Challenges of Translating the Qurʾān

Translating the Qurʾān, an Arabic divine high text, into English or some other language comprises a vast scope of challenges from the linguistic, cultural, and theological perspectives that point to the sophisticated nature of the process needed to preserve its divine content. Being the best, perfect and the only source of God’s law to where, according to the Qur’an, was revealed to Muhammad, the Prophet, by Jibreel (Gabriel) archangel, with the Qur’an’s message the objective for universal relevance but at the same time, as part of world culture, adopting also wider cultural layers that make up a translation. The primary issue is linguistics due to the proliferation of diverse types and refined subtleties in Arabic compared to the targeted languages such as English, which will therefore need a translation that goes beyond the mere direct meaning to include spiritual, cultural and emotive languages. This investigation looks forward to complexly illustrating these multifold challenges, focusing on the sophisticated ways translators employ to ensure that the Quran’s profound utterances speak to the vast linguistic and cultural scenes.

Translating the Qurʾān into English or any other language presents a unique set of challenges explored in various scholarly works. The encounter is tricky because of the Qurʾān’s holy status and elaborate linguistic, cultural, and theological aspects. Peer-reviewed studies comparing different translations by Sahih International, Pickthall, and Arberry have revealed complicated linguistic issues such as (coined term) and synonymy, componential features, and polysemy (Allaithy, 2021). These difficulties show the challenge of transmitting the richness of the Qur’anic language and the depth of its messages when translating it into English. The endeavour requires an advanced knowledge of the Arabic language and a high regard for structural and stylistic elements of the Qurʾān, which are closely linked with sacredness and culture.

Cultural factors appear as another obstacle in the process of translation, as a study points out that a translator from modern Arabic to English and vice versa faces many problems while translating culture-bound expressions which bring to life the background both of pre-Islamic and Islamic Arab eras (Hashemi, 2023). These equivalents are the lifeblood coursing the Quranic veins; hence, the precise translation makes preserving the original language’s cultural and historical richness possible. Besides, it reflects the effect of translators’ cultural backgrounds on their translation decisions, as people who are more acquainted with the cultural factors underlying the source text usually produce more accurate and culturally sensitive translations.

Mapping Qurʾānic euphemisms, including sexual taboos, onto a translatable meaning is a complex task in itself. Translators’ backgrounds determine to what extent subtle areas are safe for transposition and to what extent euphemisms are correctly translated into English (Boulaouali, 2021). A detailed comprehension of the origin and our own culture is necessary for accurately transferring such terms without altering the original intentions and making them appropriate to the audience. Also, the translation of Qurʾān’s exquisite figurative language, which is full of metaphors and similes, shows a great prospect of loss of the translation and the troubles of finding comparable traits in the target language. These stylistic devices are fundamental to the Qur’ān’s eloquence and profoundness. Hence, they have imposed a variety of challenges on the translators.

The influence of some aspects of a translator’s cultural background can be seen in their representations and strategies for executing these representations, such as domestication and foreignization, through the example of Arthur Arberry (Abdullah & Edris, 2020). Translation strategies employed in the Qurʾān translation are indeed mechanisms for getting the original transcultural and semantic content to the readers or, in other words, are the underpinnings of the cultural and religious text-language connection process. Such comes from the preferred strategy of bridging cultural and semantic gaps between the source and the target texts or the unique cultural context of one particular text. Therefore, translation of the Qurʾān is not merely a linguistic process but more of a culturally contextual translation, which requires mastering the intricate balance between accuracy, respect for the source text and effective message communication to an international audience.

In conclusion, translating the Qurʾān involves navigating a complex web of linguistic, cultural, and theological challenges. While different translations strive to capture the original text’s essence, each faces difficulties in accurately conveying the Qurʾān’s profound meanings, nuances, and spiritual depth. The original text’s essence can be captured and missed to varying degrees, depending on the translators’ approaches, backgrounds, and strategies to overcome these inherent challenges.

References

Abdullah, A. S., & Edris, L. (2021). Cultural and Semantic Challenges in Arberry’s Translation of the Qur’anic Dialogue: The Dialogue between God and Moses. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 50(1), 41-65.

Allaithy, A. (2020). Challenges in translating the Qur’ān–translating the untranslatable: Omission/ellipsis. Handbook of the changing world language map, 2637-2671.

Boulaouali, T. (2021). Quran translation: A historical-theological exploration. International journal of islamic thought, 19(1), 120-132.

Hashemi, B. (2023). Challenges of Translating the Arabic Qur’an into English: A Comparative Study of Eight Leading Translations. Journal of World Religions and Interfaith Harmony, 2(1), 45-119.