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For Kevin: And a good translation of the Qur'an

Reader comment on item: Muslim-Controlled Governments Subsidize Conversions of Kafirs
in response to reader comment: What is a decent translation?

Submitted by dhimmi no more (United States), Jul 16, 2006 at 08:11

The difficulty in translating the Qur'an is that one must have good command of classical Arabic (although it is very obvious that Qur'anic Arabic at times can be very different from Classical Arabic), one must know Syriac, Greek and Hebrew (it will be a good idea to have a Coptic and Latin dictionaries on hand). These were the languages of the late antique period and you will find many words that are not Arabic in the Qur'an eg: Syriac: Tur or mountain (most of the foreign words in the Qur'an are Syriac words), Latin: Sarat (strata) or road, Hebrew: Michael Cook claims that the Arabic word Zakat is of Hebrew origin, Greek: al-injiil or the Bible, Coptic: al-nassi (Q 9:37) or nasi is the intercalary month in the Coptic calendar and seems to have been the same name for the intercalary month in the pre-Islamic Arabic calendar . And if we are to believe Tabari the words: ababeel and sijeel in Surat al-feel are Persian words. This would not surprise me in the least.

What is surprising about the Qur'an is: it is a flat text. It does not have the textual depth that the Bible or the Tripitaka or the Gita have. And as Peters have said: The Qur'an is "text with no context." More strange is that the Qur'an is full of not just foreign words, but poor Arabic grammar, strange words, allusions that could mean just about anything. Most significant is that the author if the Qur'an assumes that the reader must be very familiar with the Bible (see Wansbrough). And this is a book that claims to be kitab mubeen (clear and self explaining book) and written in 'Arabi Faseeh (or pure Arabic).

More surprising is that by the 3rd century of Islam when the Muslim 'ulama were trying to understand what the Qur'an really says no one seems to have any clue or to agree. Which makes you wonder that Michael might be correct that:

1. The Qur'anic material was already very old and pre-dates Muhammad and in 632 CE no one in 632 CE when Muhammad died had any clue what it means.

2. Or the qur'anic material was circulating as pericopes and logia that were not canonized until the 3rd century and by then no one had any clue what it really means

As for Muahmmad: can we reconstruct his biography by reading the Qur'an? The clear answer here is no we cannot. His name is mentioned 5 times and one of them he is called Ahmad. What is more surprising is that the ancient 'Ulama tell us that his name was: Abul Qasim or Qutham. Go figure.

Now to answer your question:

1. One of the best translations is N.J.Dawood translation (published by Penguin books). It is one of the best, but Muslims do not like because Mr. Dawood is an Iraqi Khaldean or Syriac speaking Mesopotamian Christian....gasp!!. But he knows his Arabic very well, and he does not provide any explanations of what the text is really saying and with very exceptions he will provide a word or two. He allows the reader to reach his/her own conclusions.

2. I also like (if you forget about his funny 19 thing) Rashad Khalifa's translation. He had great respect and command of the Arabic grammar.

3. Pickthall's translation is good.

You must avoid Ali and other translations written by pakistani Muslims (there seems to be an industry here of pakistanis translating the Qur'an!!). And almost all of these translations are poor translations.

So what do I suggest?

Do the following:

1. Get a basic Arabic garmmar book and I suggest: "Arabic Verbs and Essentials of Grammar" by Wightwick and Gaafar. It will provide you with a good introduction to the semitic root system and the genuis of the semitic languages.

2. The Hans Wehr Arabic dictionary.

Do a linear tranlation of the text and it is not difficult at all. If you find a strange or difficult word I can assure you that others have found the same and that no one have any idea what this word would mean eg: the much celebrated kalala and Ilaf.

Good luck

Submitting....

