M. A. Abdel Haleem’s Approach in Translating Qur’anic Verses of War: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

Various translations of the Qur’an have been produced by Muslims and non-Muslims. These translators have applied different strategies to produce informative and faithfully translated versions of the Qur’an, understood by people from different social and educational backgrounds. The significance of maintaining the religious aspects of the Qur’an is reflected in the misconceptions of many verses in the Qur’an to date. To this end, the main argument that generates the research questions of this study is whether the contextual meaning of the twenty verses concerning war are clearly explained in Qur’an translations, and to what extent the translator is responsible for any misconceptions. Having investigated several Qur’an translations and identified different strategies adopted by translators, the present study critically analyses one of the most influential and contemporary translations: M. A. S. Abdel Haleem’s translation (2010). This study analyses the English equivalents given by Abdel Haleem to the twenty verses concerning war from a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) perspective. This analysis is conducted at micro and macro levels. At the micro level, textual analysis is undertaken to pinpoint the lexical choices and translation strategies adopted by Abdel Haleem by drawing on Vinay and Darbelnet’s (1995) method of textual analysis in translation, and Nida’s (1964) translation theory. At the macro-level, the three-dimensional framework of Fairclough (text, discourse and context) has been used to answer the research questions from a CDA perspective. The textual analysis found Abdel Haleem’s application of grammatical–syntactical structures most conventional to the function of the target text, simple language, explanatory footnotes and informative language, reveal his intention to eliminate misconceptions and educate Western readers. However, the contextual analysis clarified Abdel Haleem’s motivations to produce this translation were based on his view that an Arab Muslims is more capable and responsible of spreading the teachings of Islam, because of his socio-cultural background. The analysis also showed socio-cultural and political ideology played a significant role in the way he translated the verses concerning war. For instance, Abdel Haleem employed the free translation strategies of modulation, adaptation and transposition in the translation of these verses because of his vast understanding of the Qur’anic language as an Arab who gained his higher degrees in Egypt. Then, by living in the West with great interaction with mainstream society, he was able to draw an intersection between the traditional and modern interpretations of the message of the Qur’an, in a manner that suited the needs of Muslims in a contemporary world. Being an academic and scholar in his field, he was aware of the significance of having a translation of the Qur’an that is easily understood by the majority in the Western society to serve as an effective tool to enhance interfaith understanding.