Answer
Salam Dear Brother,
Thank you for your question and for contacting Ask About Islam.
The Arabic language is literally an ocean.
Its vocabulary is very broad and very deep.
Other languages cannot really capture the subtleties and numerous shades of meaning that each word or sentence in Arabic can express.
This is why a true translation of the Quran is not possible.
There is no other language that can match Arabic word for word, so most scholars such as Abdullah Yusuf Ali, may God have Mercy upon him, prefer to call their works “interpretations”.
To truly grasp the deepest meanings of the Quran, a thorough understanding of Arabic is required.
God mentions in Sura Maryam 19:97:
{So We have made this (Quran) easy in your own tongue, only that you may give glad tidings to those who are God-conscious and warn with it the most quarrelsome people.} (19:97)
Translation Challenges
For those of us who are not experts in the Arabic language, and even for those who are, a commentary is offered to clarify parts that may be misunderstood and to give opportunities to reflect on some of the meanings.
Knowing the time and place, or context, for example, that each verse or chapter that was revealed, is very important in understanding its meaning and its application in today’s world.
In an attempt to do the Word of God justice, many scholars have chosen very sophisticated English vocabulary to offer the best interpretation possible.
This also requires, however, some effort on the part of the reader to rise to the challenge of understanding the Quran as deeply as possible. God states in Sura Muhammad 47:24
{Do they not then earnestly seek to understand the Quran, or are their hearts locked up?} (47:24)
If the Word of God was stated only in very simple language, its application in a wide variety of cultures, eras, and fields of study would be extremely limited; so again, God balanced His Book between simplicity and complexity to serve the needs of all humanity at the same time.
Deep and Simple
But there is hope!
The message of the Quran, although very deep, is at the same time very simple; God is One, worship Him alone.
It was narrated by Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri
“A man heard another man reciting: ‘Say: He is God, the One” (Sura 112 Ikhlas) and he was repeating it. The next morning he came to God’s Apostle and mentioned the whole story to him as if he regarded the recitation of that Sura as insufficient. On that, God’s Apostle said, “By Him in Whose Hand my soul is! That (Sura) equals one-third of the Quran.”
Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 78, Number 638
Had God willed, He could have revealed the Quran in the most sophisticated vocabulary that the Arabic language can offer, but then His Word would only be accessible by the most knowledgeable scholars of the language.
Out of His Mercy, the level of Arabic used is accessible by almost everyone with a solid understanding of the language.
The structure of the Arabic Quran lends itself to memorization unlike any other book. Sura Saad 38:29 states:
{A Book which We have sent down to you, full of blessings, that they may ponder over its signs (verses), and that men of understanding may remember} (38:29)
There are literally millions of people, male and female, young and old, scholar and layperson, Arab and non-Arab who have committed the entire book to memory.
There is no other book in history that can match it.
God forbid, if every single copy of His book was erased from the surface of the earth, hard copy or electronic version, it could quickly be reconstructed and reassembled to its original form.
Like anything valuable in this life, understanding the Word of God deserves a reasonable amount of effort through study and reflection in order for us to maximize our benefit from it.
If we really value the knowledge and wisdom that the Quran can offer, and the close relationship with God that comes with it, we must do our best to prepare ourselves for it.
I hope this helps answer your question.
Salam and please keep in touch.
(From Ask About Islam archive)
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