(An Introduction of the Holy Qur’an Series-Part-II)
By: Dr. Md. Wasay Zafar
Abstract
This
article is second in the series “An Introduction
of the Holy Qur’an”. The first part of this article was entitled as “The Nomenclature
and the Organization of the Holy Qur’an”. In this article the researcher
makes discussions on the language of the Holy Qur’an, its difference with the contemporary Arabic
literature, its beauty and the appealing power. It also contains discussions on
the understandability of the Holy Qur’an and in this connection a brief
introductory review of the most popular English and Hindi Translations of the Holy Qur’an has
been given. Next article in this series will be “The Subject Matter of the
Holy Qur’an”.
Key Words: The Qur’an, Arabic, Saj’, Appealing power of the
Qur’an, Understandability of the Qur’an, Translations of the Qur’an
The
Language of the Holy Qur’an
As has been
mentioned in the first paragraph of the first part of this article, the Holy
Qur’an was revealed in Arabic language, which, like Hebrew and Aramaic (the
language spoken by Jesus) belongs to the Semitic family. Therefore, the Holy
Qur’an describes itself as an Arabic scripture. It says;
إِنَّا
أَنْزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآَنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿12:2﴾
“We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an, in
order that ye may learn wisdom.”[1]
وَكَذَلِكَ
أَنْزَلْنَاهُ حُكْمًا عَرَبِيًّا ......﴿13:37﴾
“Thus have We revealed it to be a judgment of
authority in Arabic…”[2]
The question that arises here is: Why was the Qur'an revealed in Arabic, and not in any other language? The first and conceivably the most obvious reason is already mentioned in the Qur'an, namely that because the messenger who was to proclaim this message was an Arab, it was only natural that the message should be revealed in his language:
وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَاهُ قُرْآَنًا أَعْجَمِيًّا لَقَالُوا لَوْلَا فُصِّلَتْ آَيَاتُهُ أَأَعْجَمِيٌّ وَعَرَبِيٌّ قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَاءٌ.... ﴿41:44﴾
“Had We sent this as a Qur'an (in a language) other than Arabic they would have said: ‘Why are not its verses explained in detail? What! a foreign (tongue) and (a Messenger) an Arab?’ Say: “It is a guide and a healing to those who believe ....”[3]
The second important reason mentioned in the Qur’an is related to the audience which was to receive the message. The message had to be in a language understood by the audience to whom it was first addressed, i.e. the residents of Makkah and the neighboring areas:
وَكَذَلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ قُرْآَنًا عَرَبِيًّا لِتُنْذِرَ أُمَّ الْقُرَى وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا وَتُنْذِرَ يَوْمَ الْجَمْعِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ فَرِيقٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَفَرِيقٌ فِي السَّعِيرِ ﴿42:7﴾
“Thus have We sent by inspiration to thee an Arabic Qur'an: that thou mayest warn the mother of the cities and all around her, - and warn (them) of the Day of Assembly of which there is no doubt (when) some will be in the garden and some in the blazing fire.”[4]
Thus the revelation came in the language of the messenger and his people in order that it could be understood as its sole purpose was to guide the humanity which could not be fulfilled unless it is understood fully:
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاهُ قُرْآَنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَعَلَّكُمْ
تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿43:3﴾
“We have made it a Qur'an in Arabic, that ye may be able to understand.”[5]
The Qur’an and the Contemporary Arabic
Literature
Though
the language of the Qur’an is Arabic, it is quite different from the
contemporary Arabic literature. At the time of revelation of the Qur’an, there
were two main literary forms in Arabic; Prose and Poetry. The Qur’an is not
poetry as it does not maintain any noticeable artifice of rhythm and rhyme
throughout the surahs. It also refutes the thesis that claims it to be a form
of poetry.
وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَاعِرٍ قَلِيلًا مَا
تُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿69:41﴾ وَلَا بِقَوْلِ كَاهِنٍ قَلِيلًا مَا
تَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿69:42﴾ تَنْزِيلٌ مِنْ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿69:43﴾
“It is not the word of a poet: little it is ye
believe! Nor is it the word of a soothsayer: little admonition it is ye
receive. (This is) a Message sent down from the Lord of the Worlds.”[6]
The
Qur’an is in prose however, it is different from the contemporary Arabic prose
literature in many aspects. Firstly, there is a particular literary style
employed in the Qur'an, which is said to be like saj' or close to it. The word
saj' is usually translated into English as 'rhymed prose', i.e. a literary form
with some emphasis on rhythm and rhyme, but distinct from poetry. Saj' is not
really as sophisticated and refined as poetry, but has been utilized by Arab
poets, and is the well-known feature of the pre-Islamic Arab prosodies. It is
distinct from poetry in its lack of meter, i.e. it has no regular and stable rhythmic
pattern, and it shares with poetry the element of rhyme, though in many cases rather
irregularly employed. A suitable example for a saj'-like passage in the Qur'an is
Surah Al-Ikhlas (112: 1-4). It is somewhat irregular in its rhythm, and it has
a rhyme ending with the syllable ad:
قُلْ
هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ﴿1﴾ اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ ﴿2﴾ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ
يُولَدْ ﴿3﴾ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ ﴿4﴾
“Qul-Hu-Wallaahu ’Ahad; ’Allaahus-Samad;
Lam yalid, wa lam yϋϋlad; Walam yakul-la-hϋϋ kufu-wan ’ahad.”[7]
“Say: He
is Allah, the One; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He
begotten; And there is none like unto Him.”[8]
Secondly,
there are numerous passages in the Qur’an which appear like plain prose but
they are not quite identical to it, as the presence of a kind of end-rhyme in
each verse suggests. The following passage may serve as an example:
إِنَّا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ كَمَا أَوْحَيْنَا
إِلَى نُوحٍ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ
وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَعِيسَى وَأَيُّوبَ
وَيُونُسَ وَهَارُونَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ وَآَتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ زَبُورًا ﴿4:163﴾
وَرُسُلًا قَدْ قَصَصْنَاهُمْ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَرُسُلًا لَمْ نَقْصُصْهُمْ
عَلَيْكَ وَكَلَّمَ اللَّهُ مُوسَى تَكْلِيمًا ﴿4:164﴾ رُسُلًا مُبَشِّرِينَ
وَمُنْذِرِينَ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ
وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا ﴿4:165﴾
“Innaaa’ ’aw-haynaaa ‘ilayka kamaaa ’aw-haynaaa
‘ilaa Nϋϋhinw-wanna-biӱӱiina mim-baʻ-dih, wa ’aw-haynaaa ‘ilaaa ’Ibraahiima wa ’Ismaaa-‘iila
wa ’Is-haaqa wa Yaʻ-qϋϋba wal-‘asbaati wa ‘Isaa wa ’Ayyuuba wa Yϋϋnusa wa Haarϋϋna
wa Sulaymaan: wa ‘aataynaa Daawϋϋda Zabϋϋraa. Wa rusulan-qad Qasas-naahum
‘alayka min-qablu wa rusulal-lam naqsus-hum ‘alayk; wa kalla-mallaahu Mϋϋsaa
tak-liimaa. Rusulam mubashshiriina wa munziriina li-‘allaa yakϋϋna linnaasi ‘alallaahi
hujjatum-baʻ-dar-rusul: Wa kaanal-laahu ʻAziizan Hakiimaa.”[9]
“We have
sent thee inspiration, as We sent it to Noah and the Messengers after him: we
sent inspiration to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, to Jesus,
Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the Psalms. Of some messengers We have already told thee the story; of others
We have not;- and to Moses Allah spoke direct;-Messenger Who gave good news as
well as warning, that mankind, after (the coming) of the messengers, should have no plea against Allah. For Allah
is Exalted in Power, Wise.”[10]
Explaining the difference between literature of the
Arabs and the Qur'an in general and between saj' and the Qur'an in particular,
Ibn Khaldun (d. 809H/1406), the well-known author of the Muqaddima writes:
“It should
be known that the Arabic language and Arab speech are divided into two
branches. One of them is rhymed poetry ... The other branch is prose, that is,
non-metrical speech ... The Qur'an is in prose. However, it does not belong in
either of the two categories. It can neither be called straight prose nor
rhymed prose. It is divided into verses. One reaches breaks where taste tells
one that the speech stops. It is then resumed and "repeated" in the
next verse. (Rhyme) letters, which would make that (type of speech) rhymed prose,
are not obligatory, nor do rhymes (as used in poetry) occur. This situation is
what is meant by the verse of the Qur'an:
……اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابًا
مُتَشَابِهًا مَثَانِيَ تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ
'God revealed
the best story, a book harmoniously arranged with repeated verses ...' (39:23).”[11]
Thirdly,
before the advent of Islam, the Arabic writings, both in prose and poetry, were
confined to the then Arab culture, customs, traditions and history. Most of the
then Arabic literature contains descriptions or praises of women, camels,
horses, tribal chiefs, tribal history and tribal wars. The Qur’an does not
follow the normal nature and inherent tendency of the Arabic language. It does
not describe anything that may reflect directly then Arab environment and
culture. Moreover it uses its own specific words, phrases and terms to describe
things or events, most of which were unknown to the then Arab writers. For
example the Qur’an uses the term ‘Surah’ for its
chapters and ‘Ayah’ for its verses (as has been mentioned in the first article
of this series) whereas early Arabic poetry books used the term ‘Qasidah’ for
the chapter and ‘Bait’ for the verse.
Fourthly, the language of the Qur’an is also unique in terms of its linguistic perfection, beauty, choice and arrangement of words, style, rhythm and eloquence. Muslims and even non-Muslim scholars of Islam universally commend and approve the Qur'an as representative of the purest and most elegant forms of the Arabic language. There is also a consensus among the Arab scholars to use the Qur’an as a standard or criterion by which other Arabic literature should be measured. In fact its unexcelled literary style is of miraculous nature and the contemporary Arabic literature failed to compete with its beauty and eloquence. The Qur’an itself proclaims that similar texts cannot be written by human endeavour.
