Parenthesis in translations of Quran
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Peace to all,
Dotty, I think the parentheses are used where the word isnt actually found in the Quran but are inserted by the translators to help the verse make more sense in the language used.
For example, if a Quran verse actually says something like "God loves not that transgress" It would be translated as " God loves not (those) that transgress. Or something like that, it doesnt change the meaning just adds a little clarity. I used to read the verse without the parenthetical words just to make sure it didnt have a different meaning and in case the traditionalist translators were trying to add a different meaning to the Quran, but I usually found that i agreed with the parenthetically added word, and that it just helped to add a more grammatical flow.
Kurt
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I used to read the verse without the parenthetical words just to make sure it didnt have a different meaning and in case the traditionalist translators were trying to add a different meaning to the Quran
I find myself doing this exact thing except I usually just ignore (them) all together. I've always been concerned about reading the Quran without (these) because I thought they might be "extra words" thrown in by the translator and I can't be sure of the intentions.
Thanks for your thoughts Kurt!
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Peace.
Sometimes these (parentheses) are used in certain translations and they completely change the thought of the original statement. Some of them are very misleading, and a lot are based on the concepts of "schools of thought" (i.e. Sunnis, Shi'as, Salafis, etc.)... Even though it's better to add the personal thoughts in parenthesis to separate the translator's opinions from the actual literal translation, as opposed to just throwing it in without any separation which is really adding to the Message, I think it's better to not add anything to al-Qur'an, whether in parenthesis or not... That's just my opinion, though...
Peace.
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Salaam all,
I'm getting the feeling that I am better to stick with my regular habit of ignoring what's in parenthesis altogether. I know the translator can put in their own words, whether they use (these) or not, but I think the odd's of a more accurate reading are better if (they) are used. I don't know.
About this...
Sometimes these (parentheses) are used in certain translations and they completely change the thought of the original statement.
Sometimes I find this to be true as well, because there are times when (these) add confusion... and the meaning is clear without them.
Peace
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As long as one applies an intelligent approach to a translation, then there shouldn't be too much of a problem. Always use comparison and study tools for more accurate research, e.g. www.studyquran.org
