فسرن ٱلقرءان
Interpreting The Qur’aan
By: Triple A (أحمد عبد ٱلأول)
I had the occasion to have a conversation with a fellow Muslim whom I have known for quite a number of years and during our conversation I used the word interpretation when referring to The Qur’aan. My brother asked why I called them interpretations instead of translations - the popular way of describing a non-Arabic Qur’aan. I explained that when reading various English editions of The Qur’aan each edition would give me its own distinct impression though they were all attempting to convey the same message. I also explained that when reading some editions I would actually be confused as to their correct meaning and some I didn’t understand at all. My brother not only disagreed with me but was emphatic that I was wrong; they were translations and not interpretations, end of conversation! Don’t you love those stimulating conversations which result from respectful exchanges of ideas? I certainly do!
I have copies of all the popular English editions of The Qur’aan, a number of others which are not popular, and some that are shunned. Yusuf Ali, Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall, and Muhammad Asad, each has his own unique style of prose which reflects in their English editions of The Qur’aan. Typically a verse or message read from one will not necessarily convey the same impression as the same verse or message from the other two. For many years I had only been reading English editions of The Qur’aan, therefore I found it necessary to have a number of different interpretations in my attempts to understand its messages. Anyone who reads on a regular basis will probably tell you that a writer’s style is a major factor in their popularity, from comic books to classical writings, and The Qur’aan is no exception. It is due to this phenomenon that of the many editions of The Qur’aan which I own one quickly became my favorite, Maulawi Sher’Ali was the interpreter and I believe I purchased that edition in 1981. I will try to give you an example of what I mean by style of prose and its affect on impressions.
ياايها الذين ءامنوا لا تقولوا راعنا و قولوا انظرنا و اسمعوا و للكافرين عذاب اليم
O ye of Faith! say not (to the Apostle) words of ambiguous import but words of respect; and hearken (to him); to those without faith is a grievous punishment 2:104
That is a word for word copy of the interpretation of verse 2:104 by Yusuf Ali. The entire verse has no real meaning for me, it is vague and I do not know what Allaah is telling me. Just what do “words of ambiguous import” really mean, what am I being told? Likewise with “words of respect”, had something been said that was disrespectful and if so what was it? I know I am being cautioned, but the clarity isn’t there for me.
I hold to the belief that no language can be translated into another language word for word, that it is impossible, and if tried at best the result would be confusion when reading the translated text. The usage and understanding of words can and usually does change over time, also from one geographical locale to another. The same word in one language may have quite a different meaning in another language or even in the same language but in a different country. The understanding of words is not always the same even when the languages share the same mother tongue as Spanish, Cuban, and Puerto Rican do. A speaker of one of those languages will at times need to explain how they are using a particular word when speaking to someone of one of the other languages, even though they generally converse quite well with each other in their own native language. If you have read My Journey you know that I was born and raised in New York City but now reside in Georgia. On one occasion after shopping for a few small items the cashier asked if I wanted my purchases put in a sack. I looked at the young lady as if she was crazy - why would I want a sack for only a few small items - so I politely told her no and to just put them in a bag for me. Then it was her turn to look at me as if I was crazy - because that was what she had asked me in the first place. In New York a sack would be taken to mean something large and sturdy - similar to a burlap bag - but in Georgia it could mean just a paper bag. And the first time a “buggy” was mentioned to me in Georgia, I immediately turned around expecting to see a horse and buggy somewhere, but it was a shopping cart that was being referred to. England and the United States share a mother tongue but not the same language, in England one speaks English and in America one speaks American, though they are both called English they are not the same. All of the fore mentioned factors impact proper understanding. There is another factor which impacts translations of written works that is of prime importance and needs to be understood, that is the translators own personal impressions of what they are attempting to translate. How a translator perceives a thought or message from an original text will ultimately influence what is actually conveyed through the translated text, and that will definitely affect the understanding of its reader.
From engaging in and observing conversations between Muslims it would appear most have decided that - with few exceptions - whenever The Qur’aan mentions Rasuwl (Deliverer) or Nabiy (Receiver) and does not qualify the title with a specific name or circumstance within the text, it can only be referring to Muhammad, as if there has never been any other Deliverers or Receivers other than him. You can also observe this in books and articles written about Al Islaam and The Qur’aan. Often the name Muhammad will be included when The Qur’aan is being quoted from, and even in English editions of The Qur’aan itself the name will be inserted, and not always enclosed in parenthesis or brackets. The overwhelming majority of times when the name Muhammad is used with reference to a verse or verses in The Qur’aan you can be sure the name does not appear in the original Arabic Qur’aan - the interpreters have inserted it.
و لقد استهزىء برسل من قبلك فحاق بالذين سخروا منهم ماكانوا به يستهزءون
Faruwkh Malik-O Muhammad many Rasools before you were also ridiculed, but in the long run those who ridiculed were hemmed in by the very thing they were ridiculing 6:10
M. Pickthall-Messengers (of Allah) have been derided before thee, but that whereat they scoffed surrounded such of them as did deride 6:10
Yusuf Ali-Mocked were (many) Apostles before thee; but the scoffers were hemmed in by the thing that they mocked 6:10
These three interpretations of verse 6:10 are word for word from the computer program The Alim and those words which I have rendered in red do not exist in the Arabic of Al Qur’aan. One might say that these are small things which I am being persnickety about and they do not detract from the message. You may be correct but my feeling is; 1) had Allaah wanted the verse to be read and understood that way then he would have sent it down that way, he is certainly capable, and 2) when I am reading The Qur’aan I want to know what Allaah is telling me and not what the translator is interpreting it to mean.
