Questionnaire on Qur'an Translations: Your Paricipation is Urgent

Sarat

Your Age 21

Your Nationality Lebanese/Pakistani

Your Education Currently obtaining a B.S

Languages you speak other than English A lil Arabic and a lil Urdu + some Spanish and alot of French =P

Exposure to Arabic (e.g mother-tongue of parents / learning at school)
The language of my mother, and currently taking classes to master Arabic.

If Qur?an isn?t its translation ?

What do you expect from a translation of the Holy Qur?an?
To be done properly by Linguists who specialize in the Arabic of the Qur'an.
What is it that you prefer most in any given translation?
An honest translation that is as close as possible to the Arabic.
Do you know how to judge a translation of the Holy Qur?an to be good or not?
I wish I could say yes. I'm working on that though.
What would you like to see in translations of the Qur?an, as it does not already exist and is lacking in current translations?
I like the work being done by the people on free-minds and other Qur'an based groups. Continueing to better translate the Qur'an even years after an official translation is always great.
What is the Qur?an translation you use? Why?
Right now I rely on the first copy of the Message. I like it because it only claims to be a translation of the Qur'an.
Do you prefer hard-copy (printed) versions of Qur?an, or computers? version?
Both
What would make you seek to buy or find a specific translation of the Qur?an? For example, you hear of a new translation, a friend told you about his favourite translation ?etc.
I honestly rely on the judgement of certain individuals on this forum at the moment.

8 ) What do you dislike most in any given translation of the Qur?an?
Translation of words without referencing them to the Qur'an itself. Such as the word DaRaBa.

Have you ever decided not to use a particular translation of the Qur?an? If so, why?
I prefer not to use any Qur'an with a heavy Wahabi/Salafi influence.
Do you think that translations and translated explanations are enough to understand the meanings of Qur?an or does one have to learn Arabic?
I personally believe that learning the Arabic of the Qur'an is the best way to fully understand it. Learning something in its original language is always the best course for anything.

Elke

Please state how long it takes you to complete this questionnaire Approx. 7 mins.

Your Age 41

Your Nationality German

Your Education University degree in law

Languages you speak other than English French, German, lil arabic (spanish and italian understood)

Exposure to Arabic (e.g mother-tongue of parents / learning at school)
Lived in arab countries (egypt /morocco for about 15 years), only about six month of learning the classic, rest rather spoken arabic

If Qur?an isn?t its translation ?

What do you expect from a translation of the Holy Qur?an?
Not too much as i know that the understanding of the arabic text is often flowed
What is it that you prefer most in any given translation?
Usually the beauty of it (chouraqui french translation)
Do you know how to judge a translation of the Holy Qur?an to be good or not?
I judge by comparing to other translations if sens of a vers is not clear to me
What would you like to see in translations of the Qur?an, as it does not already exist and is lacking in current translations?
no sunna or hadith influence in decoding the arab original, thourough reasearch as to who is adressed
What is the Qur?an translation you use? Why?
Jaques Berques, andr? chouraqui and an official saudi one in French, Max Henning in German, Khalifa and FM in English
Do you prefer hard-copy (printed) versions of Qur?an, or computers? version?
hard copy for pleasure, computer easier for research
What would make you seek to buy or find a specific translation of the Qur?an? For example, you hear of a new translation, a friend told you about his favourite translation ?etc.
I bought chouraqui when i heard it was forbiddden in morocco

8 ) What do you dislike most in any given translation of the Qur?an?
the biaissed explanations given in footnotes

Have you ever decided not to use a particular translation of the Qur?an? If so, why?
no
Do you think that translations and translated explanations are enough to understand the meanings of Qur?an or does one have to learn Arabic?
a basis of arabic in order to be able to research roots and meanings of these roots help find possible meanings that one will never know through translations - or even just reading the arabic version with a closed mind
but an non arab speaker could, if god wills, come to a more accurate understanding than a native or learned arab speaker - it all depends
it all depends on so many things

peace all,lk

ameen

salam,

may Allah reward you all with the best in Jannah for your participation and help.

JazakAllahkhair.

Please keep the responses coming.

wsalam

phoenix1

Your Education Currently obtaining a B.S

rotfl

adley

Salaam Waleed,

Man, you're naughtly

=adley=

adley

Salaam,

Your Age 24
Your Nationality Indonesian
Your Education Bachelor of Information Systems
Languages you speak other than English Indonesian
Exposure to Arabic (e.g mother-tongue of parents / learning at school)
I haven't got the skills, but currently doing a self-study, because I so want to read the qur'an without translations.

If Qur?an isn?t its translation ?