وَمَا كَانَ هَذَا الْقُرْآَنُ أَنْ يُفْتَرَى مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ ﴿10:37 ﴾
“This Qur'an is not such as can be produced by other than Allah.”[12]
قُلْ لَئِنِ اجْتَمَعَتِ الْإِنْسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَى أَنْ يَأْتُوا بِمِثْلِ هَذَا الْقُرْآَنِ لَا يَأْتُونَ بِمِثْلِهِ وَلَوْ كَانَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ ظَهِيرًا ﴿17:88 ﴾
“Say: "If the whole of mankind and Jinns were to gather together to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and support.”[13]
The Holy
Qur’an challenges its doubters who put a question mark against its claim of
being a Divine book to produce even a surah like it.
وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِمَّا نَزَّلْنَا
عَلَى عَبْدِنَا فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِنْ مِثْلِهِ وَادْعُوا شُهَدَاءَكُمْ مِنْ
دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ﴿2:23﴾
“And if ye are in doubt as to what We have
revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Surah like thereunto;
and call your witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides Allah, if ye are
truthful.”[14]
This challenge
of the Holy Qur’an is still valid as the Arabic Scholars of the whole world
failed to produce even a small surah like that of the Holy book. Inimitable
quality of the Qur’an and the unexcelled literary style of Qur'anic Arabic is
one of the strong proofs of its divine origin among its adherents.
Since
the Qur’anic Arabic is regarded as a criterion for the other Arabic literature,
it has also played an important role in the preservation of the basic Arabic
language. It is generally observed that metamorphosis takes place in every
language over a long period of time and its basic structure changes due to
change in its words, idioms and phrases; in their spellings, meanings and uses,
and also due to addition of new words to its vocabulary. Due to the impact of
European culture thousands of words of European languages entered into Arabic, became
Arabicized (Arabic Moarrab ‘مُعَرَّبْ’)
and thus increased the amount of its vocabulary but the basic Arabic language
remained unchanged. This became possible only due to the fact that the Qur’an
and the prophetic traditions are in the Arabic language and not only the Arabs
but the Muslims of whole world feel their immense responsibility to study them,
preserve them and to transmit them to the younger generation. This has saved
the Arabic language from complete metamorphosis.
The Appealing Power of the Qur’an
Another important feature of the Qur’an is its appealing power and the hypnotic effect it produces on the minds and hearts of its readers and listeners. It creates a special symphony, rhythm, and lyrical inwardness in the soul of man possessed of true faith in Allah and His promises. It generates in the heart of man the required spiritual ecstasy and stillness to enable it to rise into the unknown regions or antipodes of mind, and into euphoric states of mind, which cannot be described by any word, term, measure and symbol. The enchantment of the Divine speech of the Holy Qur’an and its Arabic wordings is such that tears stream down the cheeks of the believers in a state of euphoria and rapture when they attempt recitation or hearing of the text of the Holy book repeatedly. Many people reverted to Islam only after hearing the recitation of the text of the Holy book. The Qur’an has described the situation in the following verse.
وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ
تَرَى أَعْيُنَهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ مِمَّا عَرَفُوا مِنَ الْحَقِّ
يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا آَمَنَّا فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّاهِدِينَ ﴿5:83﴾
“And when they listen to the revelation
received by the Messenger, thou wilt see their eyes overflowing with tears, for
they recognize the truth: they pray: "Our Lord! We believe; write us down
among the witnesses.”[15]
To prevent their fellows from the hypnotic
effects of the sound of the
Qur’an, opponents of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) formulated the contraption that
they should not give ear to its recitation and should create such a clamorous atmosphere
that others might also not hear what was recited. By this chattering and
babbling they planned to neutralize and overcome the
magical effect of the Qur’an. The Qur’an has portrayed their
plan in these words.
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَا تَسْمَعُوا
لِهَذَا الْقُرْآَنِ وَالْغَوْا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَغْلِبُونَ ﴿41:26﴾
“The Unbelievers say: "Listen not to this
Qur'an, but talk at random in the midst of its (reading), that ye may gain the upper
hand!"[16]
The linguistic perfection of the Qur’an, its
beauty, style, eloquence and magical rhythm can only be appreciated by those
who know Arabic in the true sense of the word. Many non-muslim scholars of
Arabic have praised the Holy Book with regard to the attributes mentioned
above. Prof. A. J. Arberry commends the Holy Book in his writing “The Koran
Interpreted” in the following words:
“Briefly the rhetoric and rhythm at the Arabic of
the Qur’an, are so characteristic, so powerful, so highly emotional that my
version, whatsoever, is bound in the nature of thing to be, but a poor copy of
the glittering splendor of the original.”[17]
At another place he writes;
“Rhythm runs insistently through the entire Koran:
but it is changeable fluctuating rhythm ranging from the gentle lulling music
of the narrative and legislative passages through the lively counterpart of the
hymns of praise, to the shattering drum rolls of the apoplytplic movements…..”[18]
Prof. A.
