How do you know which Translation is correct?
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Peace!
I am not an arabic speaker and have read the Quran in English (the reformist translation and the translation this site offers). The question is;
How one can know which translation is the correct one? It gets very confusing at times. i understand that in arabic language there is the rooting system of words. But how do you know your translation comforms to how it was intended to be understood?
For example - the classical verse of wife beating.
Daraba means beat but it also means seperate? So which one is the correct one? I found that some Quranites like Same Gerrans still favor the ''beating'' wording.
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Peace,
I use Corpus Quran and quranix.org. Also you can use Project root list and other dictionaries to check, if the translation is correct. -
Peace!
I am not an arabic speaker and have read the Quran in English (the reformist translation and the translation this site offers). The question is;
How one can know which translation is the correct one? It gets very confusing at times. i understand that in arabic language there is the rooting system of words. But how do you know your translation comforms to how it was intended to be understood?
For example - the classical verse of wife beating.
Daraba means beat but it also means seperate? So which one is the correct one? I found that some Quranites like Same Gerrans still favor the ''beating'' wording.
For this you will have to learn the skill for translating and understanding any book of non-native language. Qur'aan is no exception.
All translations are done merely copying George Sale and John Rodwell. None of them did original work of translating directly from Source text.
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Fareed,
What people get out of text, a revealed text is limited totheir capacity of imagination, uncerstanding, knowledge, purity of thought, purity of intention. Capacity to grrow above conventions and prejudice. That applies wminently also to trnaslators.
- The Qur'an is an unlimited text, people are limited, translators are limited.
The Qur'an is a very difficult, very very difficult text to translate. Anyway anywhere any language is difficult to translate without setting to it limits or opening it up beyond its own limites, because it is never a 1-1 match of word and structure.
Therefore, do not expect "the correct translation". Some translators make certain mistakes but not others and vice-versa. There ar emany mistakes that are made by almost all trnaslators, because it is a matter of prejudice beyond the capacity of a certain period in history or class or cultural set up.
The bet guide to doubt or question trnaslators is your own purity and objectivity as to reality and sense of right and wrong. And of course, counting on God to help you.
Translators are not magicians, and anyway, as you may have seen in this site, Arab speakers, make also fantastic mistakes understanding the Qur'an.
God's help.Salaam
- The Qur'an is an unlimited text, people are limited, translators are limited.
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Roots in Arabic mean only one (general) thing, despite what people say.
means neither beat or separate from but it means "to put forth towards, expound or highlight" e.g. Moses put forth his staff/stick towards the sea or he put forth his staff towards the rock, or (434) you are to put forth or expose your wife and seek counsel from both families to (435) settle the problems
Disclaimer I don't believe this is what the language says there but this was mere linguistic examples.
The Root has specific, defined, distinct, conspicuous and apparent concept, phenomenon, perception and signification folded in it. It is the source, the reservoir of knowledge. Roots can be termed as "repertory of frames" of Arabic language if we follow frames approach to semantic analysis.
Root
? (
That it signifies making a thing fall upon another thing.
Lane Lexicon "accord. to Er-R?ghib, signifies the making a thing to fall upon another thing;"
Semantic field Strike
Semantically it relates to activity thereby its agent is sentient. It has two objects between which interrelationship is created. The result or effect of activity will depend upon the manner, angle and force applied in the strike. The objective of strike can either be
(1) creating an effect in the object that is made to fall upon other thing;
(2) purpose of striking one thing upon another can be making something else apparent that was earlier hidden because of the location of the thing struck upon;
(3) the thing by which another is truck overwhelms; and
(4) Cause harm to the thing struck upon or to expose it.English semantic field "Strike" also has these components
It denotes to fall or shine on something, to make obvious;
to make something noticed;
make something to be perceived or become audible-understandable for someone;
to make some idea enter somebody's mind or occur to somebody; to penetrate or seem to go right through something; make something by stamping;
and to remove something away - displace;
Cause harm And it signifies to hit somebody or something with a hand, tool, weapon, or other object. Obvious intention is to hurt, damage;
Dislodge dislocate or dislodge the target with force.The first and foremost component and objective of 'strike" is to let people Enter awareness; make something more vividly perceived. In this meanings, the Root is applied 31 times out of 58 occurrences.
Allah the Exalted certainly considers it not a matter of shyness-reluctance-embarrassment striking example of a female mosquito, thereby highlighting that which exists besides her?
(2) purpose of striking one thing upon another can be making something else apparent that was earlier hidden because of the location of the thing struck upon;
Butting the stone with staff resulted in gushing of the water.
