Why can the Quran not be translated?

Answer 1

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Brother, thanks a lot for you question. Basically, it is permissible to translate the meaning of the Qura'nic verses in order to convey the divine message to those who neither speak nor understand Arabic. However, due care should be given to accuracy and editing. In this regard, Sheikh `Atiyyah Saqr, former head of Al-Azhar Fatwa Committee, states: The issue of translating the Qur'an has been much debated since the first third of the 20th century. However, the translation of the Qur'an can never be considered as a Qur'an in itself, in its rulings and sacredness. The reason for this is that translation is not the word of Allah which was revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); but it is human words offered to explain the Devine Revelation. Besides, through translation, the words of the Qur'an are conveyed in a language other than Arabic which forms part and parcel of the miraculous nature of the Qur'an. Allah says, (A Book, whereof the verses are explained in detail; a Qur'an in Arabic, for people who understand)(Fussilat 41: 3). He also says, (With it came down the Spirit of Faith and Truth; to your heart and mind, that you may admonish; in the perspicuous Arabic tongue) (Ash-Shu`ara' 26: 193-195). There are many verses in the Glorious Qur'an that confirm this meaning. On this bsis, the translated copy of the Qur'an does not enjoy the same lofty standard of the original one; it does not bear the sense of miracles initiated by Allah Almighty. Moreover, it must be clarified there are two kinds of translation: literal translation and the translation of the meanings of the Glorious Qur'an.

As for the former, it is based on translating the verses of the Qur'an word by word. The scholars hold this kind of translation as impermissible. It is not possible to convey the message of the Glorious Qur'an in this way for the following reasons: 1. The foreign language cannot deliver the polysemy of the Qur'anic style; many words in the Qur'an have more than one meaning. Besides, the foreign language can never convey all these meanings in one word. If the translator chooses one of these meanings according to his methodology in translation, then the translation will be insufficient to deliver the whole message of verse. 2. Some Arabic words are used figuratively; message of the Qur'an might not be conveyed in case of translating the verse literally. 3. Some specific meanings are expressed in general words; if a translator tries to convey these words without referring to the specific meaning, he will not bring the aim of using these words in the Qur'an. 4. Arabic has its own unique style which is considered as the key to understand the rulings ofShari`ah, the matter which could not be transferred through any other language. Because of the reasons mentioned above, and many other reasons, which prove that the literal meaning could not convey the message of the Qur'an, the scholars do not allow applying this kind of translation to the whole Qur'an but it may permissible in regard to certain verses. As for translating the meaning of the Qur'an, the scholars maintain that it is permissible to do so on the ground that this kind of translation is considered as explaining and interpreting the Qur'an, and not regarded as a Qur'an in itself. However, a translator should give a note indicating that what he does is just a translation of the meaning of the Qur'an, as he understands it, not the exact meaning of the Qur'an itself. It is worth mentioning that no matter how a translation has effect on one, it can never have the same grandiloquent effect and beauty of the Qur'an itself. In the light of the above-mentioned facts, one may argue that if this is the case, how we can deliver the message of the Qur'an to peoples in various languages as we are commanded by Allah Who says, (O Messenger! Proclaim the (Message) which has been sent to you from your Lord. If you did not, you would not have fulfilled and proclaimed His Mission…) (Al-M'idah 5: 67). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also said, "Proclaim (my message) even (by delivering) one verse" (Al-Bukhari). How can we fulfill these commands and pave the way for non-Arabs to get the message of the Qur'an? To answer this question, we may say that in spite of the urgent need to translate the meaning of the Qur'an, translation is not the only way to convey the message of the Qur'an and to make people understand Islam. The Qur'an was revealed in the language of Arabs, as Allah says, (We sent not a messenger except (to teach) in the language of his (own) people, in order to make (things) clear to them)(Ibrahim 14: 4). Then, they (Arabs) should do their best to spread its messages in other languages using all available means to call peoples to Islam; translation of the meaning of the Qur'an may be part of these means. In fact, it has become exigent for Muslims to shoulder the responsibility of translating the meanings of the Qur'an in order to propagate Islam and, in other hand, to correct the mistakes committed by non-Muslim translators who are not well-versed in Arabic. http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/transliteration/ http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?cid=1119503546354&pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar%2FFatwaE%2FFatwaEAskTheScholar http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?cid=1147764055771&pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar%2FFatwaE%2FFatwaEAskTheScholar