Guillamine writes in his book “Islam” about the Holy Qur’an:
“The
Koran is one of the world’s classics, which cannot be translated without grave
loss. It has rhythm of peculiar beauty and a cadence that charms the ear. Many
Christian Arabs speak of its style with warm admiration, and most Arabists
acknowledge its excellence when it is read aloud or recited, it has a most
hypnotic effect that makes the listener indifferent to its sometime strange
syntax…………It is this quality it possesses of silencing criticisms by the sweet
music of its language that has given birth to the dogma of its inimitability,
indeed, it may be affirmed that within the literature of Arabs, wide and fecund
as it is both in poetry and in elevated prose, there is nothing to compare with
it.”[19]
The
understandability of the Holy Qur’an
Another important point to be discussed here is the
understandability of the Holy Qur’an. In this concern one fact must be kept in mind that even the
ordinary words of men are spoken or written for the purpose of being understood
by the listeners or the readers and that the Qur’an is surely more worthy of
being understood than the words of men as It claims to be the words of the Allah,
All-Knowing and All-Wise. The truth is that Allah has made the Qur'an so simple and easy that
just as an intellectual and knowledgeable person benefits from its contents, so
does a layman, having no expertise in relevant sciences. He too can benefit
from its advice, admonition and warnings (at his own level of thought). The
Holy Qur’an declares this fact in the following words:
وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآَنَ لِلذِّكْرِ
فَهَلْ مِنْ مُدَّكِرٍ ﴿54:17﴾
“And
We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember: then is there
any that will receive admonition?”[20]
Moreover, the Qur’an persuades the human beings to ponder over its
verses in order to resolve the doubts present in their minds, to receive
admonition and to learn the true lessons of spiritual life. The Qur’an says;
كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ
لِيَدَّبَّرُوا آَيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُواْ الْأَلْبَابِ ﴿38:29﴾
“(Here
is) a book which We have sent down unto thee, full of blessings, that they may
meditate on its signs (verses), and that men of understanding may
receive admonition.”[21]
كَذَلِكَ
يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمُ الْآَيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿2:219﴾……
“…..Thus
doth Allah make clear to you His signs: in order that ye may consider.”[22]
At another
place the Qur’an condemns those who do not ponder in it. It says;
أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ
الْقُرْآَنَ أَمْ عَلَى قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا ﴿47:24﴾
“Do
they not then earnestly seek to understand the Qur’an, or is that there are
locks upon their hearts?”[23]
These verses clearly show that the Qur’an can be understood by all
human beings who are willing to ponder over its verses, for the Qur'an is not
difficult but very easy. However, to understand the language of the Qur'an is a prerequisite to
fully grasp its meanings. That is why Muslims all over the world feel theirs
immense responsibility to learn Arabic in order to recite and understand the
Qur’an. Those, who have not learned
Arabic, make use of translations, which for them is an indirect means of understanding
the Qur’an, as in the translations the meanings of the Qur'an have been
rendered into their mother tongues so that they may familiarize themselves with
the message from Allah. Many non-muslim researchers too, take the benefit of
the translations of the Qur’an for their study. According to a report prepared by Syed Javed
Alam published on www.geocities.ws (as
observed on 20th May 2012) the Holy Qur’an is now available, with selected verses
translated in 119 languages and the complete book in 50 languages of the world.
This includes most of the African, Asian and European languages. The
data seems to be acceptable as in September 1993 Nabeel A. Rana from California Institute of Technology, Pasadena reported that the Holy Qur’an was available, with selected verses translated in 114
languages and the complete book in 47 languages of the world. Since the
translation work in new languages is going on continuously it is very difficult
for anyone to give the exact data. The researcher however updates the data reported
by Mr Alam with the information that the complete Holy Qur’an is available in
61 international and 15 Indian languages on the website http://www.voiceofquran.info/index.html (as
observed on 29th December 2012).
Though the translations of the Qur’an are widely used by both Muslims and Non-Muslims
for understanding the divine messages but there exists some distinctions
between the Qur’an and Its translation. A translation of the Qur’an without
Arabic text cannot be called a Qur’an because it is not
the words of Allah while the Qur’an is the exact Arabic words spoken by Allah (Kalamullah), revealed to
Prophet Muhammad by Gabriel as has been mentioned in the beginning of this subheading as well as in
the introductory paragraph of the first article of this series. The text of the original Arabic Qur’an is identical and unchanged since
its revelation. A translation is simply a portrayal of the meanings
of the Qur’an. It loses the inimitable quality of the original Arabic text. For
this reason, all which is considered as ‘recitation’ of the Qur’an is to be
done in Arabic, such as the recitation of the Qur’an in the five daily prayers
of the Muslims.
