Secular Hermeneutics and Sacred Text: A Case Study of Reformist Translation of the Quran

Abstract

This research presents an analysis of the English translation of the Quran namely “Quran: A Reformist Translation”. The translation “Quran: A Reformist Translation” was translated and annotated by Edip Yuksel, Layth Saleh al-shaiban, and Martha Schulte-Nafeh “(Edip Yuksel and Layth Saleh al-shaiban: Translated the main text of The Reformist Translation of the Quran. Edip Yuksel: Authored the annotations, subtitles, endnotes, introductory materials, and appendices. Martha Schulte-Nafeh: Provided Linguistics consultation and feedback)” has been selected to determine the dynamics of the Quranic discourse created by the translator and also hermeneutic principles determined by them in shaping their specific discourse. They have translated the Quran from a modernist perspective. In this regard, the philosophical and discursive role of translators and the way employed have been targeted. The three-dimensional model of critical discourse analysis by Fairclough has used the data analysis method. The data has been chosen around the two main topics which were addressed by Edip Yuksel and his companions under the topic named “Sample Comparison” in which they compared their translation with the three other translations which they called traditional orthodox English rendition of the Quran. They chose the translation of Yusuf Ali, Pickthall, and Shakir because they are popular among the English-speaking Sunni population. Data has been selected around two major Questions. The first one is “Do we need Muhammad (PBUH) to understand the Quran?” and the second one is “Was Muhammad (PBUH) illiterate? The interpretation and the paratextual explanation of the translator are analyzed to seek out the ideological role of the translator. The research has established the view that the produced translation is the parallel discourse and the translators seem to be present in the translations. In translating, translators have manipulated the original text and translated it according to their views and ideologies. Yuksel constructs a modernist and reformist text in his translation. Analysis of data has also shown that the translators while constructing their specific discourse have observed hermeneutic principles which were suitable for their ideologies.