Islam - Arabic

ChrisNo1 wrote: You ask do I know any other languages!? lol Well unfortunately I Don't. Time and money are not on my side unfortunately but it is a great ambition of mine. I hope one day to learn Turkish and Arabic!

I love both those languages and wish you great success. Otherwise, I don't really dispute anything you're saying. I would not want to see any single language replace the many wonderful languages of the people of the earth.

It is obviously true that one cannot get a 'pure' translation but the message can still be clear. You talk about spiritual depth but that can still be obtained from translation. I do agree that some things wont translate just as well as the native tongue. But that is besides the point. One should not learn a language to understand the rules and stories of a universal religion (as islam claims). Understanding should be reached out to all people from all nations. Some people in this day of age can't afford to do languages courses because they don't even have enough money to eat!! If the Qu'ran claims a universal role then it can be universally translated because God himself inspired Mohammed to write the book. Learning Arabic should be a preference not an obligation.

You go on further to translate a word in Arabic and ask what English the english equivalant is? Well you gave a discription of what "taqwa" and other words say "There are no english words that can translate it" Nevertheless you was able to give me an discription in English of the words meaning, so i was able to get some idea.

You ask do I know any other languages!? lol Well unfortunately I Don't. Time and money are not on my side unfortunately but it is a great ambition of mine. I hope one day to learn Turkish and Arabic!

Jazakallah, ukhti Nausheen, you said it much better than I could.

Auzubillahi minash shaitan ir rajeem,

Bismillah ir rehman ir rahim

ChrisNo1 wrote: If I created a book for cooking with receipes and it was translated, I might not be able to get a 'Pure' word for word translation but the receipe is still there. Surely if the Qu'ran is taught in native tongues the receipe is still there!

Dear Chris,

Quran is not a book of recepies or just straightforward/mathematical formulas.

It depends on the nature of the text that is being translated. Do you expect poetry to be translated without loss of meaning?

For that matter, even some jokes cannot create the complete desired effect when they are brought from one language to another.

There are some laws and rules in Quran, which i believe can be conveyed, in other languages, as there lived scholars int all times who have studied and written about these in their languages. However the spiritual aspects cannot be transported completely in English or any other language, without having a text alongside to explain it further.

Quran is the book that has been translated in maximum number of languages. This is so, because it is not in the capacity or means of everyone to learn arabic, and then understand the Quran. However, a translated text, helps a great deal, and solves the purpose.

So it is not that doing a  translation or reading it for the purpose of guidance is a totally redundant exercise. However for those who wish to and desire to understand the book in its complete depths, it is advisable to learn arabic and then study The Book, as it was revealed. It needs to be mentioned however, that understanding of Quran takes a lot of exercise and effort, just reading the original or the translation cannot be sufficient. it can help in reflection, but for a deeper understanding, one needs to "study" the Book. 

Peace,

Nausheen