The Quran: An Artistic Rendering
Translations of the Quran should not be done for the sake of translation but the sake of communication. The Quran is the final revelation of God to mankind and it is the duty of the Muslims to make sure every human being has the opportunity to know it. Thus translations should be undertaken to serve a specific purpose in this regard.I began translating the Quran simply because I did not find a translation similar to it, and furthermore felt it was a necessary alternative which ought to be available. There are already many excellent translations. Yusuf Ali’s is a classic, as well as the ones by Pickthall and others. What I feel is the shortcoming, not in the translations themselves but for the English speaking audience, is that often the words are too elevated. It is difficult for the average English speaker to understand some of what is written and it requires education, or at least a dictionary on the part of the reader to comprehend much of what is said. As for modern day translations, they are usually much simpler and more direct and this is indeed an advantage. Still comprehension of the message is often obscure. My father recently translated the Quran, not as a literal translation, but a translation of meaning. This is because it is often difficult for English speakers, and moreso for Non-Muslims specifically, to understand what Muslims understand or what Islam intends by some of the words or phrases. For instance it is made clear that God is One although the Quran may refer to God in the royal plural form. In fact many Non-Muslims have told him that it was one of the first times they could understand the Quran.My personal relied upon favorite thus far has been “The Noble Quran” by Al-Hilali and Khan. I felt it struck a good balance between simple language and elevation. Yet the drawback here is that it heavily utilizes tafaseer, in fact, it is written on the cover that it is the “Interpretation of the Meanings” with sources from the classical books of exegesis. This is good for a Muslim in terms of more exact understanding, but is challenging to a Non-Muslim who is simply trying to read and understand this “Quran” that they have heard of. It is disruptive to continually interject by saying “All praise is for Allah (and explaining in detail who Allah is each time He is mentioned), Lord of the ‘Aalameen (and keeping some Arabic words left intact, with the specific meaning and connotations explained).” It takes away from the ease and flow for a beginner.Therefore, what I wanted was a translation for a specific purpose - to render into English the revelation of God to mankind in simple yet eloquent language, displaying the power and beauty of the words and phrases, the Message He has given all of us, while presenting it in a spare, tasteful format which enables the reader to feel they are reading what was revealed, to feel the connection through the words. It is also simply a beautiful book anyone, atheist or deist alike would enjoy reading due to its own merits of language and wisdom. At the same time, it is not for the merely poetic or literarily inclined but for those who do believe in religion and consider it to be
sacred and containing mysticism as well as morality.To enhance this particular style I basically decided upon a very simple, ascetic cover with no explanation. Yet the words have been kept true and direct to the reader. It is also organized in such a way that the passages are coherent to the uninitiated, who may not understand that the verses were sent as parts and for example that the entire chapter of “The Cow” may not actually be about the cow only, that it is revelation and reminder, not a novel or textbook. It is also numbered in a style common to books of poetry and literature for a balance between a book of reference and study, and a book that simply flows with a message.Inevitably the question of my qualifications will arise and I will be frank. I am not a scholar. I am a student of religion, the study of which is a guideline for the message of Islam as derived from the Quran, I understand basic Arabic and am familiar with its function and style, and I have mastery over the English language. Therefore, I did not simply sit and translate on my own. I relied upon those works already translated, dictionaries, exegeses and other tools to derive a unique translation as literal, correct, and appropriate to the original Arabic that I could, and thus to put forth the best possible rendering for the objectives I mentioned above. Most Muslims, when speaking to non-Muslims about the Quran, often paraphrase or put forth a meaning that seeks first and foremost understanding from our audience. This objective is paramount to any translation, whether an official one, a scholarly one, or a layman’s spontaneous attempts.I pray Allah accepts this deed for His Sake and that it brings much by way of benefit to the people. I pray it is a small contribution to the responsibility of
communication between God and man which Allah has placed upon our shoulders after the Angel Gabriel and the Prophets, peace be upon them.
(Note: This entry was imported from my personal blog and as such some of the information may be dated. Unfortunately, user comments were lost in the migration, so if you had a comment up, feel free to repost.)