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Arabic (view source)

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Some apologists claim that the Qur'an can only be properly understood in its original Arabic form. Thus all translations are unreliable, and all criticism of Islam is invalid unless one studies and understands Classical Arabic. There are several problems with this claim:  
Some apologists claim that the Qur'an can only be properly understood in its original Arabic form. Thus all translations are unreliable, and all criticism of Islam is invalid unless one studies and understands Classical Arabic. There are several problems with this claim:  


If you cannot criticize Islam unless you know Classical Arabic (because your understanding of what Islam is may be erroneous), then it logically follows that you cannot propagate Islam unless you know Classical Arabic (because your understanding of what Islam is may be erroneous). No Muslim would agree to that because most Muslims do not understand Modern Arabic, let alone Classical Arabic.  
If it's not possible to criticize Islam unless you know Classical Arabic (because your understanding of what Islam is may be erroneous), then it logically follows that you cannot propagate Islam unless you know Classical Arabic (because your understanding of what Islam is may be erroneous). No Muslim would agree to that because most Muslims do not understand Modern Arabic, let alone Classical Arabic.  


It is not possible for anyone to learn a language that cannot be translated into the only one they do know, which means those who insist that one "must learn Arabic” in order to understand the Qur’an are committing a [[Logical Fallacies|logical fallacy]].  Either the Arabic of the Qur'an is translatable (in which case there is no need to learn Arabic) or it is not (in which case it can never be learned by the non-native speaker).
It is not possible for anyone to learn a language that cannot be translated into the only one they do know, which means those who insist that one "must learn Arabic” in order to understand the Qur’an are committing a [[Logical Fallacies|logical fallacy]].  Either the Arabic of the Qur'an is translatable (in which case there is no need to learn Arabic) or it is not (in which case it can never be learned by the non-native speaker).
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The Arabic language is no different to other languages; if other languages can be translated accurately, then so can Arabic. Critics or adherents of Judaism, Christianity and Hinduism do not need to speak Hebrew, Greek or Sanskrit in order to understand these faiths, and the same applies to Islam.  
The Arabic language is no different to other languages; if other languages can be translated accurately, then so can Arabic. Critics or adherents of Judaism, Christianity and Hinduism do not need to speak Hebrew, Greek or Sanskrit in order to understand these faiths, and the same applies to Islam.  


Furthermore, translations were, and still are, always softened so to be more acceptable to a general audience, like the word "lightly" added to {{Quran|4|34}} by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, allowing to [[Wife Beating in Islamic Law|beat]] one's wife. The word 'Kill' was also softened into '[[The Meaning of Qatal|fight]]' like in {{Quran|9|5}}.
Furthermore, translations were, and still are today, often "softened"or made more palatable to modern, liberal, western(ized) audiences, such as adding the word "lightly" (originally in Arabic "not severally" or غير مبرح) added to {{Quran|4|34}} by Abdullah Yusuf Ali (based off of extra-quranic material and commentary relating to this verse), which enjoins [[Wife Beating in the Qur'an|beat]]. The word 'Kill' was also softened into '[[The Meaning of Qatal|fight]]' like in {{Quran|9|5}}.


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