Prerequisites for a translator who intends to public his work.

[Mazhar]

Prerequisites for a translator who intends to public his work.


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.

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. 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.

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 of the Book tells him; suggesting giving a second thought before undertaking translation for publication, that it is the Great of Great 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 who wishes to listen 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 more 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.

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 (6:38).

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.

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.

It is also like a ladder having 114 rungs, a series of hierarchical levels on which somebody moves up. The 112th سُورَةٚ: Chapter is the peak of hierarchical levels which is captioned: الإخلاص: A Form-IV verbal noun signifying act and state rendering one as clear, pure, sheer, free from admixture, unmingled, unmixed, disentangled or genuine; and white; to reach to level of purity and sincerity. This is the state of synchronization with nature. It is the objective of the Book and intention of the Author to persuade audience to become so.

But having reached an ascension one can move or fall on the rungs downwards. Therefore, the last two "rungs": Chapter 113 and 114 are for seeking refuge with the Sustainer Lord to escape chances of downfall. The refuge sought is from all sorts of disquiet, disequilibrium and disconcerts; and from people who are the embodiment of Satan. Arabic word for Satan has also the signification of cobra. Interestingly, we have in our sub-continent a board game, now called Snake and Ladder. Ladder takes to ascensions and bite of snake takes the player downwards or backwards. In life, after having experienced the exhilaration of a ladder, it is quite possible that one could bump into a snake. Hence, the necessity of seeking refuge with the Almighty. Purity and sincerity takes one into the heights of the sky; but whoever de-synchronizes and associates anything with the Unity he will instantly fall from the Sky.

The Prologue in Sura-1 expresses: الإخلاص of the Speakers and epilogue is expressing his desire and prayer to remain in that state of mind and conduct.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 and scholars of tilted hearts have been spreading distortions that are creations of their imagination to divert people from the Book of Allah the Exalted.

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.

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 how to regulate and direct human conduct. The book that is to serve as guidance for personality development and uplift 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. [3:138]

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.

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.

[Wakas]

Along similar lines:
https://www.quran434.com/study-method.html

[Mazhar]

Along similar lines:
https://www.quran434.com/study-method.html

Thanks.

It is an excerpt from my under-pen book which I intend to title:

Grand Qur'ān
--------------------
Itself Propounded Translation Methodology for transference to Non-Arab World

and

For Evaluation of Accuracy of target language text


Triplet Theory of Translation analogous to Protein synthesis in human genome


Mazhar Anwaar Nurani

[Mazhar]

Thanks.

It is an excerpt from my under-pen book which I intend to title:

Grand Qur'ān
--------------------
Itself Propounded Translation Methodology for transference to Non-Arab World

and

For Evaluation of Accuracy of target language text


Triplet Theory of Translation analogous to Protein synthesis in human genome


Mazhar Anwaar Nurani

Insights, suggestion for improvement are requested.

Preface

 

Qur'ān is a book and every book is for certain audience. People and scholars of earlier centuries were its audience. Today in the 21st century we are its audience. An author writes and compiles a book keeping in mind the intellectual level of intended audience. If that not be the case, authoring a book is a waste activity. Author is always on higher level of intelligence than his audience. But the author has to communicate at the level of cognitive intelligence of reader because without it there can be no communication. In its absence, the only thing the author and reader will share would be words sprinkled on a piece of paper. The 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, writing relationship: what tone of voice comes to you as a reader.

Except academic translations of legal documents and discourses, a translation of non-fiction book is in fact the perception and understanding of a translator about the source text. It is, thereby, but subjective since his effort is restricted to his acquired level of information and understanding by that point in time about various subjects discussed in the book. Since the level of information and knowledge keeps expanding, the understanding and thereby the translation of an individual of 7-20th century was certainly based upon the perceptions and understandings of people in those times, scholarship of individual translator notwithstanding.

