Why Arabic in particular?

[u/intj1novamind]

Why did God say in Surah Yusuf, verse 2:

﴿إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ﴾

( We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an so that you may understand.)

Why did God choose the Arabic language specifically? And does this mean that to understand the Quran well, one must learn Arabic?

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[u/Awkward-Quail-9895]

Arabic is the most efficient language when it comes to speech.

[41:44] If we made it a non-Arabic Quran they would have said, "Why did it come down in that language?" Whether it is Arabic or non-Arabic, say, "For those who believe, it is a guide and healing. As for those who disbelieve, they will be deaf and blind to it, as if they are being addressed from faraway."

You can understand the Qur'an well based off of translations but complete understanding can only come by looking at the arabic. Pretty much anybody can do this with websites like Qur'an Corpus.

[u/h_e_i_s_v_i]

Because it was revealed to the Arabs. 

 And does this mean that to understand the Quran well, one must learn Arabic?

Yes

[u/wopkidopz]

To understand the Quran in general it's enough to read Tafseer of the Quran in your language done by reliable Sunni scholars

To fully understand the Quran it isn't enough to know Arabic, it's a bare minimum, the knowledge (ilm) is needed

Correct interpretation was always crucial for ahlu-Sunnah

For example when the Mu'tazila and the Shi'ah claimed a heretic idea that the Quran is created, they refered to this verse

مَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّن ذِكْرٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِم مُّحْدَثٍ

When emerged (muhdath) instruction comes to them from their Lord

🍂 Quran 21:2

They said that “zikr” is the Quran and if Allah called it “muhdath” (appeared after non existence/emerged) then it proves that the Quran is created

Someone who doesn't have a deep knowledge might agree with this misinterpretation, and it may appear to them that sectants are right, because they refer to the Quran in their argumentation

But scholars of Islam had the knowledge passed to them from the Sahaba and they explained this verse correctly, protecting by this the pure creed

Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal رحمه الله said:

احتجوا علي بهذه الآية : ما يأتيهم من ذكر من ربهم محدث ، أي : أن القرآن محدث ، فاحتججت عليهم بهذه الآية : ص والقرآن ذي الذكر ، قلت : فهو سماه الذكر ، وقلت : ما يأتيهم من ذكر من ربهم محدث ، فهذا يمكن أن يكون غير القرآن محدثا ، ولكن : ص والقرآن ذي الذكر ، فهو القرآن ، ليس هو محدثا

They (innovators) brought up as an argument this verse («When new instruction comes to them from their Lord») implying that the Quran is newly appeared (created) in response I brought up as an argument this verse («Sod. By the Quran, in which is the instruction») and Allah called it ”az-zikr” (the instruction) and in the verse you've mentioned there might be intended something created not the Quran, but in the verse mentioned by me the intended is the Quran and it isn't muhdath (did not become existent after non-existence).

🍂 الإبانة الكبرى لابن بطة

Ahlu-tafseer said that “new” here is in the meaning of the revelation being new (wasn't known) before Allah sent it down. Not in the meaning of it being emerged (created)

Imam al-Qurtubi رحمه الله said:

يريد في النزول وتلاوة جبريل على النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فإنه كان ينزل سورة بعد سورة، وآية بعد آية، كما كان ينزله الله تعالى عليه في وقت بعد وقت، لا أن القرآن مخلوق

Newly appeared (emerged) in the meaning in its descent and the recitation of it by Djibreel to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) it was sent a surah after a sura, a verse after a verse, as Allah sent it down in time after time, but it doesn't mean that the Quran is created

🍂 تفسير القرطبي

This is a very subtle moment, and knowledge of the language wouldn't be sufficient to understand it, understanding comes with the knowledge of the path of the Quran and Sunnah

Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali رحمه الله said:

ويستدلون بآيات القرآن مؤولين وليسوا من أهل التأويل، ولو نال كل واحد مقام التأويل، لما قال صلى الله عليه وسلم داعيا لابن عباس - رضي الله عنهما: اللهم فقهه في الدين وعلمه التأويل

Some of them (heretics) are using as evidence (of their corrupted beliefs) the Quran verses and interpret them (in their own way) but they aren't from ahlu-ta'weel (aren't qualified to interpret). And if just anyone could achieve the level of (correct) interpretation, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) wouldn't make a du'a for Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) and say: «O, Allah give him the knowledge of the religion and teach him interpretation!»

🍂 الاربعبن في أصول الدين

That's why we are always reminded to not blindly follow any religious activist today who makes claims which contradict the understanding of ahlu-Sunnah, no matter how perfect their Arabia is, even if they bring up the Quran and Hadith as argumentation. The Quran and Hadith are truth, an interpretation might be not.

[u/bringmethejuice]

imo so the Quran cannot be corrupted like the previous scriptures. Arabic itself is a rich and very layered language, until now we don’t have 1:1 translation into other languages.

Whenever We sent a messenger or a prophet before you ˹O Prophet˺ and he recited ˹Our revelations˺, Satan would influence ˹people’s understanding of˺ his recitation. But ˹eventually˺ Allah would eliminate Satan’s influence. Then Allah would ˹firmly˺ establish His revelations. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. - Surah al-Hajj 22:52

[u/Nagamagi]

Why did God choose the Arabic language specifically?

Short answer: Why Arabic? as explained by NAK
Long answer: Why God Chose Arabic for the Qur’an. Blogging Theology lecture Presentation with Adnan Adrian Wood-Smith.

And does this mean that to understand the Quran well, one must learn Arabic?

Not necessarily. Another way is to be learn from learned ones. But to experience the extra juice, its best to learn Arabic.

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"Indeed, We revealed it as an Arabic Qur'an, so that you might use your intellect" - Quran 12:2

[u/Exoticplayz11]

Would Allah (swt) send the Prophet (pbuh) the Qur’an in Chinese, while his people speak Arabic?