Comments on: Classical Arabic 101 – Transcript and Translation

By: 3aaleeyah

3aaleeyah — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 07:30:13 +0000

Hey Linda. Its me again. I’ve just finished using your other post about “qaat wa dukhaan” in a reading exercise with a native arab. He was helpin’ me boost up on my readin’ skills. I enjoyed it so very much and so did he. He did say it was a “difficult passage”, which is a compliment to you! Meanwhile,back at the barn, I just had to vist again and see what was new. I love this lil bloggie uve got goin. Linda, are you pretty much fluent in Arabic by now? Hello raed and Abdul. Salam to you al. The movie above seems right up my alley. Im gonna challenge myself, inshaa allah , and attempt to read and comprehend the transcription you have for the script. Wish me luck! and keep on blogging!

ps: consider me SuBsCrIbEd O.0

By: Abdul Kadir

Abdul Kadir — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 10:07:15 +0000

Dear Linda .Thank you for reply I would definetly prefer the classical Arabic. Having aquired substantial kowledge of classical Arabic I think one could some how follow the MSA or some dialetcs. Anyway any contribution from your part is very much appreciated.

By: Linda

Linda — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 02:56:12 +0000

Abdul Kadir, thank you for your comment. I haven't posted anything new for a while because of my recent relocation. It usually takes me a couple of hours or more to record, transcribe, and translate a short clip, so it's pretty encouraging to hear from people that it's actually helpful. I will try to post more transcripts soon. Subscribe to my website by email so you get notified when I post something new. Do you prefer classical Arabic (not widely used), Modern Standard Arabic (media Arabic), or dialects? Meanwhile, I would recommend GLOSS website for transcripts of news items.

By: Linda

Linda — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 02:32:50 +0000

Thanks Raed for your explanation. Based on your comments and my own reading, the Quran is the first KNOWN Arabic book. There may or may not have been other Arabic books before the Quran, but we have no evidence to suggest either way.

By: Abdul Kadir

Abdul Kadir — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 01:35:43 +0000

Alhamdullilah Thank You dear sister for your website especially The Classical Arabic 101 – Transcript and Translation which I find very useful for people like me who have some knowledge of Arabic but have no opportunity to hear and speak it. Dear Linda is there any more continuation of this or any other such website in the internet?

Thank You.

By: Raed

Raed — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 09:05:30 +0000

P.S.

I have no idea who “Nadine” is! Linda.

By: Raed

Raed — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 09:00:53 +0000

Hi Nadine

Parts of the Bible definitely existed in Arabic before Islam. In Islamic traditions Waraqa bin Nawfal (the uncle of the prophet’s first wife Khadeejah) is told to have translated parts of the gospels, but only parts.

Concerning the translation, I’m not sure whether it was carried out, I assume the only solid evidence would be manuscripts, but that’s unlikely to exist today as even Qur’anic manuscripts from that time are rare. The first translation which was definitely completed was in 675. As far as the Qur’an being the first book in Arabic, that’s true. But bear in mind that what Muslims mean by this is that it’s the first to be put between two covers. A work could exist, but not compiled between two covers and would not be considered a “book”. This was also before 635 AD; although the Qur’an was standardized at the time of Uthman, at least one complete manuscript (the Hafsah Qur’an) existed from the time of Abu Bakr, who died in 634 AD.

By: Linda

Linda — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:32:36 +0000

Thank you 3aaleeyah and Raed for your comments.

Raed, you said that Amr bin Saad ibn abi Waqas asked Al Batrirk Al Yaqubi to translate the Bible into Arabic around 639 AD, but was it actually accomplished? Do we have any evidence that the Arabic Bible existed soon after 639 AD?

I have always been told that the Quran is the first book written in Arabic. If what you said was true and could be supported by solid evidence, then the Bible would be the first Arabic book, but I have never heard such claim, not even from Christian Arabs.

By: Raed

Raed — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 16:10:23 +0000

Hi Linda, First of all nice website. This maybe a late reply, but on the subject of Arab Christians: They were among the first to contribute to the massive translation movement to the Arabic language that begun after the spread of Islam. Among the most well known:

يحيى بن عدي وابن زرعة عيسى أبو علي وأبو الخير الحسن بن سوار ابن الخمّار واسحق بن زرعة ويوحنا ابن ماسويه طبيب البلاط العباسي من أيام الرشيد حتى المتوكّل. وعمار البصري، وابن الطيب وايليا النصيبيني وحنين بن اسحق وثاودورس أبو قرة وقسطا بن لوقا البعلبكي

Among the most famous Christian poets was

الاخطل الشاعر العربي المشهور وهو من بني تغلب من ابناء الكنيسة السريانية ولقب بشاعر بني أمية. قصيدته الأكثر شهرة أسمها "خف القطين"

As for the first translation of the Bible:

عام 639 م أو حوالى هذا العام طلب القائد العربي عمر بن سعد ابن أبي وقاص من البطريرك اليعقوبي يوحنا أن يضع ترجمة الإنجيل في اللغة العربية.

For the most part, Christian literature is not very distinct from the Islamic one. Living in the middle east you would know that Arabic is quite loaded with Islamic references, and Christian and even non-religious people tend to use them as well.

By: 3aaleeyah

3aaleeyah — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 07:19:30 +0000

“One subject I know almost nothing about is the contribution of Christian Arabs to the Arabic language. I assume that the Bible was translated into Arabic long before the rise of Islam, but I haven’t seen any classical Christian Arabic literature. ”

Incorrect. The bible was translated into arabic long after Islam, just as it was translated into english and many other languages long after Islam. Thank you.