What do you expect from a translation of the Holy Qur?an?
As literal as possible by adhering to the concept of 3918.
What is it that you prefer most in any given translation?
No parantheses, no footnotes, no hadiths or the so-called sunna.
A little bit introduction explaining how the translation was done, using what method, etc. so I can more or less expect what kind of translation I'll be reading.
Do you know how to judge a translation of the Holy Qur?an to be good or not?
Kind of. I'll be using a lot of cross-reference for this one though.
What would you like to see in translations of the Qur?an, as it does not already exist and is lacking in current translations?
Perhaps multiple meaning translations. I know this kind of contradictory to what I wrote above. But if there is a translation such as this, it'll be good for anyone who is not a quranic virgin.
What is the Qur?an translation you use? Why?
Free-Minds, QXP, Indonesian-rendered version of "Bacaan" (by Othman Ali), official Indonesian translation.
Do you prefer hard-copy (printed) versions of Qur?an, or computers? version?
Soft copy. I spend at least half of my days in front of computers anyway. Let's make it more efficient ;D
What would make you seek to buy or find a specific translation of the Qur?an?
For example, Usually a "banned" one D
Or a translation that is a "fresher" effort in making the quran translation.
Oh, I'll buy literal Indonesian translation anytime; don't need the Department of Religion's approval for that.

8 ) What do you dislike most in any given translation of the Qur?an?
Hadith-filtered meaning of word. Just take a look at 1187 where "salaatuka" can transform into anything but "salat" (except in some translations of course) D

Have you ever decided not to use a particular translation of the Qur?an? If so, why?
Not really. Perhaps if Faith-Freedom decided to make one, then I may decide not to use it.
Do you think that translations and translated explanations are enough to understand the meanings of Qur?an or does one have to learn Arabic?
To understand its essence, no Arabic is necessary. How hard is it to understand 6151-153 anyway?
However, to get the "real juice" then Classical Arabic is very important. And my goal in 5 years is to be able to read the quran without translations. First hand experience is something that you can't just replace.

=adley=

Edit Time to accomplish was about 5 minutes

ameen

salam,

may Allah reward you br. adley for your time and effort.

wsalam

Heart

Your Age 24
Your Nationality Dutch/Moroccan
Your Education social worker (unfinished education) and currently obtaining Bussiness Administration
Languages you speak other than English Dutch, Darija (Moroccan-Arabic) and Berber
Exposure to Arabic (e.g mother-tongue of parents / learning at school)
From my parents, learned some of it also as a kid at the mosque and now currently busy with a selfstudy.

If Qur?an isn?t its translation ?

What do you expect from a translation of the Holy Qur?an?

A clear and objective translation.

What is it that you prefer most in any given translation?

Footnotes with objective (historical) facts.

Do you know how to judge a translation of the Holy Qur?an to be good or not?

Yes, I try to use Arabic dictionaries and other translations to compare it with.

What would you like to see in translations of the Qur?an, as it does not already exist and is lacking in current translations?

I have to second the answer of Arnold on this one. There indeed have to be multiple translations of words, so that people can see for theirselves what the translations of some words are and therefore can get a clear picture of the whole context of a verse.

What is the Qur?an translation you use? Why?

Fred Leemhuis (a Dutch professor in Arabic), Ahmed Ali, Muhammad Ali, Shabbir, Khalifa, QXP and FM. (Because of different reasons.)

Do you prefer hard-copy (printed) versions of Qur?an, or computers? version?

Hard-copies and computers' version. Although I'd rather prefer hard-copies because they're easily readable for me.

What would make you seek to buy or find a specific translation of the Qur?an?

Most of the time I try to read logical and objective translations of translators (especially if they're God aloners).

8 ) What do you dislike most in any given translation of the Qur?an?

The (illogical) influences of hadith and the Bible. It kills the objective view! That's a real turn-off.

Have you ever decided not to use a particular translation of the Qur?an? If so, why?

Yes, because of the influences of the hadith and the "islamic" religion of today.

Do you think that translations and translated explanations are enough to understand the meanings of Qur?an or does one have to learn Arabic?

It would be easier to learn Arabic for yourself to understand the Quran and verify the translations a translator gives to some (classical) Arabic words. It will provide you with the knowledge of the Arabic language and therefore you can't easily get influenced by the translators of the Quran. But it isn't really necessary if someone finds it hard to learn Arabic, aslong as they use dictionaries to verify words for theirselves.

peace

Latifah

adley

Salaam Ameen,

Thanks

=adley=

ameen

salam,

may Allah reward you also sr. Latifah.

thanks v. much all - it is much appreciated.

wsalam

ameen

salam,

sr. Latifah, can you please answer question 7 again, because I think you accidently quoted part of brother adley's answer when copy and pasting.

This is the actual question

What would make you seek to buy or find a specific translation of the Quran? For example, you hear of a new translation, a friend told you about his favourite translation etc.

