EDITING ISLAM
(This topic is so important that it will take more than one post. My blog is about editing. But here I can humbly bring something extra to the table. I have studied Islam extensively and have three semesters of Arabic under my belt. I’m certainly not an “expert,” but I would like to include some substantive information that will help the editor faced with Editing Islam. In my next post, I will recommend some good books as well.)
AP Stylebook Religion Chapter
When I purchased and read through my new 2014 copy of the AP Stylebook, I was amazed to see an extensive independent section devoted to religion: 23 pages dealing with all things religious. My older versions of the Stylebook did not contain a religion section. In addition, I noticed that, from A-Z, the AP Stylebook was filled with spellings, definitions and usages for words relating to Islam. The AP Stylebook is written for reporters, so it is always on the cutting edge when it comes to providing authors and editors with up-to-date information. Thus, the AP Stylebook is a reflection of the times.
Along with spelling and usage information, the AP Stylebook is great at giving concise definitions and descriptions of word entries. The religion section contains entries for each of the main faiths and their sects. So it can be greatly educational as well. Someone wanting a 20-minute crash course on Islam would be wise to take the AP Stylebook and read the entry for every Islamic term in the religion section.
So many questions exist! What is the difference between an imam, a mullah, and a sheik? Or between a Shiite and a Sunni? Where is the Ka’aba and what is the quibla? And, furthermore, how do we spell all of these words? Is it Qur’an, Quran, or Koran?
Arabic Language
Arabic is a very distinct language. It evolved quite independently, in a particular area, with very little influence from of the rest of the world. It was and is the language of the Nomadic tribes living in the country we now call Saudi Arabia. At the time that the Prophet Mohammad was alive, it was still almost exclusively an oral language. Written Arabic developed, in part, from the need to memorialize the revelations of the Prophet–which now form the Quran. Arabic has its own distinct alphabet and characters.
The only other language that uses Arabic characters is Persian. However, the Persian oral tradition developed independently and then adopted Arabic characters to create a written form. So, even though most of the characters look the same, Arabic and Persian are two distinct languages that just happen to use the same character set. Of course, given the nearby proximity of speakers of these two languages, some overlap exists.
An important thing to know about Arabic is it is THE language of Islam. The Quran, written in Arabic, is considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God. Therefore, the language of Islam is God’s language. No translation of the Quran can capture the direct word of God in His own words. Thus, Muslims everywhere pray in Arabic and are encouraged to learn Arabic in order to better understand the word of God. All major words and concepts in Islam are Arabic or Arabic-derived.
“ALLAH”
The word “Allah” is simply the word for “God” in Arabic. It is NOT some deity specific to Islam. It is the one, monotheistic God with a capital “G.” Indeed, it is the one, monotheistic deity that is worshipped by Jews as Yehova, using the sacred Hebrew letters: YHVH (yod hé vav hé). As an aside, some orthodox Jews will not even write down the name of God in any language, so you may see God referred to as “G*d” in Jewish writing. Allah is the God of Adam and Eve, of Abraham and his sons, Isaac and Ishmael. Allah is the same God worshipped by Christians in the Bible’s Old Testament, which the Jews call the “Torah.” And a majority of the stories in the Torah or Old Testament are also in the Quran.
Point here: IT’S ALL THE SAME DAMN GOD.
Teaser for next post: Do Muslims believe in the virgin birth of Christ?
jennifer orff 