Sacred Texts Research in Process




Research in Process




The Qur’an has been translated in multiple languages across the globe. There has been a large extent of text related academic and beyond publications since the early twentieth century. The fact mentioned may reflect the text significance and impact on large-scale audience. Some text discourse intends to communicate a message of peace; other texts may intend otherwise whether explicit or implicit. Translation - whether across languages or within the same language - may have facilitated implicit discourse in target texts. Some of them may have been overlooked or unobserved. The repercussion may include discourse or beyond deviation from the source author message. The implication urges extensive continuous research analysis of current translated literature in hand for the purpose of improvement.  Hence, the present research contribution may highlight subtle discourse and a critical assumption within a specific impactful text on many nations. Beyond the scope of the research include text discourse improvement specifically within the text area of human psychology, astronomy and argument.

Topics of similarity between the Holy Bible and the Holy Qur'an include 


The creation of the Heavens and the Earth


The creation of Eve and Adam


Cain and Abel


Prophet Noah, the ark, the flood and the aftermath


Split of languages and people


Prophet Abraham, Sara, Hagar, Ismael and Ishaq


Prophet Lot [PBUH]


Abraham and his son Offering


Prophet Moses [PBUH]


King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba


Jesus [PBUH]

 

The Quran adopts the same narratives but  details and sequence have been obscured. Whether the source language is Hebrew or Arabic is open to question. What the conflict is all about is another question.

Various Perspectives

The book should be rewritten in a chronological order of chapters, narratives and events. Any book should have a beginning, middle and an end in sequence. Each chapter includes a representation of a topic. It has been observed that some chapters include multiple irrelevant threads that should be arranged and examined whether they belong to the chapter. If there is digression, we question whether it is a narration technique or a deviation that should be considered for improvement. A verse that is followed by an irrelevant subject for a while but may or may not return to the main idea should be reviewed. Ambiguous and open to interpretations verses might be viewed as to whether some of their components belong to other verses, mistakenly added or missed. Some poetic endings should be verified as to whether they contribute to the overall meaning.


‘A study point of crucial importance is to arrange the verses of the Scripture by order of subject to seek the meaning. For example, the topic of ‘divorce’ is scattered in a few different chapters (two, thirty-three and sixty-five). If they are placed together, a more extensive picture of the proceedings and laws regarding the topic will be provided’ (2015: xi) [1].

However, ‘it is impossible to imagine that, if there were any alterations to the texts [of scientific truth], these obscure passages scattered throughout the text of the Qur’an, were all able to escape human manipulation. The presence of these statements spread throughout the Qur’an looks (to the impartial observer) like an obvious hallmark of its authenticity’ (Bucaille, 1995).

Man-made syntactic obscurity and discourse interruption examples analysis give equal significant implications. The result may help getting closer to a coherently better structured assumed entire source text.
 
 


[1] The Qur’an A Monotheist Translation
 

‘Abu’l Aswad al-Du’ali (d.688) was the founder of Arabic grammar and is credited with the system of placing large coloured dots to indicate the tashkil. Abu’l Aswad students distinguished letters by using dots. Al Khalil AL-Farahidi (786) devised a tashkil system to replace that of Abu'l Aswad.  The system has been used until the present day. The question is if the second system is credible and if it has changed the meaning of certain terms.’
 

Some lexicons which have the same root are used in completely different contexts to denote different meanings are questionable. Expressions which have different interpretations should be clarified based on logic and benefit of humankind.

Mesopotamia

 
 

  


The Source of Information

Upon reading parts of La Bible, le Coran et la Science : Les Écritures Saintes examinées à la lumière des connaissances modernes, it has been observed that the electronic translated editions mistranslate both the title and the content. From French into Arabic translation, the second part of the title was omitted and the first two terms were in different order. The forward has been mistranslated in English and omitted in Arabic.

The Title

French Source Text

La Bible, le Coran et la Science : Les Écritures Saintes examinées à la lumière des connaissances modernes

English Translation

The Bible, the Quran and Science: The Holy Scriptures Examined in the Light of Modern Knowledge

Arabic Translation

The Quran, Torah, Enjeel and Science
 
 

 
 
The Forward

French Source Text

‘Avant-Propos

Le dialogue islamo-chretien au cours du dernier tiers du xx siecle represente un fait marquant dans les rapports des religions monotheists. Il s’est traduit par des rencontres dont on a beaucoup parle comme celles de Tripoli, de Cordoue et d’ailleurs, sans oublier la reception par le pape Paul VI au Vatican des Grands Ulemas d’Arabie en1974…’ [The Islamic-Christian dialogue during the last third of the twentieth century is an important fact in the relations of monotheistic religions. It has resulted in meetings which have been much talked about like those of Tripoli, Cordova and elsewhere, not to mention the reception by Pope Paul VI at the Vatican of the Ulemas of Arabia in 1974...]

English Translation

‘In his objective study of the texts, Maurice Bucaille clears away many preconceived ideas about the Old Testament, the Gospels and the Qur’an…’

Arabic Translation

Omitted altogether




Translated Texts Analysis


It has been noticed that the English translation is in fact a translation from the Arabic translation of the source text. The difference is only in the inclusion of half a page Foreword.  Both Arabic and English texts obscured the source. The reason is open to question. More in depth source reading and translations analysis should help.


The book was supposed to be translated by Alastair D. Pannell and the Author from French into English, the structure and terms used in the translation are, however, modeled on ideologically-motivated Arabic syntax and lexicon.  Examples include


In his objective study of the texts, Maurice Bucaille clears away many ….’


‘…a divine Revelation; directly, as in the case of Abraham and Moses, who received the commandments from God Himself, or indirectly, as in the case of Jesus and Muhammad, the first of whom stated that he was speaking in the name of the father…’


‘Judaism has its holy book the Hebraic Bible…’


 

 

 

 

 

 



 


 


 

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