Page 7 - Pakistan Link - November 19, 2021

OPINION NOVEMBER 19, 2021 – PAKISTAN LINK – P7

n By Dr Akbar Ahmed The Majestic Qur’an has gathered a variety of glowing
American University commendations of his effort. There
Washington, DC is even a letter from the Senior Ad-
was a re-translation of this transla- visor to the Grand Mufti of Egypt,
s a schoolboy in the hills tion by Christian cleric Alexander testifying to the authenticity of the
of Abbottabad, I read Mar- Ross in 1649 that perpetuated the translation.
Amaduke Pickthall’s transla- sentiments conveyed in Du Ryer’s I met Dr Hussain when I was
tion of the holy Qur’an, and its stir- translation. visiting the University of Notting-
ring introduction The most influential English ham as part of a lecture and film
has stayed with version of the Qur’an was translated screening tour in 2016. He and a
me to this day. by George Sale in 1734 relying on delegation of the Muslim commu-
Pickthall wrote: an earlier Latin translation. In his nity warmly welcomed me and my
“The Qur’an can- introduction, Sale was openly criti- team at the train station. The day
not be translated... cal of Islam and accused the holy following my lecture at the Uni-
The book is here Prophet (pbuh) of feigning divine versity of Nottingham, he invited
rendered almost revelation for political gain. Sale’s me to speak at a press conference
literally and every effort has been version earned high praise from at the Karimia Institute, which Dr
made to choose befitting language. Voltaire who was perhaps influ- Hussain heads, for the launch of
But the result is not the Glorious enced in his negative views of the his new Trust Building Project. The
Qur’an, that inimitable symphony, religion. Sale’s translation was the Trust trains representatives from
the very sounds of which move standard for more than 200 years the Muslim community to build re-
men to tears and ecstasy. It is only and was the translation owned by lationships with non-Muslims and
an attempt to present the meaning Thomas Jefferson. Congressman dispel myths about Islam. He leads
of the Qur’an—and peradventure Keith Ellison, the first Muslim con- his initiatives, such as this one, by
something of the charm in Eng- gressman in US history, was sworn example.
lish. It can never take the place in on Jefferson’s copy of Sale’s trans- When I asked him how he
of the Qur’an in Arabic, nor is it lation in 2007. felt when he finally had a copy of
meant to do so.” Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s 1934 the translation in his hands, he
The Meaning of the Glorious translation, The Holy Qur’an: Text, expressed his sense of being over-
Koran was published in1930 after Translation, and Commentary, whelmed with eschatological emo-
authorization from Al-Azhar Uni- marked a new era of Qur’an transla- tions: “When I held the beautiful
versity and Pickthall, a convert to tions that focused on the linguistics copy of Majestic Qur’an for the
Islam, had become the first Muslim of the Qur’an itself rather than the first time, I was hugely pleased.
Englishman to translate the Qur’an. politics of the translator. An Indian This was my dream come true. I
It remains popular among Muslims Muslim who was a student of the was humbled and went straight to
and non-Muslims. English classics and former mem- the mosque and sat in the mehrab,
The translation of the Qur’an is ber of the elite Indian Civil Service, prayer niche, and opened it ran-
a complex and difficult exercise in Yusuf Ali made an effort to simul- domly. It opened to a verse which
itself. For Muslims it is the direct taneously preserve the accuracy states: ‘Those who believed and
word of God, meaning that in any of the Arabic while conveying the did righteous deeds will enter the
translation there is the risk of the lyrical nature of the text in Eng- gardens beneath which rivers flow
nuances, or the lyrical nature of the lish. Ali’s translation of the Qur’an American life. lations in Islamic schools for over living here forever by their Lord’s
text being distorted. Consequently, remains one of the most popular Last year saw the publica- fifty years. In the last few decades permission and their greetings will
translations of the Qur’an have been in the Western world today and is tion of the The Majestic Qur’an, Dr he has concentrated on teaching be “Peace”’ (Surah Ibrahim: 23). I
dogged by questions of accuracy a favorite among English-speaking Musharraf Hussain’s translation. A the Qur’an. He attributes his un- regard that as a good omen.’”