Quite many people have translated the text of Grand Qur'ān for various motivations, considerations and intentions, good as well as bad, in timeline. Detailed account can be seen in World Bibliography of the Translations of the Meanings of the Holy Qur'an (Istanbul, OIC Research Center, 1986). Most of these are available on line. It is worldwide known fact the first translations to English were not undertaken by the believers in Qur'ān. During the period from 1649 to 1904 only four English translations were produced, all four by scholars who had their identity as Christians.

1649: Alexander Ross: The Alcoran of Mahmet: Quote from Wikipedia: One of Ross's most significant accomplishments, published in the same year as the beheading of the king, was his complete translation of the Qur'ān into English. Although he knew no Arabic and only poorly translated L'Alcoran de Mahomet, the 1647 French translation of Du Ryer, his translation was the first in English, and his influence faintly lingers in latter-day translations down to the present.

1734: George Sale: The Koran: The first "scholarly" translation of the Qur'an based primarily on the Latin translation of Louis Maracci (1698) George Sale's translation was to remain the most widely available English translation over the next 200 years, and is still in print today, with release of a 2009 edition

1861: John Medow Rodwell: The Koran

1880 Henry Edward Palmer: The Qur'an

The fact remains that no attempt was ever made for the translation of Grand Qur'ān strictly in accordance with academic rules, norms and principles. Moreover, it is an undeniable and unfortunate fact that just few scholars attempted translating the Grand Qur'ān in their respective target language directly from its Arabic text. Thanks to computer and internet technology, it is now easy to see the majority of translations on one page. This blessing of technology has highlighted a dismal image of saddening effect; when we see many translations on one page we find more plagiarism than original work. Majority merely "re-translated", or "reproduced" already available translations; particularly that of George Sale and John Rodwell, with slight difference of sentence structuring, and replacements by synonyms and synonymous words of the same language. A mere glance of the preambles of George Sale and John Rodwell works will reveal their tilted minds and hearts, nothing but bias, animosity, and rancour was the inspiration behind their scholarship and  works.

In the later works the conspicuous difference will be noticed only about additions of sectarian biases. The fact of reliance upon such works becomes glaring in later works when we find such opinions; which otherwise seem irrational, illogical on face value, were plagiarized.

On the other extreme, one finds the scholars of remote past strangely kept fabulating whenever episode of life of the Elevated Messengers of Allah the Exalted finds mention in Qur'ān. Thereafter, the plagiarists in timeline have repeated it extensively that now it is as if engraved in memories of majority. However, the original episode in the Arabic words of Qur'ān is ever safe for those who wish not live in fictional realm.

It were only the Jews at the time of revelation of Qur'ān who are criminally charged for character assassination, for slandering, ill-reputing, and associating fabricated ridiculous stories with the Chosen and Elevated Allegiants sent as Messengers of Allah the Exalted, which are not becoming of their dignity, status, honour, and reverence. They did not hesitate doing so even for the elevated Messenger Sulie'maan alai'his'slaam who had made them sort of superpower, since he was given control and authority over breeze which pollinates the cash crops.

Distancing from the Grand Qur'ān has turned majority of us, the believers, as human lemmings belonging to this school of thought and that school of thought. We all have a packaged opinion inserted into our minds somewhat like a cassette inserted into a cassette player and we keep playing it back. Perhaps we also resemble to that she-spider mentioned in Qur'ān; she picks up a piece of paper and attaches it to the spinnerets, say chest, to soothe her when she fails to find her adopted house wherein she had placed her egg-sack. We are no more grouped and tightened by the "Rope"; we are now a people without a "DNA". It is now the time that we revert to the Book of Allah the Exalted, the Grand Qur'ān; and try regaining the dignified stature we once held in the world.

We the Believers know where we stand in the world of 21st century. If we were to search for a prime cause of our downfall in the comity of nations; it is our estrangement from Grand Qur'ān. And the fall of Arabs is only because they have forgotten to realize the superiority of their language which is reflective of the highest rational and intellectual mind of their forefathers. We wrongfully propagate the Qur'ān is the most widely read book. We naively equate recitation-transcription-memorization with reading. Reading is for comprehension. And comprehension is dependent upon acquiring the skill for real-time translation of the text of a foreign language. Thus, a negligible minority reads the Grand Qur'ān in the sense of the perception and meanings of the term "reading".

