shari@wpi.wpi.edu (Shari Deiana VanderSpek) (02/13/90)
Since I have heard many mentions of Yusuf Ali's translation, I wanted to
include some comments about that translation from a book called
A Discussion of the Errors of Yusuf Ali
by: Majlisul-Ulama of South Africa (Port Elizabeth)
Publ: Young Men's Muslim Association, POBox 5036, Benoni South, 1502
Transvaal, Republic of South Africa.
In brief:
Despite the fact that Yusuf Ali may have an eloquent style, and a good
command of the English language, and even Arabic, he has projected his
own views into the translation, often twisting the meaning, or choosing
a new meaning to verses which have had clear meanings explained for them
by the Prophet (saw) himself.
"Some of his errors are of exceptional gravity, being clear teachings of
Kufr"
In my own reading I find him to be very rationalistic, taking methphorically
anything which does not fit his rational universe. This entirely defeats the
message of Islam, which is trying to say that things are not as they appear.
His grosser departures often occur in the footnotes, so one might argue that
the textual translation may be acceptable. On the other hand, if he reveals
his lack of belief in the footnotes, it is with this lack of belief that the
rest of the translation suffers as well. I often find people too quick to
assign all that is not pleasant, modern, comforatable and fashionably
scientific to the realm of metaphor. I am not saying that the Qur'an does not
use methapors (it explicitly says it does), but many things were taken
literally by the Prophet, and to call them metaphor would be inventing a
new religion.
======
In more detail, the book selects some 15 examples of Yusuf Ali's
interpretations, and compares them with the accepted Islamic interpretations,
and quotes from the statements of the Prophet (saw), and his companions and
other great scholars of Islam. I recount a few to illustrate:
1. Surah Baqarah II:275
"Those who devour riba do not stand except like one who ahs been driven to
madness by the (evil) touch of shaitan. That is because they say:
`Surely trade is like riba'. But Allah has made lawful trade and forbidden
riba."
Commenting on this aayat, Yusuf Ali says:
"When we come to the definition of usury there is room for difference of
opinion. Hadhrat Umar, according to Ibn Kathir, felt some difficulty in
the matter as the Apostle left this world before the details of the
question were settled...Our Ulama, ancient and modern, have worked out
a great body of literature on Usury, based mainly on economic conditions
as they existed at the rise of Islam. I agree with them on the main
principles, but respectfully differ with them on the definition of
Usury...My definition would include profiteering of all kinds, but
would exclude economic credit, the creature of modern banking and
finance."
Errors:
o It is most significant that the Qur'an also says: "Thus, if you do not
(refrain from riba) then take notice of war from Allah and his Rasool."
For no sin other than riba has Allah Ta`ala sounded the ultimatum of
war in the Qur'an. The Prophet (saw) described it as an evil worse than
a conglomeration of seventy major sins, the least of them being worse
than fornication with one's own mother. To deal with such a serious
issue so flippantly as to so "...the definition I would accept..",
is extremely irreverent to the Qur'an. By all this discussion, he
manages to convey an impression that there is a major difference of
opinion among the scholars. There is a unanimity in the Islamic
definition of riba, broken only by modern non-scholars like Yusuf Ali.
o The incomplete reference to Ibn Kathir, is a deceptive quotation,
showing the intentional deceit being practised by Yusuf Ali. The full
difficulty that was felt by Umar (Radiallaho Anho) is expressed in his
statements to the effect that:
"We (the companions) refrained from nine tenths of lawful transaction
in fear of riba", or "Shun riba and whatever resembles riba".
Thus the ambiguity which Umar (ra) desired clarification for was about
dealings which resemble riba, and not at all on what is clearly riba
as described explicitly by many ahadeeth on the subject.
o It is inconceivable that the Qur'an declares war on the perpetrators
of an act, but leaves the act ambiguous and unexplained.
--- my comment ---------------------------------------------------------
| I would not feel the need to add more, but the US is used to people |
| expecting the right to have one's own opinion, and respecting the |
| personal viewpoint. It is only that it is hard to trust a person who |
| does not let the fear of Allah's war stop him from stating his |
| baseless opinion. If he is distorting what is well know to justify |
| his opinions, the entire translation is flawed, and to try and sift |
| the good from the bad is a near impossible task. |
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Surah Baqarah II:25
"And for them therein (in Jannat) are wives who are pure"
Commenting on the word "pure" in to above ayat, Yusuf Ali writes:
"Then there is companionship. Is sex is suggested, its physical
associations are immediately negatived by the addition of the word
`pure and holy'. The Arabic is in the intesive form, and must be
translated by two adjectives denoting purity in the highest degree.
the companionship is that of sould and applies to both sexes in the
physical world of men and women."
