ISLAM – 207
Translations With Different Ideas
The Holy Qor-aan brought Islsaam (see our Commentary Islam-101) and guaranteed it to remain intact (015:10). Despite untold number of translations, cool complements, adverse criticism, and fabricated frivolous falsehoods, the Holy Qor-aan has not changed.
Translators’ mastery over English vocabulary often induced them to translate the Arabic of the Holy Qor-aan into flowery English, supplanting the original meaning with their own ideas. For example, in Verse 079:032, a reference to rain water was translated by an author into the ‘moisture and pasture.’
Elsewhere, the counter-concepts of wickedness and righteousness have been translated as ‘sins and piety,’ ‘wrongs and right,’ ‘the bad and the good,’ ‘weaknesses and strength,’ ‘evils and virtue’ as laid out in our Note to the verse 091:009.
A translator’s choice of a word, phrase or idea will remain open to critique by others, although even embellished translations must be construed as the best effort done in good faith to convey what the original text really meant.
“A translator’s task … is extremely difficult. He has to do with highly mystical symbols expressed in elliptical language suitable for mysticism, and he has to render them in another language with words of precision intelligible to readers. It is therefore necessary for him to put in part of the Commentary in the Translation in such cases.” A Yusuf Ali’s translation Note 5916.
Many translations of the Arabic words to English equivalents are distinctly different. An example is how the words in وَاِذَا النُّفُوۡسُ زُوِّجَتۡ ‘081:008 were translated and then explained. Was ‘men will be united’ best translated and illustrated by the formation of a ‘United Nation? What if they got ‘together’ in great numbers by easier travels in ships, planes, cars and trains? Could that be a fill of the forecast if men ‘gathered’ in humongous concerts and conferences? Will millions visiting Moslem Hajis in Mecca or Hindu Yatries on the Ganges banks qualify?
This site has chosen to side-step all attempts to answer the above difficult questions. Instead our word-by-word translation should enable a reader to make those determinations.
M Muhammad Ali translated the verse 081:008 as “When men are united'” and in Note #2674 explained: “One of the greatest achievement of the modern civilization … Time is not far … when the whole world will be united and may become as a single nation.” A similar sentiment is expressed in many other translations as well. But Dr Khan has said, “Souls are joined with their bodies – the good with the good and the bad with the bad.”
The following part of our Note 081:008b sheds light on this from an angle that currently has heated debates.
The key word زُوِّجَتۡ is generally used to express the matrimonial ties between a man and a woman. One example of such use is creating pairs consisting of a male and a female stated in 078:009. It is no extraordinary event for man and woman to marry to procreate the life as is done since Adam. Traditional marriage is hardly the type of a catastrophic extraordinary event told in other verses. The abomination of same-sex marriage is of that kind although legalized now in some countries. Almost all Scriptures denounced those who openly practiced the evil (007:082) thing in the past. The Prophet Lot was sent to end the immorality acquiesced by those people by warning them first. But the community persisted with its life-style and continued it until they annihilated themselves. The same-sex humans licensed as husband and wife is by no means the natural way to procreate. What makes sense for the continuation of human race is procreation of life by man and woman.
And then there are several other formations. Like nations forming consortiums such as the League of Nations and United Nations. Or, countries creating regional defense packets like NATO, CENTO and SEATO. Or, foreign invasions organized by creating multi-national task forces and alliances. Or, nations marrying and merging into each other before divorcing and separating like Syria did with Egypt or East Pakistan turned into Bangla Desh.
Illustrated above is just one verse which has been given distinct extrapolations in honest translations. But different translations of the same Arabic words, phrases and whole verses do confuse readers. There is no exception whether that reader is a genuine seeker of the Truth or a highly inimical critic. An uneducated Moslem is in the same boat as any other not familiar with vast Moslems’ literature. Even educated Moslems lazily prefer following their indoctrination over personally learning afresh. Those not equipped to become well-versed on their own have to follow what had been said earlier. Some scholars unwittingly fall to the political expediency, sectarian biases, even personal agendas. Resulting confusion is natural, particularly when one work is put against other for a comparison. Several examples of the difference in opinions are verses like 078:039, 079:044, and the following.
a. 078:013 shows the word شِدَادًا extrapolated multifariously in different translations such as ‘mighty heavens’, ‘firmaments’, ‘strong heavens’, ‘strong heavenly bodies of the solar system’, ‘major planets of the solar system of which sun is the center’, or ‘seven stages of spiritual development of man’, ‘ways by adding ‘Paradise’ as the 7th, the other six are the spiritual stages of the growth of Believers’, and ‘the major planets of the solar system.’
b. 079:002 detailed in our Commentary titled as The Callers to Allah.
c. 081:024 shows translators differing as to whom the pronoun هُ (hoo = him) has referred.