One of the erroneous palavers (almost worldwide perception) about Qur'ān is that it is religious text of a people named and identified as Muslims. The fact is diametrically opposite. It is the only and unique book whose audience is entire living Mankind. It is a book that addresses each and every individual whose Brain stem is alive. A reader who heartily submits to its Thesis Statement, after critical evaluation is called a Believer (not Muslim); one who rationally submits to the truth infallibly established by concrete evidence and irrefutable arguments. A person, who after submitting to the Thesis Statement, moulds his life according to the Code of Conduct - Universal Constitution prescribed therein, both for physical realm and life, is called a Muslim, literally a person who aspires to maintain peace, tranquillity, and dynamic balance of mind and heart and environment.

Another erroneous palaver about Qur'ān is that it literally means "the recitation". English word "recitation" means the action of repeating something aloud from memory. Thereby, what the palaver is attributing is that it is a book for memorization. A book is meant for reading and comprehending the author's communication therein. Memorization is not the primary objective of a book; however, it is evidence of par excellence sonic coherence in the Divine Discourse which enables its memorization. The title of the Book aims at informing the reader as to the type of the book and about its content and ambit.

Yet another palaver about Qur'ān is the widespread opinion, almost to the level of belief, that translating and comprehending Qur'ān is a difficult task. This conjectural and opinionated propaganda is so strong that vast majority, including those who have studied Arabic as a language to the level of Phd, seldom thought of learning the skill for self-translating and comprehending the Qur'ān. A fear has been generated that any attempt of self-interpreting Qur'ān might astray the person. A belief has been created that for learning Qur'ān the prerequisite is acquiring the knowledge of more than a dozen of disciplines.

Therefore, acquiring the skill for comprehending the message with personal effort is all the more important and necessary when we carefully listen to the information and cautions given therein about a type of scholars who are in fact enemies of the exalted Messenger Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam. We should study the built-in Information about certain religious scholars and their works on the Divine Book—mingling and jumbling of fabricated stories, whereby the need will be felt that every believer must make an effort to learn the skill at least for understanding the surface - exoteric meanings of the original Arabic text.

In view of highly negative information given in Qur'ān about a class of religious scholars who may have acquired the status of trailblazers, it is necessary for us to acquire the ability to evaluate their works which might otherwise be misleading and aiming at diverting people from the High Road of Allah the Exalted. There are further two reasons. Real-time translation is an intense activity of one's own brain. Reading a translation is near-passive activity, or involves less intellectual effort. Reading a translation may add to one's information-archive but may not necessarily enhance his level of understanding. Grand Qur'ān, a non-fiction book, aims at successively increasing the level of intellectual understanding of its reader to ascensions beyond the physical realm.

Ability of real-time translation will enable us to perceive those beauties and niceties of the words and sounds of Arabic text which all translations will lack, however profound and scholarly they might be. If environmentally we have never experienced the effect as mentioned in Ayah 39:23, despite having read dozens of translations and exegeses, it is time that we should try acquiring skill for real-time translation to synchronize our selves with the Words of Allah the Exalted. It says that skins of those who experience awe of their Sustainer Lord become bristled by listening or reading some segment of Grand Qur'ān. Did we ever experience this?

The need for acquiring skill for real-time translation is for reason that Grand Qur'ān is alive in time and space. It is declared as "Infallible Discourse", a miscellany of facts for all times. Therefore, barring a truly academic translation, all translations of the past will become merely a reference for successive generations in timeline. However, its characteristic feature; "Infallible Discourse" and declaration about its contents as absolutely void of peeving substance: suspicious, conjectural, whimsical, conflicting, ambiguous, anomalous, irrational, un-certain, illusory, unsubstantiated, incongruous, biased and opinionated matter, renders it understandable for readers of any point of timeline.

