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From a philosophical standpoint, the fourth Islamic century (tenth-eleventh Christian centuries) stands out as the most remarkable and brilliant period among the centuries of the Islamic calendar. It exemplifies the essence of Islamic civilization, characterized by freedom, tolerance, morality, humanism, and rationality. During this period, Iran and Iraq were governed by the Sunni Abbasid Caliphate and Shiite Persian Buyid Emirate. One characteristic of this significant period, reminiscent of the Renaissance (centuries before the European Renaissance), is its cultural pluralism and religious tolerance. A notable example that epitomizes this remarkable tolerance can be found in the philosophical circles of Iran and Iraq during the tenth century. These circles brought together thinkers from diverse nations and religions. At times, the role of the master and moderator was assumed by Muslim figures like al-Sijistani (d. 1001 AD), while in other instances, Christian philosophers such as Yahya (Yuhanna/John) ibn ʿAdi (893-974 AD) took on the responsibility of moderating these intellectual gatherings. Yahya ibn ʿAdi had two groups of disciples: one comprised of Muslims, including al-Sijistani and Ibn Miskawayh, and the other consisting of Christians such as Ibn Samh, Nazif al-Rumi, and ʿIsa ibn Zurʿa. This study employs the method of intellectual historiography as applied to that age, specifically al-Tawhidi to explore the characteristics of intellectual exchange and the relationship between Muslim and Christian scholars.

This study aimed to explore the role of context in the selection of equivalents by translators with diverse worldviews, following the framework of Lotfi Gaskaree et al. (2023). A qualitative research design was employed, and verses were selected using purposive sampling. Five widely known English translations of the Holy Qur’ān were analyzed. The data encompassed nine Surahs, which were semantically analyzed to investigate the variation in lexical equivalents across the selected versions. The study focused on understanding the translators’ perspectives in selecting English equivalents for Qur’ānic vocabulary. Specifically, translations of Surah Al-Baqarah were examined, as rendered by Arberry, Shakir, Pickthall, and Yusuf Ali. Selected excerpts from each version were analyzed to explore differences in the Arabic-to-English lexical choices. Findings revealed notable differences in the translators’ degrees of familiarity and intimacy with Islamic and religious concepts. Translators influenced by Western worldviews tended to favor literal translations at the morphemic level, while those with Eastern perspectives leaned toward more meaningful or communicative translations. These variations highlight that English lexical choices in Qur’ānic translations are heavily context-bound and influenced by the translators’ cultural and ideological affiliations. The study acknowledges a limitation in the sample size, noting that a broader dataset exceeding nine Surahs could yield more comprehensive insights. Nonetheless, the findings offer valuable implications for cross-cultural translation theory, demonstrating that translators from different cultural backgrounds select lexical equivalents based on their worldviews. This study serves as a preliminary contribution to further semantic and contextual research in Qur’ānic translation.

Situational context plays a crucial role in translation studies. In Qur’ān translation, understanding Asbāb al-Nuzūl (occasions of revelation) is essential, as misinterpretations may arise without it. This qualitative study explores the impact of situational context explicitation on the quality of English translations of the Qur’ān. Four Shia translations, Nasr, Shakir, Saffarzadeh, and Mir, were selected due to their shared exegetical sources. Klaudy’s (2008) explicitation typology provided the framework for classifying types of explicitation. Analysis of 100 randomly selected verses revealed that explicitation of situational context, particularly the occasions of revelation, is present in all four translations. Pragmatic explicitation was the predominant type observed. The findings suggest that incorporating situational context into translations enhances readers’ comprehension of the Qur’ān’s meaning.