Leveraging AI to Bridge Classical Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic for Text Simplification

AbstractThis paper introduces the Hadith Simplification Dataset, a novel resource comprising 250 pairs of Classical Arabic (CA) Hadith texts and their simplified Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) equivalents. Addressing the lack of resources for simplifying culturally and religiously significant texts, this dataset bridges linguistic and accessibility gaps while preserving theological integrity. The simplifications were generated using a large language model and rigorously verified by an Islamic Studies expert to ensure precision and cultural sensitivity. By tackling the unique lexical, syntactic, and cultural challenges of CA-to-MSA transformation, this resource advances Arabic text simplification research. Beyond religious texts, the methodology developed is adaptable to other domains, such as poetry and historical literature. This work underscores the importance of ethical AI applications in preserving the integrity of religious texts while enhancing their accessibility to modern audiences.