Although Allah would hear the pleas of believers in any language, and all languages are created by Allah Almighty, the Arabic language has a very distinguished status amongst other languages in Islam. You can easily learn Fusha Arabic nowadays.
This is because fundamental religious deeds such as praying will undoubtedly need some knowledge of the Arabic language. But then again, we are faced with a question: which Arabic language?
We hear of many versions of the Arabic language, and each of them is an independent entity, with some common features with the other Arabic dialects.
We have MSA (Modern Standard Arabic), Fusha Arabic, Egyptian dialect, Libyan dialect, Saudi Dialect, Palestinian dialect, Algerian dialect, and the list goes on and on…
Here we will learn the following:
- What is Fusha Arabic?
- Is Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) the same as Fusha Arabic?
- Is the Quran Fusha Arabic?
- Which countries speak Fusha Arabic?
- Do Arabs speak Fusha with an accent?
- Why are the Arabic subtitles in Fusha?
- Which Arabic dialect is closest to Fusha?
- What is Fusha vs Masri Arabic grammar?
- How to learn Fusha Arabic?
- Tips that will make learning Arabic a lot easier than expected
What is Fusha Arabic?
Fusha Arabic is basically the standard sophisticated Arabic language that is used in formal occasions, official occasions, and prestigiously authoritative occasions.
It’s the language that was spoken during the Pre-Islamic period when language sophistication and language aesthetics was highlighted in their distinguished composition of poetry, and it’s currently the official language of many Arabic countries.
The Arabic language’s successful survival for centuries and millennia shows its alive soul, which is adaptable to when and where it is spoken; when one compares Pre-Islamic Arabic with the current standard Arabic, it has shifted and changed a lot.
To further understand what Fusha Arabic is, we need to know what it is like, and what it is not like.
Is Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) the same as Fusha Arabic?
Yes! It’s basically the same language with the same grammar, vocabulary, and phonetic system.
The only difference lies in eloquence and aestheticism. The Fusha Arabic is far more eloquent, sophisticated, and aesthetic than the Modern Standard Arabic. So, it’s the same language but seen from a different angle.
Is the Quran Fusha Arabic?
Being a language of aestheticism, sophistication, and richness in meaning, the Quran is written in Fusha Arabic.
Though, being the words of Allah, there is nothing written in the same style, or will ever be written in even a similar style.
We as human beings acquire what are already existent languages and use them to convey messages, but Allah is the one who created language in the first place; thus, his words must have no similarities and no alike.
It’s from the Quran, Allah’s words, that Arabic linguists derived the grammar of standard Arabic.
Which countries speak Fusha Arabic?
Many Arab countries speak Fusha Arabic or MSA, yet no countries actually speak Fusha Arabic or MSA. This puzzle of who speaks Fusha Arabic requires an explanation of how Arabs deal with the concept of language itself.
Any language should be able to function as a system for written and spoken communication, and this highly applies to Fusha Arabic; as it has an amazing, alive, and rich value in writing, and a musical effect when spoken.
Though, Arabs don’t unite their spoken system and their written system. While all Arab countries use Fusha Arabic as an official language, and make use of its written system, we scarcely use its spoken system but are able to speak it just fine..
So, in all Arab countries, where Fusha Arabic is spoken and used as an official language in formal situations, spoken colloquial dialects differ from one country to another.
You can think of the Fusha Arabic as a robe that ties all Arabs together but still allows us to shine in individuality.
Read: HOW TO LEARN ARABIC ONLINE?
Do Arabs speak Fusha with an accent?
Now, we understand that for Arabs the language used for everyday conversions is different from the official language spoken on formal occasions, and used in writing. But what are those variations exactly?
Is it an accent, a dialect, or perhaps a completely different language?
We call a variation an accent when it differs from the official language in terms of pronunciation only, but call it a dialect when it contains new vocabulary that can’t be found in the standard language, and we count it as a different language when its grammar differs from the standard language, along with its vocabulary and pronunciation.
Actually, linguists determined that the variations are not to be named accents, but determining whether it’s a dialect or a language was and still is a bit tricky.
Though, many linguists argue the variations are different dialects; so we shall treat them as different dialects of the same language, which is in this case the Fusha Arabic.
Note: You can learn Arabic Online For Kids With Native Arab Tutors.
Why are the Arabic subtitles in Fusha?
A valid question is why are the Arabic subtitles in Fusha instead of local dialects? The reason behind this is that Fusha is the official language in all Arab countries, which means all Arabs can understand it perfectly. On the other hand, local dialects are limited to their regions only.
So, when Arabic subtitles are written in Fusha, it guarantees a wider range of audiences.
Which Arabic dialect is closest to Fusha?
The closest Arabic dialect to Fusha is a pretty relative matter that has not been unified in opinion; as each country’s dialect will have much in common with MSA.
Each dialect is developed enough; so, it’s far from being identical to Fusha, yet very similar to it.
What is Fusha vs Masri Arabic grammar?
Now that we have settled all the previous issues, a very important point arises: should we learn Arabic or a local dialect such as the Masri Arabic grammar?
As explained, Fusha is the official written and sometimes spoken language in all Arab countries. On the other hand, the Masri Arabic dialect is one of the most widespread colloquial dialects of the Arabic language. It’s the Egyptian dialect, but most Arabs regardless of their home country can understand and speak it.
Since each of them has a crucial distinct role, the decision depends on your reason behind learning the Arabic language.
If you’re learning the Arabic language; you need to be engaged with locals of an Arab country in the conversation for some economic or social reasons, for example, you should learn the local dialect of that country.
If you are learning the Arabic language for a religious reason; such as: converting to Islam, then my friend you should learn MSA, which will greatly help you exercise all religious deeds in Islam.
How to learn Fusha Arabic?
Languages are a tricky field of knowledge to learn; because, unlike all other fields of knowledge, it’s not about learning some information, but about training your brain to become bilingual or multilingual which is neither easy nor simple.
Bear in mind that languages are the field of knowledge that permit us, human beings, to communicate and share all other fields of knowledge.
Kalimah Center offers different educational packages and courses of different levels, which allows you the opportunity to choose what suits you best.
The courses at Kalimah Center are online, which will help you save a lot of time and effort in learning Fusha Arabic or MSA.
Tips that will make learning Arabic a lot easier than expected:
1- Reading is your magic wand:
Generally, reading helps students in acquiring languages faster and with ease; as it will keep feeding your dictionary, and will keep the language alive in your brain.
2- Practice is key:
Remember how we explained earlier that language acquisition is different from learning any other field of knowledge?! Well, the solution to taming the monster languages can be practicing.
Make a new friend, whose native language is your targeted language, and ask them to help you in your journey.
3- Language courses are the safe way out of the woods:
Although learning a language on one’s own isn’t impossible, it usually exposes one to embarrassment when they make a mistake in front of a native.
And trust me, you will make mistakes on your own; so, take the shortcut and join a course; such as the professional Arabic courses at Kalimah Center.
4- Don’t lose your fired-up spirit:
Be aware that it’s not a one-day trip, but a several-month journey, that can be time-consuming, and exhausting. But, it will definitely be fruitful and bloom beautiful flowers; so, be patient and keep going, hero.
5- The routine is your best friend in facing impatience:
How about you forget about immediate achievement; because my friend it’s a long journey, and focus on setting an unchangeable routine.
6- How long does it take to learn Fusha Arabic?
The amount of time one needs to learn Fusha Arabic differs from one to another. It depends on many factors; such as: time management, dedication, and individual priorities.
Though, the full educational program at Kalimah Center would take around 600 hours to complete with efficiency.