From: mmdh@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (Mazen Mokhtar)
Subject: Review of translations of the Qur'an
Organization: AT&T
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 18:01:05 GMT

 
Assalamu `alaykum,
 
  The following is a summary of a review of different Qur'an translations.
Aside from my comments in brackets, all the information is paraphrased from an
article by A. R. Kidway "Translating the Untranslatable: A Survey of English
Translations of the Qur'an" reprinted from "The Muslim World Book Review"
Vol. 7 No. 4 Summer 1987.
 
  A. R. Kidway is affiliated with the Islamic Foundation, 223 London Road,
Leicester LE2 1ZE (U.K.)
 
 
  Early translations:
 
  - Mohammad Abdul Hakim Khan "The Holy Qur'an" 1905
  - Jairat Dehlawi "The Koran Prepared" 1912
  - Mirzal Abdu'l Fadl "Qur'an, Arabic Text and English Translation Arranged
    Chronologically with an Abstract" 1912
 
    None of these is by a reputed scholar. They are not of high quality and
    they were primarily intended as refutations of allegations by Christian
    missionaries against the Qur'an.
 
 
  More modern translations:
 
  - Marmaduke Pickthall "The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'an" 1930: First rate
    rendering that keeps scrupulously close to the original in elegant though
    now somewhat archaic English. However, it provides scant explanatory notes
    which restricts its usefulness.
 
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali "The Holy Qur'an: Translation and Commentary" 1937:
    Perhapse the most popular translation. Though this is more of a paraphrase
    than a literal translation, yet it faithfully represents the sense of the
    original. [This translation uses old english. Two newer versions have come
    out which attempt to make it more readable and correct some mistakes. I
    find this translation to be the most useful one overall -- Mazen]
 
  - Abdul Majid Daryabadi "The Holy Qur'an: with English Translation and
    Commentary 1957: A faithful rendering containing some explanatory notes.
    However, it contains inadequate sura information and some of the
    explanatory notes need updating.
 
  - Muhammad Asad "The Message of the Qur'an" 1980: A highly readable
    translation. Unfortunately, Muhmmad Asad deviates from the viewpoint of
    Muslim orthodoxy on many counts. For example, he denies the occurence of
    events such as throwing Abraham into the fire and regards 'Luqman', 'KhiDr'
    and 'Zul-Quarnayn' as mythical figures.
 
  - T. B. Irving "The Qur'an: The First American Version" 1985: Irving is a
    Muslim. The work has many textual and explanatory notes. Two minor
    problems with this translation are that it is not free from mistranslation
    and the usage of some American idioms are sometimes not befitting of the
    dignity of the Qur'anic diction and style.
 
 
  There are also some less significant English translations by Muslims:
 
  - Al-Hajj Hafiz Ghulam Sarwar "Translation of the Holy Qur'an" 1920
  - Ali Ahmad Khan Jullundri "Translation of the Glorious Holy Qur'an with
    commentary" 1962
  - Abdur Rahman Tariq and Ziauddin Gilani "The Holy Qur'an Rendered into
    English" 1966
  - Syed Abdul Latif "Al-Qur'an: Rendered into English" 1969
  - Hashim Amir Ali "The Message of the Qur'an Presented in Perspective" 1974
  - Taqui Al-Din al-Hilali and Muhammad Muhsin Khan "Explanatory English
    Translation of the Holy Qur'an: A Summarized Versino of Ibn Kathir
    Supplemented by Al-Tabari with Comments from Shahih al-Bukhari" 1977
  - Muhammad Ahmad Mafassir "The Koran: The First Tafsir in English" 1979
  - Mahmud Y. Zayid "The Qur'an: An English Translation of the Meaning of the
    Qur'an" (checked and revised in collaboration witha  committee of Muslim
    scholars) 1980
  - S. M. Sarwar "The Holy Qur'an: Arab Text and English Translation" 1981
  - Ahmed Ali "Al-Qur'an: A Contemporary Translation" 1980
 
 
  Translations by Shi'as:
 
  - S. V. Mir Ahmad Ali "The Holy Qur'an with English Translation and
    Commentary" 1964
  - M. H. Shakir "Holy Qur'an" 1982
  - Syed Muhammad Hussain al-Tabatabai "al-Mizan: An Exegesis of the Qur'an"
    translated fron Persian by Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi (So far five volumes
    appeared) 1983-
 
 
  Translations by Qadiyanis:
 
  - Muhammad Ali "The Holy Qur'an: English Translation" 1917: Mistranslated
    several verses to conform to Qadiyani views regarding the Messiah for
    example.
  - Sher Ali "The Holy Qur'an: Arabic Text with English Translation" 1955:
  - Zafarullah Khan "The Qur'an: Arabioc Test and English Translation" 1970
  - Kamaluddin and Nazir Ahmad "A Running Commentary of the Holy Qur'an" 1948
  - Salahuddin Peer "The Wonderful Koran" 1960
  - Malik Ghulam Farid "The Holy Qur'an" 1962
  - Khadim Rahman Nuri "The Running Commentary of the Holy Qur'an with
    under-bracket comments" 1964
  - Firozuddin Ruhi "The Qur'an" 1965
 
    Each of the above mistranslates certain verses to conform to Qadiyani
    views. Verses describing the Messiah or the finality of prophethood are
    especially likelely to be mistranslated.
 
  Translations by Christians:
 
  - Alexander Ross "The Alcoran of Mahomet translated out of Arabique into
    French, by the Sieur Du Ryer ... And newly Englished, for the satisfaction
    for all that desire to look into the Turkish vanities" 1649: A. Ross says:
    "I thought good to bring it to their colours that so viewing thine enemies
    in their full body, thou must the better prepare to encounter ... the
    Alcoran" One of the Appendices is called: "The Life and Death of Mahomet:
    the Prophet of the Turks and author of the Alcoran."
  - George Sale "The Koran" 1734: Has many errors, omisions and distortions.
  - J. M. Rodwell "The Koran" 1861: Also contains many distortions.
  - E. H. Palmer "The Qur'an" 1880: Again, omissions and errors abound.
  - Richard Bell "The Qur'an translated with a critical rearrangement of the
    Surahs" 1939: Rearranges the Suras among other problems.
  - A. J. Arberry "The Koran Interpreted" 1957: Stands out above the other
    translations by non-Muslims but is also not free from errors. [The
    article gives a list of examples -- Mazen]
 
 
  Translation by a Jew:
 
  - N. J. Dawood "The Koran" 1956: The author's bias against Islam is readily
    observable in the introduction. It also includes many mistranslations.
    [There is a newer version, I think it is dated 1990. The author of the
    article which I am paraphrasing is now preparing a review of the newer
    translation and told me that it is also full of errors. He sent me a
    partial list. -- Mazen]
 
 
  May Allah guide us to a proper understanding of His book.
 
 
Assalamu `alaykum,
 
Mazen Mokhtar