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The Reflection of Scientific Facts in the Translation of the Qur’an

Received: 13 May 2015     Accepted: 25 May 2015     Published: 6 June 2015
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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the possibility of preserving scientific facts in the translation of the Qur’an, as one of its challenging and inimitable features. It should be pointed out that many scientific subject matters, dealt with in the Qur’an, give rise to translation challenges. Such matters are scientifically proven by today's scientific discoveries, but not dealt with sufficiently in translation. Lack of knowledge in many scientific issues results in incompatibility between the translation product and the advanced knowledge of today; this requires that translators of the Qur’an should be equipped with thorough scientific knowledge in order to enable the target text accommodate the source text's scientific facts. The theoretical part of the study is based on the idea that scientific facts in the Qur’an have not been adequately scrutinized from a translational perspective. Most of their efforts focus on the linguistic aspects and literal semantics of the sacred text, stripped from scientific implications. In order to prove the translators’ unintended neglect of these facts, a number of translations are examined and enough supporting explanation of scientific resources is provided to show the congruence between what was revealed in the Qur’an before fourteen centuries, and what modern sciences have uncovered. The study draws the conclusion that scientific knowledge in different scientific fields is essential in the translation of the Qur’an, as it is a possible fact that the translator is liable to commit mistakes in the translation of scientific statements if s/he is not expert or specialist in the scientific discipline under question. Therefore, translators should be knowledgeable in all aspects of the Qur’an in order to be able to provide an authentic rendition in the receptive language.

Published in International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 3, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijll.20150304.11
Page(s) 193-202
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Scientific Translation, Qur’an Translation, Scientific Facts, Science

References
[1] Abdul-Raof (2001) Qur’an Translation: Discourse, Texture and Exegesis. Curzon Press: Surrey.
[2] Abul-Ainain, H (1996) Min al-I‘jāz l-‘Ilmī fi l-Qur’ān. Maktabat l-Ubaikan: Riyadh.
[3] Ali, A (1999) The Holy Qur’an: Translation and Commentary. IPCI, Islamic Vision: England.
[4] Al. Najjār, Z. (2008) min ‘Āyāt l-‘Ijāz l-‘lmī fī Khalq l-Insān fi l-Qur’ān l-karīm. Dār il-Ma‘rifa: Beirut.
[5] Al-Sha‘rāwī, M. (1991). Tafsīr al-Sha‘rāwī. Vols.1-13. Dar Akhbār Al-Yawm. Al- Azhar: Ciro.
[6] Al-Zamakhsharī, A. (2005). al-Kashshāf. Dār l-Ma‘rifa: Beirut.
[7] Arberry, A, J (1980) The Koran Interpreted, vols. 1-2. London: George Allen and Unwin: London
[8] Baskill, A. F (1988) Mawqif d-Dīn mina l-‘Ilm. Trans. by Mohammad Ali, O. (2nd edition). Dar l-Anbār for Printing and Distribution: Baghdad.
[9] Bucaille, M (2003) The Bible, The Qur’an, and Science: The Holy Scriptures Examined in the light of Modern Knowledge, New York: Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an , Inc: New York.
[10] Bucaille, M (1978) The Bible, The Qur’an and Science. Trans. from French by Pannell, A and Bucaille, M. Crescent Publication Compamy: India.
[11] Bucaille, M (1977) al-Qur’ān al-Karīm, at-Torāh, al-’Injīl, and al-‘Ilm: Dirāsat l-Kutub l-Muqaddasa fī Ḍū’ l-Ma‘ārif l-Ḥadītha: Dār l-Ma‘ārif: Cairo.
[12] Byrne, J. (2012) Scientific and Technical Translation Explained: A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Beginners, Routledge
[13] Campell, W. F (1989) The Qur’an and the Bible in the light of History and Science. (2nd edition). Middle East Resources, (French edition: France, Farfel editions), ISBN: 1- 881085-00-7& 2-86314-077-9).
[14] Cook, M. (1983) Mohammad. Oxford University Press: Oxford.
[15] Dress, W. B (1996) Religion, Science and Naturalism. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.
[16] Haikal, M. H (1964) al-‘Īmān wa l-Ma‘rifa wa l-Falsafa. (2nd edition). Maktabat l-Nahḍa l-Miṣriyya: Cairo.
[17] Hasb Al-Nabī, M (1996) al-Kawn wal-I’jāz l-‘Ilmī li l-Qur’ān. Dār l-Fikr l-‘Arabī: Cairo.
[18] Krein-Kutiile, M. (2003) Equivalence in Scientific and Technical Translation: A Text-in-Context-based. Study PhD Dissertation, European Studies Research InstituteSchool of Languages, University of Salford- Salford, UK.
[19] Khidr, A (1993) Tiknolojya l-Fadā l-Kawnī wa l-‘I’jāz l-‘Ilmī li l-Qur’ān l-Karīm. Saudi Publishing and Distribution House: Saudi Arabia.
[20] Mohammad Ali, M. S (1993) al-‘Ijāz l-‘Ilmī fi l-Qur’ān l-Karīm. Dār l-Maḥabba: Damascus.
[21] Montgomery, S.(2000) Science in Translation: Movements of Knowledge through Cultures and Time, The University of Chicago Press: Chicago.
[22] Newman, R., Perry, Ph. and Eckleman, H. (2007) Genesis one and the origin of the Earth. Published by Interdisciplinary Biblical research Institute. USA.
[23] Olohan, M. and Salama-Carr, M. (eds.) (2011) Special Issue: Science in Translation, The Translator, Volume 17, Number 2, ST Jerome Publishing.
[24] Pickthall, M. M (2002) The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'an. Amana Publications: USA.
[25] Raḥmān, F (1979) Islam. (2nd edition.) University of Chicago: Chicago.
[26] Reḥmān, J. (2003) Searching for scientific facts in the Qur’an: Islamization of Knowledge or a new form of scientism? Islam and Science. , vol. 1. iss. 2. Centre for Islamic science.
[27] Wright, S. (1993) Scientific and Technical Translation, John Benjamins Publishing.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Bakri Al-Azzam, Muhammad Al-Ahaydib, Hussein Abdo Rababah. (2015). The Reflection of Scientific Facts in the Translation of the Qur’an. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 3(4), 193-202. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20150304.11

