Full Mastery of Arabic Grammar, First Requirement in Quran Translation

Sources: www.ahl-ul-bayt.org, www.iqna.ir/en/

Full Mastery of Arabic Grammar, First Requirement in Quran Translation

Every Quran translator should have a perfect command of Arabic grammar in the first place with a true understanding of the meaning of the verses in order to present an acceptable translation.

This is according to Hojat-ol-Islam Ahmad Ahmadi, member of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution and head of the Organization for Researching and Composing University Textbooks in the Humanities (Samt), speaking at a forum investigating English translations of the holy Quran which was held at IQNA on May 21.

“A qualified Quran translator should also be well-acquainted with the historical events happened at the time of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) to interpret the reason and occasion of the revelation of different verses or chapters so that he/she can truly convey the divine message to the readers,” he added.

“Fluency, mastery of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and different types of recitation as well as a good command of knowledge in philosophy, discourse and basic sciences are among other requirements for a Quran translator,” he went on to say, referring to the Persian translation of some verses which have been conveyed in a wrong way due to the translator’s lack of knowledge concerning Arabic grammar and Quranic sciences.

“Unfortunately, most of the existing translations are mere copies of previous versions and that is why the same mistakes have been often repeated,” Hojat-ol-Islam Ahmadi further said, urging translators to refer to Quran exegeses to acquire a correct understanding of the verse’s meaning.

“Realizing the right form and content of the translation as well as the occasions of revelation is also of great importance to Quran translators, as it helps them convey the right meaning in an appropriate form in the target language, and this requires adequate familiarity with the holy Quran’s stylistic feature in the original language i.e. Arabic.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he referred to the translatability of the Quran, adding: “The holy book is a fluent text with a unique style, and conveying its special features to other languages is hardly possible, if not unattainable. That is why new translations of the Divine Scripture are annually presented using better, more appropriate equivalents.”

Referring to John Arthur Arberry’s English translation of the holy Quran as "the best among the existing ones," he said: “This translation is beautiful in terms of both the content and its verse-like form, and can be considered as the most fluent version presented so far.”

Quoting Arberry that “The divine text of the Quran will lose its beauty and disintegrate upon its translation into the target language,” Hojat-ol-Islam Ahmadi remarked: “Translating the holy Quran into other languages is a necessary; yet, even a qualified translator like Arberry believes in its impossibility; as a result, every attempt to render the Sacred Book results in a final text being unavoidably incomplete compared to the original divine one. Be that as it may, such incompleteness has its own degrees depending on translator's capability."

Organized by IQNA in collaboration with the University of Quranic Sciences and Teachings, the second session of such specialized forums was held at IQNA on May 21 with the presence of Hojat-ol-Islam Ahmad Ahmadi who heads the Organization for Researching and Composing University Textbooks in the Humanities (Samt), and Hojat-ol-Islam Asghar Saberi, director of the Center for Coordinating Translation and Publication of Islamic Texts affiliated to the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization.

799331