Arabic Language As An Educational Tool To Unite The Islamic Community: A Theoretical Study

اللغة العربية كوسيلةٍ تربويةٍ توحِّدُ المجتمع الإسلاميّ: دراسة نظرية

Authors

  • Shohibuddin Laming Lecturer
  • Mohammad Roshimi Abdullah Lecturer
  • Wafa Abdul Jabbar Shohibuddin Lecturer

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64757/alqanatir.2025.345/1301

Keywords:

Education, Arabic, Tongue, Contemporary, Communities

Abstract

Islamic education and the Arabic language are closely intertwined, as it is inconceivable to imagine effective Islamic education without the Arabic tongue, just as the continuity and spread of the Arabic language cannot be envisioned without Islam. This study stems from the urgent need to understand this interrelation within the context of contemporary educational realities, especially in light of the declining status of Arabic in certain Muslim communities. The research problem lies in the insufficient recognition of Arabic as an educational tool that unites the Islamic ummah, which in turn weakens the effectiveness of Islamic education itself. The aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between Islamic education and the Arabic language, and to demonstrate how Arabic can serve as a unifying force for the Muslim community through the educational system. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical method, drawing upon scholarly opinions and relevant educational and linguistic texts. The findings reveal that Arabic is not merely a medium for instruction and memorisation, but a foundational pillar in shaping Islamic identity and embedding shared values. It also represents a civilisational bridge that unites Muslims intellectually and culturally. The study recommends the revitalisation of Arabic in educational and pedagogical institutions throughout the Islamic world, considering it a strategic tool for achieving intellectual and cultural unity among Muslims.

ملخص البحث
إنّ التربية الإسلامية واللغة العربية مرتبطتان ارتباطاً وثيقاً، إذ لا يمكن تصور فاعلية التربية الإسلامية دون اللسان العربي، ولا يمكن تصور استمرار العربية وانتشارها دون الإسلام. تنبع هذه الدراسة من الحاجة الملحّة لفهم هذا التلازم في سياق الواقع التربوي المعاصر، وخاصة في ظل تراجع مكانة اللغة العربية في بعض المجتمعات الإسلامية. وتكمن مشكلة البحث في ضعف استحضار اللغة العربية كأداة تربوية جامعة للأمة الإسلامية، مما يُضعف من فاعلية التربية الإسلامية ذاتها. يهدف هذا البحث إلى تحليل العلاقة بين التربية الإسلامية واللغة العربية، وبيان كيف يمكن للعربية أن تؤدي دوراً موحِّداً للمجتمع الإسلامي عبر المنظومة التربوية. وقد اعتمدت الدراسة على المنهج الوصفي التحليلي، من خلال تتبّع أقوال العلماء والباحثين في هذا المجال، وتحليل النصوص التربوية واللغوية ذات الصلة. وتوصلت الدراسة إلى أن اللغة العربية ليست فقط وسيلة للتعليم والتلقين، بل هي ركيزة أساسية في تكوين الهوية الإسلامية وترسيخ القيم المشتركة، وأنها تمثل جسراً حضارياً يوحّد المسلمين فكرياً وثقافياً. وتوصي الدراسة بإعادة تفعيل اللغة العربية في المؤسسات التعليمية والتربوية في العالم الإسلامي، بوصفها أداة استراتيجية لتحقيق الوحدة الفكرية والثقافية للأمة الإسلامية

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Shohibuddin Laming, Lecturer

Fakulti Pengajian Islam, Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin

Mohammad Roshimi Abdullah, Lecturer

Fakulti Pengajian Islam, Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin

Wafa Abdul Jabbar Shohibuddin, Lecturer

Fakulti Al-Quran dan Sunnah, Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin

References

‘Ā’ishah ‘Abd al-Raḥmān. (1991). Lughatunā wa al-ḥayāh. al-Qāhirah: Dār al-Ma‘ārif.

