A Comparison between English Translations of Meanings of the Quran
ﻣﻘﺎﻧﺔ ﺑ ﺗﺮ ﺎ ﻠﺔ ﻌﺎ ﻟﻘﺮ ﻜﺮﻢ
{ ﻠ – English } }
Collected, translated and reviewed by: Abu Adham Osama Omara
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A Comparison between English Translations of meanings of the Quran Islamhouse.com
ﻣﻘﺎﻧﺔ ﺑ ﺗﺮ ﺎ ﻠﺔ ﻌﺎ ﻟ ﻘﺮ ﻜﺮﻢ
{ ﺑﺎﻠﻐﺔ ﻹﻠﺔ}
:
١٠ -١
A Comparison between English Translations of meanings of the Quran Islamhouse.com
Introduction This comparison is almost based on the Arabic research of Dr. Wajeeh Hamad Abdurrahmaan English Transla- tions of the Quran Meanings in the Islamic Balance and his book A Pause with Some English Translations of the Quran Meanings . All information mentioned in the second column is by me (Osama Omara). I tried to summarize and arrange the information mentioned in these two books in this table. If I find any additional information about this topic in the future, I will immediately write it. Dear reader! You should know that scholars’ efforts are to trans- late meanings of the Quranic verses not the verses. So their translations vary due to their level in Islamic sciences and English language.
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A Comparison between English Translations of meanings of the Quran Islamhouse.com
No. Translation’s Title Translator Publishing Date Advantages Disadvantages Notes
The writer claims that the Prophet Ale ander oss ( - ): It was published in in It’s the first translation of the Quraan The Alcoran of Muhammad (peace be upon him) is He was a prolific Scottish London. There is a copy at into English. It is indeed respected by the author of the Quraan and the Mahomet writer and controversialist. the British Museum. the Orientalists. Prophet of the Turkish.
This translation is not accurate and contains mistakes. The translator The Alcoran of George Sale ( – , The first edition was in shows through the translation that Mohammed London, England): He was an . the Prophet Muhammad’s message Orientalist and practicing was confined to the people of solicitor. Macca and the Arab.
To achieve this work, he depended on John Medows odwell ( – He arranged the Quranic suras the English translation of George Sale The first edition was in The Koran ): He was an English non- chronologically unlike the real and the Latin translation of Louis Muslim Islamic scholar. . arrangement. Maracci and a German translation. His translation was presented by the famous Orientalist G.Margoliouth.
A Comparison between English Translations of meanings of the Quran Islamhouse.com
There is no doubt that Palmer wrote this translation in the same way of
George sale’s translation concerning he showed that the Prophet Mu- hammad’s message was confined to The Quran (for The the people of Macca and the Arab. He translated the Quran to meet the Edward Henry Palmer (August It was published in O ford, demand of a German Orientalist who Sacred Books of the He arranged the Quranic suras , –August ): He was Britain in . was the Chairman of the Department East series) an English Orientalist. (chapters) chronologically unlike of the Oriental Studies in O ford the real arrangement because he University. thought it’s more suitable to show the intellectual development of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
He arranged the Quranic suras chronologically unlike the real arrangement. Before translating any sura, he presented detailed criticism He translated the Quran when he was The Qur'an ichard Bell ( - ): He It was first published in of date and reasons of its revealing. an Arabist at Edinburgh University, was a British Arabist at the in New York and He wrote his own comments and Scotland. He was a follower of John University of Edinburgh. reprinted in . criticism inside the translation! He Medows odwell. claimed that ayah in sura al- Imraan is a complete sura .
It’s a good translation in comparison with other Orientalists’ translations. The Koran Inter- Arthur John Arberry ( - There is no doubt that this transla- It’s characterized by its ): He was a scholar of the preted contemporary and clear tion contained mistakes. Islamic Studies at Cambridge style. Arberry did his best University to translate the Quran without increasing or
A Comparison between English Translations of meanings of the Quran Islamhouse.com
decreasing anything. It’s the first translation of the Quran done by a Muslim. Shaikh Abdulmaa- Abdul Hakim Khan: He em- jid ad-Deryabaadi read this translation The Holy Quran It was published in Patiala, braced Qadianiyyah but he and said that he didn’t find anything India in . returned to Islam once again. remarkable. But he confirmed that Khan had the virtue of being the first Muslim translator of the Quran.
