Translating the Qur’an: A Jurisprudential Approach

Ali Yunis Aldahesh, Dr.

	Translating the Qur’an: A Jurisprudential Approach
AL-AMEED JOURNAL
Article 1, Volume 6, Issue 3, 2017, Pages 177-218
Author
Dr. Ali Yunis Aldahesh
Abstract
There has been a great deal of debate during the Islamic history amongst Muslim scholars, jurists and intellectuals over lawfulness/unlawfulness of the issue of translating the Qur’an into other languages. Such a controversial issue has divided Muslim scholars into two distinct groups. The first group argues against allowing the Qur’an to be translated under the pretext that the scripture has its very specific divine, linguistic and cultural characteristics hence it is untranslatable, while the other group argues for allowing the Qur’an to be translated claims that it is the final divine word to mankind hence its message ought to be understood by all human beings regardless of their religious, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds, and there is no way to do so but to translate it into other languages. In their attempt to justify their views, each group draws on the Qur’an itself and Sunna (Prophetic Tradition). This paper concerns itself with identifying and analysing the different viewpoints concerning this crucial issue. It contains five sections and a conclusion. The first section sheds light on the issue of translating the Qur’an at the time of the Prophet Muhammad. The second section, however, addresses this issue after the era of the Prophet. The third section provides some insights into the stance of Al-Azhar scholars in regards with the issue. Whereas, the forth section underscores the attitudes of modern Shiites scholars. Finally, the fifth section deals with some observations of contemporary intellectuals specialised in Qura’nic studies. The paper concludes with a brief overview outlining the reality of translating the Qur’an into other languages at the present time.

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