‘Aṭṭār, Aḥmad ‘Abd al-Ghafūr. (1982). Qaḍāyā wa mushkilāt lughawiyyah. Jiddah: Tahāmah.

ʿAbd al-Tawwāb, R. (1997). Al-madkhal ilā ʿilm al-lughah wa-manāhij al-baḥth al-lughawī [Introduction to Linguistics and Language Research Methods]. Cairo: Maktabat al-Khānjī.

Al-Fārisi, Ibrāhīm Aḥmad. Ab‘ād ḥaḍāriyyah wa ḍarūrāt ḥāḍirah fī ta‘līm al-lughah al-‘Arabiyyah. al-Jāmi‘ah al-Islāmiyyah, Mālīziyyā: Majallat al-Tajdīd.

Aljazeera. (n.d.). Taqrīr al-tanmiyah al-insāniyyah fī al-waṭan al-ʿArabī [Arab Human Development Report]. Retrieved from www.aljazeera.net

Al-Shāṭibī. (1951). al-Muwāfaqāt. Bayrūt: Dār al-Fikr al-‘Arabī.

Anis, I. (1980). Dalālat al-alfāẓ [The semantics of words]. Cairo: Maktabat al-Anglū al-Miṣriyyah.

ʿAqqād, M. M. (n.d.). Mawsūʿat al-ʿAqqād al-Islāmiyyah [Al-ʿAqqād’s Islamic Encyclopedia]. Beirut: Dār al-Kitāb al-ʿArabī.

Athir, M. al-D. A. S. (1972). Jāmiʿ al-uṣūl fī aḥādīth al-Rasūl [Compendium of the Prophet’s Hadiths]. Maktabat al-Ḥilwānī.

ʿAṭṭār, A. ʿAbd al-Ghafūr. (1982). Qaḍāyā wa-mushkilāt lughawiyyah [Linguistic Issues and Problems]. Jeddah: Tihāmah.

Fārisī, I. A. (n.d.). Abʿād ḥaḍāriyyah wa-ḍarūrāt ḥāḍirah fī taʿlīm al-lughah al-ʿArabiyyah [Civilizational Dimensions and Present Necessities in Teaching Arabic]. Majallat al-Tajdīd, Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia.

Fattāḥ, ʿI. ʿA. H. (1997). Al-murtakazāt al-asāsiyyah allatī ḥafaẓat lil-ummah kiyānahā [The Fundamental Pillars That Preserved the Identity of the Ummah]. Majallat al-Tajdīd.

Ghazālī, M. (n.d.). Ḥaqīqat al-qawmiyyah al-ʿArabiyyah [The Reality of Arab Nationalism]. Cairo: Maktabat Dār al-ʿUrūbah.

Hussein, A. F. b. al-Ḥājj. (1995). Al-taʿbīr al-shafawī wa-ahammiyyatuhu li-dirāsī al-lughah al-ʿArabiyyah [Oral expression and its importance for Arabic learners]. Majallat al-ʿArabiyyah, Malaysia.

Ibn Khaldūn. (1959). al-Muqaddimah. Bayrūt: Dār al-Kitāb al-‘Arabī al-Lubnānī.

Ibn Taymiyyah, A. (1999). Iqtiḍāʾ al-ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm li-mukhālafat aṣḥāb al-jaḥīm [Following the Straight Path by Opposing the People of Hell]. Beirut: Dār ʿĀlam al-Kutub.

Ibrāhīm Anīs. (1980). Dalālat al-alfāẓ. al-Qāhirah: Maktabat al-Anglū al-Miṣriyyah.

Maḥmūd, M. ʿAlī. (2002). Mahārāt al-tadrīs al-faʿʿāl [Effective Teaching Skills]. Jeddah: Dār al-Mujtamaʿ li-l-Nashr wa-l-Tawzīʿ.