Why all translations of the past need to be archived, for reference purposes only, even if they were not academic translations? Grand Qur'ān informed in advance:

سَنُرِيـهِـمْ ءَايَٟتِنَا فِـى ٱلْءَافَاقِ وَ فِـىٓ أَنفُسِهِـمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّـنَ لَـهُـمْ أَنَّهُ ٱلْحَقُّۗ

Our Majesty will henceforth keep intermittently exposing visually Our tangible realities prevalent in the Universe-horizons and in their own bodies to them (who accept not the Divine origin of Qur'ān) — The purpose of this visual manifestation is that: it (Qur'ān) being Infallible Discourse of Reality itself explicitly explicates to have been sent for them by their Sustainer Lord. [Ref 41:53]

Besides creation, the other method of Divine communication - conveyance of information, knowledge and guidance is verbal; orally and in writing. Whatever and to whatever extent the Unitary Source of Knowledge wished to share, He has already shared with His Spokesperson closing the chapter of any further communication of information and knowledge:

إِنَّـآ أَعْطَيْنَٟكَ ٱلْـكَـوْثَرَ

 [In keeping with the promise-93:5] Our Majesty have since personally granted you the Messenger [Muhammad Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam] the unique - ultimate profundity. [108:01]
 

Henceforth, there shall be no communication and sharing of information. Onwards, it will only be exposure of realities to visual faculty. The fact about existing realities is that not all are visible to human naked eye. The Primal Creator as well as the knowledgeable, observant-scientists convey the knowledge about realities not apparent to human eye by using the metaphors. Descriptions by metaphors enable people perceive a general idea-image of invisible fact by relating it to features of the metaphor.

 

Knowledge acquired by human beings until seventh century was through naked eye observation. Naked eye observation of an object and reality grants conviction about its existence. Thought of invisible realities was all along there in human mind that kept him busy in developing theories to gain a perception about various phenomena.

 

Turning point was when the Creator of all that exists, Allah the Exalted Who had initiated creation with self-imposed obligation of Mercy, personified Mercy for all in the person of Muhammad [Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam], His Last Messenger. The Grand Qur'ān, life sustaining [8:24]and path illuminating Visible Light - the Enlightener came to humanity along with him [7:157]. It disclosed that a new era of observation of invisible realities is ushering in. It advised humanity to break away from the ideas of the Greeks, who were mired in the belief that they could theorize and deduce underlying principles; and to believe in empirical observation and measurement:

وَقُلِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ سَيُـرِيكُـمْ ءَايَٟتِهِۦ فَتَعْـرِفُونَـهَاۚ

Moreover, you the Messenger [Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam] pronounce: "The Infinite Glory and Praise eternally stands specified entirely and exclusively for Allah the Exalted. He the Exalted will henceforth keep visually showing you people His Aa'ya'at: realities in the Universe and your own bodies. Thereat, you people will keep recognizing them as were verbally mirrored." —

وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَٟفِلٛ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ٩٣

And warn that your Sustainer Lord is indeed never unmindful/neglecting of what acts you people perform." [27:93]

Grand Qur'ān informed Allah the Exalted will keep bringing to human visual access the knowledge about universe and human body, whereby the fact Grand Qur'ān is the infallible discourse of absolute reality might become self manifest to the people who keep denying it. Why a first time observation of hitherto unseen thing manifests that the Qur'ān is a statement of proven fact? This is possible only if the same thing finds verbal mirroring of it in the Qur'ān. Verbal specification and visual observation are two aspects of identification of a tangible fact of real existence, as denoted by Arabic word: ءَايَةٌۭ: ayah -sign. The visual observation of an earlier unseen fact will manifest the book written earlier in time as the Book of Facts which contains its verbal presentation. This will establish that the Book really contains verbal statements of scientific facts and is not conjectural, hypothetical and presumptive in its contents.

