A thematic comparative review of some English translations of the ...
A thematic comparative review of some English translations of the ...
A thematic comparative review of some English translations of the ...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
among those who like to stay with a more literal translation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Qur'an and a<br />
commentary only based on narrations from <strong>the</strong> early Muslims. 4<br />
3. They all include <strong>some</strong> brief commentary. The commentary is <strong>of</strong>ten useful and<br />
essential to fur<strong>the</strong>r clarify <strong>the</strong> meaning. In order to form an understandable idea <strong>of</strong><br />
what a certain passage <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Qur' an means, one needs to be aware <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> usage <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
terms and <strong>the</strong> language by <strong>the</strong> Qur'an itself, and <strong>the</strong> context <strong>of</strong> such passages such as<br />
historical and <strong>the</strong>ological environment. For <strong>the</strong> same reason, one must also be aware<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> extensive scholarly work being conducted and <strong>the</strong> progress achieved today by<br />
different scholars in various areas <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Islamic sciences. All <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se various aspects<br />
can be touched and briefly covered by <strong>the</strong> commentary in a footnote style.<br />
4. The fourth reason for this selection is that all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se four <strong>translations</strong> provide <strong>the</strong><br />
translation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> whole Qur'an.<br />
1.3 Significance <strong>of</strong> this Study<br />
This research <strong>of</strong>fers <strong>some</strong> useful <strong>comparative</strong> information about <strong>the</strong> most widely used<br />
<strong>English</strong> <strong>translations</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Qur' an. This <strong>review</strong> will be useful especially for those who<br />
are seriously seeking knowledge, by helping <strong>the</strong>m to put <strong>the</strong> differences in <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>translations</strong> and meaning in proper perspective. It will clarify <strong>the</strong> reasons for<br />
difference, save readers from confusion and frustration, and help <strong>the</strong>m in developing<br />
better appreciation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> works produced by various people. This research is also<br />
expected to benefit <strong>the</strong> translators, circles <strong>of</strong> academia, and general readers.<br />
It is intended that such an approach will identify fur<strong>the</strong>r requirements to <strong>of</strong>fer more<br />
accurate and more communicative.<strong>translations</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Qur'an in <strong>the</strong> <strong>English</strong> language.<br />
This <strong>review</strong> should make a valuable addition to <strong>the</strong> existing repertoire <strong>of</strong> knowledge<br />
about <strong>the</strong> <strong>English</strong> <strong>translations</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Qur'an. It would also open up fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />
possibilities for more extensiye res.earch on this subject.<br />
1 This data is based on <strong>the</strong> author's general understanding and experience in <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>English</strong> speaking<br />
Muslim comlllunity.
Change language