JazakAllahkhair.

wsalam

Wakas

Your Age 25
Your Nationality British/Pakistani
Your Education university degree
Languages you speak other than English partial punjabi
Exposure to Arabic (e.g mother-tongue of parents / learning at school) learning to recite it as a child, not understand it. gradually learning to understand it now however.

What do you expect from a translation of the Holy Qur?an?

logical, clear, literal, accurate and verifiable (e.g. references).

What is it that you prefer most in any given translation?

literal accuracy.

Do you know how to judge a translation of the Holy Qur?an to be good or not?

I cross reference it big time (occurrences, grammar, meanings, other translations etc).

What would you like to see in translations of the Qur?an, as it does not already exist and is lacking in current translations?

A fully in-built verification system allowing the reader to scrutinise the author's translation.

What is the Qur?an translation you use? Why?

Most Free-minds, Shakir, M. Asad, Muhammad Ahmed and daughter Samira. Use others too but less so QXP, Khalifa, Yusuf Ali, Pickthal. I have used many others also.

The one I recommend to others is M.Asad's or Muhammad Abdel Haleem's.

Do you prefer hard-copy (printed) versions of Qur?an, or computers? version?

I use both, but mostly on computer as it allows faster verification.

What would make you seek to buy or find a specific translation of the Qur?an?

if i had heard good things about it or if i had read a few pages and it fulfilled my criteria to answer (1)

8 ) What do you dislike most in any given translation of the Qur?an?

inaccuracy. illogical. hadith/tradition based.

Have you ever decided not to use a particular translation of the Qur?an? If so, why?

No. I am open to all, even the most traditional one as I like getting an alternative view as it helps me refine mine.

Do you think that translations and translated explanations are enough to understand the meanings of Qur?an or does one have to learn Arabic?

To understand the basics, one does not need to know Arabic. If one wants to get into a detailed understanding, then learning Arabic will become very helpful but I would still not say essential. I would recommend learning Arabic to any student of the scripture however.

ameen

salam,

thanks br. Wakas - JazakAllahkhair.

wsalam

Andya_Primanda

Peace ameen

This is my entry.

Please state how long it takes you to complete this questionnaire Approx. 10 mins.

Your Age
25 (as of 10 September 2006)

Your Nationality
Indonesian

Your Education
Biology (postgraduate level)

Languages you speak other than English
Indonesian

Exposure to Arabic (e.g mother-tongue of parents / learning at school)
Part of Qur?an learning in childhood; able to read Arabic letters but not fluent in Arabic conversation or translation. I'm familiar as the process of translation because of my work experience.

If Qur?an isn?t its translation ?

What do you expect from a translation of the Holy Qur?an?

Accuracy of translation and smallest amount of subjective interpretation possible.

What is it that you prefer most in any given translation?

Faithfulness to the original, as to not omitting/adding words.

Do you know how to judge a translation of the Holy Qur?an to be good or not?

As long as the translation is accompanied by the original Arabic text, it can always be compared by the original. Translations that try to sound ?poetic? are not my preference, as they distract attention from efforts to understand the meanings and hence, harder to judge.

What would you like to see in translations of the Qur?an, as it does not already exist and is lacking in current translations?

Translations that are not locked in some medieval understanding and incorporating new knowledge/concepts. Also Qur?an editions should have the Arabic text and transliteration along with translations, for ease of verification.

What is the Qur?an translation you use? Why?

Mostly various Indonesian translations , as they are most accessible to me. Of the English translations, I tend to synthesize existing translations and try to build my own translation. Among the English I like the 'Literal' because it gives mutliple possible meanings of words.

Do you prefer hard-copy (printed) versions of Qur?an, or computers? version?

No preference, but I prefer any version which has the original text and transliteration.

What would make you seek to buy or find a specific translation of the Qur?an? For example, you hear of a new translation, a friend told you about his favourite translation ?etc.

Nothing in particular. Gimmicks such as 'banned' or 'controversial' or 'revolutionary' does not appeal to me.

What do you dislike most in any given translation of the Qur?an?

Added/forced interpretations, flowery language (I prefer the straightforward ones), inconsistency in translating words, Biblical influence

Have you ever decided not to use a particular translation of the Qur?an? If so, why?

No, never.

On a secont thought, maybe Arberry's English translation. Too poetic for me.

Do you think that translations and translated explanations are enough to understand the meanings of Qur?an or does one have to learn Arabic?

One needs to learn Arabic, because translations can never be accurate, and God does not guarantee the accuracy of translations.

ameen

Peace Andya Primanda,

thank you for your participation - may Allah reward you.

Please keep the entries coming in.

JazakAllahkhair.

wsalam

unknownuser

Salaams Ameen,

sorry rather then sending the info i thought it better to post it to free- minds.