Furthermore, it is notable that anytime a translation
is done into another language, the translator has to interpret the meaning and depict
it in the new language. Therefore, it is, by nature, an approximation of the
meaning, since words and ideas cannot be expressed identically in different
languages. Moreover, an
Arabic word may have a range of meanings depending on the context, making an exact translation
even more difficult. Hence, there is no perfect translation of the Qur’an, and, being human
work, each almost always has some errors. Some translations are better in
their linguistic quality, while others are noted for their accurateness in depicting
the meaning. Many inexact and sometimes deceptive translations that are
generally not recognized as reliable renditions of the Qur’an by mainstream
Muslims are available in the market. Therefore, it is recommended that in order
to understand the divine messages one must learn the language of the Qur’an
i.e. Arabic. Secondly, he/she should study the translation and the commentary
of the Qur’an (tafseer) written by authentic scholars. A tafseer refers to the
reasons behind the revelation of a verse, to the sayings (Hadith) and acts
(Sunnah) of prophet Muhammad (SAW) which interpret the meaning of the verse and
also the sayings of the companions of the prophet (SAW) who were the first
generation learners of the Qur’an.
English Translations of the Holy Qur’an
As far as the translation of the Holy Qur’an in English language is concerned, a number of works has been done by both Muslim and non-muslim scholars. The review of all the English translations is not possible in an article however for the sake of guidance of those readers, interested in understanding the divine messages, a brief survey of some reputed translations is being given in the following lines.
Another most widely used English translation of the Qur’an is, “The Meaning of the Glorious Koran” (1930) by Muhammad Marmaduke William Pickthall. Mr. Pickthall was an English man of letters who embraced Islam, and penned this translation at the behest of the Emir of Hyderabad while on a sojourn in India. His work is considered as the first-rate rendering of the Qur’an in English. Though in archaic English, it is conscientiously close to the original in elegance, style and sophistication. However, it provides limited and inadequate explanatory notes and background information which restricts its usefulness for a novice and inexperienced reader of the Qur’an.
One more translation which is widely read in the world is,
“Interpretation
of the Meanings of The Noble Qur'an in the English Language : A Summarized Version of At-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir with
Comments from Sahih Al-Bukhari” (Riyadh,
1993) by Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali and Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan. Although it is said to be the most accurate translation of the Holy
Qur’an, the many transliterated Arabic terms and inexhaustible comments makes it hard to follow and confusing for a beginner. A
newer version with more flowing text has been published by Saheeh International Jeddah (1997)
entitled “The Qur’an: English Meanings”, and this is perhaps a better
translation, as it combines both correctness in translation and intelligibility.
King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur’an, al-Madinah
al-Munawwarah, K.S.A. (1430 A.H./ 2009 A.D.) has published the latest version
of the work of Dr. al-Hilali and Dr. Khan revised by Fazal Ilahi Zahir, Dr. Amin ad-Din Abu Bakr, Dr. Wajih Abderrahman
and Dr. V. ‘Abdur Rahim with the title “Translation of the Meanings of The
Noble Qur’an in English Language” in which attempts has been made to make
it precise and more intelligible.
Among non-muslim translators Arthur John Arberry’s work “The Koran Interpreted” (1955) is most
famous. This is the first English translation by a non-muslim academic scholar of
Arabic and Islam. This work doubtlessly acquires a prominent position among the other
English renderings by non-Muslims in terms of both its approach and quality.
However, it is not altogether free from errors of omission and mistranslation,
such as in Ali'
Imran 3:43, An-Nisa' 4:
72, 147 and 157, Al-Ma'idah 5: 55
and 71, Al-An'am
6:
20, 105, Al-A'raf
7:
157, 158 and 199, Al-Anfal
8:
17, 29, 41, 59, Yunus 10:
88, Hud 11: 30
and 46 and Yusuf 12:
61.[24]
In addition to these
translations, a number of commentaries of the Qur’an are also available in
English language which may be helpful in understanding the Holy Book to the
English knowing people. One important
work in this regard is, “Tafsir-ul-Qur’an:
Translation and Commentary of The
Holy Qur’an” (1941-57) by the Indian scholar Maulana Abdul Majid Daryabadi. This
is regarded as a faithful rendering of the Qur’an which represents traditional
Muslim viewpoint. Valuable comments on historical, geographical and
eschatological issues have been given in the margins specifically the enlightening
discussions on comparative religion. These footnotes help to dispel the doubts
present in the minds of Westernized readers even though they are not always
very exhaustive. In spite of these
qualities, it contains insufficient background information about the Surahs and
some of his annotations demand updating.
One more work which is popular due to simplicity of the language,
exactness in translation and portrayal of the traditional muslim viewpoint is, “The
Noble Qur’an:Tafseer-E-Usmani” (1992). This is English version of the Urdu
translation of the Holy Qur’an by Maulana
Mahmoodul Hasan Deobandi and the commentary thereupon by Shaikh-ul-Islam Allama Shabbir Ahmad Usmani.
The translation work has been done by Maulana Mohammad Ashfaq Ahmad who has
tried his best to use simple and contemporary English instead of Archaic English
used by his predecessors.
