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.