In one of the scenes, where the torturer asks Mansoor if he could read the Arabic text, Mansoor replies that he can read, but doesn't know what it means. And he also insists that it is true for most of the people in Pakistan.
I am just curious that is it true? Wouldn't you want to know the meaning of what you are reading(able to read)?
It's very much possible.
I'm sure you can read Spanish, German, Portuguese, Dutch and French.
Do you understand all these languages (among others)?
The reason why they may be able to read Arabic is because their Urdu script is very similar to the Arabic script.
I can read many Indian languages, both from the north and south and especially with the south Indian languages, I am hardly able to understand them.
It is quite true for most of the commoners. They can read the Arabic easily because its script is very similar to that of Urdu.
On another note, those who cannot even read Urdu can read Quran because they learn to read it from a teacher. Virtually every Muslim in Pakistan can at least recite Quran and also know many of its verses and chapters by heart. Educated in Urdu or not.
Those interested in knowing the meaning, read Quran with an Urdu translation, or a translation in their own language.
Those who want to delve more deeply learn Arabic themselves. It is easy to learn.
Scholars say that if you really want to get what the Quran is all about, you should read it in Arabic after learning the language. Translations don't fully capture the essence of it.
Its just like someone who can read english being able to read Latin but not able to grasp the meaning.
shareits 100% true.
Urdu comes from Arabic and the alphabet of the two languages is nearly the same. Some minor differences.
Almost all Pakistanis that can read Urdu can read Arabic and have read the Quran in Arabic if they Muslim. I can read Arabic and not understand it.
Similar to anyone who can ready English, can read Italian or French; and not understand it.
Like many others thought provoking scenes, this scene was also one. The point to ponder here is how absurd is it to read a language without understanding it. Shoaib Mansoor is trying to raise this point that what is the point of reading a book, that is the book of guidance, without understanding it?
It is really a dilemma that majority doesn't even bother to understand the guidance.