The Holy Qor-aan is no joke
Do not take the Holy Qor-aan as a hozo-wa (= joke, jest or frivolity) [045:010] or the signs of Allah as a hozo-wa [002:232]. As stated in our ‘Acknowledgments’, “I believe all those who have ever ventured the noble task of translating the Holy Qor-aan had good intentions even when they had translated it differently.” Their own background must have inadvertently found place in their well-intended toils.
The Arabic language has grammar rules that convey its meanings clearly to those who know the language. Conveying the real intent of the original text in a foreign language is often limited by the grammar of the foreign language. English is no exception.
Many translations of the Holy Qor-aan were done by the academia as influenced by their politics and warriors (See The Beginning and Mission Statement). Islam, a religion of peace and pen-power, has been misrepresented as a war-machine both by Moslems and others for last fourteen centuries.
Translating the Holy Qor-aan is a huge responsibility. Few translations exist in the American English where small and simple sentences flow out using few commas and colons to bifurcate them. Most current translations are in British English and try to make themselves clear by an abundant use of commas and parentheses.
The massive confusion is compounded by the double whammy of being indirect from prior translations in French, Italian, Persian and Spanish, and the customary use of commas to add brief explanations of the numerous words, phrases and clauses interspersed in just one sentence. Translators had to use punctuation, and italicized words or parentheses, for complex sentences, interpretations and extrapolations in order to convey the real intent of the original text.
A reader of any of the translations may get swayed to its author’s point of view about the Holy Qor-aan. Such a view could differ from that presented by trueteachingsofIslam.com. This site won’t judge who was a better translator, but will occasionally reproduce some quotes. Our primary object is to provide some simple straightforward literal equivalents of an Arabic word in American English and leave its translation, interpretation or extrapolation to the readers.
After all, the Holy Qor-aan is not an “Amusement” (A Yusuf Ali), “Flippant jest” (N J Dawood), “Frivolity” (Ahmad Zidan), “Joke” (Maulana Muhmmad Ali), “Pleasantry” (M M Pickthall), “Thing for amusement” (Dr Khan), “Useless talk” (Maulawi Sher Ali) or “Vain talk (Zafrulla Khan) as stated when they did the translation of 086:015.
Almighty God also said, “We have not created the heaven and the earth and all between the two in play” (021:017)
Furthermore, “Surely those who distort Our signs seeking deviations are not hidden from Us. Is one flung in the fire better or he who arrives in peace on the Judgment Day? You do what you like. Certainly He is the Seer of what you do.” (041:041).
Several variations appear in the translations we checked. Every translator must realize the sacred duty placed on him to accurately convey the intended message of the original text. Some interpretations tantamount to a joke – if not in whole at least on the border line – when a verse of the Holy Qor-aan is attempted to be explained in the light of some episode included in some past scriptures or even a fictional story with little known proof that it ever existed.
An example is the translation of لۡاُخۡدُوۡدِ (Ookh-doo-d) in 085:005 by Dr Mohsin Khan and Dr Al-Hilali. The word means pits, ditches or trenches. The translation work connected the said word in the verse to a long story of the Boy and the King. It impresses the reader that the revelation eternalized the condemnation of barbarity against boy. Yes, this story whether real or not could be an attempt to illustrate the real theme in that verse. Yet it stood out as an unfortunate belittling of the Divinity of the Message to the triviality of a fable.
Another example of this phenomenon occurs in interpreting pronouns such as in 002:074. A pronoun refers to a person in both Arabic and English languages, but its precise person-specific use is very frequent in the Arabic and is based on the following distinct categories.
1. For Gender – masculine, feminine, and groups (usually referred to in feminine gender)
2. For Single, plural for two persons, and plural for more than two persons.
3. For 1st person, for 2nd person and for the 3rd person.
The verse 002:074 contains the words of اضۡرِبُوۡهُ بِبَعۡضِهَا that literally means “Strike him/it with some of her/that.” But different translations interpreting the pronouns هُ (hoo) and هَا (haa) have produced different outcomes. Dr Hilali and Dr Khan translated those pronouns closest to their most direct meanings and wrote, “Strike him (the dead man) with a piece of it (the cow).”
