Imam
Malik, and Imam Hanbal it is illegal to use a translation of the Quran
when saying the Namaz, whether the worshipper is ignorant of Arabic or
not. Thus Imam Navari, a disciple of Shafa'i says: "It is unlawful in
any case to use Persian[246] in the Namaz." Faqi 'Ali, a disciple of
Malik says: "Persian is unlawful." To these opinions Kafi, a disciple
of Hanbal adds his testimony: "To recite in the Namaz from a
translation of the Quran is unlawful." Moreover from the Quran itself,
the recital of it in Arabic is proved to be a divine command (farz).
The term Quran, too, means an Arabic Quran, for God speaks of it as a
revelation in Arabic. The words "recite so much of the Quran as may be
easy to you" prove the duty of reciting it; whilst the words "an Arabic
Quran have we sent it down" show that the Quran to be used is an Arabic
one. Imam Abu Hanifa and his disciples, the Sahibain (Imam Muhammad and
Imam Abu Yusuf), consider that, if a person can recite only a short
verse in Arabic, it is not lawful for such an one to use a translation.
If he cannot read the Arabic character, he must learn by heart such a
sentence as "Praise be to God, Lord of the people." Until he learns
this he may use a translation.[247] In the Tanwir-ul-Absar it is
written: "It is a farz duty to read one verse, and to learn it by heart
is farz-i-'ain" (_i.e._, incumbent on all). In the Masih-ul-Azhar it is
written: "If a person says the Namaz in a language other than Arabic,
he is a madman or an atheist." With regard to the statement made by
Imam Abu Hanifa that a person might use for a {235} time a translation,
it is well known that he afterwards recalled that opinion. The
statement made by the person complained of regarding Sulman-i-Farsi is
not correct. In the Nihayah (commentary on the Hidayah) it is written
that some Persians wrote to Sulman, and requested him to send them a
Persian translation of Surat-ul-Fatiha. He complied with their request
and they used it in the Namaz, _until they could pronounce Arabic
properly_. The Prophet on hearing of this circumstance made no remark.
This account, however, is not trustworthy; but granting that it is
true, all that it proves is that, until some Arabic words can be
remembered, a translation may be used. No Imam has ever allowed that to
read a translation is farz or waj