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    ACS Style

    Bakri Al-Azzam; Muhammad Al-Ahaydib; Hussein Abdo Rababah. The Reflection of Scientific Facts in the Translation of the Qur’an. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2015, 3(4), 193-202. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20150304.11

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    AMA Style

    Bakri Al-Azzam, Muhammad Al-Ahaydib, Hussein Abdo Rababah. The Reflection of Scientific Facts in the Translation of the Qur’an. Int J Lang Linguist. 2015;3(4):193-202. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20150304.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijll.20150304.11,
      author = {Bakri Al-Azzam and Muhammad Al-Ahaydib and Hussein Abdo Rababah},
      title = {The Reflection of Scientific Facts in the Translation of the Qur’an},
      journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
      volume = {3},
      number = {4},
      pages = {193-202},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20150304.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20150304.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20150304.11},
      abstract = {The purpose of this study is to explore the possibility of preserving scientific facts in the translation of the Qur’an, as one of its challenging and inimitable features. It should be pointed out that many scientific subject matters, dealt with in the Qur’an, give rise to translation challenges. Such matters are scientifically proven by today's scientific discoveries, but not dealt with sufficiently in translation. Lack of knowledge in many scientific issues results in incompatibility between the translation product and the advanced knowledge of today; this requires that translators of the Qur’an should be equipped with thorough scientific knowledge in order to enable the target text accommodate the source text's scientific facts. The theoretical part of the study is based on the idea that scientific facts in the Qur’an have not been adequately scrutinized from a translational perspective. Most of their efforts focus on the linguistic aspects and literal semantics of the sacred text, stripped from scientific implications. In order to prove the translators’ unintended neglect of these facts, a number of translations are examined and enough supporting explanation of scientific resources is provided to show the congruence between what was revealed in the Qur’an before fourteen centuries, and what modern sciences have uncovered. The study draws the conclusion that scientific knowledge in different scientific fields is essential in the translation of the Qur’an, as it is a possible fact that the translator is liable to commit mistakes in the translation of scientific statements if s/he is not expert or specialist in the scientific discipline under question. Therefore, translators should be knowledgeable in all aspects of the Qur’an in order to be able to provide an authentic rendition in the receptive language.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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    T1  - The Reflection of Scientific Facts in the Translation of the Qur’an
    AU  - Bakri Al-Azzam
    AU  - Muhammad Al-Ahaydib
    AU  - Hussein Abdo Rababah
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    JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
    JO  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
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    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-0221
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    AB  - The purpose of this study is to explore the possibility of preserving scientific facts in the translation of the Qur’an, as one of its challenging and inimitable features. It should be pointed out that many scientific subject matters, dealt with in the Qur’an, give rise to translation challenges. Such matters are scientifically proven by today's scientific discoveries, but not dealt with sufficiently in translation. Lack of knowledge in many scientific issues results in incompatibility between the translation product and the advanced knowledge of today; this requires that translators of the Qur’an should be equipped with thorough scientific knowledge in order to enable the target text accommodate the source text's scientific facts. The theoretical part of the study is based on the idea that scientific facts in the Qur’an have not been adequately scrutinized from a translational perspective. Most of their efforts focus on the linguistic aspects and literal semantics of the sacred text, stripped from scientific implications. In order to prove the translators’ unintended neglect of these facts, a number of translations are examined and enough supporting explanation of scientific resources is provided to show the congruence between what was revealed in the Qur’an before fourteen centuries, and what modern sciences have uncovered. The study draws the conclusion that scientific knowledge in different scientific fields is essential in the translation of the Qur’an, as it is a possible fact that the translator is liable to commit mistakes in the translation of scientific statements if s/he is not expert or specialist in the scientific discipline under question. Therefore, translators should be knowledgeable in all aspects of the Qur’an in order to be able to provide an authentic rendition in the receptive language.
    VL  - 3
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • The Hashemite University- English Department, Zarqa, Jordan

  • Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, College of languages and Translation, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

  • Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, College of languages and Translation, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

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