The Ideology and Translations of the Quran by the Orientalists: A Comparative Study of Richard Bells Translation

Mahmoud Ibrahim Rezk Elnemr

doi:10.34257/gjhssavol20is20pg1

Abstract

This research seeks to examine the relation between the ideology and translation; moreover, it focuses on the orientalist English translations of the Qur’an “The Qur’an: Translated, with a Critical Re-arrangement of the Surahs” by Richard Bell. The research discusses Prophet Muhammad and the historical situation of the Qur’an according to the orientalists’ perspective, the origin of the Qur’an, the form, structure, and style of the Qur’an, the compilation of the Qur’an, the chronological order of Qur’anic and verses, stages of the revelation and the sources of the Qur’an, the biography of Richard Bell, features of his translation, objectives, sources, readership, motives, structure, method and the period to produce. After that, exploring the ideological effects of translation through exploring the mistranslation and misinterpretation of the translation. Lastly, Richard Bell’s competence and mindset.

Highlights

Orientalist English translations of the Qur’an “The Qur’an: Translated, with a Critical Re-arrangement of the Surahs” by Richard Bell
In the chapter about his main procedures as alteration, substitution, [8] he translates “Al-Anfal” as the windfall which means and derangement. He uses the replacement in different “a sum of money that you receive unexpectedly or by forms e.g., rearrangement, emerging, detaching and luck” instead of “The Spoils of War”
Bell uses the domestication chapter [55] (Al-Rahman) he translates as The Merciful technique in translating some Islamic terms which don’t instead of The Benevolent, The Gracious or The have the equivalent in English language e.g., (Salat) Beneficent because there is a difference between

Summary

Bell’s Main Works as follows

1-) According to chapter (53:1-18), traditions a) Books are inventions, so he alleged the prophet claimed to see. Organizational procedures demand from his followers for the benefit of the poor, concentrate on the reevaluation of the text and and other purposes”(7) He uses the footnotes to scrutinizing the communicative effectiveness of the add explanation or clarifying a meaning Bell translates target text (Nida 241-247). In the chapter about his main procedures as alteration, substitution, [8] he translates “Al-Anfal” as the windfall which means and derangement He uses the replacement in different “a sum of money that you receive unexpectedly or by forms e.g., rearrangement, emerging, detaching and luck” instead of “The Spoils of War”. Bell uses the domestication chapter [55] (Al-Rahman) he translates as The Merciful technique in translating some Islamic terms which don’t instead of The Benevolent, The Gracious or The have the equivalent in English language e.g., (Salat) Beneficent because there is a difference between. In translating Zakat special strategy and technique which did not use before he uses foreignization and explains the meaning in the through any translation by orientalists to rearrange the footnote but he misunderstand the meaning as he Qur’an and produce his translation

The Preface of Bell’s Translation

Methodology

Translator’s Competence

English References