Abdulla Yusuf Ali provided a Biblical incident and said, “In Deut; xxi 1-9 it is ordained that if the body of a slain man be found in a field and the slayer is not known, a heifer shall be beheaded and the elders of the city next to the slain man’s domicile shall wash their hands over the heifer and say that they neither did the deed nor saw it done, thus clearing themselves from the blood-guilt.” He followed that by a Jewish story that God after heifer’s killing ordered to place a part of the sacrificed heifer on the corpse which then became alive and told the true story of the crime, and so allegedly brought salvation to all concerned and absolved them of their guilt.
Maulana Muhammad Ali used the same Biblical reference Deut: 21:1-9. He stated that the order for “the slaughter of a cow … (was for) “Moses’ precaution” and “refers to Jesus himself as it was with respect to his death the disagreement took place … (although) the name is omitted here… comparison makes it clear that it is the apparent killing of Jesus that is referred to here.”
Other translators have interpreted this part as a Rule of Universal Application which the Holy Qor-aan has provided for all people, for all occasions, for all times. It lays down that when a decision is to be made, one should collect all relevant evidence, then evaluate that by putting some pieces against others and test the veracity of the whole, and finally make the most logical decision. This line stands the test of time as a fundamental principle of due process and found it way in the translation by Muhammad Zafrulla Khan who wrote, “Test the crucial question by putting together other incidents relating to the affair and you will arrive at the truth.”
Another example is the translations of verse 002:103 where variations start with its very first verb اتَّبَعُوۡا. Most authors have translated this verb as ‘they followed’, thus conveying ‘the narration of a past event done by some people in the 3rd person.’ But Pickthall translated it as ‘follow that’, thus conveying a command to you in the 2nd person to follow one past act, see its culmination and learn a lesson from it as a guidance for your own future. Any serious student of Islaam would seek real meanings communicated by the actual words that have been used and would not just agree with bird’s eye-view of the concept by someone else. Quite baffling are the several translations like those of the seven significant color-coordinated words in the very first sentence of the verse 002:103 as follows.
o “They followed what the evil ones gave out (falsely) against the power of Solomon.” Abdulla Yusuf Ali.
o “And they follow what the devils fabricated against the kingdom of Solomon.” – Maulana Muhammad Ali.
o “And they pursue the course which the rebellious men followed during the reign of Solomon.” – Maulawi Sher Ali
o “And they pursue the course which was pursued by the rebellious men against the Kingdom of Solomon.” – Malik Ghulam Farid
o “They followed what the Shayatin (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of Sulaiman (Solomon).” Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan and Dr. Muhammad Al-Hilali
o “They pursue the course which the rebellious ones followed in the reign of Solomon.” – Muhammad Zafrulla Khan
o “Moreover, they (- the Jews of the Prophet’s time) pursue (the same tactics) which the rebels had followed against the empire of Solomon.” – A R Omar and A M Omar
o “And follow that which the devils falsely related against the Kingdom of Solomon”. – Marmaduke Pickthall
o “They followed that which the satans recited during the reign of Solomon.” Dr Ahmad Zidan and Mrs Dina Zindan
More variations show up show up further down in 002:103 in translating the actions of Satan, of Haaroot and Maaroot or were they angels or angel-natured saints or a) what, b) how, c) to whom they taught d) that was then used to what effect regarding a man and his wife and e) the further follow-ups. Also, the one word مَاۤ has at least four meanings.
1. All that; what; whatever.
2. Any time; at such time; when; whenever.
3. Never, no; not.
4. Which; whichever; where; wherever.
Using any of the four choices changes drastically the translation of the whole clause, the entire verse, in fact the total message. The effect is magnified when the verse 002:103 has used that one word مَا in it 9 times. All those variations are in several translations of just one verse.
Employing analytical approach for an accurate portrayal of the Holy Qor-aan that came to illuminate the right course for the entire mankind is a serious matter. Any translation of such an important written material must not be done as a play [021:017], hozo-wa (= joke or jest) [045:010] or treated as such [002:232].
