Is it permissible to greet and return greetings in a language other than Arabic, and to say the adhkar (remembrances of God) in a language other than Arabic?
The intention behind greetings (salaam) and prescribed invocations () can be achieved in languages other than Arabic. For this reason, scholars have issued fatwas permitting greetings in non-Arabic languages if the recipient understands them, and likewise for the recitation of "Bismillah" (Tasmiah) before slaughtering an animal, it can be in any language. However, if both the speaker and the recipient know Arabic, then the greeting and its reply should ideally be in Arabic, because it is disliked for an Arab to speak in a language other than Arabic without need. As for greetings and invocations inside the prayer, they must be in Arabic.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 24571
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy