Qur’ān Propounded Translation Methodology for transference to Non-Arab World

jkhan

In a few years, artificial intelligence will be able to provide the best and most unbiased translation of the Quran.

Peace

So you can follow the translation of AI soon.. right.. Let's AI translate a Quran hopefully in English soon and let's debate on its translations.. let's see what it has worded SALAH, HAJ, SIYAM, ZAKA etc.. Well, be ready to change your current acceptance of Quran to AI's translation since IT IS THE BEST UNBIASED TRANSLATION EVER..

Guidance of Allah is the Guidance.. That's it..

Now what is the 'Translation' of a book to another language? Yes just one's understanding of words or texts and sentences and contexts and are converted into the language he is translating.. it's okay.. Not a big deal.. anyone who knows both languages thoroughly can do it.. right?

Now, let's turn to the translation of the Quran.. The author of the book is Allah.. Yes, one can translate word by word... But there is a big conundrum here.. The problem is GUIDANCE OF ALLAH... Had the guidance of Allah reached the person who translates the Quran into another language so that he wouldn't make any flaws and is he following the guidance of Allah with honesty... Unless these two conditions don't meet with the person who attempts to translate the profound book, then definitely he will infuse wittingly or unwittingly his human influence into the Glorious words of Allah.. That's why No translation will ever be consistent with the words of Allah because the guidance of Allah will reach gradually within the Quran and there will be a plethora of information in the Quran that is unknown and if translated according to one's taste it will fall as erroneous with the intelligence of others who are truly guided by Allah..

Now the question is Did Allah guide the creator of the AI?
Did he read the Quran cover to cover and comprehend?
If not how his creation AI would grasp it while it is just a machine that reacts with what is already fed to it and brings an amalgamation of its opinion in a pattern of algorithm?
How can a creature that Allah didn't create get guided to bring the best understanding of the Quran?

Machines or AI can translate any book from one language to another and it will only use what it chooses for every text... would it translate with guidance and fear of Allah?

How nonsensical to claim in public such a big claim?

@ Mazhar...
What did you say first up.. AI is fed... Yes.. Now you appreciate and fall prey to it just because it has given a good comment about your work rotfl rotfl ..
remember AI is just one artificial person.. lol.. would human beings appreciate your work, all of them.. never.. That's called a human who reflects.. Humans can be ignorant and intelligent but AI is just on its algorithm..

Pathetic...simply a double standard...

Note.. I never appreciate your efforts, because I have realized you are going off track... Your fundamental acceptance is derailing.. since you have manifestly chosen a Shahada i.e. La Ilah Illa Allah Muhamed Rasool Allah.. and that's derailment ... Unless you say that it is my opinion only and it has no worth.. But I am with the Quran if possible substantiate it with evidence from the Quran alone..

Anyway, have a good journey.. Your life, your choice..

@everyone..
Meanwhile, translations are required if we are to spread the message of Allah to others but translations won't spread the message of Allah if the message itself is not reached to the one who translated it.. But, it is your duty to seek the guidance of Allah and you will go beyond what is translated in it..

Thank you..

Emre_1974tr

You're welcome, Mazhar;

Yes, the AI did it in a few seconds.

Isn't it really amazing?

And it's going to be even more so in a year's time when we have super AIs. They've caught up with us and they're going to surpass us.

Mazhar

So you can follow the translation of AI soon.. right.. Let's AI translate a Quran hopefully in English soon and let's debate on its translations.. let's see what it has worded SALAH, HAJ, SIYAM, ZAKA etc.. Well, be ready to change your current acceptance of Quran to AI's translation since IT IS THE BEST UNBIASED TRANSLATION EVER..

Guidance of Allah is the Guidance.. That's it..

Now what is the 'Translation' of a book to another language? Yes just one's understanding of words or texts and sentences and contexts and are converted into the language he is translating.. it's okay.. Not a big deal.. anyone who knows both languages thoroughly can do it.. right?

Now, let's turn to the translation of the Quran.. The author of the book is Allah.. Yes, one can translate word by word... But there is a big conundrum here.. The problem is GUIDANCE OF ALLAH... Had the guidance of Allah reached the person who translates the Quran into another language so that he wouldn't make any flaws and is he following the guidance of Allah with honesty... Unless these two conditions don't meet with the person who attempts to translate the profound book, then definitely he will infuse wittingly or unwittingly his human influence into the Glorious words of Allah.. That's why No translation will ever be consistent with the words of Allah because the guidance of Allah will reach gradually within the Quran and there will be a plethora of information in the Quran that is unknown and if translated according to one's taste it will fall as erroneous with the intelligence of others who are truly guided by Allah..

Now the question is Did Allah guide the creator of the AI?
Did he read the Quran cover to cover and comprehend?
If not how his creation AI would grasp it while it is just a machine that reacts with what is already fed to it and brings an amalgamation of its opinion in a pattern of algorithm?
How can a creature that Allah didn't create get guided to bring the best understanding of the Quran?

Machines or AI can translate any book from one language to another and it will only use what it chooses for every text... would it translate with guidance and fear of Allah?

How nonsensical to claim in public such a big claim?

@ Mazhar...
What did you say first up.. AI is fed... Yes.. Now you appreciate and fall prey to it just because it has given a good comment about your work rotfl rotfl ..
remember AI is just one artificial person.. lol.. would human beings appreciate your work, all of them.. never.. That's called a human who reflects.. Humans can be ignorant and intelligent but AI is just on its algorithm..

Pathetic...simply a double standard...

Note.. I never appreciate your efforts, because I have realized you are going off track... Your fundamental acceptance is derailing.. since you have manifestly chosen a Shahada i.e. La Ilah Illa Allah Muhamed Rasool Allah.. and that's derailment ... Unless you say that it is my opinion only and it has no worth.. But I am with the Quran if possible substantiate it with evidence from the Quran alone..

Anyway, have a good journey.. Your life, your choice..

@everyone..
Meanwhile, translations are required if we are to spread the message of Allah to others but translations won't spread the message of Allah if the message itself is not reached to the one who translated it.. But, it is your duty to seek the guidance of Allah and you will go beyond what is translated in it..

Thank you..

Sometime please reflect in cool. And read Qur'an with your own intellect, not by the mind of Rk.
A computer, or IA does not have personality disorders. What I said about feeding the machine is ground reality. Her analysis about my rules for the translator of Qur'an is rather amazing and ground reality.

Just read what rules I follow for the translation and prescribe for others,

Prerequisites for a translator who intends to public his work.

3.1. Having done the syntactic, morphological and perceptual analysis of individual words, a person who intends acquiring skill for real-time translation and comprehending Qur’ān for his own understanding, he should immediately start translating with first reading — like the child's first encounter with reading — first effort must be to identify the actual words — after recognizing them individually he begins to try to understand them, to struggle with perceiving what they mean. But for professionals there are many prerequisites

(1) The fundamental ethical and intellectual responsibility of a researcher who intends taking his work to public domain he must free himself from shackles

(a) Push aside all the preconceived notions, biases, prejudices, whims and pre-read opinions about the source text, favourable or non-favourable - antagonistic.

(b) He should firstly study the book critically, several times, in accordance with the academic rules and principles of reading a book, before penning the translation and interpretation.

(c) He is morally bound to firstly encompass and grasp the whole book, sincerely and to the best of his knowledge specific to the subject discussed.

3.2. Translator must know "reading" begins before opening the Book in hand, like digestion starts before tasting food.

Experts and educationists suggest that the first rule in critical reading is that you must know what kind of a book is in your hand; and they say that we should know this as early in the process as possible, preferably before we begin to read. The first clue as to the type of a book is its title. Though many readers and even some professional translators ignore titles because perhaps they do not think it important to classify the book they are about to read or translate; the translator who intends to public his work must not overlook the Title Qur’ān which is otherwise a verbal noun expressing state and activity without time reference. The title instantly gives him the glimpse of its uniqueness and greatness of the ambit of its discourse. The title illustrates that all the realm, theoretical and practical, relevant to the reader is gathered and incorporated as a coherent unit in its ambit.

3.3. Translator must classify the Book

A professional translator obviously knows the broad lines of classification of books. Literature is classified according to whether it is fiction or non-fiction. Fiction is the classification for any work that is derived from imagination, in other words, a work not based strictly on history or fact. Non-fiction is works conveying knowledge, or expository works. Another distinction that applies to non-fiction - expository works is Theoretical vs. Practical Books. Theoretical concerns something to be seen and understood. And Practical concerns the application of knowledge. Sub division of theoretical books classifies them as history, science and philosophy.

He must undertake Inspectional reading of Qur’ān to find as to what type of a book is it, and/or what type of a book is it not. Upon skimming, he will find that it is specifically emphasized it is neither poetry, nor speculations of a prognosticator, and nor is comic. It is a non-fiction book, both Theoretical and Practical. Thereby, he must not indulge in imaginative flights to explain it.

3.4. Translator must know the difference between reading and interpreting great and ordinary book

Francis Bacon is stated to have once remarked that "some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested". He was perhaps classifying and evaluating books by importance and greatness.

In real life, the process of digestion involves mechanically breaking down the ingestible into small pieces and then by chemical process converting it into liquid form. If the ingestible is a book, which in every language is but words and phrases tied into sentences, sentences tied into paragraphs and paragraphs into text - discourse, we will need liquefying it to digest the contents of book.

The skimming tells him for second thought before undertaking translation for publication, that it is the Grand Book ٱلْقُرْءَانَ ٱلْعَظِيـمَ. The title and the adjectival portrayal as the Greatest - the most exalted reveals that this Book will speak from an important original setting but is not trapped therein. Great books are written in a way that constitutes it a living experience for readers today. The text is arranged as living voices in the ever present for the reader to listen voice of the Author and its First Orator.

The Title and declaring the Book as the Greatest immediately cautions the would-be translator and interpreter, that it is an inexhaustible book, so no reading of it is final and no discussion would ever run it dry. This point is also emphasized by mentioning about its semantic density.

The only encouraging point for a would-be translator of Qur’ān is that great books are always smarter than the best teacher, but is within the reach of average student. The Author of Qur’ān has explicitly highlighted this feature that it facilitates the reader.

Notwithstanding that it is rendered facilitator to comprehend and translate, he must realize and accept that the Book is above him and always will remain so. It is accessible at different levels, like the seven colours -spectrum of White Light. At every level, it will give him a leap in understanding and raising intellectual level. Though he has become wiser and knowledgeable, it will lift him again and it will go on doing this until one's death, for a while to enter in eternal life.

3.5. Translator must determine the Thesis Statement, the Objective of authoring it and its audience.

The Author tells the would-be-translator to realize the gigantic task he intends to undertake. It explains that nothing relevant to the audience is neglected mentioning therein (63.

The minimum an author expects from the would-be-interlingual translator is that he must ascertain, before undertaking translation and interpretation, Thesis Statement, the Objective of authoring, and its audience.

The diction and unity of the book revolves around these factors. The text in the target language will lack coherence and unity if these are not ascertained first and kept in mind while translating segments of the text. It will lack conveyance of the message and may yield a superficial and vague presentation, not relevant to the source text. What is the book about as a whole is the question that leads the reader to discover the leading theme - thesis statement of the book. A thesis statement makes an assertion; it is not just a statement or observation. It is a specific, definite and limited assertion that needs to be explained and supported by further discussion, concrete evidence and plausible arguments. It is main idea not title of the book. Thesis statement takes a stance - a position rather than announcing the topic or subject.

The humanity is its audience which has ordinary intelligent reader - ordinary prudence and intellectuals, philosophers and scientists. And it is understood that a good author is he who writes according to the intellectual level of his audience.

The author is always superior in knowledge than the reader. Therefore, the author can meaningfully communicate only when he is conscious of the intellectual level of his audience and his message is geared to be consonant with the audience's prior knowledge and assumptions. It is the audience in relation to whom will depend the main idea, validation and support, word choice, sentence structure, writing plan - form, and writing relationship what tone of voice comes to you as a reader.

Knowing the audience will lead the reader to question as to what are the author's objectives and persuasion. Agreement with the Thesis Statement does imply action on the part of reader. If persuasion has lead him to conviction that the ends proposed in the Book are worthy, and means recommended therein are most likely to achieve those ends, it is hard to think he will refuse to act as the Author wishes him to do. The Book persuades the reader to accept its Thesis Statement, whereby he is termed مُؤْمِنٚ the Believer, and then wishes him to act and conduct his life as Muslim, one who submits and surrenders his freewill.