Makhlūf, Ṣ. D. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān. (n.d.). Dirāsāt fī ʿilm al-lughah [Studies in Linguistics]. Bandar Seri Begawan: Maʿhad al-Sulṭān al-Ḥājj ʿUmar ʿAlī Saifuddīn li-l-Dirāsāt al-Islāmiyyah.

Rāfiʿī, M. Ṣ. (2000). Waḥy al-qalam [Inspiration of the Pen]. Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah.

Shāfiʿī, M. b. Idrīs. (1938). Al-Risālah [The Epistle].

Shohibuddin Bin Laming, (2000). Knowledge In Human Society, A.S. Noodeen. Kuala Lumpur, P.217.

Sulṭān Makhlūf, Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn ‘Abd al-Raḥmān. Dirāsāt fī ‘ilm al-lughah. Ma‘had al-Sulṭān al-Ḥājj ‘Umar ‘Alī Sayf al-Dīn li-al-Dirāsāt al-Islāmiyyah.

Thaʿālibī, A. M. ʿAbd al-Malik. (2002). Fiqh al-lughah wa-sirr al-ʿArabiyyah [Philology and the Secret of Arabic]. Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī.

Khoerudin, A. R. (2024). The importance of Arabic in Quran study: Enhancing understanding through native language learning. Tadris Al‑ʿArabiyyah: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa Arab dan Kebahasaaraban, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.15575/ta.v3i1.34496

Baharin, M. F. B. M., Hasan, A. R. B. A., & Zabidi, M. B. M. (2025). The role of Arabic language in strengthening Quranic skills. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 2914–2922. https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.9020225

Abdullahi, A. Y., Achara, I. Z., & Usman, M. (2023). Arabic as an international language for renaissance: Impact on the Muslim Ummah. Arabic Language, Literature & Culture, 8(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.allc.20230801.11

Wikipedia contributors. (2025, Februari | terkini). Al‑Fatiha. Dalam Wikipedia. Dicapai pada 7 Ogos 2025, dari https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Fatiha

Fiqh.islamonline.net. (n.d.). Reciting the Qur’an in other languages during Prayer. Fiqh – IslamOnline. Dicapai pada 7 Ogos 2025 dari https://fiqh.islamonline.net/en/reciting-the-quran-in-other-languages-during-prayer/

Weltch, Y. (2024). Can I recite prayer in English? SeekersGuidance. Dicapai pada 7 Ogos 2025 dari https://seekersguidance.org/answers/hanafi-fiqh/can-i-recite-prayer-in-english/

Othman, U., Osman, N., & Mohammed, S. (2021). The Arabic’s Significant Role in the Understanding of Islamic Law. Scholedge International Journal of Multidisciplinary & Allied Studies, 8(6).

Abdullahi, A. Y., Achara, I. Z., & Usman, M. (2023). Arabic as an international language for Renaissance: Impact on the Muslim Ummah. Arabic Language, Literature & Culture, 8(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.allc.20230801.11

Choirul Mahfud, Rika Astari, Abdurrohman Kasdi, Muhammad Arfan Mu’ammar, Muyasaroh, & Firdaus Wajdi. (2021). Islamic cultural and Arabic linguistic influence on the languages of Nusantara: From lexical borrowing to localized Islamic lifestyles. Wacana: Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia, 22(1), 224–248. https://doi.org/10.17510/wacana.v22i1.914

Wikipedia contributors. (2025, Mei | terkini). Abd al‑Malik ibn Marwan. Dalam Wikipedia. Dicapai pada 7 Ogos 2025, dari https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abd_al-Malik_ibn_Marwan

Watt, W. M. (2023). The Muslim Caliphates: A History. In The Muslim Caliphates (Bab 4). Open Book Publishers.

