The issue of mispronounced Arabic and Islamic names has become topical in some Muslim communities in Ghana. It is even used by the new generation as argument against the old generation for poor scholarship in the Arabic language. This article critically analyses the factors responsible for this.
It is a common observation throughout the ages that as a language travels beyond its borders, foreigners who speak it do so with accents for the fact that it is foreign to them. So was the case of the Arabic language as it spread from Arabia into Africa. As Islam entered into Egypt from Arabia and subsequently, spread into the rest of the North African countries (Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania) people of those areas would initially speak it with some measure of accents. This was for the fact that they had their own languages and dialects, hence Arabic was foreign to them. For example, Egypt spoke Coptic, while the rest of North Africa spoke berber. Arabic was therefore foreign to them. Yet as the stay of the Arab conquerors began to prolong, coupled with the conversion of the indigenes into Islam, they would speak and pronounce Arabic words and names with increasing efficiency till they spoke it without accents. The Arab stay was prolonged, principally, for the excellent ecosystem, temperate weather, availability of water resources, trees, vegetation, lions, tigers and reptiles.
And this, precisely, was how history has described the environmental condition of Qairawaan in Tunisia in North Africa, where the Muslim army settled and founded the city of Qairawaan in the North African military campaign in the Khilafat of Hadrat Usman (Futuuh Infriiqiiya).
From Egypt you move down south to Sudan, a word that means land of the black people, which in the past was known as Nubia. Sudan was easily accessible to the Arabs who crossed the red sea and landed into it. By virtue of the river Nile, that passes through Sudan, which is largely desert, abundant food could be grown by irrigation just like Egypt. In addition, Sudan is noted for its large livestock.
Little wonder the Arabs settled amongst them and intermarried to give birth to offsprings. The result is that the Sudanese, who are largely blacks like their West African counterparts, learnt to speak Arabic without accents. Currently, they proudly call themselves the Sudanese Arab Republic. Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea, all in the same vicinity in East Africa as Sudan might have undergone similar changes to enable them speak Arabic without accents.
West Africa
The situation is markedly different in West Africa where accents on Arabic names have persisted up to the present day with diminishing effects. Examples include: Awudu for Abdallah, Amadu for Ahmad. Alidu for Khalid, Moro for Omar, Ashetu for Ayesha, just to mention some few.
This should be so for the fact that, apart from Arabic being foreign to them, the region was isolated from North Africa by the Sahara Desert that acted and continue to act as a natural barrier. This natural barrier of 1000km length and 800km width, has served as a great barrier to travelers from the North to the South. The region is arid, waterless with soaring temperatures, thereby making life impossible except for few species of animals and vegetations. It can only be effectively crossed by the camel used as riding and pack animal. Yet how many men and load could the camel carry from the North to the South in West Africa across the desert? Very insignificant. The result was that the availability of Arabic scholars and teaching materials was severely limited. In absence of that the accents on pronounced names would persist. For the little daring men who were able to reach the fringes of the forest zones, they faced the danger of malaria from mosquitoes bites. Concerning goods including books and the Quran from North Africa these would become very exhorbitant by the time of arrival in say modern Ghana, with the result that only the few rich could afford to buy them. Similarly, materials like carpets for prayers were so expensive that majority of Muslims improvised using the dried skin of animals as praying meets. A copy of locally produced hand-written, Quran could cost as much as seven slaves, which was out of reach of the pocket of the greater majority of Muslims.
In short West Africa, for the past, has remained largely in accessible to scholars from North Africa, thereby serving as great hindrance to quality Arabic education. This in turn served to perpetuate accents and incorrect recitation of the Holy Quran. With the arrival of the 19th-20th centuries, this barrier has become surmounted by the availability of the printing press, to print the Quran in their thousands. And by the availability of such modern means of transport as trains, motorcars, aero planes etc. They carry books and men to the most isolated regions in West Africa from North Africa, the middle East and far away India. Besides, the Middle Eastern countries have heavily invested in Arabic education, with the result that an increasing number of Muslims are becoming Arabic literate. The issue of mispronounced names is fast becoming a thing of the past.
Christianity
In support of the above view to account for the impediment by of the Sahara to the education and missionary drive by Muslims, we site the example of Christian missions. It is an undisputed fact that it was through the efforts of the Christian missions that the foundations of western education were laid (Muhammed Ben Abdallah, 1987). English, the medium of expression of the colonial masters, was foreign to the natives, with the result that words were pronounced with accents. Examples include: Portuguese was potukyii, thank you was Tankyem, Agriculture was Aworokakya, English was Ennyiresi, Clark was crachi, etc. Not until after 1830 when malaria drug was synthesized from the bark of the cinchona tree, as antidote, Mosquito bites continued to exact heavy toll on the lives of Europeans.
It was only after its synthesis when more Europeans could settle in the Gold Coast as teachers, soldiers and missionaries. As educationists they put up more schools under the Western educational system
Thereby making more and more indigenous people become English literate.
The result was that these mispronounced English words are now historical ”relics” in the Ghanaian language. Their existence therefore serves as evidence that the English and Europeans are the pioneers of Western education in Ghana and West Africa. Similarly, the existence of these mispronounced Arabic names serves as evidence that the Arabs and Muslims (Wangaras) are the pioneers of Islamic education. This article is an attempt by an Ahmadi Muslim scholar to account for the existence of accents on Arabic names by such factors as geographical factors, ecosystem, natural environment etc. Being a scientist he relates changes to environmental factors.
Conclusion.
The availability of the printing press, modern means of transport and communication are increasingly making large number of Muslims literate in Arabic with the result that correct pronunciation of Arabic names and excellent recitation of the Quran are on the increase. Accents on names are diminishing exponentially.
BY KHALID KOFI AHMAD
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