Who is ideal translator in your consideration?
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Peace
Like another said, there is no perfect translation in this world, and translation cannot appoarch 100% the real meaning of the Quran.
All translation I consider good, as long the translation using harfiyah tarjamah method, not tafsiriyah method.Free-Minds and Reformist translation is good example because it's not using tafsiriyah translation which very misleading the meaning plus no bracket words and another sectarian innovation.
It's very important, most of Sunni translations was based on Saudi's tafseer of fatwas including translations from my country.
Tafsiriyah translation is very dangerous and too much distortion makna,example
- 56
Strangely "min" in here translated as "from place" (from my local translation)
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from verse 1311 translate into "malayka/angel" (from my local translation)
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etc
I dont know but I heard Saudi also release haram fatwa against harfiyah word by word translations including Sunni authority in here.
So I think the "safest" translation I know until now is Free-Minds and Reformist translation
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Peace
Tafsiriyah translation is very dangerous and too much distortion makna,example
- 56
Strangely "min" in here translated as "from place" (from my local translation)
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from verse 1311 translate into "malayka/angel" (from my local translation)
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etc
I dont know but I heard Saudi also release haram fatwa against harfiyah word by word translations including Sunni authority in here.
So I think the "safest" translation I know until now is Free-Minds and Reformist translation
Salamun alaika,
Lack of knowledge of Arabic does yiled such perceptions.
The Arabic sentence is
is a Prepositional Phrase. Min denotes departing from a point/place. is a definite noun denoting the outdoor toilet.
is a perfect verb with third person singular masculine subject. 'He has come".
From where? from the outdoor toilet which he obviously visited and came back from it.
Now see Progressive translation
or you have excreted fecesThis is Tafsir, NOT translation. They are giving their own judgment not transcribing words of Qur'aan.
"or someone of you who has come from the outdoor toilet"
This includes urination.
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I think not because in many dictionary (including mine) the word "ghaiti" was translated into feces and cannot be toilet.
I dont know some sources says if that word ghaiti also used by Arabs in the past time for mentioning traditional toilet.
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I think not because in many dictionary (including mine) the word "ghaiti" was translated into feces and cannot be toilet.
I dont know some sources says if that word ghaiti also used by Arabs in the past time for mentioning traditional toilet.
Please name the dictionary which translates "ghaiti" as feces. I quoted Lane, renowned Arabic English lexicon based on classical Arabic lexicons. Lexicons cannot say contrary to the conventions of the native.
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Peace
So I think the "safest" translation I know until now is Free-Minds and Reformist translation
This is not true. I have the free-minds and reformist translations, and a I have compared many verses with the traditional translators and they contain the same words. However, being that the traditionalist put brackets around the added word, the free-minds/reformist do not, so, who is lying?
although the monotheist translation is OK, the reformist is very bad, and their commentaries are full of nonsensical stuff. By reading their commentaries a sane person will never trust this translators. Also, they don't provide it free in PDF form like all the other translators, and if you want to read it you have to buy it. It seems that what they want is not to spread the message of God but Make money. It takes just a few minute watching videos on you tube about the authors of the reformist translation to know who you are dealing with, you will surely recognize them by the tone of their voices. In contrast, the monotheist translation is anonymous, so you cannot know the translators, they could be either Jews, Cristian, hypocrites, only God knows, for the only way to recognize them is by listening to the tone of their voices, even through books they have authored. But we don 't know who they are.
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M.A.S. Abdel Haleem, by far the best translation I have ever seen. No crazy meanings or personal bias. Easy to understand English. And great flow. Good word selection. Maintains the beauty of Quran instead of getting overly technical. Two thumbs up.
Please give one example in comparison to few others to support the opinion expressed.
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Please name the dictionary which translates "ghaiti" as feces. I quoted Lane, renowned Arabic English lexicon based on classical Arabic lexicons. Lexicons cannot say contrary to the conventions of the native.
What I used is an Arab Indonesian translation plus I just download Lane Lexicon recently from Wakas' studyquran.com, but it's in poor format and I'm lack capabilities in english.
This is not true. I have the free-minds and reformist translations, and a I have compared many verses with the traditional translators and they contain the same words. However, being that the traditionalist put brackets around the added word, the free-minds/reformist do not, so, who is lying?
