Critical comprehension of various translations of surah al-Baqarah 8-13: a Theological and Linguistic analysis

Abstract

In this article we have made an attempt to critically comprehend ten translations of the 8-13 ayahs of surah “al-Baqara” into Russian, considered in the order of their publication, which allowed us to trace their certain semantic transformation. So, modern translations more emphasize the internal irrational processes, separating the Arabic verbs sensation (شعر) and belief (علِم), in contrast to their predecessors, translating these verbs as synonyms, thus emphasizing the importance of rational processes, relying on tafsirs, which have also undergone some changes of meaning over time. On the basis of the critical comprehension of various translations of the above ayats of the Quran, as well as four tafsirs, a theological and linguistic analysis of this text fragment was carried out, as a result of which the assumption of two kinds of hypocrites was put forward: those who realize their hypocrisy and those who do not realize (or do not want to realize), taking the likeness of faith for the true faith. This circumstance made it possible to understand the reasons for the different approaches to the translation of the Arabic verbs شعر and علِم. Thus, in the earlier translations of the Qur'an these verbs are translated as synonyms, since according to the early tafsirs, on which the authors of these translations apparently relied, this fragment of the Holy Text refers to a group of people knowingly hypocriting about their faith in order to gain personal benefits. Their hypocrisy is conscious, i.e. rationally meaningful, due to which the translators used the verb of the group of feeling شعر to denote the meaning of the verb of belief علِم. In later translations of the Quran, as well as in modern tafsirs, which we reviewed in this paper, no clear indication of a specific group of people (which was found in the comments of D. Boguslavsky) or that the hypocrisy of these people is conscious. In these works, the focus of the authors' attention shifts to the processes occurring in the heart (in the soul), which allows us to speak of a category of people who are hypocrites unconsciously, who are sure that they believe, that they are doing good, people who do not want to recognize their unbelief, who do not define it, who do not feel it because their hearts are sick. In this connection, it seems to us that the later translators emphasize the difference in meaning between the verb sensation (شعر) and the verb belief (علِم). This fact gives rise to a reflection on one's own position regarding belief, which on a rational level may be quite convincing, but on an irrational level may raise some doubts.