Reddit user. (2020, 25 Agustus). Can only someone qualified to do ijtihad cause ikhtilaf? And if so, who would be qualified to do ijtihad in the modern times? [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/islam/comments/ig2ewe?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Ridwan, M. (2023). Membuka wawasan keislaman: kebermaknaan bahasa Arab dalam pemahaman Islam. Tinjauan keilmuan terhadap peran bahasa Arab dalam merumuskan hukum dan tradisi intelektual Islam. Jurnal Peradaban dan Kebudayaan, 4(2), 102–115.

Baharin, M. F., Ali Hasan, A. R., & Mohamed Zabidi, M. (2025). The Role of Arabic Language in Strengthening Quranic Skills. International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Literature, 9(2), 2914. https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.9020225

Sadudin, I. (2022). The Arabic's Significant Role In The Understanding Of Islamic Law. International Journal of Islamic Studies, 2(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.30564/ijis.v2i1.154

Sekarsari, A., Abdillah, A., Aulia, A. E. P., & Mawada, A. (2021). The Role of Arabic in Islamic Education. Quality: Journal of Education, Arabic and Islamic Studies, 2(3). https://doi.org/10.58355/qwt.v2i3.65

Osman, R. A. H., & Abu Hassan, M. I. (2022). Keistimewaan Bahasa Arab sebagai bahasa al‑Qur’an dan Kepentingan Menguasainya bagi para Mufassirīn. AL‑HIKMAH: International Journal of Islamic Studies and Human Sciences, 5(2), 325–342. https://doi.org/10.46722/hikmah.v5i2.260

Abdullahi, A. Y., Achara, I. Z., & Usman, M. (2023). Arabic as an International Language for Renaissance: Impact on the Muslim Ummah. Arabic Language, Literature & Culture, 8(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.allc.20230801.11

Hawary, M. S. R., Banjarnaor, R., Ridwan, M., Fathur Rahman Syah, M. A., & Agustiar. (2024). Exploring the Unique Stylistics and Divine Rhetoric of the Qur’an: Unveiling the Linguistic Miracle of Revelation. Al‑Irfan: Journal of Arabic Literature and Islamic Studies, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.58223/al-irfan.v8i1.405

Jayadi, A., & Aziz, A. (2025). The Superiority of the Arabic Language and Its Importance in Understanding the Quran. Proceeding of International Conference on Islamic Studies, 7(1), 382–391. https://proceedingincisst.arraayah.ac.id/index.php/incisst/article/view/226

Itqan Quran. (n.d.). The Literary Excellence of Quranic Language. [Online article]. Retrieved from https://itqanquran.com/the-literary-excellence-of-quranic-language/

IslamWeb. (2025). فضل العربية وضرورة تعلمها [The superiority of Arabic and the necessity of learning it]. https://www.islamweb.net/ar/article/233992/

Al Shlowiy, A. S. (2022). Language, religion, and communication: The case of Islam and Arabic in the Asia‑Pacific. In Language and Islam in the Asia-Pacific (pp. 198–213). Journal of Asian Pacific Communication.

The Role of Arabic in Islamic Practices and Culture. (n.d.). Qalamquest Arabic. Retrieved from Qalamquest website

Samah, R., & Isahak, A. (2024). The Role of Arabic Language in Strengthening Quranic Skills. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 2914–2922.

Quranicma.com. (n.d.). 7 Reasons Why Learn Arabic Is Your Key to Understanding Islam. Retrieved from https://quranicma.com/learn-arabic/

Rahman, F. (2021). Fazlur Rahman’s Thoughts of Double Movement in the Context of the Development of Unity of Sciences. Jurnal Tarbiyatuna, 13(1), 1–18.

Abdul Manas, S., & Embong, A. R. M., & Abdullah, M. R. T. L. (2023). Historical Review of Classical Hadith Literature in Malay Peninsula—highlighting how key Islamic rituals were reinterpreted linguistically and conceptually. International Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences.

