Over the past several weeks I have had a number of conversations with a variety of people made the choice to become Muslim (I’m purposely not saying ‘convert’ here). Among some of our discussions arose the need for (new) Muslims to better understand Revelation. Many disparaged at not having sufficient skills in the Arabic language, others not having the means or the resources to even pursue Arabic studies. Some felt that the way the religion is discussed amounts to a myriad of bewildering symbols and technical “insider” terms which leave them left out. So I thought I might, in a modest and humble effort, start a (ongoing?) series of short posts helping to decipher some of these words and catch phrases to work towards making Islam accessible and operational. I’ve chosen the phrase, “I seek protection in Allah from the accursed Devil/أعوذ بالله من الشسطان الرجيم” as my first attempt. And with God belongs all success.
Continue reading “Unpacking the Arabic Terminology of the Qur’an – A’ûdhu”