The Holy Qor-aan is no joke
The Holy Qor-aan is no joke
Do not take the Holy Qor-aan as a hozo-wa (= joke, jest or frivolity) [045:010] or the signs of Allah as a hozo-wa [002:232]. As stated in our ‘Acknowledgments’, “I believe all those who have ever ventured the noble task of translating the Holy Qor-aan had good intentions even when they had translated it differently.” Their own background must have inadvertently found place in their well-intended toils.
The Arabic language has grammar rules that convey its meanings clearly to those who know the language. Conveying the real intent of the original text in a foreign language is often limited by the grammar of the foreign language. English is no exception.
Many translations of the Holy Qor-aan were done by the academia as influenced by their politics and warriors (See The Beginning and Mission Statement). Islam, a religion of peace and pen-power, has been misrepresented as a war-machine both by Moslems and others for last fourteen centuries.
Translating the Holy Qor-aan is a huge responsibility. Few translations exist in the American English where small and simple sentences flow out using few commas and colons to bifurcate them. Most current translations are in British English and try to make themselves clear by an abundant use of commas and parentheses.
The massive confusion is compounded by the double whammy of being indirect from prior translations in French, Italian, Persian and Spanish, and the customary use of commas to add brief explanations of the numerous words, phrases and clauses interspersed in just one sentence. Translators had to use punctuation, and italicized words or parentheses, for complex sentences, interpretations and extrapolations in order to convey the real intent of the original text.
A reader of any of the translations may get swayed to its author’s point of view about the Holy Qor-aan. Such a view could differ from that presented by trueteachingsofIslam.com. This site won’t judge who was a better translator, but will occasionally reproduce some quotes. Our primary object is to provide some simple straightforward literal equivalents of an Arabic word in American English and leave its translation, interpretation or extrapolation to the readers.
After all, the Holy Qor-aan is not an “Amusement” (A Yusuf Ali), “Flippant jest” (N J Dawood), “Frivolity” (Ahmad Zidan), “Joke” (Maulana Muhmmad Ali), “Pleasantry” (M M Pickthall), “Thing for amusement” (Dr Khan), “Useless talk” (Maulawi Sher Ali) or “Vain talk (Zafrulla Khan) as stated when they did the translation of 086:015.
Almighty God also said, “We have not created the heaven and the earth and all between the two in play” (021:017)
Furthermore, “Surely those who distort Our signs seeking deviations are not hidden from Us. Is one flung in the fire better or he who arrives in peace on the Judgment Day? You do what you like. Certainly He is the Seer of what you do.” (041:041).
Several variations appear in the translations we checked. Every translator must realize the sacred duty placed on him to accurately convey the intended message of the original text. Some interpretations tantamount to a joke – if not in whole at least on the border line – when a verse of the Holy Qor-aan is attempted to be explained in the light of some episode included in some past scriptures or even a fictional story with little known proof that it ever existed.
An example is the translation of لۡاُخۡدُوۡدِ (Ookh-doo-d) in 085:005 by Dr Mohsin Khan and Dr Al-Hilali. The word means pits, ditches or trenches. The translation work connected the said word in the verse to a long story of the Boy and the King. It impresses the reader that the revelation eternalized the condemnation of barbarity against boy. Yes, this story whether real or not could be an attempt to illustrate the real theme in that verse. Yet it stood out as an unfortunate belittling of the Divinity of the Message to the triviality of a fable.
Another example of this phenomenon occurs in interpreting pronouns such as in 002:074. A pronoun refers to a person in both Arabic and English languages, but its precise person-specific use is very frequent in the Arabic and is based on the following distinct categories.
1. For Gender – masculine, feminine, and groups (usually referred to in feminine gender)
2. For Single, plural for two persons, and plural for more than two persons.
3. For 1st person, for 2nd person and for the 3rd person.
The verse 002:074 contains the words of اضۡرِبُوۡهُ بِبَعۡضِهَا that literally means “Strike him/it with some of her/that.” But different translations interpreting the pronouns هُ (hoo) and هَا (haa) have produced different outcomes. Dr Hilali and Dr Khan translated those pronouns closest to their most direct meanings and wrote, “Strike him (the dead man) with a piece of it (the cow).”