3.6. Translator must set forth the major parts of the Book and see how they are organized into a whole.

Every worth reading book, without exception, has a unity and organization of parts. Otherwise it would be a mess and relatively unreadable and annoying to the reader. It is to be seen how parts are ordered to one another and to the unity of whole, i.e. the Thesis Statement and the Objective/Intention of the authoring of the Book. The Author has already facilitated the translator about this aspect by segmenting the Book in 114 demarcated parts each named as سُورَةٚ which is translated by English word "Chapter"; that is like "fenced area" in the lengthy discourse. But the Arabic word gives the idea of superiority and elevation, denoting Ascending Leap. It thus reveals every succeeding Chapter does afford intellectual leap to the reader and keep raising his level of understanding and enlightenment. Interestingly, number 114 in numerology symbolise the message intertwining the energies of ambition, practicality and determination inviting to move on enlightening journey to explore its influence on our life path. Each chapter is a new and progressive destination of ascension.

This is the aspect where many exegetes have failed to do their job; and instead expressed it lacks cohesion and coherence. They thought as if the chapters are merely a collection, a disorganized many. The reader must know how it is a many, but not as lot of separate things. It is organized many, not absolutely independent and separate. Each contributes to the wholeness of the Book. The Author has done the obligation; it is now the reader's obligation for finding the unity.

3.7. Reader and translator should detect problems and questions of the audience; the author suggests solution and answers.

A good author is obviously the one who knows the problems or irritating confusions of audience and tells them how to solve. The reader and translator should identify the problems and questions the Author has attended and solved and answered. This will give them insight and appreciation of the skeletal structure and unity of the book. For example the first feigned or real confusion or perplexity of some audience is about the authorship of the Book under study. Some others have the confusion about very existence of God and Creator.

3.8. Translator must first come to terms with the Author.

Communication is the process a message or communication is sent by the sender through a communication channel to a receiver, or to multiple receivers. The Communicator has to encode the message - the information being conveyed into a form that is appropriate to the communication channel and the receiver/s who then decode the message to understand its meaning and significance. Since all communication has a context, communication happens for a reason; the desired outcome or goal is mutual understanding. The successful completion of communication it is necessary for the two parties to use the same words with the same meaning, to come to terms, understanding.

All communication is sharing information and knowledge. All that will be in common are the words, a person speaks or writes and another hears or reads when there is ambiguity in the communication of knowledge. So long ambiguity persists; there is no communication, no meaning common between writer and reader. It is particularly the case with non-fiction expository works.

What is the difference between a word and a term? A word is usually defined as a complete meaningful element of a language. All terms are words, but not all words are terms. A term is a particular definition of a word, which is applicable to a special situation. Terms occur only in the process of communication. They occur when the writer tries to avoid ambiguity and a reader follows his use of words.

The would-be-translator can come to terms with the Author when he spots the important words and figures how they are being used to determine the meanings with precision.

The first rhetoric device is Diction, the word choice that encodes much more information than the literal meaning of a word in the context, enhancing communicative value by the role it is assigned in the speech. Qur’ān's diction and grammatical structure is superb to render every statement understandable and commensurate to varying intellectual levels of its audience and to let it an all time fact (ٱلْحَقُّ). It has inbuilt lexicon for its important words and terms, like the books on law-constitution and scientific facts. It defines its terms and exposes the perception and meanings of important words in picturesque manner by using it in different semantic fields whereby one can perceive all its dimensions relating to substance as well accident including metaphorical aspect. The diction of Qur’ān has no parallel and it is self-exegetical, it brings another word that elaborates another important word and concept.

3.9. Translator must not explain or elaborate taking recourse to other sources.

The third or fourth time reading reveals to the would-be-interlingual translator - exegete that the Author has not given the right even to the exalted Messenger and its First Publisher to explain or elaborate its content by taking recourse to sources other than itself, except the traces of knowledge - primary evidence - established ground/scientific realities.

