How is the Qur'an interpreted in languages other than Arabic?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you, regarding a person who interprets the Noble Qur'an in the Turkish language but is not proficient in grammar, is that permissible for him?
The Shaykh : Not proficient in what?
The questioner : Not proficient in the Arabic language, in grammar. Is that permissible for him?
The Shaykh : Interpreting the Qur'an—may Allah reward you—in a language other than Arabic is not only permissible, but it is necessary, because a non-Arab does not understand the meaning of the speech. And Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:[Ibrahim 14:4] If a non-Arab spoke to me, I would not know what he is saying. Likewise, if we gave the Qur'an to a non-Arab, he would not know the meaning. Correct? He reads it in Arabic and worships Allah with it, and he is rewarded and recompensed for it, just as the Arab is recompensed. But he cannot act upon it unless he knows the meaning. So interpreting it in a language other than Arabic is permissible.
However, the interpreter in a language other than Arabic must possess three things: he must be knowledgeable of the Arabic language, he must be knowledgeable of the equivalents in the other language, and he must be knowledgeable of the subject of the translation. The subject of the translation, for example, if he wants to translate verses on tawhid (the oneness of Allah), he must know what the meaning of tawhid is? And what does this verse indicate, so that he does not make a mistake. So it is necessary to have three things. Say it, O...
The questioner : The Arabic language.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : That he interprets it in the Arabic language.
The Shaykh : That he is what?
The questioner : That he interprets it, for example, from the language...
The Shaykh : No.
The questioner : Knowledgeable of the Arabic language.
The Shaykh : That he is knowledgeable of the Arabic language.
The questioner : And knowledgeable of the equivalent.
The Shaykh : The equivalent from the Arabic language.
The questioner : And knowledgeable of the translation.
The Shaykh : Well done. Regarding the subject, the subject of the hadith he wants to translate. Good.
The Shaykh : Not proficient in what?
The questioner : Not proficient in the Arabic language, in grammar. Is that permissible for him?
The Shaykh : Interpreting the Qur'an—may Allah reward you—in a language other than Arabic is not only permissible, but it is necessary, because a non-Arab does not understand the meaning of the speech. And Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:
And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people to state clearly for them
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا بِلِسَانِ قَوْمِهِ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْHowever, the interpreter in a language other than Arabic must possess three things: he must be knowledgeable of the Arabic language, he must be knowledgeable of the equivalents in the other language, and he must be knowledgeable of the subject of the translation. The subject of the translation, for example, if he wants to translate verses on tawhid (the oneness of Allah), he must know what the meaning of tawhid is? And what does this verse indicate, so that he does not make a mistake. So it is necessary to have three things. Say it, O...
The questioner : The Arabic language.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : That he interprets it in the Arabic language.
The Shaykh : That he is what?
The questioner : That he interprets it, for example, from the language...
The Shaykh : No.
The questioner : Knowledgeable of the Arabic language.
The Shaykh : That he is knowledgeable of the Arabic language.
The questioner : And knowledgeable of the equivalent.
The Shaykh : The equivalent from the Arabic language.
The questioner : And knowledgeable of the translation.
The Shaykh : Well done. Regarding the subject, the subject of the hadith he wants to translate. Good.