Abdulla Yusuf Ali provided a Biblical incident and said, “In Deut; xxi 1-9 it is ordained that if the body of a slain man be found in a field and the slayer is not known, a heifer shall be beheaded and the elders of the city next to the slain man’s domicile shall wash their hands over the heifer and say that they neither did the deed nor saw it done, thus clearing themselves from the blood-guilt.” He followed that by a Jewish story that God after heifer’s killing ordered to place a part of the sacrificed heifer on the corpse which then became alive and told the true story of the crime, and so allegedly brought salvation to all concerned and absolved them of their guilt.
Maulana Muhammad Ali used the same Biblical reference Deut: 21:1-9. He stated that the order for “the slaughter of a cow … (was for) “Moses’ precaution” and “refers to Jesus himself as it was with respect to his death the disagreement took place … (although) the name is omitted here… comparison makes it clear that it is the apparent killing of Jesus that is referred to here.”
Other translators have interpreted this part as a Rule of Universal Application which the Holy Qor-aan has provided for all people, for all occasions, for all times. It lays down that when a decision is to be made, one should collect all relevant evidence, then evaluate that by putting some pieces against others and test the veracity of the whole, and finally make the most logical decision. This line stands the test of time as a fundamental principle of due process and found it way in the translation by Muhammad Zafrulla Khan who wrote, “Test the crucial question by putting together other incidents relating to the affair and you will arrive at the truth.”
Another example is the translations of verse 002:103 where variations start with its very first verb اتَّبَعُوۡا. Most authors have translated this verb as ‘they followed’, thus conveying ‘the narration of a past event done by some people in the 3rd person.’ But Pickthall translated it as ‘follow that’, thus conveying a command to you in the 2nd person to follow one past act, see its culmination and learn a lesson from it as a guidance for your own future. Any serious student of Islaam would seek real meanings communicated by the actual words that have been used and would not just agree with bird’s eye-view of the concept by someone else. Quite baffling are the several translations like those of the seven significant color-coordinated words in the very first sentence of the verse 002:103 as follows.
o “They followed what the evil ones gave out (falsely) against the power of Solomon.” Abdulla Yusuf Ali.
o “And they follow what the devils fabricated against the kingdom of Solomon.” – Maulana Muhammad Ali.
o “And they pursue the course which the rebellious men followed during the reign of Solomon.” – Maulawi Sher Ali
o “And they pursue the course which was pursued by the rebellious men against the Kingdom of Solomon.” – Malik Ghulam Farid
o “They followed what the Shayatin (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of Sulaiman (Solomon).” Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan and Dr. Muhammad Al-Hilali
o “They pursue the course which the rebellious ones followed in the reign of Solomon.” – Muhammad Zafrulla Khan
o “Moreover, they (- the Jews of the Prophet’s time) pursue (the same tactics) which the rebels had followed against the empire of Solomon.” – A R Omar and A M Omar
o “And follow that which the devils falsely related against the Kingdom of Solomon”. – Marmaduke Pickthall
o “They followed that which the satans recited during the reign of Solomon.” Dr Ahmad Zidan and Mrs Dina Zindan
More variations show up show up further down in 002:103 in translating the actions of Satan, of Haaroot and Maaroot or were they angels or angel-natured saints or a) what, b) how, c) to whom they taught d) that was then used to what effect regarding a man and his wife and e) the further follow-ups. Also, the one word مَاۤ has at least four meanings.
1. All that; what; whatever.
2. Any time; at such time; when; whenever.
3. Never, no; not.
4. Which; whichever; where; wherever.
Using any of the four choices changes drastically the translation of the whole clause, the entire verse, in fact the total message. The effect is magnified when the verse 002:103 has used that one word مَا in it 9 times. All those variations are in several translations of just one verse.
Employing analytical approach for an accurate portrayal of the Holy Qor-aan that came to illuminate the right course for the entire mankind is a serious matter. Any translation of such an important written material must not be done as a play [021:017], hozo-wa (= joke or jest) [045:010] or treated as such [002:232].
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