Wisdom and enlightened is that state of acquisition of knowledge when the invisible of the matter and its relationships [باطن] become perceivable through vision and intellect. However, the remote past and remote future is beyond our vision and perception. Notwithstanding what distance we could cover in the past and the future we can never say with confidence and certainty that we have reached and seen and perceived the things at the point of beginning or ending in future. We can never encompass the matter in its entirety not only because of its extremely voluminous and diversified nature but also because we know the skies are expanding all the time. Therefore, if we can manage to reach its today's last boundary and limit it would have gone farther the moment we reach the point we thought is the ending point. It is an endless pursuit; this is the limitation of our capability of vision and intellect. We will always end up in a closed street.

Knowledge is primarily divided into two branches; knowledge of things/matter and what happened-was talked about by the people; their dialogues, habits and acts in the past. The knowledge about the matter is verifiable in time and space. Anything said by anyone or a book regarding physical matters could be subjected to verification in time and space about its truth to an exact detail. If we find the words of a book relating to physical matters written earlier in time as true and factually and materially correct in all respects then we will have to believe too, in those statements of the Book which narrate some events/dialogues between people of past/historical narratives. The falsification test of any book/statement could be the physical one. The facts mentioned in the Qur'ān about the Universe and human body is in itself the falsification test of the Book. It portrays the Universe the way it is. It constitutes major part of concrete evidence to prove first part of its Thesis Statement.

When we apply this test upon the exegeses and translations of the past, none stands the test in relation to the background knowledge of the people of 21st century. Therefore, in the light of the above declarative statement in the Qur'ān; do we have any option but to treat all earlier exegeses and translations for reference only to their background knowledge and understanding?

There is yet another reason why every reader should attempt acquiring the skill for real-time translation of Qur'ān. It is the Semantic density of information in Grand Qur'ān embedded in just 6236 Ayahs. It is so voluminous that we will never be able to empty its words; therefore, no translation is exhaustive and final in timeline; and no discussion ever runs it dry. This is one of the features that render a book great in timeline. May be you retrieve such pearls of wisdom which did not come to notice of all the translators.

In view of the foregoing it is necessary for us to acquire the skill for real-time translation and interpretation of Grand Qur'ān by shedding preconceived notions and extreme regards for people who earlier translated it and wrote exegeses. It does not entail disrespect for those scholars who were sincere with Grand Qur'ān. We should remember the given information:

وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِى عِلْمٛ عَلِيـمٚ  ٧٦

-- Remain aware; He who is intensively and extensively knowledgeable is always present over every person who has knowledge-understanding --. [Refer 12:76]


We must believe in the emphatic proclamation and claim of Allah the Exalted that the Grand Qur'ān has been rendered facilitative for learning, comprehending and relating it to others.

فَإِنَّمَا يَسَّـرْنَٟهُ بِلِسَانِكَ لَعَلَّهُـمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ٥٨

Thereby, for reason of its universality and permanence, Our Majesty have certainly rendered it (Qur'ān) easy, open and facilitator for reading and comprehension by transcribing it in the mother tongue - dialect of you Muhammad [Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam] —The purpose of rendering it facilitator is that people might at their own sincerely comprehend, make their selves enlightened, recall and relate it. [44:58]

 

It is declared it will ensure and give us a truly living life in the Hereafter.

يَٟٓأَيُّـهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لِلَّهِ وَ لِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُـمْۖ

·    O those people who have proclaimed to have believed in the Messenger and Qur'ān, listen; You people sincerity and desirously respond for Allah the Exalted; and sincerely and affirmatively respond respond for the Messenger [Muhammad Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam] when he (the Messenger) has urged you people towards that (Grand Qur'ān) which will give you people life [eternally comfortable and enjoyable in the Hereafter]. [Refer 8:24]

It is ever living book, the Grand Qur'ān. The Ever Living, the Omnipresent Author has taken to Himself guarding His Intellectual Property. The first ever formal literary creation in Arabic language is admittedly Grand Qur'ān. The Arabic language and Non-Arab languages differ in genealogy and biology. Thereby, it was necessary for the first ever formal book of Arabic to hint the difference and methodology - theory for its transference to Non-Arab world languages. Interestingly, Grand Qur'ān has even given the keys for cross-check and evaluation of accuracy and equivalence of the target language text.

