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Islamic Translation: Why So Challenging?

Having any translation project can be challenging, but having an Islamic translation project is a whole different story.

The question is why! This is the million-dollar question that also has million answers.

Let’s start with the basics. Islamic translation concerns the translation of Islamic texts, primarily the divine book, the
Holy Quran, Hadiths – reports of statements or actions of the Prophet Muhammad, commentaries and
interpretations for them, and even delivered sermons. Nowadays, there is this need to spread the right teachings
and the real peaceful message of Islam in different languages, and translation seems to be the key.

But, did you know that there is no one approved source to solely reference to or depend on for either Quran or
Hadith translations?

Disappointing, we know! The translations available are many and they all vary at some point since they are all
translations of meanings from every translator’s perspective. However, there are some well-known sources of Quran
Translations, for example:

Abdel-Haleem, A New Translation of Quran1

Muhammed Habib Shakir, The Translation of Quran2

Probably, this is a put down to the inability to demonstrate the whole wealth of ideas in another language. What
might add up to the arduous job of translating these Islamic texts is that they are of a sensitive nature that its spirit
should be adequately conveyed to the target audience. It requires precision and cautiousness; there is no tolerance
for mistakes or negligence – because this might be classified as manipulative. The same thing, of course, goes for
religious translation in general.

So, in what ways can Islamic translation be challenging, how can “lost in translation” be avoided here, and how can
quality be achieved? We are about to find out.

Arabic Language as a Primary ‘Linguistic’ Challenge

There are verses in the Quran asserting its revelation to people in Arabic language. Typically, Hadith and other
Islamic texts are conveyed in Arabic as well. However, the form of Arabic used in the revered book and Islamic texts
is a heightened form of Arabic and the most complex of the other forms of Arabic. Classical Arabic, which is also
referred to as Quranic Arabic, has a sophisticated manner and use which brings about some lexical, syntactic, and
semantic problems, which poses a tremendous challenge in this specific type of translation.

Structure of Classical Arabic is one thing why Islamic translation can be problematic. We are mainly concerned here
with the length and complexity of sentences. Arabic sentences are long and this is where complexity starts. It comes
off as a challenge whether to maintain lengthy sentences or split them, especially when one sentence can discuss
different ideas. Another major difficulty is rendering lexical items and finding equivalence. While translating Islamic
texts, translators usually have problems with some lexical terms especially with the absence of a direct counterpart
for these terms in the target language. A single Arabic word is known to have rich implications and can bear multiple
or several meanings.

In this respect, according to Ghazala (1995)3, Arabic Islamic items can be categorized into 3 types

New items introduced to Arabic by Islam, such as Quran and martyrdom, Arabic items that Islam gave new
implications and connotations, like Hajj , and Items that are already familiar and used in Arabic, such as Ka’ba.

Sometimes even when an equivalent exists, it fails to convey the intended/same meaning and connotations of the
source word. The challenge with these terms and others stems from another important factor; they are not only
deeply rooted in the structure of the Arabic language, but they are also culturally-bound to the Arab and Islamic
world.
The Cultural Challenge in Islamic Translation

The notion of culture has always been an integral and vital part of the translation process, and Islamic translation,
especially, is absolutely no exception. It’s quite clear the huge gap between the Arab and Islamic beliefs, concepts,
and norms and the Western ones. Such disparity stirs up lots of complications in the process of translating Islamic
content.

While translating Islamic texts, the linguistic aspect is bound and governed by cultural patterns. In other words, most
of the religious concepts and items in these texts are traceable to a cultural significance. Quran and Hadith speak of
various cultural, historical, and social activities, acts, and events, familiar to the Arab society and the Muslim
community, and which are of course alien to the target audience. While a linguistic equivalent might exist, it can give
out negative cultural connotations, and this is a serious misleading translation mistake.

With words like ‫ تيمم‬tayammum, the act of ablution using sand or dust when no water is available, a lexical equivalent
might not be enough to convey the implications of the word; it remains perplexing unless a brief description is
provided4. The challenge then lies in finding both the right lexical and cultural equivalent.

The Subtle Nature of Quran and Islamic Texts

Perhaps a yet another obstacle faced by translators while working on this particular type of translation projects is
the highly intricate nature and style of Quranic language and Islamic texts. Abdelwali (2002)5 argues, “Quranic
features are alien to the linguistic norms of other languages”. In other words, these religious texts are characterized
by eloquence and distinct stylistic features and linguistic structures.

Here are some examples for these features:

 Ambiguity and double meanings

 The frequent shift in personal pronouns.
 Unconventional use of tenses and verbs.
 Repetition.
 Ellipses and brevity.
 Irony.
 Stories, moral Lessons; symbolism and rhetorical questions.
 Figures of speech, such as metaphors, similes… etc.

Another noteworthy characteristic in Quran and Islamic texts is each word in the target language should invoke the
exact same impression and emotion from the audience that the words in Arabic do. This means that dealing with
Islamic texts goes far beyond word and sentence understanding; these unique features demand profound content
and context considerations. Thus, context here concerns cultural and historical background, indirect implications,
and emotive factors.

Conclusion

So, why is having an Islamic translation project a whole different story?

Because it falls into only one category: do it right. The other option is just off the limits here. Despite the challenges
of the Arabic language, culture, and the nature of the texts itself, this type of translation demands perfection or
nothing; it demands to maintain its sacredness.

BayanTech is a professional translation and localization service provider, which has made major contributions to
Islamic Translation. BayanTech has proven experience in translating Islamic content, working on several related
large-scale translation and localization projects from Arabic <> English and other languages catering to small and
large corporations, organizations; charity, NGO, independent organizations, in addition to other online communities
and Islamic learning centers.