Is It Permissible to Translate the Quran into Other Languages?

Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa

Question

Is it permissible to translate the Quran into other languages? If so, how should it be done?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful and Compassionate.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.

Permissible

Translation is the process of transferring speech from one language to another, such as transferring speech from Arabic to English or Turkish, for example.

The meaning of transferring speech from one language to another is to express its meaning in another language while preserving all its meanings and purposes as if you have transferred the speech itself from its original language to the second language. Therefore, it is permissible to translate the Quran into other languages, provided that the translation is interpretive and explanatory. [Zurqani, Manahil al-‘Irfan]

How Should We Translate the Quran?

To answer the second part of the question, which is how should we translate the Quran, we must understand the types of translation. Translation is divided into two types: literal translation and interpretive translation.

First Type: Literal Translation

Literal translation of the Quran means transferring the words to their equivalents in another language while maintaining the structure and order, such that the words of the translation replace the words of the Quran, and its style replaces its style. [Muhammad Husayn al-Dhahabi, al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassirun; ‘Itr, ‘Ulum al-Quran al-Karim]

Based on this definition, literal translation of the Quran is not possible for the following reasons:

1. Allah (Most High) said about the Quran:

“Say, (O Prophet,) ‘If (all) humans and jinn were to come together to produce the equivalent of this Quran, they could not produce its equal, no matter how they supported each other.’” [Quran, 17:88]

If the Quran has challenged mankind to produce something like it, how can they bring words that replace its words?

2. The Quran is not only a text to be recited as an act of worship but also a book from which rulings are derived. This derivation does not come only from the primary meanings, which are easy to understand and express in other languages; many derivations come from secondary meanings, like the implications and indications of the text. These meanings are inherent to the Quran and cannot be transferred to other languages. It is not possible for secondary meanings to remain in a literal translation.

An example of a literal translation of the Quran is translating the verse: “And do not make your hand (as) chained to your neck or extend it completely and (thereby) become blamed and insolvent.” [Quran, 17:29]. We would say: “Do not tie your hand to your neck, and do not extend it completely…” This expression is far from the intended meaning of the verse, causing confusion for the non-Arabic reader and failing to convey the eloquent metaphor intended in the Quran. [Zurqani, Manahil al-‘Irfan; ‘Itr, ‘Ulum al-Quran al-Karim]

The same goes for the literal translation of Allah’s saying: “They are clothing for you and you are clothing for them.” [Quran, 2:187]. It would be impossible to convey the metaphor in the verse…and so on.

Second Type: Interpretive Translation

Interpretive translation of the Quran means expressing the meaning of the speech in another language in a way that matches the intended meaning in both the source and target languages, without adhering to literal equivalents. It is, in reality, an interpretation of the meanings of the Quran written in a language other than the language of the Quran. It involves understanding the intended meaning of the Quranic text as much as possible and then expressing it in other languages according to the purpose for which it was conveyed.

Therefore, scholars also call it “interpretive translation,” and compared to the literal translation mentioned earlier, it is possible because it represents an interpretation of the Quran in another language. [Muhammad Husayn al-Dhahabi, al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassirun; Zurqani, Manahil al-‘Irfan; ‘Itr, ‘Ulum al-Quran al-Karim]

An example of interpretive translation of the Quran: For the previous verse, “And do not make your hand (as) chained to your neck or extend it completely and (thereby) become blamed and insolvent.” [Quran, 17:29], if we wanted to translate it interpretively, we would explain the Quran’s prohibition of both miserliness and extravagance, depicting them in a repulsive manner that deters people.

Some Considerations regarding the Translation of the Quran

• Both types of translation mentioned above result in the Quran no longer being the Quran that we worship Allah (Most High) by reciting.
• It is important to inform non-Arabic speakers that this translation of the meanings of the Quran is merely a human effort to explain the meanings of Allah’s words. It is subject to mistakes, errors, and shortcomings, and it is not the Quran itself. Therefore, it is preferable to print the interpretive translation of the Quran in a format that includes the Quran in Arabic first, followed by its Arabic interpretation, and then its interpretive translation. [al-Muqaddimat al-Asasiyya li ‘Ulum al-Quran]
• The translation of the Quran is akin to other books of interpretation; thus, it should hold the same respect and status as interpretation books. [Ibid.]

Benefits of Interpretive Translation of the Quran Include

• Revealing the beauty and virtues of the Quran to those who cannot perceive them through the Arabic language, such as non-Arabic speaking Muslims.
• Removing barriers and obstacles created by those who harbor hatred towards Islam prevents seekers of truth from other nations from understanding it. These barriers are often based on lies fabricated about Islam and its Prophet.
• Refuting misconceptions fabricated by the enemies of Islam and wrongly attributed to the Quran and its interpretation, thereby misleading non-Arabic-speaking Muslims.
• Enlightening non-Muslims about the truths and teachings of Islam, especially in this era dominated by propaganda.
• Fulfilling our duty to convey the Quran in both its wording and meaning, as this translation combines the noble text in its Arabic form with the meanings of the Quran as understood and explained by the interpreter in the foreign language. [Qattan, Mabahith fi ‘Ulum al-Quran]

Summary

It is permissible to translate the Quran into other languages in an interpretive manner, which serves as an interpretation of the Quran. However, literal translation is impossible and may even be forbidden in many cases due to the distortion it causes to the Quran and its meanings.

For further reading, please see:

• Tarikh al-Quran al-Karim by Muhammad Tahir ibn ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Kurdi;
• Al-Madkhal li Dirasat al-Quran al-Karim by Muhammad Abu Shahbah;
• Al-Aslan fi ‘Ulum al-Quran by Muhammad ‘Abd al-Mun‘im al-Qi‘i;
• Mabahith fi ‘Ulum al-Quran by Qattan.

May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.

And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa

Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.

He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.

He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.

Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.