Translation ‘Necessary but Not Enough’ for Understanding Quran: Professor
“It seems that translation alone is not sufficient to understand the Quran. Translation is necessary but not enough,” Professor Mohammad Ali Azarshab, a professor of Arabic Language and Literature at the University of Tehran, told IQNA.
“One must fully understand the Arabic language” to grasp the meaning of Quranic verses, he stressed.
“Translation is good; a person can use it to better understand the Quran, but without understanding Arabic, two problems arise,” he said, adding, “First, they cannot fully grasp the language of the Quran and second, they do not connect with the Islamic world.”
He then pointed to the long-standing relation between Persian and Arabic languages since Iranians’ embracing of Islam.
Citing an example, he referred to the Buyid dynasty (934–1062 CE) in Iran which was an independent state from the Abbasid Caliphate.
“However, they did not want to separate themselves from the cultural sphere of the Islamic world and moved towards the Arabic language,” said the professor, adding, “They promoted Arabic to such an extent that their ministers were prominent figures in Arabic literature, such as Ibn al-Amin and Sahib ibn Abbad.”
Read More:
At the same time, the Persian language also reached its peak during this period, and top Persian scholars were present during the Buyid era, he noted.
4254349
Translation by Mohammad Ali Haqshenas
