 …… Allah chooses to Himself those whom He Pleases; and guides to Himself those who turn (to Him for guidance).

Allah-o-Akbar! Allah-o-Akbar! Allah-o-Akbar! Allah is indeed The Greatest! Praise be to Allah Subhanah, the Lord and Creator of the Universe Alone, Who chooses to Himself whomsoever He Wills and Pleases, and Who guides to Himself those who turn to Him for guidance. Praise and Thanks are due to Allah Subhanah Alone Who has opened your heart to the Truth of Al-Islam and guided you to the path that leads to His Mercy and His Forgiveness.

Allah-o-Akbar! Allah-o-Akbar! Allah-o-Akbar!

As your brothers and sincere well-wishers in faith, we take this opportunity to congratulate you and invite you wholeheartedly to the path of Truth that you have chosen for your self. May Allah Subhanah bestow His Infinite Mercies and Blessings upon you, and grant you the wisdom and the courage to remain steadfast on the path you have chosen until the Day when the last breath leaves your soul, and you meet with your Lord Creator in a state where He is Pleased with you, and you with Him. Ameen.

Your Question: My question is, should i have it memorized before i do the actions of praying? or is reading it and doing the actions alright until i memorize them?

Beloved Sister in Islam, it is only natural that one who is not born or taught a language, will find it extremely difficult to read or pronounce even a word in that new language!

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6.459 Narrated by Aisha

The Prophet (saws) said, "Such a person as recites the Qur'an and masters it by heart, will be with the noble righteous scribes (in Heaven). And such a person exerts himself to learn the Qur'an by heart, and recites it with great difficulty, will have a double reward."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2137 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "If anyone recites a letter from Allah's Book he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a tenfold reward. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim are one letter, but alif is a letter, lam is a letter and mim is a letter."

If one has chosen to believe, but does not know how to read the language of the Quran (Arabic) at all, there is absolutely no harm if one reads the transliteration of the Quran; Allah will, Insha Allah, give them a double reward for their sincere efforts. The believer should also make a sincere effort to learn at least the absolute basics of the Arabic language, as much as his time and schedule may permit, to facilitate their further recitation and understanding of the Glorious Book of Guidance from their Lord.

But what is of absolute paramount importance is that one understands what one reads! It would avail little, if a person, who does not understand the Arabic language, to recite the Glorious Quran a million times …. But all their deeds are against the guidance and teachings of the Holy Quran! Thus, if one does not read or understand the Arabic language, it is imperative that one read the translation of the Holy Quran in a language which one understands best; so that they may know, obey, and follow the commands and teachings that His Lord has revealed for their guidance.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6.545 Narrated by Uthman

The Prophet (saws) said, "The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur'an, and teach it."

The deen of Islam is a way of life and belief in the One Lord, that binds all the believers of different nationalities, different languages, different regions, different colors, different walks of life into the One Ummah and Brotherhood of Islam! And the prescribed prayers in Arabic is one tangible and visible unit which unites all the believers into the Ummah. Just imagine the chaos and confusion it would create if everyone prayed the prescribed ‘salaah’ in one’s own language! A believer from Malaysia would never be able to pray in congregation in Japan, or the USA, or in Makkah, etc.! The unity of the muslims would be in absolute shambles and disarray! But by choosing one language, a believer is at home in any mosque in the world and this salaah in one language unifies and sanctifies the believers as One Brotherhood and One Ummah; all united in the worship of their One and Only Lord, Most Supreme.

Dear and beloved Sister in Islam, although there is absolutely no compulsion or obligation in Islam that every believer must master the Arabic language, it would only be prudent to at least strive to memorize a few phrases in the Arabic language which will enable you to offer your prescribed prayers in Arabic, so that you, like every believing brother and sister of yours in faith, are united by the tangible rite of prayer in the Brotherhood and Ummah of Islam.

Your Question (again): My question is, should i have it memorized before i do the actions of praying? or is reading it and doing the actions alright until i memorize them?

Dear and beloved Sister in Islam, until the time it takes you to memorize the few phrases needed to fulfill your prescribed prayers, there is absolutely no harm if you could hold a copy of the above ‘transliteration’ in your prayers; it is expected that your Lord Most Gracious will accept your efforts and will not diminish your rewards in the least, Insha Allah.

Your Question: My other Question is, Is receiting the Surahs in english and everything else in english acceptable? Is Allah still listening to me? Or do I have to say it in Arabic? 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 186:

And if My servants ask you, O Prophet, concerning Me, tell them that I am quite near to them. I hear and answer the prayer of the suppliant, when he calls on Me. So let them respond to My call and believe in Me. (Convey this to them), perhaps they may be guided aright!

Dear and beloved Sister, your Lord Creator is indeed the All-Seeing, All-Hearing, All-Knowing, All-Wise, and is aware of the exact condition of each and every thing in His Creation; thus rest absolutely assured that whenever, and I reiterate, whenever you call upon your Lord Most Gracious, He not only listens to each and every one of your (lawful) supplications you make unto Him, He responds to each and every one of them!

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2257 Narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri

The Prophet (saws) said, "Any Muslim who makes a supplication containing nothing which is sinful, or which involves breaking ties of relationship, will be given for it by Allah one of three things: He will give him swift answer, or store it up for him in the next world, or turn away from him an equivalent amount of evil." Those who heard it said they would then make many supplications and he (saws) replied that Allah was more ready to answer than they were to ask.

Nu'man b. Bashir reported that the Prophet (saws), said, "Verily supplication is worship."

Narrated by Ahmad and Sunan.

Abu Hurairah reported, "The Prophet (saws) said, "Nothing is more dear to Allah than one's supplication to Him.''

Narrated by Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.

Salman reported that the Prophet (saws), said, "Your Lord, the Blessed and the Exalted One, is Modest and Generous, and He loathes to turn away His servant empty-handed when he raises his hands to Him in supplication."

Narrated by Ahmad and Ibn Hibban.

Your Question (Again): My other Question is, Is receiting the Surahs in english and everything else in english acceptable? Is Allah still listening to me? Or do I have to say it in Arabic?

Dear and beloved sister in Islam, to maintain the sanctity of the prescribed conical prayers, it would be best and preferred if they are recited in the Arabic language (even if read through ‘transliteration’.)

But for all your other supplications to your Lord Most Gracious, you may make them in any language you know or understand best.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan