درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

The Meccan Surah al-Ghāshīyah in the Qur’an, with its cohesive structure, constructs a multi-layered discourse through descriptions of the Day of Judgment, invitations to reflect on creation, and an emphasis on the Prophet’s guiding role, promoting monotheistic faith and challenging the polytheistic hegemony of Mecca. This study examines how the surah represents theological concepts such as monotheism, resurrection, human responsibility, and social concepts including justice, faithful identity, and a critique of polytheism, while confronting the power structures of the Quraysh. Utilizing Norman Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis framework, which views language as a social practice for reproducing or transforming power relations, the study is conducted at three levels: textual, discursive process, and social practice. Findings indicate that the surah employs contrastive vocabulary, concise grammatical structures, and rhetorical devices such as antithesis, repetition, and rhetorical questions to represent the dichotomy between faith and disbelief. These tools, by reinforcing the process of othering, promote faithful identity as a legitimate and ethical alternative, undermining polytheistic hegemony. The surah also proposes a social order based on justice and spiritual equality through intertextuality and the integration of warning, argumentative, and persuasive discourses. This analysis elucidates the role of religious texts in social transformations and contributes to a deeper understanding of the interplay between language and power in the historical context of Mecca.

This study assessed the quality of two English translations of the Al-Kahf chapter, produced by two prominent translators: Pickthall (1930), a native English speaker, and Qarai (2018), a non-native translator. The evaluation employed the model proposed by Khazaeefar (2012), which emphasizes error analysis. By referencing two commentary texts and two dictionaries of the Quran, the true meanings of the words were established, enabling a comparative analysis of their English meanings against the Arabic terms and identifying errors in the translations. Additionally, errors at the macro level of translation—specifically regarding sentence syntax, coherence, cohesion, and style—were examined. The findings indicated that the non-native translator exhibited fewer errors and produced a higher quality translation than Pickthall (1930). Consequently, it can be concluded that a translator's proficiency in the Arabic language and its structures, along with a contextual understanding, significantly influences the translation of the Quran, and the non-native translator has effectively fulfilled this responsibility.

Verse 21 of Surah Ar-Rum states: “And of His signs is that He created for you spouses from among yourselves so that you may find tranquility in them, and He placed between you affection ( mawaddah ) and mercy. Indeed, in that are signs for a people who reflect”. This verse, which conveys the Qur’ānic philosophy of marriage, notably employs the word mawaddah to express affection, a choice that warrants deeper investigation. Analyzing the semantic evolution of key Qur’ānic terms is a valuable and emerging approach in Qur’ānic studies. The vocabulary of the Qur’ān often draws from the lexicon of pre-Islamic Arab culture, including terms common in tribal discourse and poetic expression. Like many such words, mawaddah retained its semantic core but underwent significant development in its meaning within the Qur’ānic worldview. This paper explores the semantic trajectory of mawaddah and offers a critical analysis of its usage in Surah Ar-Rum, verse 21. It concludes that no other synonymous term would convey the depth and intended meaning as effectively as mawaddah in this context

Translating recurring linguistic and rhetorical structures in the Qur’ān presents a significant challenge for English translators, as inconsistencies can disrupt the text’s thematic unity and stylistic coherence. This study investigates how such structures—categorized as expressions, sentences, verses, syntactic patterns, and rhetorical devices—are rendered in three English translations of the Qur’ān: Sahih International (1997), Yusuf Ali (1934), and Abdel Haleem (2004). Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, the research utilizes the frameworks of formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence, supported by classical tafsir and Arabic syntactic sources, to evaluate translation consistency across the five categories. The findings reveal distinct translational strategies: Sahih International emphasizes formal equivalence, demonstrating high consistency in expressions and syntactic constructions; Abdel Haleem strikes a balance between formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence, performing notably well in the translation of verses; Yusuf Ali, on the other hand, adopts a more interpretive style, resulting in greater variability and frequent departures from tafsir-supported renderings. This inconsistency underscores the importance of uniformity in preserving the Qur’ān’s integrity and enhancing clarity for readers, especially in sacred texts where repetition serves a deliberate rhetorical function. The study proposes a hybrid formal equivalence-dynamic equivalence model that prioritizes structural fidelity, such as consistent renderings of recurring phrases like “who ... except”, while incorporating naturalness to improve readability for English audiences. However, the limited sample size of three instances per category constrains the generalizability of the findings, indicating a need for broader analysis. Ultimately, this systematic approach not only promotes greater coherence in Qur’ānic translation but also offers practical guidance for translators and contributes to the broader discourse in translation studies, particularly regarding the balance between fidelity and accessibility in rendering sacred texts.