- Him’ refers to the Almighty God – M Zafrulla Khan
- ‘Him’ refers to ‘Himself’ ( صَاحِبُكُمۡ = your companion) the Holy Prophet s.a.w – M M Pickthall, Allamah Nooruddin and M Muhammad Ali.
- ‘Him’ refers to the angel “Jibrail (Gabriel)” – Dr Khan, Dr Al-Hilali and N J Dawood.
- As ‘It’ it refers to the ‘Glorious future of Islam,” or as ‘Him’ … “He saw himself in the distant East in the person of the Promised Messiah.” Malik Ghulam Farid
d. 082:002 detailed in our Commentary titled as The Interruptions to a Speaker.
e. 084:020. The word تَرۡكَبُنَّ (Tur-ka-boon-na = Pass on) is translated in opposite ways.
- Moving upwards – conveyed by ‘ascending, developing, evolving, growing or improving into next better stage.’
- Moving downwards – conveyed by ‘deteriorating down to the next lower stage’ based upon the two verses that follow this verse – Several translations.
- Moving sideways – conveyed by ‘pass on’ that covered both sides.
The Holy Qor-aan has been and will forever remain safe and protected, unaffected and far above any impact by different translations whether friendly errors or inimical assaults.
Islam – 207 – Translations With Different Ideas
ISLAM – 207
Translations With Different Ideas
The Holy Qor-aan brought Islsaam (see our Commentary Islam-101) and guaranteed it to remain intact (015:10). Despite untold number of translations, cool complements, adverse criticism, and fabricated frivolous falsehoods, the Holy Qor-aan has not changed.
Translators’ mastery over English vocabulary often induced them to translate the Arabic of the Holy Qor-aan into flowery English, supplanting the original meaning with their own ideas. For example, in Verse 079:032, a reference to rain water was translated by an author into the ‘moisture and pasture.’
Elsewhere, the counter-concepts of wickedness and righteousness have been translated as ‘sins and piety,’ ‘wrongs and right,’ ‘the bad and the good,’ ‘weaknesses and strength,’ ‘evils and virtue’ as laid out in our Note to the verse 091:009.
A translator’s choice of a word, phrase or idea will remain open to critique by others, although even embellished translations must be construed as the best effort done in good faith to convey what the original text really meant.
Many translations of the Arabic words to English equivalents are distinctly different. An example is how the words in وَاِذَا النُّفُوۡسُ زُوِّجَتۡ ‘081:008 were translated and then explained. Was ‘men will be united’ best translated and illustrated by the formation of a ‘United Nation? What if they got ‘together’ in great numbers by easier travels in ships, planes, cars and trains? Could that be a fill of the forecast if men ‘gathered’ in humongous concerts and conferences? Will millions visiting Moslem Hajis in Mecca or Hindu Yatries on the Ganges banks qualify?
This site has chosen to side-step all attempts to answer the above difficult questions. Instead our word-by-word translation should enable a reader to make those determinations.
M Muhammad Ali translated the verse 081:008 as “When men are united'” and in Note #2674 explained: “One of the greatest achievement of the modern civilization … Time is not far … when the whole world will be united and may become as a single nation.” A similar sentiment is expressed in many other translations as well. But Dr Khan has said, “Souls are joined with their bodies – the good with the good and the bad with the bad.”
The following part of our Note 081:008b sheds light on this from an angle that currently has heated debates.
Illustrated above is just one verse which has been given distinct extrapolations in honest translations. But different translations of the same Arabic words, phrases and whole verses do confuse readers. There is no exception whether that reader is a genuine seeker of the Truth or a highly inimical critic. An uneducated Moslem is in the same boat as any other not familiar with vast Moslems’ literature. Even educated Moslems lazily prefer following their indoctrination over personally learning afresh. Those not equipped to become well-versed on their own have to follow what had been said earlier. Some scholars unwittingly fall to the political expediency, sectarian biases, even personal agendas. Resulting confusion is natural, particularly when one work is put against other for a comparison. Several examples of the difference in opinions are verses like 078:039, 079:044, and the following.
a. 078:013 shows the word شِدَادًا extrapolated multifariously in different translations such as ‘mighty heavens’, ‘firmaments’, ‘strong heavens’, ‘strong heavenly bodies of the solar system’, ‘major planets of the solar system of which sun is the center’, or ‘seven stages of spiritual development of man’, ‘ways by adding ‘Paradise’ as the 7th, the other six are the spiritual stages of the growth of Believers’, and ‘the major planets of the solar system.’
b. 079:002 detailed in our Commentary titled as The Callers to Allah.
c. 081:024 shows translators differing as to whom the pronoun هُ (hoo = him) has referred.
d. 082:002 detailed in our Commentary titled as The Interruptions to a Speaker.
e. 084:020. The word تَرۡكَبُنَّ (Tur-ka-boon-na = Pass on) is translated in opposite ways.
The Holy Qor-aan has been and will forever remain safe and protected, unaffected and far above any impact by different translations whether friendly errors or inimical assaults.
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