Which language is the principal language of the Qur’an?

Classical Arabic is the principal language of the Qur’an.

The Qur’an was composed and transmitted in an early form of Arabic associated with the Arabian Peninsula in the seventh century. Classical Arabic also became the language of major religious, legal, scientific, and literary works across the medieval Islamic world.

Classical Arabic should be distinguished from Modern Standard Arabic. Modern Standard Arabic developed from the classical written tradition and is used today in formal writing, education, news, and official communication. Arabic-speaking communities also use many spoken varieties in daily life.

The Qur’anic language has had an especially strong influence on Arabic vocabulary, rhetoric, calligraphy, and grammar. Although Muslims worldwide may read translations, the Arabic text has a central liturgical status in Islam, and Qur’anic recitation follows established pronunciation traditions.