Errors:
o Yusuf Ali seem to find physical sex as `impure' or `unholy', a concept
common to the Christian and Western tradition, but not shared by Islam.
Lawful sex in fact is necessary for purity as referred to in the hadith:
"He who intends to meet Allah `pure and purified' should marry"
The Arabic word used for `pure' is the identical in this hadith as the
word in the Qur'anic passage above.
o The same word `pure' in the same intensive form is used in another
place in the Qur'an referring to the noble wives of the Prophet (saw).
That they has physical sex with the Prophet is not in any doubt.
-- my comment -----------------------------------------------------------
| This is one example where Yusuf Ali, in trying to pander to a Western |
| audience (who have made fun of such a pleasurable heaven), alters the |
| interpretation of the Qur'an. We see this same thread reflected in |
| many other parts of his translation. |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Yusuf Ali writes:
"The word Hur, in such passages as XIIV:54 and III:20 has been
misunderstood and misrepresented. Grammatically it is not feminine
in form, and the companionship of Hurs will be for all in Heaven -
men and women (as they were in this life)."
Errors:
o This is playing a game with the Arabic language. The grammatical gender
of the word `haa-idh' is male, even though it refers to a woman in her
monthly periods. He is twisting grammar to support an entirely new
concept in Islam, that of male Hurs, only to please the "equality of
sexes" concept of the West. Please do not misunderstand this to mean
that women are dealt with unfairly. Just that men and women are different
with different obligations, different rights and different rewards, but
both will be judged and rewarded justly based on their belief and deeds.
o Continuing with grammar, without exception, the female preposition (she)
is used when refering to Hurs.
o In trying to manipulate the meanings of the Qur'an to remain consistent
with this new definition of Hur, he has to commit further mistranslations.
in LVI:?? he translates the word "kawaa-ibaa" as "companions". The word
really is the plural of "kaaib" which means "A female with prominent
breasts" as can be verified by any Arabic dictionary.
o Numerous hadith quote Rasullullah (saw) about Hurs. For example: " Verily,
Allah Ta'ala did not creade the Hur with lustrous eyes from dust. Verily,
Allah created THEM out of musk, kaafur, and saffron." The word THEM, is
the female plural pronoun.
o It is audacious to claim that the prophet (saw) misunderstood or
misrepresented the Qur'an.
-- my comment -----------------------------------------------------------
| Here is one clear place where you can see that Yusuf Ali has gotten |
| trapped into distorting the meaning of the Qur'an to be consistent |
| with his own new theories about the meanings of the Qur'an. |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
===========================================================================
To sum up,
I can not decipher the intent of Yusuf Ali, but it appears that in order
to appease the Western audience, he has substantially reinterpreted parts
of the Qur'an, and taken new meanings for things which have a clear meaning
well understood by Muslims throughout the ages, and explained clearly by the
Prophet (saw). The Qur'an states in its first few verses: "it contains
guidance for men of taqwa". The word taqwa has been translated variously
as `god-fearing', or `god-concious', (and in one translations as `those
who ward off evil' which I think misses the point). If one does not have
this fear, as is demonstrated by the first passage quoted above, then the
same book becomes a source of misguidance.
The Qur'an has been translated into many languages by Muslim scholars. They
have set some pre-requisites for a translator, which include mastery of
Arabic language, grammar, etc, as well as fear of Allah, piety. They include
having no desire to translate in order to prove or support a particular
point of view, but instead to let the Qur'an speak and reveal its own
purpose. These kinds of qualifications may seem stange to Western ears which
have learnt to respect intelligence alone, but it is this which has kept the
impeccable standards for honesty, and accuracy in the transmission and
translations of the Quran and Hadeeth.
Unfortunately these days the job of translation and interpretation of the
Qur'an is being eagerly done by people who have the least fear of Allah.
I quote one other hadith to close:
"He who speaks about the Qur'an from his opinion, let him prepare his
abode in the Fire."
I could write more, and will if anyone is interested.