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| The Quran offers extremely interesting points of comparison with completely established fields of knowledge of our times. |
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Quran translations are supposed to provide “an authentic point of reference from which to examine the biased stereotypes of Islam to which Westerners are habitually exposed to.” However, unfortunately, most of these translations have not fulfilled this function. They either fail to give a precise image of Islam, or give a negative distorted one, says Thomas Cleary, a non-Muslim Quran translator.
Reading Islam presents a three-part article which tackles the issue of Quran translations and their role in steering public opinion against Islam in non-Muslim communities.
The study started with a historical reviewindicating that the libels leveled against Islam are deeply rooted in the misconceptions propagated by the first Latin Quran translations perverted on purpose out of fear that Islam would shake the established faith of Christians. It then went on to explain some of the ways Quran translationscontribute to giving a false or negative impression about Islam through either deliberate manipulation or non-deliberate mistranslations or inadequacies.
Finally, in this part, it proposes some insights as to how to take action against the campaigns discrediting Islam.
Read part 1 & part 2.
Apart from the false information and calumnies that some orientalists included in their translations, some schools, as well as some parents and family members, in western and other non-Arab communities teach children wrong information about Islam and Muslims. Mumin Abd-Ur Razaq Selliah, a Sri Lankan convert to Islam, explains:Formerly, I was an arch enemy of Islam. For, all the members of my family and all my friends were telling me that Islam was an absurd and concocted religion that would lead man to Hell, and they were even preventing me from talking with Muslims. As soon as I saw a Muslim I would turn and walk away, and I would curse them behind their back. (Isik, 118)
Similarly, Muhammad John Webster says:
It is very difficult to get in touch with Muslims in Western countries. For (sic) in those countries there is a deep-seated rancor against Islam, which dates back to the crusading expeditions. Europeans reject Islam with hatred, though they know nothing of it. They raise their children with an education dressed with a strong feeling of animus towards Islam. So much so that talking about Islam means a violation of the established rules of decorum in their society. If someone should bring up this subject in a social gathering, the others will protest with a mute frown. (Isik, 118)
Western public opinion is generally swayed by the information propagated by the media. Only those who deliberately try to learn something about Islam themselves or get in touch with Muslims start to be disillusioned. The scientific approach of investigation and objectivity are what is needed to realize that the coverage of Islam in the media is highly partial.
Only the sides seen as negative are highlighted. For example, we read in the Quran what means:
[Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book.] (At-Tawbah 9:29)
This verse is often cited in anti-Islamic books and in the media. This may be a significant finding about the Muslims’ scripture. However, readers fail to acknowledge that in Arabic, the verse stipulates three conditions that should be found collectively in the People of the Book in order to be liable to being fought against, namely non-belief in God and non-belief in the Last Day and non-belief in the religion of truth. It should be noted that the three conditions are joined with and rather than or in Arabic.
Who among people of the Book, one wonders, are subject to such criterion? Moreover, it should be noted that the Islamic scripture also teaches the following about the People of the Book:
[He (God) has sent down to you [Muhammad] the Book with the truth, confirming that which was sent down before it, and He earlier sent down the Torah and the Gospel; as a guidance to people, and sent down the Criterion … [one of the names of the Quran].] (Aal-Imran 3:3-4)
[Say: O people of the Book! Come to common terms between us and you, that we worship none but God, that we assign no partner to Him, and that we do not obey each other in disobedience of God'. If they turn away, then say: 'Bear witness that we are submitters to God.] (Al-Imran 3:64)
[Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the f Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve.] (Al-Baqarah 2:62)
{Allah does not forbid you respecting those who have not made war against you on account of (your) religion, and have not driven you forth from your homes, that you show them kindness and deal with them justly; surely Allah loves the doers of justice.] (Al-Mumtahanah 60:8-9)
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who married 12 women, nine of whom
| A more reliable translation of the Quran should be prepared by a team with both language specialists and religious figures. |
were widows and divorced, for social, political, and educational reasons, is often accused of being driven by lust. One wonders whether the same standards apply to Prophet David (peace be upon him) who had numerous wives (1 Chronicles, Chapter 3) and Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) who, according to the Bible, “had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines” (1 Kings 11:3).
Islam is known as the religion allowing polygamy. How many know that after being practiced unlimitedly before, it was actually Islam that confined polygamy to four women, and that the verse allowing polygamy in the Quran was revealed following the Battle of Uhud, in which thousands of Muslim men were killed leaving widows and orphans with no supporters?
The Quran encompasses verses that stipulated fighting for certain reasons at the time of the Prophet. Is it difficult to recall that the Old and New Testaments contain some verses indicating violence too?
When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it. And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee. And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it: And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword: But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee. But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth: But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. (Deuteronomy 20:10-17, King James Version)
Terrorist attacks are said to be rooted in Prophet Muhammad’s teachings. By the same token, can Muslims regard Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) as stimulating violence and war on the basis of the following words?
But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. (Luke 19:27, King James Version)
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. (Matthew 10:34-35, King James Version)
The answer is “by no means”. For Muslims, Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary are revered people who cannot be subject to criticism. If the West can accept the allusions in The Di Vinci Code, for Muslims, these are profanations that are unacceptable.
