Is the Language of Paradise Arabic, and Could the Inhabitants of Paradise Be Bilingual?

Arabic has long captivated the hearts of Muslims worldwide, not only due to its role as the language of the Quran and Hadith but also because of a widespread belief that it holds a special status in the hereafter.

Many Muslims are motivated to learn Arabic with great enthusiasm, driven by the narrative that it is the language spoken by the inhabitants of paradise. Thus, for some Muslims, learning Arabic transcends mere linguistic skill—it becomes an act of preparation for life after death.

This motivation is evident in various Islamic educational settings, from pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) to Muslim communities in non-Arab countries. Arabic is regarded as a bridge to a deeper understanding of religious teachings and as a "ticket" to communicate in the ambiance of paradise in the hereafter.

In reality, Muslims are scattered across the globe—from Southeast Asia to Africa, Europe, and the Americas—with vastly diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Not all Muslims have access to or the opportunity to learn Arabic, let alone master it.

Among Muslims, some lead devout lives yet communicate solely in their native languages. If Arabic is indeed the language of paradise, does this imply a spiritual disparity for those who do not speak it? What, then, is the fate of Muslims who never learn Arabic in their lifetime?

To address this question, we must refer to a narration often cited as a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), which states:

From Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Love the Arabs for three reasons: because I am an Arab, the Quran is in Arabic, and the language of the people of paradise is Arabic."
(Reported by Al-Tabarani in Al-Mu’jam al-Kabir, [Mosul: Maktabatul ‘Ulum wal Hikam, 1983], vol. II, p. 185).

If taken at face value as a religious authority, this narration could be interpreted as elevating one language—and even one race—above others. By declaring Arabic as the language of paradise, it might inadvertently position other languages and cultures as "second-class." This creates a hierarchy that seems to contradict the principle of equality in Islam. So, how do hadith scholars critique this narration?

Al-Haythami notes that the chain of transmission (sanad) of this hadith includes a narrator, Al-‘Ala bin ‘Amr al-Hanafi, who is unanimously considered weak (dha’if):

"It was narrated by Al-Tabarani in Al-Mu’jam al-Kabir and Al-Awsath, except that it states, 'and the tongue of the people of paradise is Arabic.' In its chain is Al-‘Ala bin ‘Amr al-Hanafi, who is agreed upon as a weak narrator."
(Majma’uz Zawaid, [Beirut: Darul Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1988], vol. III, p. 108).

Al-Suyuti, in Jami’ul Ahadith (vol. I, p. 477), reports that Al-Dhahabi deemed this hadith fabricated (mawdhu’). Al-‘Uqaili classified it as rejected (munkar) and baseless (la asl lahu), while Ibn al-Jawzi included it in his work Al-Mawdhu’at, an encyclopedia of fabricated hadiths. This assessment is echoed by Muhammad bin Darwish al-Hawt, a prominent Beirut scholar from the Ottoman era:

"It is a disputed narration. Al-Dhahabi commented, 'In its chain is Muhammad bin Al-Fadhl, who is accused [of fabrication].' He also said, 'I believe this hadith is fabricated.' Ibn Hibban likewise considered it fabricated, while Abu Hatim remarked about the narrator, 'He is a liar.'"
(Asnal Mathalib fi Ahadits Mukhtalafatil Maratib, [Beirut: Darul Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, n.d.], vol. I, p. 31).

Scholars’ Analysis of the Hadith

This narration explicitly ties the command to love the Arabs to three reasons. First, because the Prophet was an Arab, which can be understood as referencing his identity as part of the Arab people—both through the eloquent Arabic he spoke and his lineage connecting him to them.

Second, because the Quran is in Arabic, highlighting the language’s distinction as the medium of the Quran’s unparalleled eloquence, beauty, and stylistic superiority.

Third, because the language of paradise’s inhabitants is Arabic, suggesting that it is the language spoken by all who enter paradise, from the first to the last generation of humanity.

Based on these three merits, the hadith, according to Al-Shan’ani, appears to assert that loving the Arabs is obligatory due to their inherent virtues. However, this poses a problem: superficially, the command could encompass all Arabs—Muslim and non-Muslim alike (At-Tanwir Syarhul Jami’ush Shagir, [Riyadh: Maktabah Darus Salam, 2011], vol. I, p. 402).