By saying Free-Mind and Reformist translation is more safer, it doesn't mean I using them as my primary sources.
Actually I rarely using them because my english is not good instead I use Indonesian translation which I edited little.
Beside that this translation's metodology is free from sectarian.This is my review
Free-Mind Translation
This is translation by Mr Layth and another progressive Muslim.When I start to reading it, I realize it's different then my translation like there is no bracket words and they translate more in harfiyah way rather than another Sunni's.
What made me shocked is this translation gave reference for another mistranslation in another translation,example
4127 And they seek a ruling regarding the women, say ?God will give you a ruling regarding them and what is being recited to you
in the Book regarding the orphans? mothers (yatamannisaa'i) (Free-Minds).4127 And they request from you, , a ruling concerning women. Say, " Allah gives you a ruling about them and what has been recited to you in the Book concerning the orphan girls (Shaheeh International).
Looks like both of two is different but actually the word "yatama"(orphans) is a mudzakkar male word, so the orphan in that verse is a male gender, so it's imposibble if it translated as orphan girl.
Male orphan + nisa (woman) = orphan's woman= that nisaa (woman ) is actually that orphan's mother.
Maybe it's little tafsiriyah but it give more good point.Free-minds translation gave me references about mistranslations in some Sunni's which never I realized in my entire life.
Reformist Translation
I got this translation from free-PDF.
Mr Layth is also involved in this translation work, but I'm not pointing Mr Layth for this but what I pointing is Edip Yuksel.
Why? Because I still doubting his capability in Arabic, and possiblility that nonsense commentaries is Edip's own innovation.The strange translation which imposibble if Layth himself did this
"If he divorces you, his Lord will substitute other wives in your place who are better than you; peacefully surrendering (to God), acknowledging, devout, repentant, serving, active in their societies, responsive, and foremost ones." (665)
And the earth afterwards, he made it round like egg. (7930)
The explanation of that two verses is strange too, which I'm not understant.
By writing like this I'm not condemn Edip or those who involved in it, instead I praise him for his's struggle for contribution on understanding Quran by translation.
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What I used is an Arab Indonesian translation plus I just download Lane Lexicon recently from Wakas' studyquran.com, but it's in poor format and I'm lack capabilities in english.
Dictionaries also respond like this Arabic - Indonesian - English
= Kotoran = dirt
English - Indonesian -Arabic
feces = tinja =Feces is noun and it is not location, whereas in Arabic text the preposition Min is also there alongwith the verb denoting coming from a place.
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That translation you pointing out is google translate D
No Mr Mazhar what I used is local translation by Indonesian Islamic scholar.Indonesia is like Pakistan a Muslim majority country, this means you can find some bunch of Islamic literatures in here, also my country also have branches of Pakistani Jemaat Tabligh.
Yes it's true that feces is noun
But I want ask you about about usage of min in that verseLook in this word , usage of min from that sentence is similiar with 56.
First min/from is a harf and conjuctive, and word "place" in 56 is innovation
So translated as "from feces" and the word "place" and "toilet" is the result of tafsir not word by word translation.
You also mention from Lane Lexicon
See there is no word such like toilet from that Lane Lexicon.
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That translation you pointing out is google translate D
No Mr Mazhar what I used is local translation by Indonesian Islamic scholar.Indonesia is like Pakistan a Muslim majority country, this means you can find some bunch of Islamic literatures in here, also my country also have branches of Pakistani Jemaat Tabligh.
Yes it's true that feces is noun
But I want ask you about about usage of min in that verseLook in this word , usage of min from that sentence is similiar with 56.
First min/from is a harf and conjuctive, and word "place" in 56 is innovation
So translated as "from feces" and the word "place" and "toilet" is the result of tafsir not word by word translation.
You also mention from Lane Lexicon
See there is no word such like toilet from that Lane Lexicon.
Recognizing words and phrases is the first step. Then comes the structure of the sentence to draw meanings. You overlook the verb before and that is "he has come".
"He has come from feces"
It is a ridiculous sentence in English. Such sentences are not found in literary books.Now please google and find how much poplulation of world still uses such open places as outdoor toilet. Make a search about your own country also. Not in distant past, people used these places as outdoor toilet. Even otherwise, give a look to your indoor toilet and see the similarities overlooking modern untensils.