When the Qur’ān was being released in a serial manner - smaller chunks of the Text to people, there was a possibility that at a given point in time some people might have needed more information on a subject to understand it comprehensively, or they had a question seeking enlightenment on certain topic. It was clarified that the responsibility for further elucidation vests with His Majesty - the Author of the Book.

It is thus evident that Qur’ān, after its collection and composition in the form of completely sequenced book, is self elucidative. Thereby, the best recourse for a translator and interpreter is to explain every sentence, topic, concept, word, phrase, anaphora resolution, and elisions by referring to other content and explanations given later in Qur’ān. A self explanatory book makes the job of its translator and interpreter easy.

3.10. Translator must not associate self thought, hearsay, fabricated and conjectural assertions

The would-be-interlingual and intralingual translators - exegetes are forewarned that scholars who associate fabricated and conjectural assertion with the contents of the verbal passages (يُلْحِدُونَ) are not hidden from His Majesty, the Author of the Book. They are the scholars who deviate and introduce into it which does not belong to it. Their upshot is declared Hell-Prison.

General public is warned that all along history satanic minded scholars of tilted hearts have been spreading distortions that are creations of their imagination to divert people from the Book of Allah the Exalted.

3.11. Translator must restrict himself to inbuilt explicatory devices

The would-be-interlingual translator exegete is told to first understand and comprehend every part of it by taking recourse to two built in explicative devices and then translate and explain accordingly in source language text. The explicative devices are

(i) تَدَبُّرٌ, Critical thinking Follow an enquiry based process use prior and background information (يَتَدَبَّرُونَ). 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. This approach of studying also provides the Key to the Translators for checking the accuracy of their effort before making it public. If there are contradictions and conflicts in the target language text; that work is faulty, erroneous, inaccurate and unreliable.

(a) It thus becomes apparent that keeping in view the vastness of information, the variety of concepts - ontology, and the fact of its audience being entire humanity whose cognitive capability is capacity-limited, it was necessary to render it facilitative for every reader, exoterically and esoterically. Encyclopedic presentation was the best method to achieve the objective. Encyclopedic knowledge is conveniently stored in the mind as frames that act as background knowledge for interpreting and comprehending the discourse.

(b) The best discourse is that which is organized and presented in the manner most suited for the human cognitive and learning process. A discourse will become grand if it serves simultaneously as encyclopedia, and as dictionary of its important words and terms.

(ii) تَصْرِيفٌ The other inbuilt device, the unique feature of this book only, for the reader and facilitation of translator is تَصْرِيفٌ. Grand Qur’ān; authored by the Creator of Cognitive machinery, introduces a conceptual frame and then explains it in revolving manner, like multiple cameras recording a focused object from different angles, to render it explicit from all angles.

(a) One writing device for facilitating the reader to conclusively comprehend an object, topic and concept is to describe it with the help of dichotomous relations; and by showing it from different angles, dimensions, and aspects. Dichotomous relations and terms incorporate both closeness and distance and help human cognitive tendency in categorizing experiences with their help. This device portrays the varieties, or vicissitudes of affairs or events; scope, diametric properties; and possibilities the reader might not have given a thought. It illustrates how and why is it important to observe the other side of same or similar subject or concept and be mindful of possibilities that have not occurred but are probable.

3.12. Translator must realize and keep in mind that Qur’ān and its Ayahs are self-explanatory and exegetical.

Qur’ān is declared by circumstantial accusative as guidance for the Mankind. Any guide book is a practical book. Thereby, it is not only source of knowledge but also also a guide telling how to regulate and direct human conduct. The book that is to serve as guidance for personality development and uplift in time-space need be self-explanatory

هَٟذَا بَيَانٌۭ لِّلنَّاسِ وَ هُدًۭى وَ مَوْعِظَةٌۭ لِّلْمُتَّقِيـنَ١٣٨

This (Qur’ān) is a communication explicitly elucidated for the mankind. And it is guidance regulatory information for aright conduct and counseling results of affairs- disclosure of factual outcome of acts good and bad eventuality, reward and punishment - penal code, for those who sincerely endeavour to attain salvation.

