Reader responses in quranic translation

Abstract

This article deals with reader responses to select translations of Quranic verses that involve referential gaps. Based on the results obtained from two types of questionnaire (an open form and a closed form), the study shows that referential gaps may cause serious problems to native speakers of English when they interpret Quranic messages in translation. Further, open form questionnaires prove to be more indicative of readers’ comprehension of Quranic translation than their closed counterparts because participants, as this study substantiates, may overestimate their understanding of Quranic messages when responding to closed form questionnaires.