http://www.arabnews.com/?page=5§ion=0&article=96070&d=11&m=5&y=2007&pix=islam.jpg&category=Islam
Friday, 11, May, 2007 (23, Rabi` al-Thani, 1428)
Is Translation of the Qur'an Forbidden?
Adil Salahi, Arab News
Q. I teach world geography in the US, and I spend time discussing Islam
and Muslims. I have learned that the Qur'an must not be translated into any
other language because, it is said, that Muhammad's words cannot be appreciated
in any language other than Arabic. Some people said that it is almost
blasphemous to translate it? Is this true? Is it also true that there is a
passage in the Qur'an that every Muslim must be able to read and recognize? I
have also read that in order to be a Muslim, one has only to declare that there
is only one God. Is this true? Is there any difference on any of this between
Sunni and Shiite Muslims?
M. Busby
A. We need to clarify certain things here. The first is that the Qur'an
is not the word of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He did not compose it.
It is the word of God who revealed it to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
through Gabriel, the angel. Its style is inimitable. It is the finest style in
the Arabic language: very precise, yet very rich in meaning; addressing both
laymen and highly educated people at the same time; full of images that spring
before our eyes as we recite or listen to its recitation.
Islam is a message to all mankind, and the message is contained in the
Qur'an. Therefore, Muslims have a duty to make it known to people and
understood by them. How can this be done unless the Qur'an is translated into
other languages? Can we say to people that they all must learn Arabic in order
to understand the word of God? Even if they are willing to do so, people differ
in their ability to learn foreign languages and in their capacity to understand
what is expressed in their own language, let alone that stated in a foreign
tongue. So how are we to communicate God's message to non-Arabic speaking
people? The Prophet sent letters to the rulers of neighboring countries. One of
the recipients was Hercules, the Byzantine emperor. In this letter a Qur'anic
verse is quoted. Needless to say, the emperor had the letter translated,
including the Qur'anic verse quoted in it. The Prophet knew that this would
happen, yet he had nothing against it. How can an act done and sanctioned by
the Prophet be considered blasphemous?
The fact is that the Qur'an is very difficult to translate. However, many
have translated it into a large number of languages. In English there are
scores of its translations, some by Muslim scholars and a few by non-Muslims.
No scholar worthy of note has objected. Yet no one can reproduce the
magnificence of the Qur'anic language. What we need to understand is that the
Qur'an, in its original Arabic text, is God's word. Its translation is an
expression by the translator of what he has understood of the Qur'an.
Therefore, it is liable to error. Translations into other languages may have
errors.
The Qur'an consists of 114 surahs, or chapters: some are short and others
are long. Many are of moderate length. The passage you refer to is the first
surah, entitled Al-Fatihah, or The Opening, which is short, consisting of seven
verses. We read it in every rakah, or unit of prayer, which means that we read
it at least 17 times every day. It may be translated as follows: "In the name
of God, the Lord of grace, the ever-merciful. Praise be to God, the Lord of all
the worlds; the Lord of grace, the ever-merciful; master of the Day of
Judgment. You alone do we worship and to You alone do we turn for help. Guide
us on the straight path; the path of those on whom You have bestowed Your
favors, not those who have incurred Your wrath, nor those who have gone
astray." Since it is obligatory to read in every prayer, every Muslim learns
this surah and commits it to memory at a very early stage.
In order to be a Muslim, one must make a clear declaration in the
following words: "I bear witness that there is no deity other than God, and
that Muhammad is God's Messenger." This is the distinctive mark of a Muslim. If
a person makes this declaration, fully aware of its meaning, then that person
is a Muslim. A person who does not make this declaration is not a Muslim
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
