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Article: Arabic: language of Islam.(how the Arab language is written and spoken)
- Article from:
- Faces: People, Places, and Cultures
- Article date:
- November 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Carus Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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"Issalaamu `alaykum!" "Peace be upon you!" is a common greeting in Arabic, the official language of Saudi Arabia and 24 other countries across the Middle East and North Africa. In fact, about 200 million people worldwide speak Arabic.
Why is Arabic so widely spread? It is the language of the Muslim religion. The holy book of Islam, the Qur'an, is written in Arabic, and all Muslims pray and worship in Arabic. Because Muslims believe the Qur'an came straight from heaven in Arabic, Arabic is sometimes called "the language of heaven." When early Muslims spread their religion, they also spread their language. Even in Muslim countries where the primary language is not ...