In addition to this, a very significant and valuable work of Mufti Muhammad Shafi’ originally
written
in Urdu entitled “Ma’ariful Qur’an” has been translated into English with the
same title (1995-2004) by the
collective efforts of a number of experts like Prof. Muhammad Hasan Askari,
Prof Muhammad Shamim, Muhammad Wali Raazi, Muhammad
Ishrat Husain and Maulana Ahmed Khalil Aziz. The revision work
has been done by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani (son of Mufti Muhammad Shafi’), an
Islamic scholar of international repute, Rector, Darul Uloom Karachi and Former Judge, Shariat Appellate Bench, Supreme Court of Pakistan. This is an excellent work beneficial for both a layman as well as for a scholar.
Furthermore, classical work of Hafiz
Abu al-Fida Imad-al-din Ismail bin Umar bin Kathir al-Qurashi al-Busrawi
al-Shafaii (died 774 Hijrah/1372 AD), a distinguished research scholar of the eighth
century, entitled “Tafsir Al-Qur’an
Al-Azim” which is famous by the name “Tafsir Ibn
Kathir” has been translated into English. This is most popular
interpretation of the Qur’an in the Arabic language and the majority of the
Muslims consider it to be the best source based on Qur’an and Sunnah. In this
work emphasis has been laid on explanatory
narrations. An exceptional feature is his criticism as hadith expert on
different narrations related to a particular verse, a group of verses or a
surah, and from this point of view, this book occupies a distinct place among
all books of Tafsir. The translation work has been done by Mohammad Mahdi al-Sharif, Dar al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon.
A summarized version of “Tafsir Ibn Kathir” in
English has also published by Darussalam
Publications, Riyadh (2000). The translation work in this case has been done by
a group of experts from USA and a group of scholars from India, Pakistan and
USA has edited the work. The language and style adopted for
the translation is very plain and simple. Translation of the meanings of the
verses is from the translation of Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali and Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan published by
Darussalam however the editors have made some changes in it at some places
where it was necessary to comply with the Tafsir.
Hindi Translations of the Holy Qur’an
In view of the requirements of both Muslims and Non-Muslims Hindi
readers, the Holy Qur’an has also been translated into Hindi. Many valuable works
have emerged so far but the pioneer work in this regard was done by a Non-Muslims scholar Padmashree Pundit Nand Kumar Awasthi (d. 1988
A.D.) from Lucknow. His work entitled “Qur’an Shareef Mutarjam Bar
Hashiyah (Sanuvad Satippan): Shastriye Arabi Paddhati Par Devanagari Lipi Mein”
first published in 1969 from Bhuvan Vani, Lucknow with a foreword by well-known
Islamic scholar Maulana Syed Abul Hasan Ali Al-Hasani Al-Nadvi (1913-1999 A.D.).
In his unparalleled work, he produced the Qur’anic text in Devanagari script
along with the Arabic text and its Hindi translation, which was based on the
Urdu translations of the Holy Qur’an by Shah ‘Abd
al-Qadir al-Dihlawi (d. 1815 A.D.), Maulana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanvi (d. 1943 A.D.), Maulana Fateh Muhammad Khan
Jalandhari and English translation of Abdullah Yusuf ‘Ali
(d. 1953 A.D.). He also
placed the necessary explanatory notes concerning the meanings of the Qur’an on the margin below
the text. He employed
very simple language in both translation and commentary and whenever he used any
unfamiliar Urdu word, he wrote its Hindi in the bracket. He took too much pain in developing the
rules of transliteration of Arabic text in Devanagari script and also invented
the signs and symbols for correct pronunciation of Arabic words in Hindi which
have been given in the introductory part of his classical work. His research
spirit can be realized in the light of the fact that he completed this work after
twenty years of his continuous labour. He took
benefits of his close contacts with his contemporary Islamic scholars like
Maulana Nadvi, Maulana Manzoor Ahmad Nu’mani (d. 1997 A .D.), Maulana Muhammad
Owais, Shaikh al-Tafseer, Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow, Maulana Muhammad
Siddique, Mufti, Darul Muballigheen, Lucknow etc. On the direction of Maulana
Manzoor Ahmad Nu’mani, Maulana Muhammad Siddique reviewed his work and
certified that it was correct, reliable and in perfect harmony with the
traditional Islamic beliefs. This work was highly appreciated by Muslim scholars
of the country and very soon it gained popularity among the large number of
Muslims and non-Muslims who used to find it difficult to read the Qur’an in
Arabic. The researcher consulted its 10th edition, which was published
in 1991 by Lucknow Kitab Ghar. At present it is published by Bhuvan Vani Trust,
Lucknow led by his son Mr. Vinai Kumar Awasthi. According to a news report entitled
“Monumental Mission” published in the daily “The Hindu” dated June
27, 2013 they have published so far, 18 editions of the Quran. This is also a proof of its popularity.
