We therefore do not always know who the Qur'an is addressing at various junctures or who is speaking to whom in its internal dialogues. Khalidi is not interested in providing the context of the verses of the Qur'an. But it also has a rather special character. So this translation is a quantum leap ahead of the old Penguin version. Khalidi translates the same verse as: "Behold the revelations of the Wise Book." For example, in 31:1, Dawood has God swearing "by those who cast out demons".
ABDEL HALEEM QURAN READ FULL
The old Penguin translation uses rather obscurantist images throughout to give the impression that the Qur'an is full of demons and witches. Khalidi renders it correctly: "In these gardens they have immaculate spouses." This is because we find "men" in Dawood's translation in the garden of paradise who are "wedded to chaste virgins". In Dawood we read: "Men, serve your Lord." In Khalidi, it becomes: "O People! Worship your Lord." Dawood's translation of the famous verse 2:25, frequently quoted, is largely responsible for the current misconception that Muslim paradise is full of "virgins" - despite the fact that the Qur'an explicitly denies any carnal pleasures in paradise. While Dawood's translation presents the Qur'an as a patriarchal, sexist text, Khalidi brings out the gender-neutral language of the original. Dawood translates Az-Zumar (chapter 39) as "The Hordes", suggesting bands of barbarian mobs Khalidi renders it as "The Groups". In Khalidi, and indeed universally among other translations, it is "The Opening". The opening chapter of the Qur'an in Dawood is "The Exordium". Subtle differences in chapter headings signal significant change. This is not just a trivial matter of linguistics it signals a shift from the old Orientalist way of presenting the Qur'an in English to a new inclusive way that takes Muslims' appreciation of their sacred text into account. The change can be detected with the name of the sacred text itself: we move from "Koran", the older anglicised form, to the new "Qur'an", which is now accepted as the correct Arabic transliteration and pronunciation of the word. It is the one most non-Muslims cite when they tell me with great conviction what the Qur'an says. It has been a great source of discomfort for Muslims, who see in it deliberate distortions that give the Qur'an violent and sexist overtones. First published in 1956, Dawood's translation has been republished in numerous editions. The translation I have in mind is Khalidi's predecessor in the Penguin Classics: The Koran, translated with notes by NJ Dawood. The best way to demonstrate its newness, and how close it is to the original text, is to compare it with an old translation. And there is an innovative component: it is the first translation that tries to capture both the rhythms and the structure of the Qur'an. While being faithful to the original, he succeeds in conveying linguistic shifts, from narrative to mnemonic, sermons to parables. He manages to capture the allusiveness of the text, as well as something of its tone and texture. Tarif Khalidi, a professor of Islamic studies at the American University of Beirut, scores high on both these criteria. How close does it get to communicating the meaning of the original, that inimitable oral text, the very sounds of which move men and women to tears and ecstasy? And does it offer something more: a new perspective, perhaps or an innovative rendering? He has also published several other works in this field.We look for two things in any new translation of the Qur'an. In 2004, Oxford University Press published his translation of the Qur'an into English. He is now Professor of Islamic Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Educated at al-Azhar, Cairo, and Cambridge Universities, he has taught Arabic and Islamic Studies at Cambridge and London Universities since 1966, including courses in advanced translation and the Qur'an. Abdel Haleem was born in Egypt, and learned the Qur'an by heart from childhood.
Abdel Haleem, OBE, is Professor of Islamic Studies at SOAS, University of London in London, England, and editor of the Journal of Qur'anic Studies. He has also published several other works in this field.