The

Chishti Nizami Habibi Soofie 

International Sufi Order

Pietermaritzburg

South Africa

Comparison of Al-Qur’aan Translations

KANZ-UL-EEMAN (By Imam e Ahle Sunnat, Maulana Shah Ahmad Raza Khan (born 1858: called to the realm of Divine Beauty 25 Safar 1921)  (may Allah be well pleased with him) of Barailly and those that follow the Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘ah (أهل السنة والجماعة‎) "People who follow the inner and outer dimensions of the tradition of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) and the obedience and love of his Companions for him ")

 with other Translations 

The translation of Imam e Ahle Sunnat, Maulana Shah Ahmad Raza Khan was completed at the beginning of the 20^th Century i.e. 1910. He was a great jurist and a learned scholar of Islam, considered to be the most learned and authentic authority on Qur’aan, Sunnah and Jurisprudence by the majority of Ahle Sunnah wa Jamaat scholars. He wrote over a thousand books on Islam and various sciences. He was a devoted lover of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family) and wrote and spoke in his defense when Wahabbism polluted mainstream Sunni belief. Muftis and Ulama of all four schools of jurisprudence awarded him certificates of proficiency when he performed Hajj at the Sunni Uthmania controlled Haramain Sharifain (Makkah and Madinah) at the beginning of the twentieth century. 

Though he has written numerously, but his two most famous works the translation of Holy Qur’aan in Urdu and Fatwai Razvia in twelve huge volumes have proved his superiority, deep thinking, ability and extreme love of Allah Almighty and. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him and his family) over entire group of Ulama of his time. Ahmad Raza filled a new spirit and enthusiasm for Islam in the hearts of Muslims. He revived love and affection of the last prophet and of his teachings. Seeing his works for the revival of Islam, he deserves to be called a revivalist of 20th century.

Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur'aan in the 93^rd Sura, ad-Duhā (the Forenoon) الضُّحٰی in verse  7:

وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَى

Incorrect translations

Correct Translation

These correct translations has its base from Tafsir al-Kabir (The Large Commentary, also known as Mafatih al-Ghayb, Keys to the Unknown)[1]; Tafsir al-Qurtubi[2] (تفسير القرطبي);, Tafsir Al-Bahr al-Muhit[3] ('The Encompassing Ocean'); Tafsir Ruh al-Bayan[4] by Allama Isma’il Haqqi (d. 1731) etc. 

The translators have translated the word  ضَال ‘dhal’ in such a way that it affected directly the personality and prestige of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family)  whereas the consensus is that the prophet is sinless prior to the declaration of prophet hood and after the declaration. The words wandering groping, erring are not befitting to his dignity. The word "Dhal" has many meanings the most appropriate meaning has been adopted by Ala Hazrath Imam Ahmed Raza Khan.

Nearly everybody who reads that thinks وَجَدَ ‘wajada’ here means ‘He found’. Allah Y doesn’t find. He is not looking for anything. ‘Finding’ implies that you don’t know where something is and then you go after it and look at it. [Some Arab speakers like Egyptians, due to their local usage will assume it means ‘find’]. It doesn’t mean that! All of the commentators are in agreement that it means ‘ta’alima’. A’lima hu daala! Even the word ضَال ‘daal’ doesn’t mean ‘astray’ according to the ‘mufassiroon’ If you haven’t studied Arabic with teachers [who have proper (aqaaid and ishq)] seriously (then you wont be blessed to know) that ضَال ‘daal’ in the Arabic language means to most Arabs, ‘astray’. [So they translate]:

And He knew you were astray and guided you

 (Asgagfirullah!)

ضَال ‘daal’ means also that somebody is completely ‘enamored’ [captivated and fascinated to the level of loss of consciousness of anything else]. ‘in love’; ‘wandering around in a state of love’. That’s one of the meanings! There are many interpretations of that verse.

1. Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur'aan in the 48^th Sura, al-Fath (Victory) الْفَتْح in Verse 2:

لِّيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ وَيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكَ وَيَهْدِيَكَ صِرَاطًا مُّسْتَقِيمًا

Incorrect translations

In this verse the Arabic word ذَنبِكَ "Zanb"  has been translated by almost all ‘famous’ (made famous by the Zionist/Wahabi/Capitalist Alliance to destry the spiritual heart of Islam) translators of the Holy Qur’aan as ‘sin or error or faults’. Thus the verse has been translated usually as "so that ALLAH Y   may forgive your faults (or errors or sins)". Whereas the basic faith of Muslims is that the prophet is sinless, and faultless.

The correct translation is

Ala Hazrath Imam Ahmed Raza Khan translated the verse:

Allamah Tahir al-Qadri translates as:

Here the prefixed particle "La" gives the meaning of "an account of" according to various commentators of Qur’aan particularly in the commentaries of Tafsir-e-Khazin[5] and Tafsir Ruh al-Bayan[6] by Allama Isma’il Haqqi (d. 1731).

Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur'aan in the 3^rd Sura, A<l-i- ‘Imra>n

 آل عِمْرَان [The Family of ‘Imra>n] Verse 142:

أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ اللّهُ الَّذِينَ جَاهَدُواْ مِنكُمْ وَيَعْلَمَ الصَّابِرِينَ

Incorrect Translation

Correct Translation

Now the readers can themselves see the difference of translating of this verse. Most of the translators while translating this verse have forgotten to remember that ALLAH is the knower of seen and unseen. God forbid! The general translators have given the conception that ALLAH does not know anything before its occurrence.

Even a Qadiani translator has translated the verse in a better way

 Even al-Qur’aan al-Kareem:  Sakhr Software – Saudi Arabia has, respectfully,  translated it as:

Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur'aan in the 2^nd Sura al-Baqarah (the Cow) الْبَقَرَة in verse 173:

وَمَا أُهِلَّ بِهِ لِغَيْرِ اللّهِ

Incorrect Translations

Correct Translations

Now see the difference in translation. Generally the translators while translating these words have conveyed such meaning that makes all lawful animals that are called by any other name that ALLAH unlawful. Sometimes animals are called by other names for example, if anyone calls any animal like Aqiqa animal, or Walima animal or sacrificial animal sometime people purchase animals for Isal-e-Sawab (conveying reward of a good deed to their near and dear ones) and call them as Ghaus-ul-Azam or Chishti U’rs animals, but they are slaughtered in the name of ALLAH only. Then all such animals would become unlawful.

The only befitting translation is of Ahmed Raza Khan that conveys the real sense of the verse. All such lawful animals become unlawful if they are slaughtered in any other name that ALLAH.

2. Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur'aan in the 55^th Sura ar-Rahmān (the Most Merciful) الرَّحْمٰن in Verse 33

يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنسِ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ أَن تَنفُذُوا مِنْ أَقْطَارِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ فَانفُذُوا لَا تَنفُذُونَ إِلَّا بِسُلْطَانٍ

Incorrect Translation

Similarly Abdullah Yousuf Ali and Maulana Abdul Majid Daryabadi have translated this verse.

Correct Translation

This is in keeping with the Scientific Age where man has crossed the boundaries of the earth. Some commentators have stated that none can cross the boundaries, thus creating doubt in the minds of people, but Ala Hazrath Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (may Allah be well pleased with him), the Khalifatullah fil ard actualized in his translation has expelled these doubts. His Successor , Maulana Abd al-Aleem Siddique (may Allah be well pleased with him) and Grand- Successor Prof. Maulana Fazlur Rahman Ansari have spoken on this topic in depth.

Adapted from (Prof) Shah Faridul Haque

Karachi

Date: 15-6-1998

Additions by Irshad Soofi with humble acknowledgement to (Prof) Shah Faridul Haque by

Servant of the Servants  of Awliya and Ulama e Haqq

Irshad Soofi Siddiqui
Chishti Nizami Habibi Soofi
Khanqae Habibia Soofia
189 East Street
Pietermaritzburg
Kwa - Zulu Natal
Republic of South Africa
 website: http://www.sufi.co.za/