[Mazhar]

Why we must learn self understanding Qur'an? Because, it is our Covenant

The importance of studying Qur'ān is unquestionably realized and admitted by the believers the world over. The foremost reason for self acquiring the skill for real-time translation and comprehending is that living the life according to the contents - injunctions of Qur'ān is mandatory upon the believers. Our earliest forefathers who accepted and believed in the Divine Discourse had pronounced:

وَقَالُوا۟ سَـمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَاۖ

·    Further they (the Believers) said: "We have listened (the Word-Unitary Verbal Passages of Qur'ān recited by the Messenger) and have wholeheartedly accepted it.

Allah the Exalted has declared it as our Covenant and has bound us by it: Allah the Exalted made this ideological and intellectual approach and word/expression of the earliest submitters for behaviour and conduct as His Covenant with the believers of exalted universal Messenger Muhammad (Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam) tying and binding all their followers in time-space with this pledge:

وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَةَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُـمْ

And you recall and celebrate "the Grace-obliging beneficence of Allah the Exalted" upon you people. (read about grace 2:151;3:164;62:2)

وَمِيثَـٟـقَهُ ٱلَّذِى وَاثَقَكُـم بِهِۦٓ إِذْ قُلْتُـمْ سَـمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَاۖ

And remember His Pledge-Covenant — that by which He the Exalted has tied-bound you people when you said: "We have listened and we have consciously accepted it (Qur'ān)".

 وَ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيـمٌۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ٧

And sincerely endeavour to attain the protection from Allah the Exalted. It is a fact that Allah the Exalted is aware absolutely of that which the chests hold inside. [5:07]

Thereafter, whenever the true believers needed advice for any problem or disagreement between them they were called upon to refer to Allah the Exalted and His elevated Messenger so that he resolves it among them; they did it and said:

إِنَّمَا كَانَ قَوْلَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِيـنَ إِذَا دُعُوٓا۟ إِلَـى ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ لِيَحْكُـمَ بَيْنَـهُـمْ أَن يَقُولُوا۟

Indeed the statement of the true believers; when they are called towards Allah the Exalted and His Messenger, so that he may adjudge between them, is only this that they say —

سَـمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَاۚ

"We have attentively listened (Qur'ān) and we have affectionately and wholeheartedly accepted the Word."

وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُـمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ٥١

Know it, they are the people who are truly the endeavourers for perpetual success-fruitfulness.  [24:51]


The invitation and the Covenant are now ever-present and binding:

وَمَا لَـكُـمْ لَا تُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِۙ

And what is the consideration that is distracting for you people making you not to remain  believing in Allah the Exalted —
وَٱلرَّسُولُ يَدْعُوكُمْ لِتُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِرَبِّكُـمْ

While the Messenger [Muhammad Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam] is inviting you people desiring you to retain belief in your Sustainer Lord —
وَ قَدْ أَخَذَ مِيثَٟقَكُـمْ إِن كُنتُـم مُّؤْمِنِيـنَ٨

And while He the Exalted has taken a solemn pledge of you people —Remain loyal to the covenant if you are truly the believers. [57:08]

The verdict; that the Believer's society/state shall be governed by referring all matters to Allah the Exalted and His Messenger (إِلَـى ٱللَّهِ وَ رَسُولِهِۦ), makes the Grand Qur'ān as the primary Code and Constitution for them.
 

يَٟٓأَيُّـهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَ أُو۟لِـى ٱلْأَمْرِ مِنكُـمْۖ

O those people who have proclaimed to have believed in the Messenger and Qur'ān, listen; You people listen and wholeheartedly accept the Word of Allah the Exalted and listen and accept the Word of the Messenger [Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam] (relayed from Grand Qur'ān) — And accept the word-promulgations of the holders of authority administering the affairs who are chosen/elected from among you people/society.

