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Abstract

This article examines the status of Arabic and its prospects by probing what “protection”, “development”, and “advancement” mean in Arab constitutions and how such provisions can be converted into workable policies. It adopts an analytical approach that differentiates between standard Arabic and local vernaculars, sets out five prevalent conceptions, and subjects them to critical examination. The study argues that quantitative optimism about speaker numbers and official spread conceals qualitative risks: a widening diglossic gap, pressures of linguistic globalization, colonial afterlives, weak scientific and digital presence, and absent enforcement in key sectors. It counters the view that safeguarding the Qur’an alone safeguards Arabic, noting that textual preservation does not guarantee vitality beyond the mushaf and that understanding the Qur’an requires deliberate language planning. It also challenges the claim that sacredness blocks modernization, emphasizing Arabic’s historical flexibility and capacity to generate terminology and to carry scientific knowledge. Addressing the “senescence” thesis, the article recalls achievements of the Nahda and recent reforms while indicating outstanding tasks. It rejects making scientific use contingent on prior “preparation”, affirming that broad usage itself drives development alongside Arabization, translation, terminology work, grammatical facilitation, and gradual unification of the linguistic market. It concludes by urging planning and funding.

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