إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَٰهُ قُرْءَٰنًا عَرَبِيًّۭا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٢﴾
Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an that you might understand.
The Quran and the Prophet
Why do Muslims read the Quran in Arabic if many do not understand it?
Short answer
Muslims believe the Quran's exact Arabic words are the revelation, and a translation is only an explanation of its meanings. That is why Muslims recite it in Arabic in prayer, while they are encouraged to read a translation to understand it.
The fuller answer
The Arabic words carry a rhythm, a beauty and a depth of meaning that no translation can fully capture, and the same recitation connects Muslims across the world and across fourteen centuries. A translation is always an interpretation by a human translator.
Understanding is encouraged. The Quran asks people to ponder it, and Muslims read translations and commentary (tafsir) in their own language. On this website, every verse is shown in Arabic with a translation in 18 languages so that a reader can follow both.
From the Quran
أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ أَمْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَآ ﴿٢٤﴾
Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?
Please note
This answer follows the mainstream Sunni understanding and is general learning, not a fatwa. Where Muslims differ, the answer says so. Have a question of your own? Write to us.