فَإِن تَنَـٟزَعْتُـمْ فِـى شَـىْءٛ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَـى ٱللَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُـمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلۡءَاخِـرِۚ

Thereat, if you mutually wrangled with men of authority-rulers in some matter; thereby, you all are directed to resolve it by reverting to the word of Allah the Exalted and the Messenger (evaluate and decide according to dictate of Grand Qur'ān), do so if you people have truly been believing in Allah the Exalted and the Last Day.

ذَٟلِكَ خَيْـرٚ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلٙا٥٩

This is the best course; and in ultimate analysis-outcome it is most appropriate and balanced. [4:59]

It is made mandatory for the subjects of Islamic state who are claimants of having become believers to heartily accept the dictates of Allah the Exalted and His Messenger incorporated in the Divine Discourse which is simultaneously declared as the "Relay, Statement" of the exalted Messenger (69:40). The Word/Law/Dictate/Commands issued by the Managers, Rulers, Administrators, Government who hold authority for the administration of State is also binding upon believers. But such dictate can be challenged which must be resolved by reference exclusively to the Criterion (ٱلْفُرْقَانَ )-Grand Qur'ān by the Law Making Parliament and Supreme Judicial Body:

تَبَارَكَ ٱلَّذِى نَزَّلَ ٱلْفُرْقَانَ عَلَـىٰ عَبْدِهِۦ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَٟلَمِيـنَ نَذِيرًا١

The Omnipresent, the Perpetual, the Absolute is He the Exalted Who gradually communicated the Criterion to the Sincere Allegiant of Him the Exalted [Muhammad Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam] — The purpose of serial communication of the Criterion (Qur'ān) is that he may retain the status of a Revivalist - Warner - Awakener for peoples in time and space - the Worlds. [25:01]

Since Grand Qur'ān is the Pivot for socio-politico-economic life of Islamic State, it needs no emphasis that Non-Arab states must learn the skill for real-time translation and understanding of Arabic of Qur'ān in their state's language.

[Wakas]

The covenant is not often discussed but I agree in its importance.

https://mypercept.co.uk/articles/covenant-quran.html

Summary of 'the covenant'

It is clear that the covenant with regard to the people of the kitab/book/decree, children of israel and nazarenes is to do with being given revelation/guidance from God and fulfilling what this bond entails. This naturally suggests that those in receipt of and belief in The Quran are also bound by a similar relationship.

Upholding 'the covenant'
saying the truth about God while studying what is in the book/decree, to remember it, and make it clear to the people
to join what God has commanded to be joined
uphold the salat and bring forth betterment, believe in and support His messengers, and lend God a loan of righteousness
being patient in seeking God's consideration, spending in the way of God, countering sin with good
to not serve except God, do good to parents/relatives/orphans/needy, say kind things to the people
not spill the blood of each other, nor expel people from their homes

Breaking 'the covenant'
distorting the words from their places/context, forgetting what we have been reminded of
to sever what God has commanded to be joined, making corruption in the land

By reversing what constitutes breaking we can perhaps simplify what constitutes upholding:
to remember God's message, conveying it truthfully (salat?)
to join what God has commanded to be joined, making good in the land (zakat?)

[Mazhar]

The covenant is not often discussed but I agree in its importance.

https://mypercept.co.uk/articles/covenant-quran.html

I am pleased to see it. This concept which otherwise is the pivot of Divine Communication seldom caught the attention of scholars.

I have written a book on this topic.

Divine Communication (وَحْـىٚ) of guidance (هُدٙى):

The Covenant

to Grand Qur'ān

ٱلْـكَـوْثَرَ

 the ultimate profundity

http://haqeeqat.pk/Divine%20Communication.pdf

[Mazhar]

Its htm is here:
http://haqeeqat.pk/TranslationCommunicationHistory.htm

[Theo]

The title instantly gives him the glimpse of its uniqueness and greatness of the ambit of its discourse.

Quran = קרן = shine

And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
Exodus 34:29

https://biblehub.com/interlinear/exodus/34-29.htm