Islamic Studies 51:2 (2012) pp. 193–211 193 From the Word of Allah 1 to the Words of Men: The Qur’┐n and the Poetics of Translation 2 AYAZ AFSAR MUHAMMAD AZMAT Abstract Although there have appeared many translations of the Qur’┐n in different languages of the world including English, the Qur’┐nic language is sui generis and does not lend to easy translation. The aim of this paper is to explore the distinctive features of various English translations of the Qur’┐n. The study begins with brief comments on the history of some popular English translations of the Qur’┐n, moves on to discuss the nature of language and some modern views and concepts of the word ‘translation’, turns on to analyze ten popular English translations of the Qur’┐n with respect to their use of lexical, syntactical and punctuational choices, while rendering four selected verses from Surah Y┴suf, and finally closes with highlighting significant differences among the translators in terms of their underlying ideologies and translation approaches. Introduction It is important to say in the outset that all Muslims, Arabs and non-Arabs, learn and read the Qur’┐n in Arabic, because it is the Arabic version that is considered by Muslims to be the true Qur’┐n, the direct word of Allah. No translation is considered to be the Qur’┐n or Word of Allah as such and none 1 “The proper name of God in Arabic.” Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’┐n: English Translation of the Meanings and Commentary, revised and ed. The Presidency of Islamic Researches, IFTA, Call and Guidance (Al-Mad┘nah al-Munawwarah: King Fahd Holy Qur’┐n Printing Press, 1405 AH), viii; “The word Allah has occurred in the Qur’┐n more than 3000 times.” Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali and Muhammad Muhsin Khan, The Noble Qur’┐n: English Translation of the Meanings and Commentary (Mad┘nah: King Fahd Glorious Qur’an Printing Press, 1432 AH), 918. 2 The earlier version of the paper was presented with the title, “From the Word of God to the Words of Men: The Qur’┐n and the Poetics of Translation,” at the sixth International Postgraduate Conference in Translation and Interpreting (IPCITI) held on 29-30 October 2010, at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom.