Language and Law: The Significance of Language Competence in Islamic Legal Theory
Abstract
Language and law seem to have either distant or no connection at all. However, in reality these two disciplines are closely interconnected and interrelated, particularly in the perspectives of Islamic legal theory. One’s language competence is among the determining factors in comprehending Islamic law. This is because in Islamic legal theory, law is derived from the tenets enshrined in the Qur’an and the Prophetic traditions that require a high standard of Arabic language science. Thus, it can be concluded that language and law are inseparable. Unfortunately, many students majoring Islamic law still have minor knowledge as well as awareness of the connection between these two disciplines. Regarding this case in hand, the aims of this study are two fold; first, to find out students’ awareness of the role of language competence in Islamic legal theory, and second, to investigate the correlation between the awareness with students’ competence in Islamic legal theory. This study conducted at the postgraduate program, UIN SU employed a qualitative approach. The data were collected by using questionnaire and in-depth interview. The findings reveal that students’ awareness of the significance of language competence is still relatively low. Furthermore, it is also found that the awareness is positively correlated with their competence in Islamic legal theory.
Keywords: competence, Islamic law, legal theory, Arabic, UIN Sumatera Utara
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