The scholars who con- There is no doubt that this transla- He is the first English Sunni Muslim cerned about the transla- tion contains mistakes such as using translated the Quran. His literal and Marmaduke Pickthall (April , It was first published in tions of the Quran are words which are no longer used e.g. historical articles were published in The Meaning of the – May , ): He was London in and in New unanimously agreed upon thou, thine, thy, thee, ye, Lo and the scientific newspapers issued in Glorious Quran a Western Islamic scholar. York in that Picktall’s translation increasing “th” instead of s es to a London and New York. of the Quran is the best verb in Present Simple Tense. from the aspect of good style and elo uent lan- guage.
He didn’t translate the Quran in accordance with the well-known N. J. Dawood: He was born in arrangement but invented a new to an Ira i Jewish family The Koran It was issued in . arrangement going with his opinion in Baghdad, Ira . He emi- that the Quran has poetic tones. So, grated to England in as he began with the suras which an Ira State scholar, and contained more tones and so on. settled there. Furthermore, He cancelled the suras’ numbers.
The Message of The Muhammad Asad (July , He denied completely the miracles Muhammad Asad was not only good Qur'an - February , ): He was mentioned in the Quran through at the English but also Arabic language
A Comparison between English Translations of meanings of the Quran Islamhouse.com
an Austrian Muslim. He con- translating their Te ts in a meta- because he learned it from Arabic verted to Islam after being phorical way. No doubt that there teachers. Jew. are other mistakes. It’s the best translation of the Quran, particularly from the aspect of correct translation of the terms
concerned about the Islamic Belief. In addition, it uses the contemporary English language. To They translated some words The Noble Quran Muhammad Muhsin Khan Shaikh Abdulaziz ibn Baaz achieve this work, the two It’s always under review for present- through transliteration. Muhammad Ta iyyuddin al- gave permission for print- translators depended on ing it in the best form. Hilaali ing that transla on in . tafaseer of at-Tabari, al- Qurtubi and Ibn Katheer in addition to Sahih al- Bukhaari (Hadeeth book). This translation indeed replaced the famous translation of Yusuf Ali. Many of the Islamic Yusuf Ali described the last two institutions published it parts of the Quran as poetry. He because of its beautiful also followed in his translation the style and many comments e planatory symbolic methodology The Meaning of the and footnotes. No doubt and philosophical mental attitude, Abdullah Yusuf Ali It was first published in that the beautiful style or which diverted him and the readers Holy Qur'an Lahore in . many comments of a book away from the real understanding don’t necessitate the of the Quran. As a result of that, authenticity or correct- there is no doubt that this transla- ness of that book. tion eliminates the Islamic belief. The Quran Zufarullah Khan It contained many mistakes con- The translator belonged to an Islamic It was published in London cerning the Islamic Belief, which Sect called al-Qadianiyyah or al-
Tafseer : A book authored by a Muslim scholar to e plain the Quran e.g. Tafseer at-Tabari , Tafseer Ibn Katheer , Tafseer al-Qurtubi and others.
A Comparison between English Translations of meanings of the Quran Islamhouse.com
appro imately in . seems clearly in the form of the Ahmadiyyah which claimed that the irregular opinions. Prophethood continues and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) isn’t the last prophet. They also denied angels, jinn and the miracles, and e plained Paradise and Hell in a metaphorical way. He didn’t believe that Allah raised Jesus Christ up unto Himself but he believed he (Jesus Christ) died. He did so although he claimed that his
translation didn’t contradict scho- It was published seven lars’ views nor the unanimously The translator belongs to al- The Holy Quran Maulana Muhammad Ali editions in England. The agreed opinions by the mufassi- Qadianiyyah Sect. First Edi on was in roon concerning the Islamic Belief. He supported incorrect opinions about angels, jinn, Paradise and Hell. In addition, he denied com- pletely the occurrence of miracles .
A unning Com- It contains an e planation for the It contains the Arabic Te t then the mentary on the Khawaga Kamaluddin It was published in London Quran in the footnote in accordance Quran’s te t in Latin letters then the Holy Quran in with the translator’s opinions. As a translation. result of that, he e plained the Quranic words in a wrong way.
Mufassir : A Muslim scholar who gives an e planation for the Quran.