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One of the built in criteria to evaluate the translations and exegeses
Critical thinking Follow an enquiry based process use prior and background information
The whole purpose of reading is comprehension. And the whole purpose of reading and comprehension is to know the ultimate truth; truth warped in time-space; the whole truth not affected by time-space. Man has discussed at length about truth and has propounded many theories; like substantive theories correspondence theory; coherence theory. Logic is the tool for reasoning about the truth and falsity of statements. The correspondence theory of truth states that the truth or falsity of a statement is determined only by how it relates to the world and whether it accurately describes (i.e., corresponds with) that world. It states that true statements correspond to the actual state of affairs. For coherence theories in general, truth requires a proper fit of elements within a whole system. Very often, though, coherence is taken to imply something more than simple logical consistency; often there is a demand that the propositions in a coherent system lend mutual inferential support to each other. So, for example, the completeness and comprehensiveness of the underlying set of concepts is a critical factor in judging the validity and usefulness of a coherent system. A pervasive tenet of coherence theories is the idea that truth is primarily a property of whole systems of propositions, and can be ascribed to individual propositions only according to their coherence with the whole.
The Grand Qur'aan has laid down an enquiry system and criterion to determine the veracity of a lengthy text. It is denoted by Arabic verbal Noun Critical and logical thinking an enquiry based process and pursuit linking background information given before to determine cohesion and coherence. Lane's Lexicon describes its meaning signified the thinking, or meditating, upon a thing, and endeavouring to understand; he looked into it, considered it, examined it, or studied it, repeatedly, in order to know it, or until he knew it.
Is it for reason that they have purposely not made it their habit to cross-examine the Qur'aan critically pursuing coherently the miscellany-Unitary Verbal Passages mirroring established realities and facts?
Mind it that had this Qur'aan been a dictate by some one other than Allah the Exalted, indeed on cross-examination of its contents, pursuing from initial to last statement, they would have certainly found-detected quite a number of variations-conflicts-differences therein .
This is the litmus test for evaluating and verifying the whole truth. No further element should be at variance and conflict with the whole body of text. Grand Qur'aan is suggesting that its reader should be active and a strategic reader. Answer this question and you will become an active reader. It sets a purpose for reading and establishes motivation. It moves the reader away from passively accepting the text which limits comprehension.
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...Therefore, as an active reader we must follow the prescribed manner of reading Qur'aan, i.e., and discard the translated text as patently incorrect whenever it is in conflict with and incoherent to the whole text of Qur'aan. To err is human. It will not jeopardize the respect of the translator or exegete.
The best approach and method to comprehend and translate the text of Grand Qur'aan
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Thank you Mr Mazhar for providing your knowledge to us.
Beside that I'm not a translator and my main interest is not Arabic language studies.
I studied Arabic language just for it's recitation/tartil Quran and I study Arabic grammar in autodidact ways.
So my knowledge in Arabic language is poor if it's compare to yours.Salaam
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Thank you Mr Mazhar for providing your knowledge to us.
Beside that I'm not a translator and my main interest is not Arabic language studies.
I studied Arabic language just for it's recitation/tartil Quran and I study Arabic grammar in autodidact ways.
So my knowledge in Arabic language is poor if it's compare to yours.Salaam
Salamun alaika,
Knowing Non native language is a skill not knowledge. Qur'aan's vacabulary is quite short. Its grammar is simple; its structures are simple; its fluency is superb. It took me a long time to know it on self help basis take help from books. Long time because these books are not written according to pedagogy of Qur'aan.
Just devote 50 hourse spread over 50 days; keep the tool kit handy on your desktop and you will better perceive and self translate than me and many others if you are proficient in English or in your mother language. Knowing the grammar of mother language or intended target language is difficult than known grammar of Qur'aan. Here lies the problem.
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So, err, which translation is the best overall literal translation? Muhammad Asad paraphrases things, goes for the overall message which is nice but it's not what I'm looking for. I use Sahih International when discussing the Quran with others but only because it's generally percieved to be decent enough by most muslims - I'm not that fond of it myself.
At this moment in time, is there really not a decent literal translation available digitally? To be honest I just want one on my ereader, I can't use Quranix on it.