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Language is an interesting field to discover because of the abstract nature that it possesses. This discipline has several subdivisions such as psycholinguistics, pragmatics, semantics, sociolinguistics, and so on. Related to the theme that we have chosen, sociolinguistics offers remarkable topics that open to discussion. Sociolinguistics has its own distinctive significances. Among them are listed as below:
• Language, particularly English is used differently by different people from different background
• Language as a tool of idea; without language, ideas would be impossible to exist, a society needs a language to interact, communicate and as a tool for speeches
• An individual regularly interacts with community members, so each member needs to know their role in the society and how to react accordingly in the community
• It is important to discover how society can give impact to language and vice versa.
Since sociolinguistics covers such a wide scope of interest, therefore we choose to discuss specifically on Cross-cultural communication. In Cross-cultural communication, we can learn about the culture, politeness in terms of languages of that society thus enabling us to avoid the stereotype towards a culture that is different from us. We will also be referring to the politeness theory as defined by Brown and Levinson that there are two types of faces that need to be maintained (positive & negative). Noriko Kitamura, a researcher explains these faces as "the positive and consistent image people have of themselves and their desire for approval". On the other hand, ‘negative face’ is “the basic claim to territories, personal preserves, and rights to non-distraction”. According to Lakoff's theory of politeness, "what we think is appropriate behavior in particular situations, is an attempt to achieve and maintain successful social relationships with others."
Language is a vast knowledge that plays several pivotal roles. Dated back during the time of the prophet s.a.w., he emphasized on cultural and societal background of the target community before delivering his da'wah; so that the message can be clearly comprehended and understood by the audience. In his 23 years of prophethood, language, tolerance and communication indicate an important vessel to ensure the success of his da'wah.
From an Islamic perspective, we are encouraged to learn as many languages as possible, and especially those that will help us gain better understanding of our religion. Certain Islamic terms simply cannot be translated accurately into languages such as English. For example, the word Najasah as we know has a deeper connotation than what may be generally thought of as "uncleanliness". The essence of the term is not maintained when deciphered into English or other languages.
In addition, languages take time to become Islamic. Because of their long association with Islamic culture, some languages have become "Islamic languages". Therefore, the Islamic resources that we see today in Arabic, Persian, and Urdu are much developed and advanced when compared to those in English. By learning at least one of these languages (Arabic, Persian, and Urdu), one has better access to gaining further Islamic knowledge and understanding.
"Had the Qur'an been revealed in all languages it will only cause a split in the Muslim nation into different factions, whereas the intention of Islam is to unite its nation which comprises different races. Those Muslims who do not understand Arabic (the Qur'an and the Tradition) are required to learn it. If this is not possible, then it is sufficient enough if they know the meaning of the Qur'anic verses and the Tradition from the translations. In fact, this is what is being practiced by Muslims all over the world since the days of the Prophet".
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