A THEMATIC COMP ARA TIVE REVIEW OF SOME ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF THE QUR'AN (original) (raw)
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Al-Idrak Research Journal, 2021
'Abdullah Yūsuf 'Alī has been a noteworthy translator and commentator of the Holy Qur'ān. His endeavor has survived the test of time with more than 200 editions. The first edition did not come as a whole but in piecemeal fashion in thirty episodes. The very first edition had some problems with transliteration, names and number of verses of some Surahs. There are some un-resorted claims in the preface too. His educational background and personal literary taste let his effort lag behind the notch he set for himself. The authors will try to highlight all the above-mentioned aspects of his rendition. Though it has refined over the course of time due to the efforts of many researchers but the authors here intend to record some of the original facts related to the earlier editions. This establishes the viability of the topic for he is the most published translator till date. Methodical style of investigation is opted, coupled with a bit of analysis and comparison aiming a compact, far-reaching and all-encompassing article on his rendition. The question which drives this study is whether 'Abdullah Yusuf 'Ali's translation and commentary in vogue is same as it was in the first three editions. We expect it to be a very useful and comprehensive input in the academic circles. Some salient features of A. Yūsuf 'Alī's Translation of the Holy Qur'ān, to support the argument, will also be discussed in this research paper. It is recommended that the art of transliteration is to be taught in all the research institutions of social sciences.
Hazara Islamicus, 2014
The review article presents, briefly but comparatively, an analysis and assessment of two newly published English translations of the holy Qur'┐ n, viz. Dr. Peachy and Dr. Al-Johan┘ 's The Qur'┐ n: The Final Book of God - A Clear English Translation of the Glorious Qur'┐ n (2012) published from Saudi Arabia and Prof. Abdur Raheem Kidwai's What is in the Qur'┐ n? Message of the Qur'┐ n in Simple English (2013), published from India. Both are similar in many aspects, and at the same time, both have some unique and distinct features as well. In this article, a comparison of some selected (somehow 'debatable' and 'variedly' translated) verses, from both works, with some other prominent English translations, like A. Y┴ s┴ f'Al┘ , M. M. Pickthall, and M┐ jid Daryab┐ di are provided, to show both the similarities and to highlight the differences between them.
(2001) Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s Translation of the Quran: An Evaluation.
Issues in Education 24: 29-52, 2001
The intention of this paper is to assess, evaluate and appraise Abdullah Yusuf Ali's translation of the Holy Quran, may Allah bless his soul. Ali's translation enjoys great respect and has a wide circulation among English-speaking Muslims, especially in the Indian sub-continent; it also has received considerable approval from Muslim scholarly circles around the globe, which is evidenced by the revisions it had at the hands of Islamic institutions and academies in various parts of the world. Despite all of these revisions, however, the translation, notwithstanding the excellent service it did to the Book of Allah and propagation of Islam to millions of people, still suffers from serious shortcomings at the level of concept representation, language, style, coherence, and typography. A selection of these drawbacks will be described in this paper. Our work must not be seen in any way as to disparage the translation; rather, it must be looked at as a way of improving on this superb work; it must be seen as a means towards an end: to render the maximal, optimal and best service to the book of Allah: which brings people from the depths of darkness to light, guidance and mercy. To achieve this end, translations of the Quran must be presented in the best, easiest and most readily comprehensible manner possible to make it accessible not only to the lucky few but to the majority of people. Suggestions and proposals will be finally offered as to how to best put these improvements into practice.
Literary Traces of the Qur`an in Its English Translations
Language Circle: Journal of Language and Literature, 2018
Based on many researches have been done, the Qur‘an uses literary methods in conveying the messages. This research uses different perspective in proving such conclusion by using English translations of the Qur‘an written by four authorized Qur‘an translators. The researcher uses Hermeneutics and Aesthetics to find the literary substantiations of English translations of the Qur‘an. Of course there will be random verses of the Qur‘an that would be choosen to be analyzed. Both analysis devices say that English translations of the Qur‘an have literary traces that signify the Qur‘an as a literary masterpiece, such as not only in owning different dictions and layers of meaning but also in owning aesthetic process and poetic texts.
Qur'an Translation and Modern Translation Theory
2014
The main idea of this thesis is that Qur’ān translation, as an academic topic of interest, is disconnected from all other areas of translation studies. An attempt is therefore made to re-contextualise Qur’ān translation in pursuit of post-Sausserian relevance. This research is the first to engage with all three sources for Qur’ān translation: the ulema, translation scholars and linguists, and Qur’ān translators. More specifically, this research asks how adequate one particular translation theory, House (1997), is for tackling the complexities of this unique and interesting field. The theory is tested for both theoretical relevance and practical adequacy. The study found that House’s model was able to address many fundamental co-textual factors surrounding the Qur’ānic text—namely the concerns of the ulema—but at the same time failed to capture other, more subtle aspects of this Holy Scripture in translation. The functional grammar underpinnings of House’s model were also shown to be stretched to the limit when subjected to Qur’ānic discourse. Although this thesis frequently uses Arabic references, all quotes have been translated by this author, all technical terms have been explained in a glossary, and the main Muslim figures that appear in this thesis have been given short biographies in an appendix.
2015
The recent increase in the number of English translations of the Quran has led to problematic misrepresentations, misinterpretations and even textual discrepancies in the translations of a number of Islamic concepts, principles and norms. This paper is an attempt to evaluate five different English versions of the translation of the Quran using concepts, principles and norms as parameters for discussion and analysis. Results of discussion and analysis of the samples used in this paper have indicated that there is an un urgent need for a mechanism that will help using the formation of a standardised version of an explanatory translation of the meanings of the Quran that is authoritative in form and content to be used all over the English Speaking world. To achieve this objective, a list of suggestions and recommendations have been made for use by those in authority and for those who are interested in carrying out further
"Translations of the Qur’an: Islamicate Languages" Oxford Handbook of Qur'anic Studies
Oxford Handbook of Qur'anic Studies, 2020
This chapter surveys scholarly literature on Qur’anic translations into non-European languages—in this sample, Swahili, Persian, Turkish, Mandarin Chinese, and Malay. It highlights the foci and problems of research in the field and examines, in broad strokes, the history of translations and their relationship with vernacular commentaries. The piece is arranged according to the evolution of the genre in its various formats—interlinear translations, commentary translations, and modern translation. Additionally, it considers the role of print technology, Christian missionaries, and Muslim reformist movements in cultivating a modern genre of Qur’anic translation.