Qur'an Translation and Commentary: An Uncharted Relationship?​

Qur'an translation, as of any text, necessarily involves exegetical interventions. Yet there remains a critical distinction between these two modes of textual engagement. This paper explores the relationship between the imitative act of translation and the explicatory act of exegesis. It investigates the extent to which translators graft their exegetical projects onto their translation attempts. The paper first addresses the issue of Qur'an translatability, recognizes the often uncertain boundaries between translation and exegesis, and then provides an historical overview of Qur'an translation-cum-exegesis.

Keywords: Qur'an exegesis; Qur'an translation; exegesis-translation conflation; Qur'an translatability/untranslatability; polemic; history of Qur'an translations; inimitability (i'jaz) of the Qur'an.

Journal of Islam & Science, Vol. 8 (Winter 2010) No. 2

Waleed Bleyhesh al-Amri 
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Waleed Bleyhesh al-Amri is  Associate Professor of Translation Studies, Department of Languages and Translation, College of Arts and Humanities, Taibah University.