Alhilal, M. M. (2025). Grammatical Evolution in English Versus Preservation of Syntactic Norms in Arabic: A Comparative Linguistic Analysis. The Scientific Journal of the Faculty of Arts, 58, 711–735. https://doi.org/10.21608/jartf.2025.400053

Belinkov, Y., Magidow, A., & Romanov, M. (2018). Studying the History of the Arabic Language: Language Technology and a Large-Scale Historical Corpus. arXiv preprint arXiv:1809.03891.

Crystal, D. (2021). Shakespeare and Modern English. Cambridge English Blog.

Wikipedia contributors. (2025). Great Vowel Shift. Dalam Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Vowel_Shift

The Concept of Ummah: Unity, Significance, and Iqbal's Vision (2025). Islamic World View and Civilization.

Hikmah, H., et al. (2025). Response of Pilgrims of Hajj and Umrah: Arabic Language as a Practical Communication Tool. Journal of Contemporary Islamic Studies, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.xxxx/jcis.2025.10.1 (dikutip dari ResearchGate)

Bamakhrama, D.-E. S. (2025, 1 Juni). Hajj: A Message of Peace and Unity. Arab News.

Güney, N. (2024). Maqāsid al-Sharīʿa in Islamic Finance: A Critical Analysis of Modern Discourses. Religions, 15(1), 114. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15010114.

Alzeer, A. H., & Abuzinadah, J. (2024). Beyond borders: Exploring the mental, emotional, and spiritual significance of Hajj. Annals of Thoracic Medicine, 19(3), 179–189. https://doi.org/10.4103/atm.atm_72_24.

Wargadinata, W., & Maimunah, I. (2021). The social events and the development of Arabic language in the early period of Islam. Buletin Al-Turāth, 27(2), 315–328.

Arab News. (2025). Hajj: A message of peace and unity. Arab News. https://www.arabnews.com/node/2602960.

The Qur’an. (Surah al-Qasas, 28:77). https://quran.com/28/77.

Wajdi, F., Kubro, R., & Nurpratiwi, S. (2024). The relevance of classical Islamic education in the modern era: A case study of kuttab Islamic schools. In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Humanities Education, Law, and Social Science (ICHELS 2024) (pp. 832–836). https://doi.org/10.5220/0013414900004654.

Sudrajat, S., Muthoifin, & Sri Nurhayati. (2024). Examining the integration of faith and Qur’an curriculum in Kuttab Ibnu Abbas. Jurnal Ilmiah Profesi Pendidikan, 9(3), 1930–1935. https://doi.org/10.29303/jipp.v9i3.2381.

Nur-Awaleh, M. A., & Mohammed, R. (2022). The role of Islamic schools: Between Muslim immigrant families’/students’ perceptions and institutional realities. Journal of Education in Muslim Societies, 3(2), 79–99. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1464403.pdf.

Jiyanto, et al. (2024). Analysis of Kuttab school curricula using the CIPP framework: A social and environmental management perspective. SDGs Review, 4, e02380.

Asnarulkhadi Abu Samah, & Shukri Janudin. (2020). Peranan Persatuan Seni Silat Cekak Malaysia (PSSCM) di dalam pembangunan komuniti Melayu-Muslim berteraskan ilmu persilatan. Sains Insani, 5(1), 79–85.

Abu Houl, M. E. D., Khalidi, I. K., & Tibek, S. R. H. (n.d.). Role of Media in Islamic Countries in the Face of Current Challenges. International Journal of West Asian Studies.

Published

2025-08-29

How to Cite

Laming, S. ., Abdullah, M. R., & Abdul Jabbar Shohibuddin, W. (2025). Arabic Language As An Educational Tool To Unite The Islamic Community: A Theoretical Study: اللغة العربية كوسيلةٍ تربويةٍ توحِّدُ المجتمع الإسلاميّ: دراسة نظرية. Al-Qanatir: International Journal of Islamic Studies, 34(05), 187–210. https://doi.org/10.64757/alqanatir.2025.345/1301