Noble Quran (Hilali-Khan)

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The Noble Qur'an, also informally known as the Hilali-Khan translation, is a translation of the Qur'an by contemporary Pakistani Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan (Arabic: محمد محسن خان, muḥammad muḥsin khān), a man of Afghan Khattak heritage, and Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali (Arabic: محمد تقي الدين الهلالي, muḥammad taqiyyu-d-dīn al-hilālī).^[1]

This English translation was sponsored by the Saudi government and is provided free. It has been reported to be the most popular and "Now the most widely disseminated Qur'an in most Islamic bookstores and Sunni mosques throughout the English-speaking world, this new translation is meant to replace the Yusuf 'Ali edition and comes with a seal of approval from both the University of Medina and the Saudi Dar al-Ifta. This venture utilizes mainstream classical sources of commentaries namely, Tabari (d. 923 C.E.), Qurtubi (d. 1273 C.E.), and Ibn Kathir (d. 1372 C.E.)"^[2]

Overview

As with any translation of the original Arabic into another language, in this case English, this is an interpretation of the meanings of the Noble Qur'an (Word of God). The translation is heavily interspersed with commentaries and notes from At-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir.^[1]

Abdul Malik Mujahid, the General Manager Darussalam Publishers and Distributors in Riyadh reported the legend that this translation of the Quran is owed to a dream Muhsin-Khan has one night:

In this dream Muhsin Khan has a dream of the Prophet Muhammad in a large gathering of people. Out of love, he stepped towards him to kiss his knees; but the Prophet disapproved it. Suddenly, the perspiration began to flow from his body and Muhsin Khan drank it to his satisfaction. Then the Prophet asked him for a paper on which he wrote down that he wanted him (to serve Islam) and stamped it with his seal.

When Muhsin Khan woke up, he was struck by a feeling of bewilderment, awe and sublimity. He asked the knowledgeable persons to interpret his dream. They indicated that he would serve the Prophet's sayings. So, he looked for a project to serve Islam and convey its message to the English-speaking people. After much consideration, he concluded that Sahih of Imam Al-Bukhari, who is the most authentic collector of the Prophet's sayings, needs to be translated into English. So, he decided to render Sahih Al-Bukhari into English.

Mushin Khan completed the translation in twelve years, during which he consulted a number of English versions of the Qur'an but had found that they had ambiguity, shortcomings and dogmatic errors.^{[citation needed]} So later, in association with Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali, he undertook the task of interpretation of the meanings of the Noble Qur'an providing evidences from the authentic sources for clarification.

Abdul Malik Mujahid also said that Khan and Hilali behested that Darussalam Publishers and Distributors bring about a summarized edition in one volume:

Its popularity among the readers encouraged them to prepare a comprehensive version of the interpretation of the meanings of the Qur'an in nine volumes comprising a number of Ahadith from Sahih Al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim and other books with comments from Tafsir At-Tabd, Tafsir AI-Qurtubi and Tafsir Ibn Kathir, where necessary to elaborate upon the Qur'anic Verses.

Controversy

The Hilali-Khan translation has been criticised by several prominent Western Muslims.

Khaleel Mohammed has taken the translation to task for "[reading] more like a supremacist Muslim, anti-Semitic, anti-Christian polemic than a rendition of the Islamic scripture,"^[2] while Sheila Musaji complains that it "is shocking in its distortions of the message of the Qur’an and amounts to a rewrite not a translation."^[3] Dr. Robert (Farooq) D. Crane states that it is "Perhaps the most extremist translation ever made of the Qur’an."^[4]

Khaled Abou El Fadl attacks what he calls "grotesque misogyny" in the translation.^[5]

The Hilali-Khan translation could be called an amplified translation, ^[6] as it adds parenthetical comments into the text for the sake of clarity. However, these parenthetical comments are the source of much of the controversy.

As an example, Khaleel Mohammed condemns the Hilali-Khan translation of the final two verses of the very first sura, Al-Fatiha:

⁶ Guide us to the Straight Way

⁷ The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger (such as the Jews), nor of those who went astray (such as the Christians).

"(V.1:7) Narrated ‘Adi bin Hâtim رضي الله عنه: I asked Allâh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم , about the Statement of Allâh: 1. " غير المغضوب عليهم Ghairil-maghdûbi ‘alaihim (not the way of those who earned Your Anger)," he صلى الله عليه وسلم replied "They are the Jews". And 2. ولا الضالين Walad dâllîn (nor of those who went astray)," he صلى الله عليه وسلم replied: "The Christians, and they are the ones who went astray" [This Hadith is quoted by At-Tirmidhi and Musnad Abu Dâwûd ]." ^[7]

These lines have drawn criticism, since mention of Jews and Christians is not present in the original Arabic; though there is a hadith in which Muhammad (ca. 570/571 – June 8, 632) is said to have made these connections. ^[8][9]

Editions

Published by the King Fahd Printing Complex, Madinah, Saudi Arabia, 956 pages, HB. This special edition 5.5" x 8.5" HB Noble Qur'an is handy for everyday carrying and reference. This is the Qur'an often distributed to hajjis (Hajj pilgrims) in Saudi Arabia.^[10]

Derivative work

The translation of Umm Muhammad (published under the pseudonym name of Saheeh International) is a derivative work of the Hilali-Khan translation.^[11] The parenthetical remarks from the original Hilali-Khan translation are largely removed.

External links

• Online Quran Project includes the translation of Hilali & Khan (and the one of Umm Muhammad - Sahih International).
• Complete online publication of the Hilali-Khan translation
• Compared Translations of the meaning of the Quran

See also

• List of translations of the Qur'an

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Muttaqun Online: The Noble Quran
2. ^ ^{a b} Khaleel Mohammed: Assessing English Translations of the Qur'an
3. ^ Shiela Musaji: Through the Looking Glass: Hilali-Khan Qur’an Translation
4. ^ Dr. Robert D. Crane, QUR'AN: Playing into the Hands of the Extremists? (Khan Qur'an)
5. ^ Khaled Abou El Fadl: Corrupting God's Book, in Conference of the Books
6. ^ http://www.clay.smith.name/English_Translations.htm
7. ^ http://qurancomplex.com/Quran/Targama/Targama.asp?nSora=1&l=arb&nAya=1#1_1
8. ^ Sunan Abi Dawood, narrated by Adi ibn Hatim
9. ^ Sunan al-Tirmidhi, narrated by Adi ibn Hatim
10. ^ Online Islamic Store: Noble Qur'an
11. ^ See Quran Translations, Umm Muhammad translation