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Reader comments (40) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Malaysian Govt. PaysPreachers for Marrying Kafirs [18 words]S.C.PandaAug 18, 2006 01:4653311
... Wrong fact! [44 words]fade leyAug 6, 2006 00:4751764
minorities in malaysia [54 words]RAJESH GOGNAJul 1, 2006 06:0748644
Discrimination in Muslim majority country [167 words]GopalJul 1, 2006 01:4648636
Malaysian Government Pays Preachers for Marrying Kafirs [23 words]steven lJun 30, 2006 22:0048624
Kaffirs reference offensive [101 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Abdul Rahman ReijerinkJun 30, 2006 11:5948560
For Abdul Rahman: is the word kaffir offensive? [780 words]dhimmi no moreJul 1, 2006 07:4148560
your interpretation is wrong [61 words]Abdul Rahman ReijerinkJul 4, 2006 07:3348560
Abdul Rahman: Islam and the turth! And how do you propose that one can cover the truth? [142 words]dhimmi no moreJul 4, 2006 17:3748560
wrong [230 words]Abdul Rahman ReijerinkJul 6, 2006 05:4748560
For Abd al-Rahman (this is the proper transliteration of your name) [710 words]dhimmi no moreJul 6, 2006 18:4848560
hostile and nasty [638 words]Abdul Rahman ReijerinkJul 14, 2006 06:0748560
Dr. Pipes [71 words]Abdul Rahman ReijerinkJul 14, 2006 06:1448560
For Abd al-Rahman: Do you really know what are really diacriticla points and not marks as you claim? [216 words]dhimmi no moreJul 14, 2006 21:5548560
For 'Abd al-Rahman and the poor muslim theology [765 words]dhimmi no moreJul 15, 2006 08:0148560
What is a decent translation? [60 words]Kevin MJul 15, 2006 20:5548560
addressed to the arrogant one [286 words]Abdul Rahman ReijerinkJul 16, 2006 06:2048560
For Kevin: And a good translation of the Qur'an [696 words]dhimmi no moreJul 16, 2006 08:1148560
For 'Abd al-Rahman and who is really a kaffir? [73 words]dhimmi no moreJul 17, 2006 06:4348560
read properly [234 words]Abdul Rahman ReijerinkJul 18, 2006 22:1248560
refutation [234 words]Abdul Rahman ReijerinkJul 19, 2006 07:3248560
For 'Abd al-Rahman and "connotation and denotation" Chutzpah and other sordid matters [1169 words]dhimmi no moreJul 19, 2006 18:5248560
please explain [190 words]Abdul Rahman ReijerinkJul 20, 2006 05:3248560
For 'Abd al-Rahman and Chutzpah!!! [562 words]dhimmi no moreJul 21, 2006 07:2548560
For 'Abd al-Rahman and "covering of sins" and the word kaffir!! [168 words]dhimmi no moreJul 22, 2006 07:1548560
read what I wrote truthfully [182 words]Abdul Rahman ReijerinkJul 22, 2006 18:2648560
For 'Abd al-Rahman: "covering up the truth?" And Muslim logic!! [594 words]dhimmi no moreJul 23, 2006 18:4648560
For Abd al-Rahman [225 words]MoayiddOct 9, 2007 09:0148560
Our dear Moayidd and gem time [283 words]dhimmi no moreOct 10, 2007 07:5648560
More gems from our dear Moayidd and big time falsafa [325 words]dhimmi no moreOct 10, 2007 18:5648560
Slight correction [24 words]dhimmi no moreOct 10, 2007 20:1348560
Our dear Mo'ayyid and his examination in Syriac and Egyptian and Arabic and Judeo-Arabic [173 words]dhimmi no moreOct 12, 2007 18:3748560
Clarification [168 words]MoayiddSep 7, 2009 00:3648560
Our dear Mo'ayyid and the word Kufr [1071 words]dhimmi no moreSep 12, 2009 08:5148560
Oh I'm waiting for your naswer our dear Mo'ayyid [211 words]dhimmi no moreSep 26, 2009 20:2848560
From Pakistan [26 words]KhanMay 11, 2010 18:2448560
Our dear khan and the Qur'an [88 words]dhimmi no moreMay 12, 2010 19:5248560
Wrong [68 words]KhanMay 13, 2010 20:4948560
sayed in iran [38 words]cyrusJun 30, 2006 10:0548542
Myth of moderate Malaysia [103 words]VijayJun 30, 2006 05:3648512

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