Please state how long it takes you to complete this questionnaire Approx. 15 mins.

Your Age 46 yr?s

Your Nationality British/ Pakistani.

Your Education Masters.

Languages you speak other than English Urdu, punjabi, little arabic .

Exposure to Arabic (e.g mother-tongue of parents / learning at school) self study and the teachings of a madrassa.

If Qur?an isn?t its translation ?

What do you expect from a translation of the Holy Qur?an? A way to success and fullmilments.
What is it that you prefer most in any given translation? A positive path to achievements.
Do you know how to judge a translation of the Holy Qur?an to be good or not? Simply If it confirms with reality according to my understandings .
What would you like to see in translations of the Qur?an, as it does not already exist and is lacking in current translations?The reality is missing partially and idolatory is rife.
What is the Qur?an translation you use? Why? I use any translation but with a reservation of the translation being somewhat fualty ? as I think I know most of the faults and where they lie.
Do you prefer hard-copy (printed) versions of Qur?an, or computers? version? Both.
What would make you seek to buy or find a specific translation of the Qur?an? For example, you hear of a new translation, a friend told you about his favourite translation ?etc.I would only buy it for research. As Allah is with us all the time and aiding us as well , so the quran is there but only a very old version of it and the most up to date quran is presently being practiced throughout the world Accept by some peoples ?like those who use the label of muslim.

What do you dislike most in any given translation of the Qur?an? The untruths.

Have you ever decided not to use a particular translation of the Qur?an? If so, why?They are all the same.
Do you think that translations and translated explanations are enough to understand the meanings of Qur?an or does one have to learn Arabic? No, one doesn?t need to learn Arabic but only if you have a correctly translated quran-which you don?t.

Salaams.

Heart

salam,

sr. Latifah, can you please answer question 7 again, because I think you accidently quoted part of brother adley's answer when copy and pasting.

This is the actual question

What would make you seek to buy or find a specific translation of the Qur?an? For example, you hear of a new translation, a friend told you about his favourite translation ?etc.
JazakAllahkhair.

wsalam

I have adjusted my first posting. I accidently copied Adley's answer, because I thought it was part of the question. D

peace

Latifah

ameen

salam,

thanks sr. Latifah for editing your post.

and thank you also 'simple' for answering the questionnaire.

may Allah reward you for your time and effort.

wsalam

unknownuser

Your Age 20

Your Nationality Malaysia

Your Education Undergraduate student - American degree program

Languages you speak other than English Malay and a bit of mandarin

Exposure to Arabic (e.g mother-tongue of parents / learning at school) during high school (memorize ayats), but they din't teach the language though.

If Qur?an isn?t its translation ?

What do you expect from a translation of the Holy Qur?an?
Translated by someone who doesn't try to impose his/her own ideas to the readers.
As unbiased as possible..
What is it that you prefer most in any given translation?
written not in a very formal way or very informal way.. The words chosen...
Do you know how to judge a translation of the Holy Qur?an to be good or not?
Not really. But i read different translations when i don't understand or just to make sure i get the nearest translation.
What would you like to see in translations of the Qur?an, as it does not already exist and is lacking in current translations?

Some questions to make the readers think and not just read.
Links to other sources regarding some topics (history or issue such as abortion). But i think this one is not necessary since we now have the internet.

What is the Qur?an translation you use? Why?
Currently, Yusuf Ali and Bacaan(malay version) I tried The Message but i prefer Yusuf Ali, due to the words and style of writing.
Do you prefer hard-copy (printed) versions of Qur?an, or computers? version?
Hard-copy would be convenient to bring it anywhere and read it at anytime. The computer version gives an advantage for us to search for some words. I like both. The hard-copy shouldn't be too large or hearvy. The size should be just nice to put into a average size bag.
What would make you seek to buy or find a specific translation of the Qur?an? For example, you hear of a new translation, a friend told you about his favourite translation ?etc.
Recomendations.

8 ) What do you dislike most in any given translation of the Qur?an?
Uhh, lousy design of the cover? ehehe. Too much 'add-in' (xyz xyz) and arabic words.. If i'm ready for arabic, i'll search for one.

Have you ever decided not to use a particular translation of the Qur?an? If so, why?
No particular translation. At least not yet. p
Do you think that translations and translated explanations are enough to understand the meanings of Qur?an or does one have to learn Arabic?

No, translation is not enough. We need to use our mind and take initiative to learn the lessons from the messages/ translation. Also knowlege of other matter is important. Including the Arabic language. As we grow in knowledge, so does our understanding of the quran.

ameen

salam,

thank you v. much sr. Bubba for your help.

may Allah reward you abundantly.

Please keep the responses coming -
if you have not yet taken part - please consider it.

JazakAllahkhair,

wsalam