Reasons for the possible incomprehensibility of some verses of three translations of the meaning of the Holy Quran into English

Al-Jabari, ARY

Abstract

Translations of the meaning of the Quran in English are becoming amongst the most
read books in the world. Unfortunately, almost all the existing renditions fail to
transfer the original clearly into the target language. They suffer from serious
shortcomings that cause incomprehensibility in parts of the text. These renditions
contain some elements that make the target reader struggle to understand the meaning.
This research aims to contribute to overcoming the shortcomings of existing
translations. It discusses the reasons why the English target reader of the Quran
struggles to follow and comprehend the meaning of some of its verses, and attempts
to find a workable methodology for translating the meaning of the Quran. It tries to
find new methods to help tackle the weaknesses in the translations of the meaning of
the Quran and provides suggestions for improving them. It is hoped this methodology
will lead to producing a more accurate and comprehensible translation of the meaning
of the Quran in which the meaning is transferred clearly in a natural-sounding targetlanguage
text, and that will improve comprehensibility for both Muslim and non-
Muslim native speakers of English. This research also studies the role and importance
of the translator in achieving a good translation, and tries to establish a set of criteria
for the attributes and conditions of the translator of the Quran.

Citation

Al-Jabari, A. Reasons for the possible incomprehensibility of some verses of three translations of the meaning of the Holy Quran into English. (Thesis). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jul 21, 2011
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 21, 2011
• Award Date: Jan 1, 2008