A Study of Gain and Loss in the Translation of the Qurʾānic Arabic Words of Glad Tidings Known as Al-Bush'rā (البُشْرَى ( Into English: An Islamic Professional Ethical Perspective

Abstract

The substantial lexical and cultural challenges facing the translators of the Holy Qur’ān in rendering the Qurʾānic Arabic words for glad tidings known as al-bush'rā (البُشْرَى) into English result in the gain or loss of meaning in translation - an issue that cannot be avoided. This study, conducted from an Islamic professional ethical perspective, examined that gain and loss through three well-known translations of the Holy Qur’ān which were sourced from The Qur’ānic Arabic Corpus, namely Abdelhaleem (2004), Al-Hilali and Khan (1996) and Pickthall (1930). A qualitative descriptive design was adopted together with Hervey and Higgins’s (1992) concept of loss of meaning in translation which is a critical aspect of any translation. The study found that, in terms of the loss and gain in the translation of the Qurʾānic Arabic al-bush'rā (البُشْرَى) into English, the aforementioned translators utilized different translation strategies such as reduction and omission. The study concludes that any loss has a significantly negative impact on the reader’s understanding and interpretation of the Holy Qur’ān in general and the words found in the Qurʾānic Arabic al-bush'rā (البُشْرَى) in particular.