Nasai

925. Commentary:

➊ That person was a new Muslim; he could not immediately memorize the Noble Qur’an. There could be a delay in this, but the prayer (salah) cannot be postponed. Therefore, temporarily, he was taught these phrases which every common person knows, so that until he memorizes the Noble Qur’an, he may manage with these. This does not mean that he should always perform prayer with only these.

➋ From previous ahadith, it is understood that at minimum, the recitation (qira’ah) of Surah al-Fatihah is obligatory (wajib). Therefore, whoever is extremely incapable and, due to any valid excuse, does not have the ability to recite or memorize Surah al-Fatihah and the Noble Qur’an, should complete his prayer with the mentioned remembrance (dhikr) or other similar transmitted supplications (adhkar), and not abandon the prayer altogether using the excuse of not knowing the prayer or Qur’an. (An excuse for a sin is worse than the sin itself.) Nor should he recite the supplications of prayer or the Noble Qur’an in any language other than Arabic; the prayer will not be valid in this case either. Performing prayer, adhan, or the testimony of monotheism and messengership (kalimah al-tawhid wa al-risalah) in a non-Arabic language would end unity among Muslims. The Noble Qur’an must also be recited in Arabic. The translation of the Qur’an, by consensus, is not called the Qur’an, because the words of the Noble Qur’an are miraculous, and the miraculous nature of the Qur’an is lost in translation. Therefore, the translation of the Noble Qur’an will not suffice in prayer, nor will the prayer be valid with it. The Arabic language is the guarantor of Muslim unity, and the Noble Qur’an is the means of its preservation. And Allah knows best.