Al-Shan’ani offers a perspective contrary to popular modern interpretations. He suggests that the hadith’s call to love the Arabs might specifically refer to those who are believers. Alternatively, if it includes all Arabs, the love for non-Muslim Arabs could pertain to the beauty, eloquence, and clarity of their language—not their faith—while their disbelief remains condemned by religion. If limited to believing Arabs, the hadith underscores their superiority in affection over believers from other nations (vol. I, p. 402).

Al-Shan’ani’s view is difficult to reconcile with modern moral sensibilities, where equality and the rejection of racism are mainstream values. Today, people believe peace is achievable through inclusive moral principles, free from hate speech or conflict sparked by differences.

Let us consider a more inclusive and moderate explanation from Mulla Al-Qari in Mirqatul Mafatih. He argues that this hadith is not a call to ethnic chauvinism or the notion that one race, ethnicity, or language is superior to others.

Rather, the narration can be seen as an appreciation of the historical, linguistic, and spiritual role of the Arabs in spreading Islam. The author of Mirqatul Mafatih emphasizes that this love is tied to "causes and factors," not mere racial identity. It also invites reflection on the importance of understanding Arabic to authentically engage with the Quran and Sunnah (Lama’atut Tanqih, [Beirut: Darul Fikr, 2002], vol. IX, p. 3874).

Could the Inhabitants of Paradise Be Bilingual?

The question of the language of paradise has long been debated in Islam. In seventeenth-century Istanbul, this issue resurfaced as puritan movements opposed the use of Persian and the Persianate canon (a cultural and intellectual tradition rooted in Persian) as sacred texts (Aslıhan Gürbüzel, Bilingual Heaven: Was There a Distinct Persianate Islam in the Early Modern Ottoman Empire?, [Philological Encounters, 2021], p. 214).

Writers of the Mevlevi order, a Sufi tariqa founded in the thirteenth century in Konya by followers of Rumi, defended the mystical Persianate canon within Sunni Islam during seventeenth-century Istanbul. They proposed the concept of a "bilingual paradise," sanctifying both Arabic and Persian.

According to İsmāʿīl ʿAnḳaravī, a key figure in the Mevlevi order, Islam in the early modern Ottoman period was not solely focused on legalistic adherence to sharia but also embraced non-legal discourses, such as mystical and philosophical canons, as integral to the Islamic tradition.

In the imagery of a bilingual paradise, two distinct divine configurations—legal and mystical-philosophical—can coexist. This idea suggests that bilingual inhabitants of paradise are not an impossibility but a plausible reality (p. 217).

Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi argued that the language of paradise and hell cannot be definitively known, as there is no clear text or consensus (ijma’) on the matter. He posited that there must be a language for communication, which could be one known to humanity today, a new language distinct from all existing ones, or even multiple languages simultaneously (bilingual) (Al-Ihkam fi Ushulil Ahkam, [Beirut: Dar Ibn Hazm, 2016], vol. I, p. 65).

Furthermore, Ibn Hazm rejected the notion that one language is superior to another:

"Some people assume their language is the best of all languages. This is meaningless, for superiority has known criteria—through actions or distinction—and a language itself performs no actions, nor is there any text elevating one language above another."
(Al-Ihkam, vol. I, p. 65).

Ibn Hazm even dismissed claims that Arabic is inherently superior to other languages simply because it is the language of the Quran:

"Allah, the Exalted, informed us that He revealed the Quran in Arabic solely so that the Prophet’s people could understand it, and for no other reason."
(Al-Ihkam, vol. I, p. 66).

Additionally, Ibn Hazm cited Ali (RA), who refuted those claiming Arabic’s supremacy: "This opinion is meaningless, for Allah has informed us that He sent no messenger except in the language of his people" (Oday Zidat, The Origin of Human Language According to Ibn Ḥazm, [Al-Qasemi Journal of Islamic Studies: 2022], p. 19).

In conclusion, the debate about the language of paradise reflects the complexity of perspectives within Islam regarding language, identity, and religious authority. The narration asserting Arabic as the language of paradise has been critiqued and deemed weak by many hadith scholars.

Thus, while Arabic holds a special status as the language of the Quran, this is not absolute, and no one can definitively confirm it as the sole language of the hereafter. A more moderate view emphasizes that the essence of Islam lies in faith and deeds, not in language as a determinant of one’s fate in the afterlife.

Amien Nurhakim, Editor of Islamic Affairs at NU Online and Lecturer at the Faculty of Ushuluddin, PTIQ University, Jakarta