Identity is still one of the issues that troubles human societies, including Arab societies. Although identity in language is an artificial source derived from the separate pronoun “he”; The pronoun that indicates the reality of the self and its distinction from others. In terminology, it is not far from the linguistic meaning, but that does not exempt it from falling into entanglement and complexity. Dr. Abdul Karim Bakkar defines identity in his book (Renewing the Islamic Discourse) as “a set of traits and characteristics.” And preserved symbols and memories of shared history, as well as unified ambitions and aspirations translated into a sense of unity of purpose and destiny.”
This distinction in characteristics is similar to a human being’s fingerprint that no one shares with him. With this beautiful expression, Dr. Muhammad Amara likened identity in his book (The Dangers of Globalization to Cultural Identity), when he said that “the identity of a thing is its constants that cannot be renewed or changed, and they manifest and reveal themselves, without To give up its place to its opposite as long as the self remains alive. It is like a fingerprint for a human being that distinguishes it from others. Its effectiveness is renewed, and its face becomes clear whenever the contingency of obliteration is removed from above it. It is the code through which the individual can know himself in his relationship with the social group to which he belongs and which Others recognize him as a member of that group.”
Most researchers on the issue of identity are of the opinion that the identity of any society is based on several pillars, the most important of which are: belief, language, culture, heritage, and shared history.
Despite the apparent clarity in the definitions, identity remains a complex and dynamic issue. A person can belong to many overlapping identity circles. For example: If we want to mention the identity circles of a person from Syria, we can say that he is: Syrian. And Asian, Arab or Kurdish, Muslim or Christian, and other identity circles, in addition to the decline of identity affiliation – so to speak – or its advancement in one circle more than others on a constant and permanent basis, or at a certain stage of time according to the different surrounding circumstances. with it.
Language from closed system to open system and identity formation
No one doubts the importance of language to humans in all areas of life, as it affects their intellectual and behavioral reality across the length and breadth, but this matter has faced many methodological problems that have lasted for a long time, as the study of language – any language – falls exclusively under the umbrella of “linguistics,” which Over many centuries, it remained based on the structure of the language, which when talking about the Arabic language is based on sounds, grammar, morphology, and rhetoric. With this exclusive conception, we can consider the language as a “closed system,” meaning that the social context had no real importance in studying the language, as if it were A fixed object that existed at one time, mummified and molded over the ages.
But a radical change has occurred in the last six decades in dealing with the concept of language and its functions, and the reason for this change was the emergence of “sociolinguistics” or what is also known as sociolinguistics or sociolinguistics, as it is concerned with studying the influence of all aspects of society on language, and includes These include cultural norms, explicit and hidden expectations, the environment, the way language is used, and the implications of its use in society. The “sociology of language” also emerged, and sociolinguistics differs from the sociology of language in a key point: That is, sociolinguistics focuses on the influence of society on language, while sociology of language focuses on the influence of language on society.
With the emergence of sociolinguistics, dealing with language as an “open system” that affects and is affected by the social phenomena around it has become a broader field. According to this concept, the social context has become essential in understanding and studying language.
Regarding this meaning, Dr. Faisal Al-Hafyan says in his research entitled (Language and Identity, the Problem of Concepts and the Dialectic of Relationships), “Language is an independent social system, but speech is the realization of this speech in the form of symbols. In other words: language is methods of thinking in the human mind, or the mind of the human group. As for speech and the tongue, it is the image of sounds, or written symbols that we hear or see to achieve expression and communication for us; self-expression and communication with others. This distinction is important, as language is linked to identity; it is there in the mind, the human mind, not on his tongue.
Arabic is the foundation of the identity of the Arab and Muslim person
When we talk about the Arabic language, we are talking about one of the most important foundations of identity creation, not only for the Arab person, but also for the Muslim person, even if he is not an Arab, because the Arabic language is the way of thinking that the Muslim adopts in his daily life in dealing with his reference, constants, and directions in life.
Arabic is the language of the revelation that was revealed in a clear Arabic language. Therefore, it is the way of thinking and the mental template of the individual and the group, and it is the way through which they understand the legal text that carries and formulates the belief of the individual and society.
This belief is the first foundation in shaping the identity of the Muslim community. Without the Arabic language, the Muslim mind cannot understand the sources of guidance and guidance that define its identity and create itself.
The divine statement linked the Arabic language directly to the revelation that came down to the heart of the faithful Messenger – may God bless him and grant him peace – in a clear indication that Arabic is the language of the revelation in which it was revealed, in which it is interpreted, and in which it is understood, and this cannot be truly achieved in anything other than Arabic at all.