Another
important work of this series is “Qur’an Majeed Hindi Anuvad M’a Arbi Matan” published by M. Shafeeque & Sons, Delhi. This is in
fact Hindi translation of the Urdu translation of the Holy Qur’an by Maulana
Fateh Muhammad Khan Sahib Jalandhari. The translation work was done by
Mr. Kausar Yazdani and its rectification was done by Maulana Abdul
Majeed Sarwar and six other Muslim scholars. It was published first in
1988. The translators have followed the footsteps of Pundit Nand Kumar Awasthi.
They have transliterated the Arabic text in Devanagari script in which too much
care has been taken for the correct pronunciation, and the traditional method
of writing and recitation of the Holy Qur’an. Hindi translation of the text is
very simple which makes it easily understandable to all. The explanatory notes
have also been given in very easy language. In the beginning a comprehensive
preface that is spread over 38 pages has been given which deals with many
important topics like the virtues of the Qur’an, circumstances of the
revelation and compilation of the Qur’an, etiquettes of recitation, Sajdah Tilawah, correct method of recitation of the
Qur’an in Hindi script and a short biography of Prophet Muhammad (saw). Nowadays,
this work is also being published by Farid Book Depot, New Delhi.
One more widely read Hindi translation of the Qur’an is “Anudit Qur’an
Majeed (Sanchhipt Teeka Sahit)” translated by
Maulana Muhammad Farooq Khan (b. 1932 A.D.), an
eminent Islamic scholar, poet and writer which is being published by Rampur
Information Center, Rampur. This is Hindi rendering of the interpretative translation of the Holy
Qur’an in Urdu by famous Islamic thinker, Muslim revivalist leader and the founder of the Islamic revivalist party,
Jamaat-e-Islami Maulana Sayyid Abul A'la Mawdudi (1903-1979 A.D.). In this edition only
translation of the Qur’anic text with brief explanatory footnotes has been
produced; Arabic text or its transliteration has not been given. The language
used is very simple and in comparison to other translations more Hindi words
have been used which makes this work more useful for the people who know Hindi
only. Moreover, special attention has been given to continuity, flow and lucid organization
of the text which are generally difficult to maintain in a translation work. In the beginning a short introduction of the
Holy Qur’an and a brief biography of Prophet Muhammad (saw) have also been
given. This work is more suitable for the readers who just want to know the content
of the Qur’an and are not very much interested in the recitation of Arabic
text. However, translation of the Qur’an by Maulana Muhammad Farooq Khan with
Arabic text entitled “Pavitra Qur’an (Sugam Hindi Anuvad Mool Arbi Sahit)”
is also being published by Madhur Sandesh Sangam, New Delhi for the readers
interested in both recitation and meaning. Here, it looks relevant to note that
with the same name Madhur Sandesh Sangam, New Delhi is also publishing the Qur’an
translated in Hindi jointly by Maulana Muhammad Farooq Khan and Dr. Muhammad
Ahmad. For the net users this book is also available on the web address http://quranhindi.com/ .
In addition to this, Urdu translation of
the Qur’an with concise commentary of Bayan al-Qur’an entitled “Qur’an
Majeed Tarjuma wa Tafseer Ikhtisar Shudah Bayan al-Qur’an” which is a very significant and valuable work of Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanwi (1863-1943 A.D.), a prominent Indian scholar of
the Deobandi school of
thought, has been rendered into Hindi. Its first Hindi rendering was done by Maulana
Mahmood Imram Qasmi Viggyanvi which is being published by Islamic Book
service, New Delhi with the title “Qur’an Majeed (M’a Tarjuma Wa Arbi Matan) Lipiantran Hindi Anuvad”. The researcher consulted its 2006 edition in which
very simple and mixed language of Urdu-Hindi used in common conversation has been
utilized. When the translator feels that Hindi word used in translation does
not exactly represent Urdu terms, he give its brief explanation within inverted
commas ( sign “ ”). Arabic text with its transliteration in Devanagari
script has been presented on left-hand page and at the right its translation
and footnotes have been given. In the
preface circumstances of the revelation and compilation of the Qur’an, virtues
and etiquettes of recitation, Sajdah Tilawah etc. have been discussed.
Another Hindi rendering of the work of
Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanwi has been done by S. Khalid Nizami which
was published first in 2012 by Farid Book Depot, Delhi with the title “Qur’an Majeed (M’a Tarjuma Wa Arbi Matan)”. This translation is also very easy in which
difficult Hindi words have been avoided and Urdu-Hindi words used in common
conversation have been employed. Transliteration of Arabic text is also comparatively
better in which special care has been taken of the punctuation marks (though
the sign are not given) and the rules of recitation. Other features are same as mentioned in the
previous translation.
One more popular Hindi translation of the
Holy Qur’an is “Pavitr Quran” translated by noted Islamic scholar and peace activist
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan (b. 1925 A.D.). This work is being
published by Goodword Books, New Delhi since 2006. In this book merely translation of the Qur’an without Arabic
text or its transliteration has been presented. Its language is easy and Hindi
words have been placed in brackets just adjacent to Urdu words which are not
common. Goodword Books,
New Delhi is also publishing Hindi translation and commentary of the Qur’an by
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan with the title “Tazkeerul Quran”. In this work
meanings of the Qur’anic verses have been elucidated with the help of brief footnotes.