Qur’ān is described - predicated by بَيَانٚ a verbal noun. It is one of the Epithets for Divine Discourse. Verbal noun does not have time reference. Thereby, it renders the book timelessly explicit for every reader and seeker of knowledge. The Discourse is self-exegetical - explicitly explicative; whereby it is secure from eisegete commentators having tilted hearts since "importing" or "drawing in" their own subjective and biased interpretations into the text would easily be discerned.

3.13. Translator must realize Qur’ān is interwoven (double helix) Theoretical and Practical Treatise - Manual or User's Guide.

We are aware of Manual or User's Guide. Creator or manufacturer of a quality product provides a manual that contains instructions for its operation and information about its structure; mutual relationships of its constituents, and relationships with outer world. Manual also contains instructions for its upkeep, maintenance and troubleshooting when problem arises. Man is perhaps the finest and top of the line "Product" ever created. Man has the best of existing machines. Man once created is however a self developing and operating sentient.

Not only the title of the Book that suggests its ambit as encompassing the knowledge of space-time, but also its stature as the Manual - User's Guide for audience reveals that it has a binary structure containing information and guidance for the person as well as of his environ. Sub-Classification of the Miscellany of Qur’ān is adjectively described

(1) ءَايَٟتٚ مُّحْكَـمَٟتٌ Verbal Passages with adjectival description Form-IV Passive Participle مُّحْكَـمَٟتٌ permanently established statute

(2) ءَايَٟتٚ مُّتَشَٟبِـهَٟتٚ Verbal Passages with adjectival description Form-VI Active Participle مُّتَشَٟبِـهَٟت. mirror invisible realities through metaphorical presentation.

It is thus evident that he will need syntopical - comparative reading for in-depth understanding of subjects in 2nd type of Ayahs. For example, to understand why a rather naked word لَوَٟقِحَ (literally meaning semen of stallion) is used on the subject of winds, he will have to study the science books on cloud physics. Thereby, he will realize the par excellence choice of words for the people having in-depth knowledge of meteorology.

You, following footsteps of Rashad believe not in the Thesis Statement of Qur'an.

The man not using this faculty is termed عُمْىٌۭ which leads to the perception of covering, enshrouding and wrap, envelop something. It refers the blind whose vision in both eyes is completely obscured. But without light there will be no sight. Qur’ān is quite "sensitive" in dealing with its readers; it hides itself from view of certain reader

وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ فِـىٓ ءَاذَانِـهِـمْ وَقْرٚ وَهُوَ عَلَيْـهِـمْ عَمٙىۚ

Know about those who do not believe in the Hereafter — heavy load is deposited within their ears acoustic impedance is persisting in their ears. And it (Qur’ān) enshrouds - obscures not reflecting light upon them (whether they are Arabs or Non-Arab).

5.49. We know we can see an object only when it reflects light and there is no barrier in between. Qur’ān is personified by third person personal pronoun هُوَ which is the subject of sentence. Its predicate is verbal noun عَمٙى in nominative state which refers to action and state at the moment the said people read it. We see the black words on the page by virtue of the light they absorb and not by the light they reflect. We see them because of the white background, and when something absorb all the light it will look very black to the extent of a hole in reality. We "see" when light enters our eyes and triggers cells in the retina to send signals through the optic nerve to the brain. But we "see" an object only when there is contrast.* What the Ayah suggests is that Qur’ān feels it does not owe its visibility and enlightening glimpses for such type of people who are adamantly blind hearted, they are already in layers of darkness; so "blackness" is the appropriate visual response to the absence of light in heart

فَإِنَّـهَا لَا تَعْمَى ٱلۡأَبْصَٟرُ وَلَـٰكِن تَعْمَى ٱلْقُلُوبُ ٱلَّتِـى فِـى ٱلصُّدُورِ٤٦

Thereby, the fact is that it were not "the vision neurological signals stored in memory after interpretation of the image seen" that become blind but it are the hearts, which are in the chests, that become blind. .

One has to come to Quran with white background otherwise no guidance it will give.

jkhan

Sometime please reflect in cool. And read Qur'an with your own intellect, not by the mind of Rk.
A computer, or IA does not have personality disorders. What I said about feeding the machine is ground reality. Her analysis about my rules for the translator of Qur'an is rather amazing and ground reality.

Just read what rules I follow for the translation and prescribe for others,

Prerequisites for a translator who intends to public his work.