On Qur'an Translations
Ziauddin Sardar - on The Qur'an Translated by M. A. S. Abdel Haleem (Oxford University Press, 2004).
Translations of the Qur'an have long been a battleground. Ostensibly, the purpose of translating the most sacred text of Islam is to make it accessible to those without Arabic - Muslims and non-Muslims alike. But English translations of the Qur'an have frequently been used to subvert the text as well as its real message. The most obvious point to be made about any translation of the Qur'an (and the correct spelling is Qur'an, not Koran) is that, strictly speaking, it is not the Qur'an. Literally, "qur'an" means "reading", or that which should be read. It is an epic poetic text, meant to be read aloud, whose true import can be communicated only in the original. A translation is not that inimitable symphony, the very sounds of which move men and women to tears and ecstasy. It is only an attempt to give the barest suggestion of the meaning of the Qur'an. This is why both classical and contemporary Muslim scholars and jurists agree that translations of the Qur'an cannot be read during daily prayers. Indeed, some scholars go so far as to argue that the Qur'an cannot be written down in letters other than the original Arabic characters.
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Andrew Rippin - on An Interpretation of the Qur'an: English Translation of the Meanings by Majid Fakhry (New York University Press, 2002), and The Qur'an Translated by M. A. S. Abdel Haleem (OxfordUniversity Press, 2004).
The appearance of a new Qur'an translation in English must be recognized as a special event. For the translator, such a project can only be brought to fruition after years of work, consideration, consultation, editing, and revision. And it is an audacious act for anyone to take on, given the number of translations which already exist and the constant nagging question concerning whether there is a market (and thus a publisher) for a new version. So, it is with some surprise and, indeed, pleasure that these two new translations must be greeted.
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Ziauddin Sardar - on The Qur'an: A New Translation by Tarif Khalidi (Penguin Classics, 2008).
We look for two things in any new translation of the Qur'an. How close does it get to communicating the meaning of the original, that inimitable oral text, the very sounds of which move men and women to tears and ecstasy? And does it offer something more: a new perspective, perhaps; or an innovative rendering?
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