School of Critical Studies

Bassam Seah
(Univresity of Wales)

Part of: Literature, Theology and the Arts Research Seminars
NB: This is a joint seminar with Translation Studies to be held at 1.00 p.m in room 915, Adam Smith Building

The nature of the new open language of the Qur'an was a vital element in allowing the Holy Book to remain open and respond to the future events and changes. Omar, the second Caliph after the Prophet Mohammad, forbad, and punished, attempts to write an exegesis to the Qur'an. Translation of any text entails interpretation. Any interpretation would naturally revoke that open element of the Qur'anic language and limit the text to merely one solid, fixed and unchangeable meaning. Most of the English translations, if not all, referred in translating the Qur'an to the old Muslim interpreters rather than the original Qur'anic text. This lecture will examine the negative effect of the translators' methodology on presenting the original multi-sided nature of the Qur’anic language   

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First published: 17 October 2014