Cultural and Stylistic Losses and Gains Faced in Translating the Qur'anic Arabic Words Known as Kur'hun كُرْه into English: A Comparative Study

Abstract

The significant cultural and stylistic issues confronting the translators of the Holy Qur'an in translating the  Qur’anic Arabic words known as kur'hun كُرْه into English lead to meaning gains or meaning losses - a problem that cannot be discarded or avoided. This study was undertaken to shine new light on some cultural and stylistic losses and gains encountered by Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali and Muhammad Muhsin Khan, Muhammad A.S. Abdel Haleem, and Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall when rendering these Qur'anic Arabic words into English, particularly concerning their fidelity to the original text of the Holy Qur'an. The study also examined how gains maintain an accurate translation of the Qur'anic Arabic words of kur'hun كُرْه into English and the extent to which cultural and stylistic losses play a part in meaning losses. For this reason, the researcher chose and explored five Qur’anic verses containing Qur’anic Arabic words known as kur'hun كُرْه words and their English renderings by the above-named translators. These selected verses were examined and compared to the original Qur'anic text according to Ibn Kathir's and Al-Qurtubi's exegesis to ascertain to what extent, the three translators either came up short or were very successful in translating the Qur'anic Arabic words of kur'hun كُرْه into English. Markedly, this study employed a descriptive qualitative method. The findings indicated that Abdelhaleem, Pickthall, and Al-Hilali and Khan failed to convey the most authentic and most proper meaning for some Qur'anic Arabic kur'hun كُرْه words into English because they utilized word-for-word (interlinear) and literal translation. Moreover, the study also showed that there were many cultural and stylistic issues closely associated with the fidelity of the three translators' renderings in addition to the gains and losses of meaning that are intricately connected to English in the rendering of the Qur'anic Arabic words of kur'hun كُرْه into English.