Among these is the Almighty’s saying in Surat Yusuf: “Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an, so that you may understand.” In His saying, the Almighty, there is a clear indication that the Arabic in which the revelation was sent down is the gateway to the formation of the Muslim mind.
Likewise, God Almighty’s saying in Surat Taha: “And thus We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an and have given it a warning in which it may be that they may become righteous or that it may bring about remembrance for them.” It is an indication that the Arabic language is their means of rational dealing with the Holy Qur’an, which creates their remembrance and status. For, in a language other than the Arabic with which they deal with the Holy Qur’an, there will be no success. They have this status, and they will not have what they hope for in terms of remembrance and honor.
Let us look at the Almighty’s saying in Surat Al-Shura: “And thus We have revealed to you an Arabic Qur’an so that you may warn the Mother of the Towns and those around it, and warn of the Day of Assembly, about which there is no doubt. A group in Paradise and a group in the Blaze,” as it has a clear indication that Arabic is the language of carrying the message and it is the language of argumentation that leads to guidance. And guidance.
Likewise, God Almighty’s saying in Surat An-Nahl, “And we know that they say, ‘Only a human being teaches it.’ The tongue of the one to whom they refer is foreign, and this is a clear Arabic tongue.” It indicates that the explanation and clarification of the revelation is only in the Arabic tongue, as it is the bridge to understanding the message and disclosing its truth and its contents.
Arabic between the universality of presence and the breadth of responsibility
Thus, the Arabic language has become the universal language that transcends races, lineages, and limited geographies, and non-Arabs have no problem with it being their gateway to true belonging to their Islamic identity. A Muslim today cannot be imbued with Islamic identity without the Arabic language, and an Arab cannot be a carrier of a message. Islam has a cultural impact on humanity, without Arabic being an integral part of its identity by which it lives among the people and moves by it among the nations of the earth.
On the other hand, adhering to the Arabic language and mastering it is an implicit call to preserve one’s Islamic identity, as Arabic is the gateway to preserving and spreading Islam, and adhering to Islam and its revelation is the main gateway to preserving Arabic, as Arabic is the tool for spreading Islamic identity, and Islam is the means of preserving Arabic.
Dr. Faisal Al-Hafyan says in his research (Language and Identity, the Problem of Concept and Relationship) “Arabic is also preserved. God pledged that it would remain as long as life remains, because it is also the language of the Holy Qur’an. “Indeed, it is We who sent down the Remembrance, and indeed, We will preserve it” (Al-Hijr 9). Therefore, He does not fear It is protected from disappearing, and is not blown by the winds of time and wear and tear, and this is what explains to us its survival and its continuation until today without being transformed into languages, as happened with Latin, for example. Arabs today still read the Qur’an, and that is the language in which books were written 15 centuries ago, and they understand what is written. They read, and it cannot be taken into account that there are words and structures that are no longer understood by the general public. These are limited words and structures, whose movement resides within the body of the language, slows down, steps behind life on the tongues, but the body has not changed, its face and features are the same. Preserving the language from Memorizing the Holy Qur’an, and memorizing the Qur’an is part of the Muslim’s faith.”
Understanding this organic connection between the Arabic language and identity requires a declaration of alert in Arab and Islamic reference circles, including governments and institutions, regarding the issue of linguistic identity, which must be raised to the level of political, cultural, intellectual, and strategic issues for the Arab and Islamic nation, and it must be considered an issue of governments, institutions, and civil societies, and it may not remain. It is an issue only for interested people and specialists. It is the issue of the nation, the state, and society. There is no real identity for the nation, nor for the Arab and Islamic countries, nor for our societies in anything other than Arabic, and so is the case of the Arab and Muslim individual. Without Arabic, he is merely a human being living on the ruins of other people’s identities, and whoever abandons Arabic has cut off his roots and died. In his present, his future became mere wildfire that was blown away by the wind.
And here we are, as every year, we celebrate our Arabic, and we are proud of it on its holiday, which falls today, December 18. We remind ourselves and renew our covenant with it, for the Arabic language is our identity in love, faith, and work.
What a wonderful statement the poet Al-Darbas spoke about his love for the Arabic language, translating something of what we carry in our hearts:
You are my crown of honor and the launch of my tongue
And the passing of my days and the warmth of my place
Stand in the midst of hardship and you will gain exaltation
Its area is a sea without shore
May God honor her and bless her speech
He wanted her to reveal the Qur’an
