Article fourteen:
English as an Auxiliary Language of Al-Islam
Praise be to Allah of Whose signs are our diversities of speech and hue. Peace and benediction be upon Muhammad, our noble mentor and intercessor on the Day of Doom.
It is perhaps a truism to say that English has become, for better or for worse, the main auxiliary language of Al-Islam. This very fact may well surprise some; and perhaps consternate others. The reason behind this manifest phenomenon is a number of accidents, some of which may be counted auspicious and other, not quite so fortunate.
It so happens that English has today become, for richer or for poorer, international language number one. Yet for the part of English as a language of a certain standing in the world of "Belles Lettres," this international ubiquity is not altogether an unmixed blessing; but it cannot be ignored. It is a state of affairs, which has come to stay for as long as the circumstances which brought it into existence remain; and perhaps as long as the first few decades of the 21st century of the Christian era, and the middle of the 15th century of the Hijra era.
Yet it is important and rather sad to note that, apart from old translations such as that of George Sale, who had bequeathed his own brand of authorized version English to many a later translator of the Holy Book, including Muhammad Assad's very recent effort, English translations are rather wanting and somewhat behind-hand. They compare but unfavorably with French translations and the more recent Italian translations, especially the really outstanding "Cape Lavoro" of Professor Alessandro Bausani.
However, English is now the de facto second or auxiliary language of Islam. It is appropriate, nay imperative, that it be accorded the status de jure also. Yet this desideratum cannot really be realized, until those who understand and value English, and who know its immense possibilities as the tongue of Shakespeare and Milton, endeavor to effect a drastic change of the miserable status quo, which is that of a rather ineffective and none-too-brilliant secretary - a squire of low degree. I say this because both the traditional Muslim world, and the native Muslim speakers of English, who are not decreasing, seem bent on reducing the language to its lowest common denominator - as a conveniently handy but second rate language. But if English is really to be a suitable vehicle for conveying the message of the Qur'an, and of the various disciplines of Al-Islam, then it has to deploy its best equipment, its most sensitive and intelligent endowments and abilities, so as to continue to be at its best in its novel function, and a worthy ambassador to the courts of its own people, of the incomparable language of the Arabs and of the peerless Book of Islam. It is not, however, sufficient to produce a pedestrian Islamic literature of sorts in English; but it behooves us Muslims to endeavor to take the citadel of English letters by storm; and occupy it with dignity and aplomb.
At this juncture, I remember the late Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall (may Allah accept his earnest endeavor and rest his soul). This Englishman of breeding, who has given us besides his famous translation of the Qur'an a fair number of novels, essays and other literary works. It is incumbent upon Muslim intellectuals, especially the younger ones, to collect, annotate, and evaluate this no mean English heritage of Islam. All this should, of course, be republished. The translation, however, as it stands, is the least exceptionable of extant English translations. It is more meritorial than Professor Arberry's somewhat over-rate and fairly recent translation of the Qur'an. It would also be a work of value to make a quest for the historical Pickthall, and do him the well-deserved homage as a modern and pioneering exponent of Islam. Pickthall is to my way of looking, a considerable man of letters; and his merit would be fully apparent if he had not written any book beside his novel entitled "Saeed, the Egyptian!" It is perhaps appropriate to remember that Pickthall had been noticed and was in no certain terms by the late English writer and novelist E.M. Forster.
Today, only very few and far between are the Islamic publications in English, which can be properly said to belong to the realm of literature. Many Islamic publications of today are often pot-boilers which pass as dedicated works. These are sometimes produced by people who presume that they have a good command of English, just because they have never felt the urgent need for self-criticism or for consultation with the better informed. Unfortunately such authors, who more often than not exhibit the worst examples of unawareness, are given countenance by many people who have, through pure accident, had to adopt English as a secondary or even main cultural language, but without being on reasonably intimate terms with it. The background of this situation can be found by studying the history of the British empire, before and after its dissolution, which was by no means the wonderful deliverance that they had dreamt of, when they had felt and resented the yoke of their alien rulers.
However, the fact that there are so many non-native speakers and writers of English must never be brought forth as an argument for suffering gladly all sorts of poor quality literature in the name of Islam. If we are to use English as an effective auxiliary language of Islam, we have to emulate and follow the example of cultivated and excelling native speakers of the language. It is not seemly that we say to ourselves, with a smirk of smug and vapid self-satisfaction, that we cannot help producing indifferent verse or prose, just because we are not native speakers. Such an argument is a sort of brazen mendacity, the purpose of which is to pocket charitable forbearance and tolerant condescension.
It behooves Muslims to feel proud of their heritage, and to feel equal to any task and to use our skills and abilities for earnest and dedicated service to Al-Islam.
Ishaq al-Khalifa Sharief, "English as an Auxiliary Language of Al-Islam," The Muslim World League Journal, Ramadhan & Shawwal 1405, pp. 56-57.
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