The Scientific Miracle - Translation of the Quran Part 2
Source: http://www.usislam.org/90scien.htm
Copyright © By Dr. Adel Elsaie, Book Title: "History of Truth, The Truth
about God and Religions"
Translating the whole Quran is a tremendous task. It requires scholars who
are fluent in the Arabic language and the language to which the Quran is being
translated. It also requires knowledge of the grammar of the two languages. If
the translation is intended for those who are blessed with faith or for those
who seek the basics of Islam, then the existing translations are a great dose
of faith and spiritual guidance. May Allah rewards the translators of the Quran
for their efforts in spreading the Words of God. If, on the other hand, the
translation is intended to address the scientific miracles, the knowledge and
mastering of the Arabic language is crucial as indicated in the case of the
French surgeon Maurice Bucaille. He studied the Quran with an open mind for ten
years. The purpose of his study was to form an opinion about contradictions in
the Quran. He studied the Arabic language. Then after ten years of research, he
declared in his books that he did not find one
single scientific contradiction in the Quran. Another approach for the
scientific translation of the Quran is to have an organization consisting of
specialists of all branches of science such as cosmology, medicine, geology,
anatomy, and engineering, as well as Islamic studies
Some non-Muslims scholars claim that the "translated" Quran contradicts
scientific known facts. There are many reasons for that. First, there may exist
a conflict of theological interest. Second, the lack of knowledge of the Arabic
language and its grammar can mislead the meaning of some verses. Also, the
translation of the Quran to other languages may be, in some verses, difficult,
thus not conveying the Arabic meaning of short sentences. Allah is the only
Author of the Quran, and there are no contradictions in the Quran. Translations
of the Quran are nevertheless the work of highly eminent Arabists. It is well
known fact, that a translator, however an expert, is liable to make human
mistakes in the translation of a highly specialized scientific Ayah, unless he
happens to be a specialist in the discipline in question.
An example of translating scientific verses in the Quran deals with the
definition of the building block of all matters. Atoms were assumed to be the
smallest unseen part of matter. Neither the atom nor its components can be
seen. However, each atom has a weight, and scientists discovered the
constituents of the atom. In one such Ayah, Allah addresses the unbelievers
with a challenge about the weight and components of atoms:
Surah 34, Ayah 3 "The unbelievers say "never for us will come the Hour
(Day of Judgment): say, Nay. But most surely, by my Lord, it will come upon you
by Him who knows the unseen. From Whom is not hidden the weight of an atom in
the heavens or on earth: nor is there anything less than that or greater, but
is in the Record Perspicuous."
The available translation refers to the above Arabic words "the weight of an
atom" as "the least little atom," and the word "weight" is taken out. This
demonstrates the difficulty in translating the Quran. Thank God, anyone can
refer to the original Arabic text and get better translation. From the above
Ayah, one can state the following:
· The atom is unseen.
· The atom is not the smallest thing in the universe.
· The atom has a weight.
Ancient commentators considered the weight of the atom to be equal to the
weight of an ant! They believed this because the ant is the smallest thing that
can be seen with the human eye. But this is not correct because the Ayah
clearly refers to the unseen not the seen ant. When the fourth Caliph, Ali, the
cousin of the Prophet, was asked about the meaning of the atom, he said:
"If we look inside the atom, any atom, we will see a sun in its core." This
statement, showing the spiritual vision of Ali, was never understood until the
twentieth century. But it clearly simulates the atomic structure with that of
the solar system.
In my attempt to address the subject of the scientific miracles of the Quran,
I tried to use the existing English translations. In many places, I found
difficulty in using these translations. The following are some examples:
Stars are translated as planets, and planets are translated as stars.
The basic rules of the conjunctions in the Arabic language are not
translated correctly. For example, existing translations do not address the
difference between Arabic conjunctions "fa" and "thumma". The first implies
immediate succession, while the second implies succession after a delay in
time, and this can make a big difference in some branches of science such as
cosmology and embryology.
Some translators do not reflect the actual Arabic meaning or are unable to
grasp the scientific meaning. For example, God states that He is expanding the
universe; this is translated as the universe is "so expanse, to make wider,
more spacious, to extend, to expand, we give generously."
Finally, there are rules for interpreting the Quran. The basic rule is that
the Quran interprets itself. This implies that the words are divinely inspired;
so any text can be interpreted in the light of other texts where the same word
exists. Moreover, the statements of Muhammad interpreted many verses of the
Quran. He was the living example of the teaching of the Quran.
Source: http://www.usislam.org/90scien.htm
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