made worse by many translators Muslims. prominent British Pakistani Mus- derstanding of the Qur’an to an When I asked him what he
with political agendas against Islam. In the past decades, there have lim, Dr Hussain studied Islam in accumulation of knowledge from hoped the translation of the Qur’an
Early interpretations of the been other attempts. Muhammad a traditional seminary in Pakistan honorable sages and a treasury of will accomplish, he replied, “I wish
Qur’an in the West were produced Asad, an Austrian Jewish convert and graduated from Al-Azhar Uni- classical Islamic wisdom. He is the Muslims become serious readers of
in the context of the Crusades to Islam, offered The Message of versity in Cairo. Dr Hussain was author of several books and a leader the Qur’an and go beyond just par-
against Muslims. It was not until the Qur’an in 1980 and Muham- inspired to translate the Qur’an to in interfaith dialogue in the UK. In rot-fashioned reading. Our age is
eleven hundred years after revela- mad Abdel-Haleem, a professor at share his love of its “breath-taking 2009 he was awarded the OBE for the age of materialism and consum-
tion that there would be a more di- London University and editor of beauty.” In attempting to avoid community relations. erism… the Qur’an constantly chal-
rect translation of the Qur’an into a the Journal of Qur’anic Studies, pro- the “‘old-fashioned’ English” of Dr Hussain explained in his lenges, rejects and argues against
Western language—André Du Ry- duced The Qur’an in 2004. Sandow Pickthall and Yusuf Ali he has “at- introduction that his translation is that worldview… our society is
er’s L’Alcoran de Mahomet (1647) in Birk in 2015 attempted to portray tempted to avoid such ‘old’ termi- “a labor of love.” “I have undertaken in dire need of an antidote. I want
French. Though it contained many the universality of Islam with his nology as much as possible, while this translation,” he wrote, “because everyone in the world to hear and
mistakes and expressed dismissive American Qur’an which uses a com- still retaining the original meaning I owe so much to the Qur’an; it has read the life-giving and life-chang-
sentiments about Muslims, it was bination of copyright-free English of the Majestic Qur’an.” As if to un- given me meaning and purpose in ing message of the Majestic Qur’an.”
the first attempt to genuinely trans- translations with the traditional derscore the point, his sub-title is A life.” (The writer is the Ibn Khaldun
late the Qur’an and not merely com- structure of the Qur’an. Birk spent Plain English Translation. To guard his flanks from the Chair of Islamic Studies at Ameri-
bine paraphrased passages and ex- almost ten years on the project Dr Hussain memorized the criticism that Muslims are wont can University, Washington, DC,
egesis with explicit political intent. which is illuminated with striking Qur’an as a teenager and has been to make when other Muslims con- and author of Journey into Europe:
The first Qur’an available in English pictures of contemporary everyday teaching Islamic studies and trans- duct such exercises, Dr Hussain Islam, Immigration, and Identity)
Get Sanjrani
n By Fahd Husain There’s even some discussion on pos-
Islamabad, Pakistan
O nce bitten, twice shy. And chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari sible replacements for Sanjrani as the
Friday provided a hint. PPP
chairman if the operation succeeds.
twice bitten?
visited the home of JUI-F chief Mau-
The decision — or indecision as it
There is one man, other
of failing yet another time. Such a
than Prime Minister Imran Khan, lana Fazlur Rehman in what is seen stands now — is based on the fear
as a thawing of frosty relations be-
who has really gotten tween the two ever since PPP had failure would have consequences far
under the opposition’s walked out of the PDM alliance. bigger than just dragging Sanjrani
skin. Meet Sanjrani. Since then the combined opposition from the chairman’s elevated chair. It
Sadiq Sanjrani. In his had become a bit less combined even would, in fact, break the opposition’s
second term as chair- though informal coordination con- momentum against what is being
man of the Senate, he tinues to take place inside the parlia- seen as a weakened government, and
lords over the Upper ment. But the fresh air in Islamabad strengthen the perception that while
House with a relish not seen in re- — the one that blew in last month in the PM may be lonely, he may not be
cent years. He smiles and smiles and the wake of the tension between the alone. Yet.
continues to outwit his opponents PM and the establishment — this This decision, were it to be tak-
despite the fact that they have — at fresh air carries an aroma so sweet en, will happen sometimes after Nov
least on paper — a majority in the that the opposition is luxuriating in 19.
House. Sanjrani has survived a vote olfactory bliss. air from last month carries a whiff for the whole world to see, that the Step two would be to check the
of no confidence against all odds, It also smells an opportunity. of neutrality. If the establishment is establishment has indeed turned pulse of the Balochistan Awami Par-
and has won re-election as the chair- The logic behind the ‘Get San- therefore stepping back — which is neutral. This in turn means that the ty. Sadiq Sanjrani is a member of this
man against, yep, all odds. jrani’ operation goes something like all that the opposition wants for now PM is alone. Truly alone. party but the internal party revolt
But have the odds now stacked this: his three victories — first elec- — then the opposition’s wafer-thin Message: the gig is up. Lesson: if against its own chief minister Jam
up against him? Is he running out tion as chairman, surviving the vote majority should hold in the Senate. ‘Get Sanjrani’ succeeds, ‘Get Imran’ Kamal has unsettled its dynamics.
of his nine lives? We may not have of no confidence, and re-election No late-night phone calls weaving will become easier. Perhaps even in- Many members are nursing griev-
to wait long to find out because the as chairman — were directly linked magic means the numbers stay on evitable. ances. The opposition knows this.
opposition is sharpening its knives to the support of the establishment. their sides of the aisle. If this be so, Step one for the opposition now However, it will need to stealthily
for the third time. Operation ‘Get It was this support that magically Sanjrani will fall. is to agree on the operation. So far, verify if some BAP senators are open
Sanjrani’ is on the verge of being moved votes from the opposition to If he falls — goes the logic — it no decision has been made though to be convinced. If they’ve read
launched. the treasury benches. But the fresh will be the first and clearest evidence, there are quite a few takers for it. SANJRANI, P28
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