Acronyms in Islam posts (revelation, prayer, Jannat, human)

[ukrkoz]

Can someone post a list of explanations to the apparently commonly used acronyms in Islam? I keep coming across them in many posts after say The Prophet name. SWT?

As you understand, this forum is visited not just by those in the know. Will probably be respectful and educational to those folks to know what they read?

Thank you

[Khalif]

Originally Posted by ukrkoz

Can someone post a list of explanations to the apparently commonly used acronyms in Islam? I keep coming across them in many posts after say The Prophet name. SWT?

As you understand, this forum is visited not just by those in the know. Will probably be respectful and educational to those folks to know what they read?

Thank you

SWT = Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala in Arabic = "May He be glorified and exalted" (used after Allah only)

pbuh = peace be upon him (used after any prophet)

pbut = peace be upon them (used after more than one prophets).

[ukrkoz]

Ah, thank you. That helped.
Though question arose.
Why SWT is in Arabic and PBUH is in English?

[Khalif]

Originally Posted by ukrkoz

Ah, thank you. That helped.
Though question arose.
Why SWT is in Arabic and PBUH is in English?

Even PBUH is quite often written in Arabic as "saw" or as "saaw" or "saaws" (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam), "blessings of Allah and peace be upon him". Same thing is said in slight variation in Arabic.

[ukrkoz]

I hope you saw point to my question. Thank you.
It simply appeared to be somewhat odd, to use proper language - Arabic - for some and other language for another.
Peace and blessings.

[ukrkoz]

Btw, I believe and this is why I respect premise of Islam - that god's word should not be altered by any means. ANY. That is what I respect - word is given in whatever form and should be preserved in that exact form. Who is human to change it....

[Khalif]

Originally Posted by ukrkoz

Btw, I believe and this is why I respect premise of Islam - that god's word should not be altered by any means. ANY. That is what I respect - word is given in whatever form and should be preserved in that exact form. Who is human to change it....

God's word should not be changed in terms of its meaning. As God understands all languages, change of language for the same word makes no difference as long as its meaning is not changed with change of language.

For example, the word in Arabic is "Allah". It is "God" in English and "Khuda" in Persian (Farsi). When we say one of them, it means the same as the other words. What we can't change is from "God" to "Goddess" or "Gods" as it will change the meaning of it.

[ukrkoz]

Interesting opinion.
I am firm a "word' can not be absolutely identically interchanged with another language word, no matter how close it can be claimed semantically. This is why we have languages, so that people do not understand each other. What was given to a particular population in a particular language at a particular historical/cultural/religious moment, can not be identical in another language. I feel, your premise opens door to interpretations.
I do understand your postulate. It is also correct that for god there is no difference what language is used as god understands the language of thought. A direct expression, not its vocalization.
I feel, a god-word should be ONLY as it was given, to a slightest possible ability to reproduce it originally, as a word is a specific code, a vibration that works on many levels.
How about this statement then:

Arabic, the classical form of the language, is the language of the Qur’an. When Muslims from all over the world recite the Qur’an, they do it in Arabic. Since the classical form of Arabic is a liturgical language, many Muslims will study it on some level in order to pray and read the Qur’an itself and other Islamic texts.

[Khalif]

Originally Posted by ukrkoz

Interesting opinion.
I am firm a "word' can not be absolutely identically interchanged with another language word, no matter how close it can be claimed semantically.

If there is no closer meaning available of that word in another language then the closest meaning is acceptable. We are not to copy a word but to understand it.

My first language is not Arabic. In my first language, we have a different word for Allah, jannat, rasool and jahannam but we do not think them different in meanings. God understand the same meaning word in different languages could be spoken differently. For example, God (Himself) said "Mosheh" in the Torah (Exodus 3:4) but "Musa" in the Qur'aan. God knew that Israelites called that man "Mosheh" and Arabs called the same man "Musa". "Moses" in English is exactly the same meaning word for the same man. If God can say the word differently in differently languages then we can too in our respective languages. This is not regarded as "change" of the original but only change of language.

Allah said in the Qur'aan:

[17.110] Say: Call upon Allah or call upon, the Beneficent (Ar-Rehman); whichever you call upon, He has the best names...

[20.8] Allah -- there is no god but He; His are the very best names.

It's not the word said that matters but the meanings of the word in any language.

Originally Posted by ukrkoz

This is why we have languages, so that people do not understand each other.

Different languages are not for that purpose but for people to try and understand the differences and know each other. Learning about others' languages helps to know those people better. That's why I had to learn English.

Originally Posted by ukrkoz

What was given to a particular population in a particular language at a particular historical/cultural/religious moment, can not be identical in another language. I feel, your premise opens door to interpretations.

Actually, it helps to know better as to what was given at different times. It helps to reduce or eliminate misinterpretation of of one or the other. For example, most people think that the holy land was given to Jews. But if the Torah and the Qur'aan is understood properly, the holy land wasn't given to a people because they were Jews. It was given to a people who had promised to obey God and were actually obeying God. It just happened that the only group of people who were obeying God were the group called Bani Israel (Children of Israel). Jews who were not obeying God even then were actually prevented by God from entering the holy land. One understands this only by understanding the both revelations. Both revelations in different languages eliminate wrong interpretations.

Originally Posted by ukrkoz

I do understand your postulate. It is also correct that for god there is no difference what language is used as god understands the language of thought. A direct expression, not its vocalization.

Intentions matter very much. Intention is the beginning of any act (good or bad).

Originally Posted by ukrkoz

I feel, a god-word should be ONLY as it was given, to a slightest possible ability to reproduce it originally, as a word is a specific code, a vibration that works on many levels.
How about this statement then:

Arabic, the classical form of the language, is the language of the Qur’an. When Muslims from all over the world recite the Qur’an, they do it in Arabic. Since the classical form of Arabic is a liturgical language, many Muslims will study it on some level in order to pray and read the Qur’an itself and other Islamic texts.

It is true that I too pray in Arabic but I am required to know what I am saying during the prayer. As Arabic is not my language (I can read it and understand most of it immediately I read it), I cannot speak it in terms of conversation. I do understand in my language what I am saying in Arabic during the prayer. There would be about 80% less Muslims if they did not understand the Arabic Qur'aan through translation into their their own language in terms of meanings.

Another important point is that the "God-word" (the Qur'aan) wasn't given to a human in a written form but only in a sound form. If we rely only on the sound form, we, non-Arabic speakers, will never be able to become Muslims. If we can change it into a written form then we can change it into another language as long as the meaning is not changed from its original meaning. The original in the sound form has never been lost. It is heard in full all over the Islamic world and beyond during at least in the month of Ramadhan that is about to begin on Saturday 27th May.

[Mightyqueen801]

This thread reminded me of the saying, "The first language of God is silence."