Furthermore, a very much significant, invaluable and
classical work of Muhammad Muhammad Salfi, Former Research Scholar of Darul
Ifta, Saudi Arabia entitled “Taisir-ur-Rahman li Bayanil Qur’an”
has been translated from Urdu into Hindi by Mr. Shafiul Wara, Former
Teacher, Jamia Imam Ibn-e-Taimiya, India. Its first edition was published jointly
by Dar Ad-Dai Publisher and Distributor, Riyaz and Allama Ibn-e-Baaz Islamic
Studies Center, India in 2010. In this work the author has tried his best to
explain the Qur’anic text in the light of the Qur’an, authentic traditions
(Ahadith) and views of the companions of the Prophet (Sahabah). The translation
of the text as well as of the commentary is also very easy. If the Arabic text
would have been transliterated into Devanagari script, at least used in
explanatory notes, this work would have been more beneficial. However it is
expected that it will gain the same popularity as earned by its Urdu edition
whose eight editions have come so far.
Some internet editions of the Hindi translations of
the Qur’an are also very useful in understanding the divine messages. One important such work is “Aasan Hindi
Turjuma Qur’an-e-Majeed” which is available on the website http://understandquran.com/resources/translations/hindi.html. This is Hindi transliteration of “Aasan
Turjuma Qur’an-e-Majeed” (1987) written in Urdu by Hafiz Nazar Ahmad
(1919- 2011), Principal Ta’limul Qur’an Khat-o-Kitabat School, Lahore.
Hindi transliteration is done by a team of www.understandquran.com and it is published on web by Understand
Quran Academy, Hyderabad, India. In this work translation of each word is given
below the original Arabic text and the translation of complete verse using the
same words is given at the left or right margin of the page indicating its
number. The translation is reviewed and approved by the major schools of
thought of Ahle-sunnat wal jama’at; Deobandi, Barelvi, and Ahle-hadith.
Another Hindi translation of the Qur’an is
available on the website http://www.quran4theworld.com/translations/Hindi/hindi.htm. The translation work has been done by Suhel
Farooq Khan and Saifur Rahman Nadwi in which Urdu words have been used
in abundance. In this edition, the reader can also listen the original Arabic
text by clicking an icon of sound given against each verse.
Conclusions:
Though the Holy Qur’an is an Arabic
scripture but by translating it into English, Hindi and other languages both
Muslim and non-muslim scholars have made it easy for the common people to
understand its messages. Some good translations by non-muslim scholars are also
testimony to the fact that non-believers can also understand the Holy Qur’an. Since
it is a common treasure of the humanity, they can also take benefits of its
divine messages, full of wisdom, and make their lives successful in this world
as well as in the hereafter. Moreover translations have left no scope for
anyone to say that he cannot understand the Qur’an because it is not in his/her
mother tongue. Similarly no one can say that only scholars can understand the
Holy Qur’an as it was descended on Prophet Muhammad (saw) to educate his first
addressee, the illiterate and barbaric Arabs. On the other hand it is right to
say that by studying and following its commandments an illiterate can turn into
an enlightened one.
Notes &
References
[1]. The
Holy Quran: Translation & Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, (Revised &
Edited By The Presidency of Islamic Research, IFTA, Call & Guidance), The
Ministry of Hajj & Endowments, K.S.A. (1413 AH),Yusuf 12:2
[2]. Ibid,
Ar-Ra'd 13:37 see also Az-Zukhruf 43:3, An-Nahl 16:103, Ash-Shuara 26:195,
Al-Ahqaf 46:12
[5]. Ibid, Az-Zukhruf 43:3
[6]. Ibid,
Al-Haqqah 69:41-43
[7] . Roman Transliteration
of the Holy Qur’an With Arabic Text & English Translation by Abdullah Yusuf
Ali, Adam Publishers & Distributors, Delhi, 1996, Al-Ikhlas 112:1-4, P.
789.
[8] . The
Holy Quran: Translation & Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, OP. Cit., Al-Ikhlas
112: 1-4
[9] . Roman
Transliteration of the Holy Qur’an With Arabic Text & English Translation
by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, OP. Cit., An-Nisa 4:163-165, P. 117-18
[11] . Ibn Khaldun:
The Muqaddima, Princeton, 1967, Vol. 3, P. 368; Ibn Khaldun: Muqaddima, Cairo,
n.d., P.424
[12]. The Holy Quran: Translation & Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, OP. Cit., Yunus 10:37
[13] . Ibid,
Bani-Israil 17:88
[14] . Ibid,
Al-Baqarah 2:23
[15] . Ibid,
Al-Maidah 5:83
[16] . Ibid,
Fussilat 41:26
[17] . As quoted by Chippa, Abdul Karim in “Beauty and Wisdom of the Holy
Qur’an”, Kitab Bhavan, New Delhi, 1994, P. 62.
[20] . The
Holy Quran: Translation & Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, OP. Cit.,
Al-Qamar 54:17
[24] . Kidwai, A.R., A Survey of English Translations of the
Quran, http://www.islam101.com/quran/transAnalysis.htm retrieved on Saturday, March
10, 2012
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