The Need for a Youth-Oriented Translation
I have been a teacher of Islamic studies for over ten years in Sunday schools, full-time schools, summer schools, and youth camps. I have had the opportunity to work with teenage Muslims of all ethnic, social, economic and cultural backgrounds. Alhumdulillah, I have not only been the teacher of young people, but I've had the opportunity to be accepted by them as a sincere person. This causes them to lower their guard and express how they really feel about things.
At the same time, I've had the opportunity to observe the attitudes and practices of young people with regards to their understanding and application of Islam. What has always been heartbreaking for me is the fact that they are almost completely oblivious to the importance and usefulness of the Holy Qur'an!
They may pray, fast and memorize a few Surahs (in a language they don't understand), but precious few of them read the Qur'an on their own or even give any thought to it. How could this be, I would ask myself, given the fact that it was by reading the Qur'an that I became a Muslim and felt the thrill of Eman enter my heart. And here were "born" Muslims, living in a stable society who gave no thought to the book of guidance.
I came to Islam reading the Yusuf Ali translation. I am an educated person who was raised on the King James Bible so the old English wasn't a problem for me, and this was back at 19 years old! I know other converts who came to Islam through the Muhammad Asad, Pickthall and Maududi translations.
But in our post-literate youth society, if it isn't easy to read, the youth won't touch it. I began to realize this very early on. I always make it a habit in my Islamic studies classes to use the Qur'an as a textbook along with whatever other book I'm using. I also require my students to have a copy of the Qur'an with meaning in the class as well. I often have the students read relevant ayat out loud in class.
Oh, the frustration of seeing the youth stumble through the words of English, completely uncomprehending. One year I tried using the Yusuf Ali translation in class and I found that I had to spend more time teaching them to understand old English than in discussing the message. What about other translations? Here's the run down.
1. The Maududi translation in one volume has a rambling tone to it and is filled with awkward grammar and spelling mistakes. The newer translation by Ansari is actually wonderful, however, it is scholarly in tone and encompasses many volumes. I love it but many of the youth find it overwhelming.
2. The Muhammad Asad is great- for scholars. The language is also complicated. Although I love the extensive and detailed tafseer, unless one is well grounded in Islamic knowledge, it will be difficult for them.
3. The M.H. Shakir translation is dry and boring in presentation. The language constructions are difficult to engender sustained readability.
4. The Muhsin Khan and Hilali translation is burdened with too many parenthetical notes. It can drive someone crazy! Also, many of the translator's footnotes which concern women are very chauvinistic and demeaning. The language style also suffers from bad grammar and awkward expressions. The new revised version, although it deletes the parenthesis, still suffers from the odd grammar and difficult word choices. See below.
5. The new translation by Muhammad A. Malik is so full of grammar, spelling and stylistic mistakes that it's amazing people let it be published. The grammar structure is awkward in many places as well. It has a simple presentation but its awkwardness is endlessly annoying. The simplicity allows teenagers to understand the Qur'anic meaning, however, better than in any other translation, but it could have been organized and streamlined so much better.
6. The revised edition of the Muhsin Khan and T. Hilali translation by Saheeh International is better but still suffers from poor grammar and unnecessarily awkward words. I've tried to get teenagers to read it but they just can't follow the meaning for very long.
7. The Allahmah Nooruddin translation has the best presentation anywhere. The trouble is that some of the translation is way off the mark with the actual and accepted meaning of the Arabic text. When I saw the nice leather bound book with gold edged pages and the "Bible-look" I was excited. But when I read the translation I realized it had it's own problems with awkward and difficult grammar as well. Nooruddin, it is rumored, was a Qadiani.
8. The T.B Irving translation suffers from flowery terminology and weird word choices. The grammar is also difficult to follow for teenagers and college age students. (Since when can a Jinn be translated as "Sprite?" Look up sprite in a dictionary. Anyway, few in the English speaking world know what sprites are anyway.)
9. The Daryabadi, Usmani, Sarwar and other older translations are too difficult to follow.
10. Non-Muslim translations such as Arberry, Sales and Dawood should never be used. Can you imagine it! A non-Muslim becomes so intimate with the Qur'an that he translates its meanings into English, but then remains a kafir! Such a person's work and intentions should never be trusted!
11. The new translation by Majeed Fakhri flows nicely, however, my sources tell me he is actually a non-Muslim by choice. (My sources actually know him personally.) The book presentation is also very bulky with next to no resources i.e. index, glossary, etc...
So as you can see, a new translation, presented in modern American-style English in an attractive and accessible way is sorely needed. For the youth, the non-Muslims of this land, as well as for Muslim adults, this work must be completed: A translation of the Holy Qur'an, in today's English, presented in a noble printing that gives the holder the understanding that this book and its words are indeed holy. Allah give us time to finish this task!