Apart from media partiality, Muslims cannot be spared the blame for the current situation. They are generally passive towards what is going on. They do not seriously attempt to explain the true principles of Islam. In this regard, Hussain Rofe says:
One thing I would regret to say at this point is that Muslims are doing very little to advertise this lovely religion of theirs to the world. If they try to spread the true essence of Islam over the entire world with due attention and knowledge, I am sure that they will achieve very positive results. In the near east (sic) people are still reserved towards foreigners. Instead of coming into contact with them and illuminating them, they prefer to keep as far away as possible from them. This is an exceedingly wrong attitude. I am the most concrete example. For I was somehow hindered from being interested in the Islamic religion. Fortunately, one day I met a very respectable and highly cultured Muslim. He was very friendly with me. He listened to me with attention. He presented me an English version of the Quran translated by a Muslim. He gave beautiful and logical answers to all my questions. (Isik, 81)
Is it not yet high time to take some positive steps in this regard? What can be done to dispel the myths about Islam?
| In Islam, belief and logic do not contradict each other, which is a common problem in other religions. |
Action can be taken in different directions. First of all, a more reliable translation of the Quran should be prepared by a team with both language specialists and religious figures, who have a good command of the target foreign language, to be involved. The former should consult the latter for meaning problems, and the latter should make sure the former managed to convey the intended meaning correctly.
Such a translation should include an introduction for each chapter, giving the reasons for the revelation of its verses, as well as alternative translations based on alternative interpretations, cross-references to other related verses, and so on. In the light of the advances made in the field of information technology, electronic versions can even facilitate matters.
Second, Muslims should attempt to make people acquainted with their religion and to clear the misconceptions related to issues like the status of women in Islam, polygamy, jihad, and so on. This can be done on two different levels. For example, more explanatory programs in the media should be devoted to addressing such issues in a rational, scientific, documented way.
On another level, lay Muslims can engage in such tasks making use of the Internet technology and chat talks, that are used only for nonsensical activities, through what Ibrahim Saleh calls ”popular diplomacy”.
In fact, good experiences of engaging Arab students, at the American University in Cairo as well as some other Arab universities, with American students in fruitful cross-cultural dialogues were made possible through video conferencing and web conferencing.
The students could discuss different issues including Islam. The experience managed in a way to help bridge part of the knowledge gap about this topic. One female Qatari student studying in the University of Qatar and involved in the project stated, ”I learned that the American media is the main reason why there are many stereotypes and false ideas on Islam and the Arab World.”
Another female Qatari student from the same university mentioned, “I was happy to see how my American partners in this program could express themselves freely and were brave to tell us about the stereotypes they have. I enjoyed answering all their questions about Islam and the Arab world.”
A female American student studying in Virginia Commonwealth University said, “[the] actual real-time discussions were amazing in that we were actually able to speak and ask anything to people we knew so little about. I think it was the best way to learn about the Middle East and Islam that a student could experience.”
Third, Maurice Bucaille, an eminent French surgeon, argues that an exact knowledge of Islam should come through an accurate non-distorted version of the Quran. However, he argues, since many of the available translations misinform the readers, then action should be taken to provide other means of information about important aspects of Islam.
In his book The Bible, Quran and Science: The Holy Scriptures Examined in the Light of Modern Knowledge, Bucaille pinpoints an important issue, which is the total conformity between the facts mentioned in the Quran and modern science. This leads him to the conclusion that it could have never been possible for an unlettered man to be the author of this scripture. Bucaille asserts:
The Quran offered extremely interesting points of comparison with completely established fields of knowledge of our times … [Once] it was admitted that the mentioned paragraphs of the Holy Book did not have possible human explanations, the study of other purely religious aspects attracted the interest of people. (12-13)
The compatibility between science and religion in Islam is in contrast with the divorce between science and other religions. The latter is one of the reasons that led to secularism, on account of which many people in the world suffer immensely because of their spiritual bankruptcy.
Thomas Cleary draws attention to the fact that Islam finds a solution to the dilemma of the “Post-Christian West”. He explains that:
the Quran offers a way to explore an attitude that fully embraces the quest for knowledge and understanding that is the essence of science, while at the same time, and indeed for the same reasons, fully embraces the awe humility, reverence, and conscience without which ‘humankind does indeed go to far in considering itself to be self-sufficient. (viii)
Islam does not contain any irrational or unbelievable tenet. In Islam you cannot find a single dot disagreeable with or contradictory to modern sciences. All its commandments and inculcations are entirely logical and useful. In Islam, belief and logic do not contradict each other, which is a common problem other religions.
Consequently, for a person like me who has dedicated all his life-time to natural sciences, what could be more natural than preferring Islam, which is in full conformity with the scientific results that he obtained from his lucubration, to the other religions that are quite the other way round?
Another reason I feel compelled to add is that the other religions are awash in a score of grotesque ideas that suggest only a far-fetched mood of spirituality. They have nothing to do with real life situations.
Islam, on the other hand, is a practical religion which guides humanity in its trek of life. Islamic commandments lead a person to the right way, not only in the hereafter, but also in the world, and, in the meanwhile, they never restrict his or her freedom.
The last part of the previous quote answers one question raised by some non-Muslims. Some of them think that Islam is materialistic and far from spirituality. In fact, since Islam is the last religion that provides humans with legislations necessary for their life in this world, it acknowledges that people are humans not angels.
It provides guidance for them in their actual practical life. It does not mean to engage them in pure spirituality that overlooks their human nature. Hence, it combines spirituality with pragmatism. Besides, Islam combines within itself the essence of all heavenly revelations, and it entails an acknowledgment of all the previous religions and Prophets. A Muslim’s faith is never complete without this.
Works Cited:
Bucaille, Maurice. “On Translation of the Holy Quran”. The Muslim World League Journal 13 (1986).
Cleary, Thomas. The Essential Koran. New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1993.
Isik, Huseyn Hilmi, Why Did They Become Muslims? Waqf Ikhlas Publications, 1995.Accessed 29 October 2009. |
