Qur’anic Readings and Malay Translations in 18th-Century Banten Qur’ans A.51 and W.277

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines two copies of the Qur’an from 18th-century Banten held in the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia, A.51 and W.277, that contain interlinear Malay translations, focusing on two aspects, i.e. Qur’anic readings and Malay translations, to reveal Qur’anic pedagogical practices in the region. This article suggests that differences in the way a Qur’anic reading is used for the writing of the Qur’an guide us to understand the users and their levels of acquired skills and knowledge. In this regard, the Qur’an A.51 was possibly used for those who gained high level skills in Qur’anic recitation, while the Qur’an W.277 was possibly made for students at basic levels or ordinary Muslims. Meanwhile, the examination of their Malay translations reveals that both present a different style in rendering, compared to those in two 17th-century Malay commentaries (i.e. the Cambridge manuscript Or. Ii.6.45 and the Tarjumān) and the Jalālayn, a well known work on Qur’anic exegesis in the Muslim world. In a broader context, this article affirms the existence of Malay translations in the Qur’ans A.51 and W.277 as a proof for the continuation of Malay exegetical activities in 18th century after the composition of the Tarjumān in the late 17th century.