A nation without a recorded history is as if it has no past. A lack of past means no roots, making it easier to be uprooted and erased from historical memory. To ensure our native Arabic language remains vibrant in today's world, Dr. Abdelali Al-Wadhiri sounds an alarm by addressing the status of Arabic in this challenging historical phase faced by the Islamic nation across all its countries and societies in his book titled 'Arabic Language in Stages of Weakness and Dependency'. The book is structured into four chapters where the author elaborates on the severity and dangers of the period, highlighting the major challenges confronting the Arab and Islamic nations on political, economic, cultural, and social fronts. Professor Dr. Abdel Salam Al-Massadi introduced the book, acknowledging that the author skillfully blends local Moroccan themes into the broader Arab context without artificiality. He addresses the reader by saying: 'You will admire the magnificent harmony the author creates between Arab and Islamic subjects, linguistic and political issues, and between a passed history and a present we live and a future we await, much like Al-Mutanabbi awaited his fever...'. Dr. Al-Wadhiri emphasizes that the struggles of the Arabic language, especially Classical Arabic, in this seemingly temporary period, are a reflection of the state of the nation and its deteriorating conditions. He asserts that the revival of the language is tied to the revival of its people. Secondly, the negligence and distancing by Arabs from their language are more perilous than its challenges, representing the greatest obstacle it faces currently. The day this hurdle is removed, the language's situation will transform. Thirdly, the exclusion of Arabic from vital fields, particularly in teaching precise sciences and technologies, and in sectors like economy, trade, businesses, finance, media, administration, etc., is a sign of neglect and a desire for its delay and marginalization.

Furthermore, the author tackles other issues the Arabic language encounters at this point in its history, such as the lack of planning, the problem of bilingualism between Classical and colloquial dialects, foreign language competition in its own domain, and complaints regarding its rules, teaching methods, and stagnancy. Therefore, the author calls for intensive, organized, and planned efforts to protect, serve, and develop the Arabic language while being mindful of the numerous negative aspects demanding caution. These are the key issues addressed in this book, distributed across four chapters with discussions under the following titles: The first chapter deals with Arabic language during stages of weakness and dependency; the second chapter covers the status of the Arabic language in the era of globalization and its challenges: elements of weakness and strength; the third chapter analyzes the issue of bilingualism: Classical Arabic and its contemporary dialects: Connection or Disconnection?; and the fourth and final chapter is about media and its importance in unifying language and bridging Classical Arabic and dialects. A final word from the author...

Publishing house: Arabic Scientific Publishers/Lebanon

Number of Pages: 288

Year of publication: 2013