فمن اظلم ممن افترى على الله كذبا او كذب بءاياته انه لا يفلح المجرمون
Who does more wrong than such as fabricates a lie on Allaah or deny his signs, verily who is a sinner will not be successful 10:17
لا يضل ربى و لا ينسى
my Lord does not make mistakes and does not forget 20:52
و من يتوكل على الله فهو حسبه ان الله بالغ امره قد جعل الله لكل سىء قدرا
and those who put their trust on Allaah for him Allaah is sufficient,
verily Allaah brings about his command,
certainly Allaah has made to all things an ordination 65:3
Often The Qur’aan will speak of a specific person or people by using their names or some other specific in the verse. There are also instances when specifics are not used. When that is the case are we to assume that Allaah forgot to include it/them? Why is it necessary to second guess Allaah, as if he is incapable of expressing exactly what he wants us to know? When Allaah uses the titles Deliverer and Receiver and does not qualify the titles with a person’s name and nothing else in the text direct me to a specific Deliverer or Receiver then I am satisfied with the way Allaah stated it. Allaah sent it down that way, Gabriel did not change it, Muhammad did not change it, and neither will I!
و اطيعوا الله و الرسول لعلكم ترحمون
And obey Allaah and The Deliverer that ye can obtain grace 3:132
و مآ ارسلنا من رسول الا ليطاع باذن الله
and we sent no Deliverer except to be obeyed by the permission of Allaah 4:64
In the above two verses a specific Deliverer is not identified. In the second verse I believe it is abundantly clear that all of The Deliverers of Allaah are included, and the first verse is speaking similarly. But I believe that in the minds of most Muslims the first verse can only be speaking of Muhammad. That type of thinking is ridiculous! The messages in each of those two verses are applicable to any and all of The Deliverers of Allaah. Would not the same apply to Moses and the followers of the Torah as well as Jesus and the followers of the Gospel? Taking those two verses together I understand them to mean all of The Deliverers of Allaah are to be obeyed, no matter who they are. If I were reading The Qur’aan and I am Jewish I just read that Allaah told me to obey Moses, if I am a Christian I just read that Allaah told me to obey Jesus, and if I am a Muslim I just read where Allaah told me to obey Muhammad, and the same would be true for any other Deliverers and followers of The Decrees they had received from Allaah. Muslims have also been told by Allaah, in The Qur’aan, not to make any distinctions between any of his Deliverers, we’ve been commanded to treat them all equally, yet Muslims regularly disobey Allaah daily. Be careful of interpretations, they will be answered for on the Day of Requital. Here is a glaring example of interpretation, distinction, and disobeying Allaah that I believe every Muslim is aware of but disregards. When Muhammad is mentioned Muslims say “salla Allaahu alayhi wa salaam” or indicate the same in some written form, but when any other Deliverer is mentioned most Muslims will only say “alayhi wa salaam” or indicate it in some written form. So here you have Muslims disobeying Allaah by making distinctions between his Deliverers and compounded by the fact that Allaah did not command either of those two sayings in The Qur’aan. I am aware of where those two sayings came to the Muslims from, but it was not from Allaah and his decree, The Qur’aan. But the saddest part about it is that many Muslims actually believe that the phrase “salla Allaahu alayhi wa salaam” is not only from The Qur’aan but it is also something they have been commanded by Allaah to say. It isn’t, and they were not - and “you can take that to the bank” - as the saying goes.
الذين يستمعون القول فيتبعون احسنه اولاءك الذين هداهم الله و اولاءك اولوا الالباب
Those who listen to the word and follow best in it,
they are the ones who Allaah has guided,
and they are the ones possessing intelligence 39:18
و الله يعلم و انتم لا تعلمون
and Allaah knows and you do not know 3:66
Consider this please, everything that we hear or see, we interpret, be it writing or anything else, our brains are interpreting for us automatically. When you see your parents, siblings, children, your brain interprets so we recognize them as such. When you see a car your brain interprets it so we recognize it as such and not an airplane. Whether we read Al Qur’aan or The Qur’aan we still interpret what we are reading, the process of reading is no more than another way of saying ‘interpreting the written word’. If we are not reading an Arabic Qur’aan then what we are reading is something which has already been interpreted by someone else and which has been influenced by their lifelong impressions, now we read their interpretation and ‘reinterpret the already interpreted’. After all that; do you really believe we would understand The Decrees of Allaah - as he would have us understand them - without any misunderstandings whatsoever?
There can be a real danger in assuming that reading The Qur’aan means you are reading the word of Allaah - because you are not - and the danger is, getting the wrong message. The ability to read the word of Allaah from Al Qur’aan - in Arabic - the way it was sent down would eliminate the dangers associated with relying on the possible misinterpretations from someone else. In the verse below it says “the word of Allaah” is supreme and not “the word of the translator or interpreter”.
و كلمة الله هى العليا و الله عزيز حكيم
and the word of Allaah it is supreme, and Allaah is mighty wise 9:40
Last Updated 02/12/2010